•To The Simpler Times ~Vi x F!Oc•

•2•

"Vander learns none of this." Vi ordered.

"No worries there. Powder took care of the evidence."

"Enough, Mylo!" I snapped. His attitude had always bothered me, but I made an effort to make sure we got along. Yet things can never go smoothly forever.

"I tried, ok? You dont get it. You're older, you're bigger. It isn't fair!" Powder complained, and I reached over to put my hand on her shoulder, but she pushed it off, not in the mood.

"So, stick with us. Take a punch or two."

"Mylo!" The door opened, Vander walking through. We all looked up to him and quickly looked away.

"Everyone, all right?"

"Never better."

"Good. I dont suppose you can explain why it is that I'm hearing about an explosion and a foot chase topside? Five children fleeing the scene. What the hell were you thinking?"

"That we can handle a real job." Vi spoke up.

"A real job?"

We got our own tip and planned a route. Nobody even saw."

"You blew up a building!"

"Vander, that wasn't -" I but in, but he was having none of it.

"Did you even stop to think about what could've happened to you? To them?  Where did you even get this tip?"

"We just heard it at Benzo's shop." Powder spoke up when no one else would.

"From?"

"Little Man."

"Did you know about this?" He asked me.

"No. I only heard the tip was from Little Man while we were there."

"I took us there." Vi stood. "If you wanna be mad, be mad at me. But you're the one who always says we have to earn our place in this world."

"I also told you time and time again, the Northside's off limits. We stay out of Piltover's business."

"Why?" I asked, standing from the chair.

"Yeah, they've got plenty, while we're down here scraping together coins. When did you get so comfortable living in someone else's shadow?"

"Everyone out." We all did as we were told. I put my hand on Vis shoulder and went to walk away, but Vander called me back.

"Not you."

When the door had shut and everyone had left, Vander spoke to us.

"Sit down."

"We're fine."

"Sit down."

We both let out a heavy sigh and did as he said, sitting where we were before. He sat on the table in front of us.

"Those kids look up to you. To both of you."

We mumbled a quick "I know."

"You know, but you don't know. When people look up to you, you don't get to be selfish." We go to argue, but he continued. "You say run. They run. You say swim. They'll dive in. You say light a fire. They show up with oil. But whatever happens, it's on you. Just like it's on me, what happens down here. We make ourselves a problem for Piltover, and they will send the enforcers."

I widen my eyes, images of the burning bridge, and the bodies piled high flash in my mind. I dont want a repeat. But Vi is a fighter.

"So? Why answer to them? These are our streets. Someone should remind them of that."

"You're not hearing me. That path? This?" He grabs Vi's bloodied hand. "It's not gonna solve your problems. Just makes more of them. We clear?"

He opens a bottle of alcohol with his teeth, spitting the cork aside. He poured it on a clothe and dabbed Vis wounds with it. She winced and put a hand on my leg. My stomach fluttered at the action.

"How'd you get this?"

"Some idiot was following us." I spoke up so Vis cuts could be treated.

"On our side? Who?"

"I don't know. He was after the stuff."

"Where is it now?"

"We lost it." Vi said.

"All of it?" She nodded, and so did I. "Good. Nothing can tie you to what happened up there. You're gonna have to lay low for a bit, understand?"

"Okay." We agreed.

"We're gonna be fine, right?" Vi asked.

"I'll take care of it." He got up and grabbed a bag, putting some things into it. "Oh, you did put that idiot on his ass, though, right?"

We hummed, and he chuckled, walking to the door.

"Brandy, you need to come with me. Off to Benzo's place." I nodded and moved to get up, but Vi stopped me.

"Yeah?" I asked.

She said nothing and pulled me into a hug. I stood with wide eyes for a moment before wrapping my arms around her figure like her arms were around mine. This was safety, and it made my heart flutter.

When she pulled away, she nodded with large eyes, so I mimicked the action. I walked towards Vander by the door, who stood there with a small smirk on his face. No words spoken.

We left the room, and the others were standing there waiting. He told Claggor to come with us. He took something out of Mylo's hands, to which he complained.

"You wanna be treated like adults, right?" He threw the bag at Claggor. "Then you should know better than to come back from a job empty-handed. I'm gonna have a little word with your informant."

"And, if you don't mind, Vander, so will I."

"Yeah, you deserve to know what the hell he was doing."