The blaring wee-woo of a cop siren blared for a second before being shut off.
Vi glanced up through her rearview mirror and let out a dramatic groan.
“Oh shit, is that us?” Jayce turned fully in his seat to look at the cop car trailing behind them while Vi glared at the open road ahead.
It was dark out. Quiet. They were the only people driving on the bridge between Piltover and Zaun. A familiar route began to form in her mind and her hands tightened on the wheel.
“Uh, Vi? Why aren’t you pulling over?”
Ignoring Jayce’s voice, Vi looked over to the small checkpoint station that, while empty, still held some backup for the cop behind them. She’d have to pull a harsh U-turn, hightailing it through Zaun.
“I swear to fucking God, you don’t pull over I’ll turn you in tomorrow.” Vi shot Jayce an ‘are you for real?’ Look. He shot the same look back.
“You’re so boring sometimes.” Vi groaned once more, finally slowing to a halt with the cop car close on their heels.
“This isn’t Grand Theft Auto, you hooligan.”
“The fuck is a ‘hooligan’?” Vi snarled. Their little argument was interrupted by a series of three sharp knocks on the driver’s side window.
Blowing out a breath because Vi really wasn’t in the mood to be dealing with the fucking feds today, she turned to level a blank stare out the window.
She was pretty, Vi’d give her that. Even if the uniform had negative emotions pooling at the bottom of her stomach, it somehow looked good on the tall, blue haired officer.
Not the hat though. Never the hat. The stupid, tall, obnoxious top hat that pissed Vi off just to look at.
She wore a distinct frown and Vi felt irritation rear its head at the fact that she was alreadyannoyed, before realising it was because Vi still hadn’t rolled her window down.
The two had an impromptu staring match for a few moments before the officer said something inaudible, pointing to the window.
“I can’t hear you the window’s up!” Vi shouted back, overly enunciating her words. Jayce dragged a palm down his face, muttering an ‘oh my fucking god’.
The officer rolled her eyes - unprofessional - dramatically miming the press of a button, as if Vi didn’t know how to roll the window down on her own fucking car.
Well, that’s real sweet of you, cupcake. Was what Vi’s feigned smile read.
Jayce reached over and rolled Vi’s window down, ignoring the dirty look his friend gave him.
“Thank you.” The officer said curtly, her posh accent sharpening each word.
“Don’t mention it.” Vi cut in before Jayce could respond, still smiling sweetly.
“Do you know why I pulled you over today, Miss?”
“I don’t think it was because of my sunny disposition, so I’m stumped here.”
Caitlyn analysed the woman’s tight expression, the tenseness in her shoulders that contrasted the projected overconfidence. Her gaze followed her shoulders down muscular, tatted arms, settling on two hands that gripped tightly to the wheel. Remaining in full view at all times.
Takeout boxes and other wrappers littered the floor of the car, an empty plastic cup sat in the cup holder between the driver’s side and the passenger’s, and-
“Jayce?”
“Caitlyn?”
“What’re you doing here?” The former chuckled good-naturedly.
“Well, I-I could ask you the same thing.” Caitlyn sputtered, in shock over seeing someone she definitelywasn’texpecting in the beat up car. She almost forgot about her previous annoyance.
“I can leave if you want. Let you two catch up.” Vi let her irritation bleed into her tone, reaching into the pocket of her jacket and popping a piece of gum in her mouth. And Caitlyn remembered.
“I need to see your license and registration.” The Enforcer straightened up.
“For what?” Everything about the woman’s body language told Cait that she didn’t really care about the answer. She was just being combative for the sake of being combative.
“You were exceeding the speed limit by 20 miles.”
“How was I supposed to know the damn speed limit when there’s no road signs?”
Cait raised a brow, then sent a pointed look to the large sign just inches away displaying a large ‘60’ in black.
Vi sucked her teeth, turning to look straight ahead. “I’m blind in my left eye.”
“Then you shouldn’t be driving.” The Enforcer said coolly. “License and registration.”
“What, blind people can’t drive?”
Stalling. Vi was staring up at Cait with a forcibly blank expression. One that reminded Cait of the kids in class who’d try to waste the whole period arguing with the sub. Obviously stalling. Not even trying to hide it.
“If it makes you unable to comply with speed limits, and makes you a danger to yourself and others, then no.”
“Damn,” Vi chewed obnoxiously at her gum for a minute, tapping her hands on the wheel, letting the silence brew. “Seems kinda unfair.”
“License and registration. Please.” Cait tried.
Vi opened her mouth to speak but Jayce cut her off with an annoyed, “Stop being an asshole and give her your fucking license.”
Caitlyn had never been more thankful for Jayce at that moment. The question of why he was friends with someone so infuriating reemerged in Cait’s head.
“I don’t have my license.” Vi argued. “But if I did, I still wouldn’t give it.”
“Are you banned from driving?” Cait asked, ignoring the last comment.Of course, that’s why the woman had been stalling for so long.
“It’s at home.” She responded with more bite than usual. “Wasn’t expecting to get stopped today, so forgive me for being unprepared.”
“I forgive you.” Cait said simply, eliciting a look of incredible annoyance from the woman. “Registration?”
“Oh, it’s here, right?” Jayce pulled open the glove compartment and grabbed a set of papers. He made to hand them to Caitlyn but they were promptly snatched out of his hands by the woman.
“She doesn’t need those.”
“Yes, I do.” Caitlyn retorted immediately. The woman gave her a blank look.
“Why?”
“An officer can request the driving documents of any vehicle during a stop.”
“You got that framed above your bed or something?”
“No, I just know the law.”
“Miss me with that gay shit.”
“What gay shit? Thelaw?”
The woman stared up at Cait, blowing a large bubble with her gum and letting it pop with a loud smack.
“Just,” Cait took deep breaths, resisting the urge to reach in and shake the woman. “Hand me your registration, please.”
“Why d’you want it?” She turned her body in her seat with folded arms, fully facing Caitlyn. An expression resembling half genuine curiosity and half mild amusement.
“So I can check it’s legitimate.” The Enforcer didn’t have the energy to question the woman, now merely explaining to the best of her ability.
“What? You don’t trust me, Cupcake?”
“No! you don’t have a license, you refuse to give me your insurance and you’ve been nothing but hostile, which makes me think you’ve got something to hide!”
“Well, that’s not fair. You haven’t given me a chance.” Vi complained. “Let me take you out to dinner and a movie, we’ll get dessert afterwards - obviously, since I’m a gentleman - and after that, you can tell me if you trust me or not.”
“I’ll save you the trouble and tell you now. I. Don’t. Trust. You.”
“Did someone with pink hair and stunning good looks wrong you in the past? Is that where all this hostility is coming from, Cupcake?”
“Stunning good looks? You’re certainly giving yourself a lot of credit.”
“Hey, those aren’t my words.” The woman raised her hands in mock surrender. “They’re from some satisfied reviews I’ve gotten from some very satisfied customers.”
“I’m sure they were. And I’m sure none of them were coerced or bribed in any way.”
“Again with the ‘not trusting me’ thing. You’re starting to hurt my feelings here, Cupcake.”
“Stop calling me that.” Caitlyn finally addressed the nickname she had been avoiding. As expected, the woman began to grin at the reaction she’d been waiting for.
“Well you haven’t told me your name, so I don’t know what else to call you.”
“It’s Officer Kiramman.” Caitlyn said, slipping back into her role. “Or you can say Miss, or Ma’am.”
Immediately, Cait realised her mistake. Her panic was only heightened as Vi began to wiggle her brows, opening her mouth.
A short crackle came from Caitlyn’s radio, cutting the woman off - thank god - and her hand came up to hover at the antenna. ‘Kiramman.’ Came Marcus’s voice through the static. ‘What’s taking so long?’
Caitlyn sent a glance to her supervisor, who sat with crossed arms in the passenger side of the vehicle. He sent her a glare when he noticed her looking.
She turned back to the woman.“Registration. Now.”
“You’re not gonna ask for my name back? Rude.”
“Step out of the car.” Cait wasn’t in the mood for games anymore.
The woman looked momentarily shocked at Cait’s sudden and drastic change in attitude. Then her face morphed back into hostility, and she pulled open the door.
“Good.” She sneered, stepping out and slamming it shut behind her.
Jayce rolled his eyes at the display and reached for his phone, making a quick call.
“Vik? Can you come pick me up? Vi’s fucking around with the Enforcers and I don’t think we’re gonna be leaving anytime soon.”
“Again?” Viktor’s voice sighed through the phone. “Will we need to post bail?”
“Probably.” Jayce glared at his close friend who, based on the look on Cait’s face, was still fucking around with them.
“Have you been drinking or smoking tonight?” Caitlyn asked, stepping forward to begin patting down the woman’s - surprisingly sturdy - arms.
“I am high,” The Enforced paused, “On life, Cupcake. On life.” Cait rolled her eyes, continuing. “Doesn’t get much better than this.”
Finding nothing on her, Caitlyn stood to her full height and faced the woman. She only had a couple of inches on her, which was surprising. Normally, Cait dwarfed most woman she met.
“Is that your supervisor?” She nodded towards Cait’s patrol vehicle, where Marcus sat, stewing angrily.
Oh. Oh no. “Does it matter?” Cait said, avoidant.
“I want to speak to him.” The woman said smugly, as if they had been playing chess and she’d just got a checkmate.
Which, she might’ve just done.
“For what reason?” Cait feigned disinterest. The woman cocked a brow.
“Stealing my tricks, Cupcake? And don’t you like, legally have to call him, even if I don’t have a reason?”
The two stared at each other for a long moment. Cait sent an apprehensive glance at Marcus, who was already bending a finger to motion her over. There was no getting out of it.
She sighed. “Wait here.” Before turning and walking over to the patrol car. She did her best to ignore the woman’s smug look.
Marcus had already rolled down the window by the time Cait arrived. His brows were furrowed.
“Why’s the perp outside the vehicle on a simple fucking traffic violation?”
“She doesn’t have a license and is refusing to give her registration, sir.”
Marcus was out of the car before Cait could finish her sentence, clearly impatient. Cait trailed behind him like a scolded child as he approached the second vehicle.
“What seems to be the issue here?” He asked gruffly.
“I- I have no idea, sir.” The woman’s voice was shaky, eyes wide. “I explained I didn’t have a license, and tried to hand over my registration but your officer wouldn’t take it. She kept saying something about- about Cupcakes?”
Cait’s jaw dropped. Literally dropped.
Police brutality is illegal and wrong. Police brutality is illegal and wrong. Police brutality is illegal-
“Did she?” Marcus sent Cait a venomous look. One that said ‘We’ll talk about this later. “I’m so sorry about her, Miss. Seeing as this is a minor transgression, we’ll just let you be on your way.”
“Why, thank you sir.” The over exaggerated voice of innocence was now bordering on Southern. She fluttered her lashes at Cait. “I’m so sorry for the misunderstanding, Ma’am. I just- I was a little intimidated.”
“You were intimidated?” Cait cut herself off at Marcus’s harsh glare. She sent the woman a scathing look that made a self-satisfied smirk form on her face.
“I apologise, Miss.” Cait forced out. That little smirk the woman wore only grew. “Thank you for your understanding.”
“Don’t mention it.” She waved them off. “Well, I’ll be going now.”
“Have a safe drive. Keep below the speed limit now, okay?” Marcus sent her a smile with no sincerity, one only reserved for dealing with the public.
Once the woman and Jayce had driven off, with Jayce mouthing apologies through the window at her, Cait was left alone with Marcus.
“Sir, I-“
“Cupcakes?!”