CH 16: Vi's Return

"Oh, right, I almost forgot." As Jinx sat comfortably on Slathilia's lap, she realized something :"Can you give me a mask so I won't be knocked out by my own trap?" And he took out one from his biomass :"Here." Passing it to his lover who smiled :"Thank you~. Also, we can't just sit here."

Slathilia :"What? I thought that was the whole plan. Sit and wait till someone comes."

Jinx, giggling :"That's not what I meant. I meant as in literally just sitting. We should pose a bit!"

Slathilia, amused :"Pose? Are you serious?"

Jinx :"Duh! We gotta look cool while doing something like this! I mean, c'mon, this is the perfect situation to hit a sick ass pose together!"

Slathilia, chuckling in amusement :"Fine, fine. Whatever. What do you want me to do?"

Jinx :"Hehehe, leave that to me."

After a while, as the door finally opened, Sevika with a slightly bruised face walked in :"We lost her." Seeing the back of the chair facing her, she wasn't suspicious at all. But when the chair turned, revealing Slathilia sitting with his fist supporting his cheek, and with Jinx sitting on his lap with her legs dropped between his, she immediately frowned.

"Lost who?" Jinx said, taking her eyes off of the documents in her hand, which were there just for show, and pointing it to Sevika. Not in the mood for jokes, the older woman walked towards them. But the moment she raised her leg, she pulled on the trap, causing the knockout gas to be released.

She tried to cover her mouth as she stumbled towards them, but in the end, she passed out when she reached the desk, her fingers mere inches away from Jinx's masked face as she coughed while the bluenette waved her fingers playfully.

-

A little while later, Sevika slowly began to wake up as the chair kept spinning thanks to Jinx. And after a harsh slap to the face, she finally woke up completely. Just to see Jinx sitting on the desk in front of her tied form, smiling, while Slathilia was leaning against the desk, playing around with his tendrils.

Jinx :"I feel like you and I got off on the wrong arm. *Scrapping a knife on Sevika's real arm* Maybe we should try the other."

Sevika, smirking and scoffing :"No need. It's your sister. She's back. She's looking for you. It's not what you think. She's with some girl enforcer. Guess she replaced you."

Jinx, stabbing the knife to the chair beside Sevika's head angrily :"You're lying!"

Sevika :"Why bother? Her back in town, it's only a matter of time before you implode and Silco finally gets the message that you're about as good for our cause as you were for your family. Jinx."

The look of shock and disbelief on Jinx's face slowly turned to that of a sad one. She began to let out small hiccups, but Slathilia still didn't do anything. After all, he knew her enough to know that it was fake. Well, mostly. There were some real feelings there, but she wasn't going to let them show in front of Sevika. He was a bit annoyed with Sevika, but he knew that their relationship was like that. So he couldn't do anything about it. They were like fire and water. He didn't hate her, and he could understand why she didn't like Jinx. The most he could do was stay out of their way as long as it was just an argument and not a full out fight.

Jinx let out broken sobs, making Sevika smirk. But suddenly, she sneezed right in the older woman's face and kicked her away, snickering as she stepped down :"Ten outta ten, toots! I think I know just how to deliver that message." She laughed as she began to spin Sevika again.

-

As they stepped into their cave, Jinx's steps faltered before stopping. When the noiret stopped and gently held her hand, she whispered unsurely :"D... do you think she was telling the truth? Is Vi really back? Is she... alive?"

Slathilia :"... Sigh, Sevika may act like a bitch when it comes to you, but she still isn't a liar. If she's the one who said it, then it must be true. Vi may actually be back."

Jinx :"... Then... t-then is the rest of what she said also true? That she's with an enforcer? That she... replaced me...?"

Slathilia, shaking his head :"That I don't know. From the looks of it, they didn't have a conversation to find out everything. She may have just said everything she saw just to get under your skin. I don't remember Vi as someone like that. Especially not as someone who would replace you of all people. You remember how much she cared for you."

Jinx :"Hahaha yeah, that's true. But... that was in the past... before that night. That night where everything got messed up..."

Slathilia, squeezing her hand :"So what now? What do you wanna do?"

Jinx :"What do you think I should do?"

Slathilia, smiling softly :"I'll do whatever you want me to do. I'll be there to support you and help you out throughout the entire thing. I've always promised you that, no?"

Jinx, smiling fondly :"Hm, that's true. Then... then... I have a plan. I want to meet her myself. I-if she's back for me, then I have to make sure of it myself."

Slathilia :"Alright, awesome. So what's the plan?"

Jinx, walking to her stuff and going through them :"That-that night, Vi gave me a flare. She told me that no matter where I was, as long as I light it up, she'd come and find me. Guess it's time to find out if that's true... or just another lie."

When she opened a box, she found the flare, and something else along with it. A bunny doll. One that Vi had given to her that same night. As she held it up, looking at it with sadness, her breathing slowly picked up. But the large but gentle hand of her boyfriend on her shoulder calmed her down :"Do you... do you think it will happen? Do you think she'll really come for me? Even... even after what I did...?"

"I don't know. All I know is that we can only hope." He hugged her from behind, letting her relax in his warmth before she made up her mind, and with a deep breath, stood up :"Alright, let's go." As he did, the noiret took and stored the bunny before following Jinx.

"So where are we gonna go?" Slathilia asked as he came to her side :"If I want Vi to see it, then I should light it up at the highest point of The Lanes. That's the only way she can see it." Earning a nod from him :"True. Then let's go."

And with that, they both made their way to the highest point in The Lanes. Slathilia didn't offer to take them there, since he knew Jinx needed time to process all of her thoughts and emotions on the way. To steel herself for what could happen.

When they reached their destination, she stood on the edge with the flare in hand. With the hybrid standing a bit away from her. Before she could light it up, he gently hugged her, making her halt :"I just wanted to say it again. No matter what happens, no matter what the outcome is, I will always, forever and ever stay by your side. Never leaving you. Always remember that, okay?"

"Hm." Calmly down her quivering features, and stopping herself from crying, she nodded and turned to hug him back. And after a deep, loving kiss between them, he stepped back. Giving her the space to finally light the flare up. After a moment of hesitation, she finally pulled it. Immediately raising it above her as a blue cloud formed above her.

Minutes slowly passed. But no matter when it was, when the flare was at its brightest or when it was finishing, there were no signs of Vi anywhere. When the flare completely went off, Jinx angrily threw it away, letting it fall into the abyss below them.

She took out the Hextech Gemstone she had, looking at it with sadness, anger and disappointment. She didn't know what she should do. Her thoughts and emotions were all over the place. A giant mess. She was just about to jump into Slathilia's arms beside her, seek out his warmth, his comfort, when a familiar voice called out :"Powder?"

Slowly turning around, they saw the same pink-haired girl from all those years ago, now all grown up, looking at them with disbelief. "Vi?" Jinx called unsurely, before Violet immediately ran towards them, hugging them both :"Oh, Powder, Thilia!"

Slathilia was a bit surprised that he was also included in the hug, but when he felt Jinx hugging back, he didn't have any reason to hold back :"Hey, Vi. Long time no see." He hugged both shorter girls as Jinx dropped her Hextech Gemstone, letting her tears fall as well.

Vi, wiping Jinx's tears :"I'm so sorry, Powder... I-I tried to come back. I promise, I did. But I... I got arrested."

Jinx :"Marcus?"

Vi, hugging her again :"I don't know. I... it doesn't matter. I just... I never thought I'd see you again."

Jinx, whispering :"Are you real?"

Vi :"Yes, of course. It's me, Vi, your sister. I'm here. I'm right here."

Jinx, crying :"Things changed when you left. I changed."

Vi :"I know, Pow-pow, I know. You did what you had to do to survive. Both of you. Me too. It's okay. What matters is we're together. All of us. Thank you, Thilia, for looking after Powder all this time. I'm so glad you were with her."

Slathilia, smiling gently :"Hm, you're welcome."

As the three of them were enjoying the mood, enjoying the hug, sounds of footsteps were heard. When Jinx looked, she saw an enforcer, Caitlyn, running towards them before stopping. Stepping back from the hug, she immediately readied her minigun, Pow-Pow, and aimed at Caitlyn :"Who's she?"

Caitlyn :"Who're you?"

Slathilia :"Ah shit..."

Vi :"It's okay. She's a friend."

Jinx :"Sevika wasn't lying? You're with an enforcer?"

Caitlyn :"Your sister is Jinx?"

Vi :"Caitlyn, just listen, we can work this out."

"This is a trick! You're playing me!" Jinx shouted, before shouting at the hallucinations :"Shut up! I'm in no mood." Before relaxing slightly when Slathilia gently stroked her shoulder :"Jinx, I'm here, it's alright."

Caitlyn :"We didn't say anything."

Jinx :"I wasn't talking to you!"

Vi :"Powder, it's okay."

Jinx :"Stop calling me that! It's Jinx now. Powder fell down a well."

Vi :"You're not a jinx. God, I never should have-"

Jinx, aiming at her :"Stop talking to me like I'm a child! Was that why you came? For this stupid stone haha?"

Vi :"No, I don't even know what that is, I-"

Jinx, laughing menacingly and angrily :"You're a class act, sister. Sister. Thought I missed her. Bet you wouldn't miss her."

Vi, pushing away the minigun :"Powder! I'm here for you. Only you. You can fire that thing if you want, but I'm not going anywhere! I'm not going to abandon you again."

"Everybody, shut up, I need to think!" Jinx shouted, the whispers and shouts of her mind returning. All while Slathilia was waiting for the ones he had sensed for a while now. The ones who Jinx also noticed :"Do you hear that?" She said, raising Pow-Pow again towards the huge pipes on the enormous walls.

As some creepy and eerie sounds started to be heard more and more clearly, figures slowly emerged from the pipes. Coolly, at that. Appearing on their flying hoverboards like they were going to bring some boss battles.

The moment they appeared, Jinx immediately started to shoot, and Slathilia's biomass spread from his hands to turn them into whip-blades. Ones that he didn't hesitate before swinging at the intruders. The ones who gave the signs that his plan was finally starting to make an appearance. Making him smirk.

'Guess it's finally time for the big event.'