Arcane: World Two - AU (Non-binary reader)

IX - Keep Yourself Safe

***

It's midnight, Grayson runs through the door to the last drop to see a disappointed group of people. Vi speaks first: "Where's y/n? They were supposed to be here"

Grayson gulps before speaking: "y/n is... missing... presumed dead" Everyone looks horrified. "The train they were on was robbed by a gang and sent off the trails. There's a snow storm so we can't go look for them yet"

Mylo begins yelling: "What do you mean you can't go look yet!?"

Ekko also starts to let his anger out: "You're supposed to protect the people!"

Grayson sheds a tear at their words: "The second the snow clears, we'll be out there looking for them"

Vi punches the wall as she yells: "They could be dead by then!"

Grayson takes a deep breath: "I know, and I'm sorry" She turns around and leaves. Closing the door behind her.

***

In Pilltover, a blue-haired girl is working out in the dead of night. She's training to become an enforcer. While doing press-ups, she overhears someone arguing with her mother, a councilwoman: "They could be running around, causing all kinds of havoc on the city"

The girl listens in, she hears her mother arguing with a security officer: "Please, Mrs Kiramman. We're doing everything we can to find them but there are only so many things we can do with that snowstorm.

The girl's mother argues back: "A train full of convicts has gone missing and you think what you're doing is enough? get out of my sight immediately" The security officer leaves in a dash as the girl stops eavesdropping and goes to bed. Her fear of convicts running around the streets is far more apparent than she had thought.

***

The feeling of cold snow dashes against your heavily wounded face. The horse has slowed down throughout your feeble attempt to escape the storm. You brush it's mane regularly but it's no use. It falls to the ground, with you barely escaping from being crushed by it.

You stroke it's nose as it draws it's final breath: "Thank you, friend"

You can't give up now, you stand up and go on foot as you work against the storm.

***

Vi is punching the walls in her room, just to try and not think about how you're probably dead but it's no use. The image of your corpse rotting in the snow alone, despite all the people you'd saved, thrashes in her head.

Powder is no better, she's been crying over the knife for hours now. Her weak hands shake as she holds it. 

Mylo, Benzo and Claggor are all drinking their sorrows away

Ekko is sobbing into your jacket, despite everything, it still smells like you.

Vander has been sitting in a corner, staring at a photo for hours now.  The photograph is of him and Silco, there was a part in you that reminded Vander of the best part of Silco.

***

You can barely keep your legs from giving in. Every step feels like a milestone and all that is keeping you going is the bracelet on your wrist.

You see more hallucinations, of Vander, Ekko, Vi, Powder, Claggor, Mylo, and even some of your old friends. They all call out that it's "just one more step" but it never is.

Your knees tremble and you fall, but you crawl for a few more metres before you just can't keep going. You fall on your back and look up at the sky, watching the snow mix with the stars creating an almost peaceful vision. Your vision fades, but before it all goes to black, you hear someone say: "Here! They're over here!"

***

The next day, Marcus comes to the Last Drop. Grayson couldn't even look at them after yesterday, he walks to Vander: "I have news about your child"

Vander can't look at Marcus: "Just spill it"

Marcus repeats the words in his letter: "Upon inspecting the crash site, we have found fourteen dead bodies" Vander buries his head, fear of what he's about to hear clouds his mind. "None of these bodies match the description given of y/n" 

A flicker of hope ignites within Vander, he turns to Marcus: "Thank you, Marcus" Marcus salutes him before leaving.

***

You see colours burn your retinas, a fiery red predominantly. It reminds you of your first time with the others. As you come to, you see elegant wallpaper and a fireplace, you feel bandages wrapped around your wounds. You turn your head to see a man, sitting in an armchair. His hands were together and his head lowered. You've never seen this man in your life: "Who... are you?"

The man's gaze shoots up to meet yours. A look of gratitude washes over him: "y/n, y/n I tried, I really did"

You're confused, who is this man and what did he try and do? You ask who he is: "Should I know you?"

He almost chuckles at your response: "You should, but I'm not surprised you don't. My name's Silco.

You're still confused: "And why should I?"

Silco rubs his knees as he speaks, he seems anxious: "Well y/n... I'm your father"

"What?" you ask in disbelief

"Your mother told me I shouldn't be in your life" He responds

You feel sick to your core: "I've had a father this whole time, she kept us separate?"

Silco defends your mother: "She did it because... I'm not a good person. She feared I'd corrupt you and I knew she was right. So I built an empire for you"

"You built me an empire?" You ask in disbelief

Silco looks at you with pride: "Yes, the world is yours to bend"

All of this is a lot to take in, your head pounds ferociously as he comes closer: "So tell me, what do you want?"

You can't speak, it's like your life has been one big lie that you're only uncovering now. You look at the bracelet on your wrist: "I want... to see my family again"

While it's not the answer he was hoping for, it's still an answer: "You're free to go whenever you want. y/n" You stand up to go but before you leave, he calls out to you: "y/n? What do I have to do to be... family?"

You respond calmly like the answer to this is engraved into your mind: "Jus be there, through everything you can. No matter the cost"