Arcane User

Return to the Undercity

Vi was standing on the platform, breathing in the fresh air. It had been years since she was outside in the sun. Caitlyn was looking at the sky lift and suggested, "Let's ride. It'll give us a good layout of the land."

"Too risky." Vi pulled up her hood and leaped off the roof. Startled, Caitlyn rushed to the railing and saw Vi leaping from roof to roof. She sighed and decided to follow. As Vi confidently leaped and ran across rooftops, Caitlyn cautiously followed.

Eventually, Vi dropped down into an alley and pulled down her hood. It felt so good to be back. Then two thugs, a man and woman, surrounded her. Instead of being frightened, Vi chuckled and said to the man, "Nice jacket."

A few moments later, Caitlyn dropped down into the alley and leaned against a wall, catching her breath. Suddenly, clothes were thrown at her, and Caitlyn clumsily caught them. "Welcome to the Lanes," Vi said, now wearing a red jacket.

"You almost got me killed!"

"Oh, please, my little sister could do that when she was 7. Don't you want to blend in?"

Caitlyn huffed but knew she had a point. She went behind a dumpster and quickly changed. When she was ready, she followed Vi to this stand where a big, green man was chopping up fish. As soon as he saw Vi, he smiled. "It's nice to see you again, Vi. Where've you been?"

"Nice to see you, too, bud, and it's a long story. Do you have any grub for me?"

"Don't I alway?" He prepared a bowl of blue food with orange sauce on it and plopped it down in front of Vi. She eagerly dung in and hummed with delight. "This is better than I remember." He chuckled and returned to chopping up fish.

"Want some?" she offered Caitlyn. She looked at the food with disgust. "No, thank you."

"You're missing out."

"How exactly does this help us?"

"We're here because I'm hungry."

"I didn't bust you out jail to eat...slop. Ugh! You don't actually know anything, do you?"

"Relax, will ya?" The man turned and gave Vi a napkin before returning to chopping fish. Vi lifted the napkin's corner, revealing a familiar symbol. She gave Caitlyn a knowing look as Caitlyn smiled a bit.

Huh, Vi thought, she's got a cute smile.

She led Caitlyn to a small building with a metal door that had a slot. Vi knocked on the door, and the slot opened, revealing a large eye. Vi nodded once, and the slot closed. Then the door opened, and Vi smirked at Caitlyn. "This is where all the secrets are spilled."

Vi led a reluctant Caitlyn inside, and Caitlyn realized it was a brothel. "Um, how exactly are you planning we go about this?"

"Let them think you work here."

"Excuse me? I will not."

"Do you know what you're problem is?"

"Please. Tell me."

"You expect everyone to give you what you want. Here, you got to have something that they want."

"And what is it that I have?" Vi circled Caitlyn, checking her out. With a smirk, Vi said, "You're hot, cupcake."
Startled, Caitlyn backed up yo a wall, and Vi put her hand beside Caitlyn's head. "So, what'll it be? Man or woman?"

"Uh...."

Vi spotted a masked person walking by. She grabbed their arm, and they nervously said, "Hi, I-I'm Pim. You are?"

"Matilda, but you can call her whatever you want," Vi replied. Caitlyn caught on to what she was doing and decided to play along. "Yes. Matilda. My parents named me after my grandmother, who..."

As Caitlyn began rambling to Pim, Vi walked away, very amused. She walked into the office where an old friend was. "Vi! Oh, thank goodness. I thought you were dead."

"I know."

"What happened to you?"

"It's a long story, but I'm here because I was hoping you might know where Powder is."

"Well, I don't exactly where she is, but I can assure you that she and Ekko are okay."

"Ekko's alive?"

"Yes."

"Oh, thank god."

"There's more, Ekko is the leader of the Firelights."

"Who are the Firelights?"

"You don't know?"

"Know what?"

"The Firelights are fighting against Silco." Vi smiled to herself. "That's reassuring. Where can I find them?"

"They very secretive. You gotta let them come to you."

"Okay. Thanks. I owe you one." Vi got up and walked put of the office. As she walked, Vi paused when she heard Caitlyn laugh. She turned and saw Caitlyn in a room on a couch, flirting with another woman. Vi couldn't help but smirk to herself as she walked away.

So, she thought, she's interested in women. Nice.

Vi left the brothel and began walking through the Lanes, unsure as to get the Firelights' attention. Then she spotted a familiar face: Sevika. Sevika was in the middle of playing poker, and rage instantly took over Vi. Sevika's going to pay for betraying Vander.

Vi charged over and kneed her in the face. The men who were playing with Sevika ran out of fear, and Sevika rubbed her jaw. "Vi?" Vi and Sevika started brawling. They were evenly matched, even with Sevika's shimmer-powered metal arm. They both took hits, but eventually Vi got the upper hand.

Vi managed to get Sevika on the ground and hissed, "You're going to pay for what you did."

"Oh, please, Vander became weak."

"He was not weak. He-" Sevika stabbed Vi in the gut, causing Vi to release her. Vi fell onto the ground, clutching the wound. Sevika stood up and grabbed her face. "By the way, next time I see you're sister, I'll send her my condolences." Sevika was about to stab her heart when a bullet smashed the shimmer canister on Sevika's arm.

Sevika stumbled back as shimmer ran down her arm. She looked up and saw Caitlyn aiming her rifle at her. Caitlyn shot again, and the bullet struck one of the joints in Sevika's metal arm.

Sevika ran away, disappearing into an alley. Caitlyn approached the injured Vi, still aiming her rifle at the alley that Sevika went to. Once she got to Vi, Caitlyn folded her rifle and put it into her backpack.

"You're an alright shot," Vi said. "I'm excellent shot."

"Mind helping me up, cupcake?" Vi asked, holding out a hand. "Stop calling me that," Caitlyn replied, taking her hand. She helped Vi stand, allowing Vi to lean against her.

"My name is Caitlyn."

"But you're so sweet, like a cupcake." Caitlyn chuckled and replied, "Shut up," in a soft tone.

......................................................................

Silco sat in his office, enjoying the peace and quiet. He glanced at picture on his desk. It was a picture of him and Alexander when they were little. 10-year-old Silco was holding a 3-year-old Alexander.

It was crazy how one event could change so much. One moment, it was Silco, Vander, and Alexander against the world. The next, Vander tried to drown him, and Alexander disappeared for years. Now the two were enemies.

Suddenly, Sevika stumbled in, leaking shimmer from her arm. "You're making a mess," he stated. "Silco, she's back. Vi is back." Silco looked at her with surprise. "From the dead?"

"Apparently, Marcus lied to you."

"I guess so. Find her and kill her."

"As you wish, Silco." With that Sevika walked out of the room, leaving a now stressed-out Silco alone.