Vi third person
-seven years later-
When Vi was taken to Stillwater Prison in Piltover, she never thought she'd ever get to go back to the Undercity. That's what happens when you get arrested and sent to Stillwater, you have little to no probability of ever getting out; especially when you're from The Lanes. However, she was proven wrong when a gullible blue-haired enforcer used her investigation regarding the city of Zuan to break Vi free.
It's been around six or seven years since the infamous Miriem saved her and her sister from her own father, Silco. Vi hasn't seen anyone from The Lanes since then, and she was still clueless about whether or not the blonde girl ever made it out of that canary alive. Last she saw of Miriem, she was running back into the burning building to fight Silco (either to hold him off so that Powder and Vi could get away or to end him for good, her intentions are still unknown to Vi herself).
Nearly her entire family had died that night. Mylo, Claggor, and Vander never made it out of the warehouse, all were inevitably killed in the destruction of the explosion Powder set off. Vi knows that it wasn't Powder's fault that they died, she knows that there was a high chance something else would have happened that night that would have finished them all off if Powder's explosion hadn't already.
Vi found that she respected the way the three of her closest family members went down fighting, it helped her cope more than they would ever come to know. She knows they were still trying their hardest to get out of there as a family.
But Vi still beats herself up for their last moments together, she replays how she screamed at Powder and called her a jinx, how all of this was her fault. If she could go back in time and change how she went about the situation, trust that she would do it in a second, with absolutely zero hesitation.
Throughout the past couple of years, Vi has found herself thinking about Powder on numerous occasions, probably more than she can count. About how she doesn't even know if Powder's still alive down in the Undercity, she's most likely down there all alone. And if she is still alive, what is she doing? The Undercity is a hard place to live in alone, with difficult and degrading jobs to make a living.
Perhaps she was living in the building they used to live in with their parents when they were little, perhaps she's doing well, no matter how low the chances of that are. Vi really just hopes Powder is okay.
Something she regrets more than anything is how she was helpless against the enforcer who took her here. It happened right when she was turning back around to apologize to Powder for what she said. She was taken into custody and shoved into a Stillwater cell with absolutely nothing else to do.
It took a while to realize that Ekko was also down there completely alone, about how she remembers Benzo being killed earlier that fateful night by that Shimmer born monster.
She remembered how it happened when Silco took Vander. How Ekko came running in the bar where they lived, screaming about how not only was his father killed, but the man who did it had taken Vander. She hopes that he and Powder are down there together, making things work.
Knowing topsiders' unwavering hate for the people of The Lanes, she never in a million years thought she'd see the day when she could return to her home. To Powder and Ekko. But alas, she was given a chance and with no hesitation, took it.
Walking through the streets that were once bare of Shimmer addicts, that were now swarming with them, that was once called The Lanes, that were now rebranded by Silco as the city of "Zuan", it was quickly made very clear to her just how much had changed when she was away.
Silco had gained utter and complete control of the troubled people of The Lanes (sorry but she'll never call it "Zuan") and used Shimmer to manipulate them into following him in what he believed was the right path to greatness. He allowed them to become so addicted to Shimmer so that he could threaten to take away their supply in order to form an army of people who'd fight with him.
Showing Caitlyn (the blue-haired enforcer that got her out of Stillwater) her childhood home while in desperate need of finding safety when she was on the brink of bleeding out showed just how badly they had it down there now. Right about now she's really regretting her willingness to fight Sevika.
When she stumbled in the threshold with the enforcer and saw that Ekko and Powder had clearly not been there for a while if at all, it caused a bad feeling to settle in the depths of her stomach. She didn't know if there was any way she'd be able to find the only two remaining members of her family if they were even still alive.
Fortunately for her, she didn't have to do any searching. The blue plume of smoke rising in the distance made it very well known that Powder had found her. And at last, she was able to reunite with her little sister.
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By the time Vi had made it to the top of the tower, the flare had just run out of smoke and unbeknownst to her, Powder was starting to seriously regret her choice of using it at all.
Powder made a move to throw the flare over the edge and onto the ground a few hundred feet below, only to be stopped by the glorious sound of her sister's voice as she asked, "Powder?"
The blue-haired girl slowly begins to turn around after a mere second of hesitation, as if she thought it was all some kind of joke, someone playing a stupid prank on her. Why, after seven years, three months, and twenty-nine days, does Vi come back to her? Why now? Out of all the time she's had to return to her family, why does Vi choose to come back now?
Once Powder had finished fully turning her body around to face the familiar voice, she was met with the exact same person she had been forcefully kept away from for all these years. Suddenly, all of the anxiety she'd had while they were separated, thinking she would never see Vi ever again, vanished, when the grown woman was found standing, panting, only a few steps away from her.
Tears immediately began welling in her eyes, emotion easily overpowering her initial confusion. All of the questions she had regarding how on earth Vi was only returning now seemed to evaporate in thin air, right then and there. She didn't waste any time before throwing herself into her sister's arms. They were together again, finally.
"Vi?" Powder says, almost too quietly for Vi to catch. Emphasis on the word almost.
"It's me, Powder. It's me, Vi, I'm here. I'm right here." At these words, the younger girl seemed to sob even harder. The gateway to her emotions finally burst all the way open as she shook and cried in her arms.
The feeling of finally being able to hug Powder after the four years they were apart, felt amazing. The only word she could use to accurately portray the moment is surreal. Vi could only tighten her grasp on the smaller girl as she felt tears begin to dampen her neck where Powder's head was securely tucked. A whole stampede of emotions overwhelmed her but all the while she couldn't be happier. After all of that time locked in a stupid jail cell, she was finally back home. And home had always been wherever her sister was. She could finally rest easy knowing her sister was alive and well while she'd been gone. A huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders and allowed her to properly appreciate the reunion.
Suddenly, Vi felt Powder's body tense as she caught sight of the other woman standing nearby, witnessing their moment. Vi wasn't able to comprehend Powder reaching for Pow Pow until it was already aimed point-blank at Caitlyn's forehead.
Quickly unwrapping herself from her sister to get in between the gun and her new friend, Vi noticed the almost panicked look on Powder's face.
"Powder! Stop! This is Caitlyn, she's the enforcer who helped break me out of Stillwater!"
The younger girl's gaze snapped to Vi at the mention of the Piltover high-security prison.
"... Stillwater?"
"Yes, Powder." Vi took a small step forward in order to carefully push the barrel of the gun to the floor, before continuing. "That night at the canary, when I walked away from you I was chloroformed and taken to Stillwater. Apparently, the enforcer who took me found out we were at fault for the explosion in that Piltover penthouse.
"I've spent the last however many years in a prison cell, wishing I could be back here with you! And Caitlyn was the one who got me out. I agreed to help gather information on Silco with her so we can end his reign of control. He'll no longer be a threat towards Piltover or The Lanes."
Powder's eyebrows furrow as she digests the information. She looks from Caitlyn to me then back again before returning her gun to her holster and approaching the enforcer with an outstretched hand. "I'm Powder, Vi's sister. Thank you for choosing to trust her enough so we can be together again."
Caitlyn quickly regains her composure, her topside manners shining through as she shakes Powder's hand. "I'm Caitlyn Kiramman. I'm happy I could help."
"Wait," Vi interrupts, "Kiramman? As in councilwoman Kiramman? You're her daughter?"
"Yes. Though I assure you that it doesn't change a thing about what I'm here to do. This isn't official Piltover business, I don't even have clearance to do this."
Powder jutted in, "What do you mean you don't have clearance? How did you get her out then? From my understanding, Stillwater is extremely guarded."
"Well, my parents expressed how they quite frankly just don't believe the issue with Silco is important and have gone so far as to demote my title as Personal Guard to common enforcer to ensure that I don't get into any more trouble. The only reason I was able to pull strings and get you out was that my friend Jayce, who's a new councilman, offered me a job to be the head of his security team. I forged his signature on a document that basically stated that "he" gave Stillwater permission to release Vi, and that as his head of security I could be the one to escort her to wherever he needed her."
So it seems like everyone this girl knows is high in the ranks, Vi thinks, very important people indeed.
"I've been investigating on my own for a while and figured that it really wouldn't do much good if I haven't even stepped foot down here."
All of the information I have so far could be completely useless if it happens to be wrong. You volunteered to help me get more dirt on Silco and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to me. I'm sure you could help a lot as well Powder. You've been here since he first began to gain control over these people, as I correct?" Powder nodded. "Wonderful."
"Actually", there's a smirk on Powder's face that says she might be able to do a little more than just help, "I think I can do more for this investigation than you could ever imagine."
Caitlyn shoots a confused look towards Vi, to which the maroon-haired girl just shrugs. They both follow powder as she walks over to the other side of the roof, towards where a couple of long, flat, rectangular machine-type things are stacked.
"This," she picks one up and holds it so they could see the underside of it as she turns it on, "is called a HoverSkate™."
She waits till the lights on the sides flash in before letting it drop out of her hands, both Caitlyn and Vi startle, confused, as the machine falls to the floor. Suddenly, right before it hits the ground, it flips itself over and... floats steadily about a foot above the concrete.
"These are what we will be using to get to the base." Powder steps onto the floating thing one foot at a time and begins circling around the two bewildered women.
"Okay, quick question." Vi is the first to recover from her shock, and she immediately grabs one of the remaining HoverSkate™, her entire attention focused on the contraption her sister is skating on. "Where can I get me one of these?"
"I'm sure Ekko would be happy to make you one if you just asked." Powder smoothly replied as she started to skate away, not even waiting for the others to even get on theirs before riding away in the direction of the wall of giant waste silos.
VI's head whips over to where her sister is getting further and further away and begins yelling after her while trying to turn her contraption on so she can catch up. "Hold on- EKKO?! He's okay?!!? Why didn't you mention that earlier? Powder! Hold o-"
"You better hurry up or you'll never find out." She yells back calmly.
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Although she knew she could trust Caitlyn (the incredibly risky move she pulled to get Vi free showed as much), Powder would be lying if she said she wasn't a little hesitant to bring an enforcer, let alone Pilty, to the place she proudly called her home. It's a safe haven for those in the Undercity who wanted to fight back against Silco and undo all of the horrible "reformation" he's done over the years.
Citizens come from all over Zuan hoping to aid in their cause in any way they can, or just to have a safe place to live in such a dangerous and deranged city. The base's location is a well-kept secret, to keep everyone who lives there out of harm's way. Though the Firelights are a known group in the Undercity, they pride themselves in keeping their people secure and shielded from any threats by keeping their whereabouts out of sight.
Just the mere thought of potentially putting her people in danger because she was optimistic that the enforcer wouldn't do anything rash, it was frightening to Powder. Strangely enough, she was able to put her fear on a back burner for the time being as excitement slowly began to creep in.
The prospect of getting to show her sister all of the things she's done to help, to show her her home and the life she's made for herself, was quickly overpowering her doubt. She was ecstatic and was determined to not let her uncertainty ruin the mood.
As they flew over streets of crowded people, Powder let herself ramble to Vi about everything she's done since they saw one another last. And even though it was becoming hard to understand what her little sister was saying because of how fast she was talking, Vi just let her go on and on.
She was too busy basking in the presence of someone she had longed to be with for so long that she honestly didn't care that she couldn't make out half of the words Powder was spewing at this point. She enjoyed being able to hear her sister's voice again and not have to worry about it being a hallucination.
She liked being able to watch Powder's various dramatic facial expressions as she talked, she liked that she could see how happy she was at this moment. Vi was really just content to have her sister within arms reach again after being apart for so long.
She rode beside the blue-haired teenager, who was practically bussing in joy, and Caitlyn was stuck holding up the rear of the group; the enforcer was struggling with how to use the HoverSkate™, wobbling excessively (completely unsure of how to accelerate or round corners) while cursing Vi for being so good at this when it's also her first time using one of these things.
When they descended towards the ground near a suspicious-looking tunnel underneath a worn-down building, Powder was suddenly broken out of her giddy spell, turning serious. Once they had all dismounted their HoverSkate™'s, she was quick to turn her attention to the enforcer behind her as she spat out a warning.
"There are innocent people in there," she jutted her thumb over her shoulder towards the underpass with a straight face void of any of the cheerful emotion she was painted with not even five seconds before, " and if you so much as think of telling a single person about this place, I will not hesitate to chop off all of you fingers and feeding them to you."
She paused only enough to see a surprised look cross Vi's face out of her periphery, but she didn't dwell on it and continued. "We've spent years trying to undo every single awful thing Silco has done down here, and so help me, if you endanger those people by ratting this place out to your little Pilty friends, or really anyone for that matter, trust that you will have so much more than a sliced off finger to worry about. Am I understood?"
The was a dangerous, almost unhinged, air about Powder that scared both of the other girls, and that was all it took to rack a bucket of undeniable guilt onto Vi's shoulders. It was in this moment that she realized just how much she had missed.
Her sister had grown into a strong, independent woman while she was busy picking petty fights with other inmates over little things. Her sister had grown up and matured more than she ever could have thought possible. She can't even accurately list all of the things she had missed because in the end she hadn't fucking even been here.
Vi hadn't been there for so much of her sister's life and she was afraid Powder had become a completely different person while she was away. . Although she knew deep down that wasn't the case, that much is obvious by the last fifteen minutes Powder had spent talking her ear off on the way here. Nothing had really changed in her sister, but she couldn't help but fear that it had.
Swallowing the lump in her throat, Caitlyn responded, her voice laced with poorly hidden nerves. "You got it. I wouldn't dream of putting innocent people at risk. I promise I won't tell anyone about this."
Her British accent stood out to Powder. She hadn't noticed it before during the enforcer's monologue on the rooftop, she had been too high off of the feeling of finally having her sister back. There weren't many people in the Undercity with British accents, one of the only people that Powder personally knew who did was Vander, but he was gone now. So the stark difference from her norm was extremely unmistakable.
Even if it wasn't all that reassuring to Powder, she made up her mind and took a leap of faith, believing her. Soon enough she was leading them down into the tunnel, which was only an alternative passageway to get there. She wasn't about to lead an enforcer straight to the easiest entrance, so she settled with one that was so complex in its twists and turns that Caitlyn would be sure to forget the way they came in as little as five minutes.
Turning corners, passing other hallways, and ducking under broken drainage pipes that were barely even functional anymore, were all that consumed the next few minutes of their journey.
When they finally reached their awaited destination, the scenery seemed to change in the blink of an eye.
One second they were trudging through a dark, narrow, and uncomfortably damp tunnel. The next, they were standing in the outskirts of a large open courtyard that was filled with laughing children, families, and something Vi never thought she'd ever see anywhere that wasn't Pilover.
Stationed in the dead center of the courtyard, with rays of light from above beaming down and bouncing off of its leaves and branches that were then refracted in beautiful shapes along the walls, was a giant, thriving oak tree. It was a glorious sight in the middle of an otherwise filthy wasteland of a city, and it immediately brought a wide smile onto Vi's face.
Her gaze was permanently fixated on the beauty as she began to walk closer to it in wonder. She's never in her life seen something so beautiful, so... lively. As she approached the base of it she forcefully ripped her eyes from it in favor of surveying the amazing place around them.
Smiling kids ran in circles around each other as they played a game of tag. People on HoverSkate™'s glided through the air above, flying in orbit around the tree. Groups of teenagers lounged around in different areas, laughing amongst themselves as they were deep in conversation. Families talked with their loved ones joyfully as they made silly faces to get one another to laugh.
The hope and happiness that this place brought to not only her but everyone else here... was amazing.
Vi was so transfixed in the act of looking around with wide eyes that it distracted her from taking notice of the figure making its way over. Unbeknownst to Vi, they shared a few quietly spoken words with Powder, then walked toward her.
She was startled out of her daze when a deep voice spoke directly in her ear. "Well, well, well. Look what the sparky, blue-haired cat dragged in."
Vi immediately spun around to face the person only to be met with a masked face. The only thing that gave away who exactly it was, were the bright white dreads not hidden by the wooden disguise.
She spoke hesitantly, almost fearing that if she spoke he would disappear in a cloud of smoke. She knew that Powder had mentioned him still being around when they were talking on top of that tower, but nevertheless, it felt unreal to have him here with her. She thought Powder still being alive was a feat in and of itself, but having Ekko here as well seemed like something straight out of her imagination.
"Ekko?" The person's hand immediately darted out of their pocket in order to rip the mask off their face.
What was revealed was the exact person Vi had thought it was. A broad smile was lighting up his features and she couldn't help but smile as well. It didn't take long at all for Vi to launch herself into awaiting arms.
Alas, another reunion was in play.