The Betrayal - Arcane (Season 2 in progress)

Chapter 8: Oil and Water

We make it to an alley further in the city. Vi and Cayden carefully set Caitlyn down as I walk in behind them. "Will you be ok?" Vi asks Cait, patting her leg. "I'll be right back." She adds, glancing over at me. Vi then walks to the entrance to the ally, placing herself against the wall as a group of enforcers runs by.

"Let me check it," I tell Caitlyn, pointing to her leg. Caitlyn hesitantly nods. I kneel down in front of her, placing the container Ekko gave me to the side, and begin carefully examining her leg. The cut is bleeding and is a pretty decent size. I can just barely make out bits of metal from the fake firelights over the blood oozing out. "It's not that bad. It hurts to walk on because you've got a huge cut, but a lot of that pain is gonna be from the jagged pieces of metal stuck in your leg." I tell her. She nods in understanding. "I can't do anything about the bleeding because I don't want to push the metal in any further." I add, carefully moving her leg to the side so I can get a better look at the cut.

Caitlyn grabs the container and opens it, "it's gone." She says making me look up at her. "What?" Vi turns around. "It was all for nothing." Caitlyn says instead. "That's just great." I sigh sarcastically looking around. "Did you do it?" Cayden asks from behind me. I turn around. "What?" I ask. Cayden takes a few steps towards me, causing me to draw my knife and hold it against his throat. He immediately stops in his tracks. "Blade!" Caitlyn exclaims.

"Evelyn, put the knife down." Vi says, cautiously stepping towards me with her arm out. Keeping the knife pressed dangerously close to his neck, I speak. "I've been with you the whole time and you have the audacity to ask me if I took the fucking jewel? I didn't fucking do it." I say, looking at him before turning my attention back to Vi keeping the knife against Cayden's throat. I can hear the frustration in my voice, catching me slightly off guard. I watch as Vi continues to get closer to me. "I know you didn't, Evelyn." She says, softly. My grip tightens on the knife as she places a hand on my wrist, pulling it away from Caydens neck. I comply, slowly lowering my hand. She casts Cayden a warning glance before pulling him with her to the edge of the alley.

I let out a heavy sigh, chucking my knife at the wall. I hadn't meant to be that aggressive, it was instinctive. He got too close for my liking, so I just striked. That's what happens when you grow up in the Undercity I suppose. Or... when you lose your best friend. "Blade." I hear Caitlyn say. I glance over to her, "you gonna accuse me too?" I ask. Caitlyn shakes her head, "I know you didn't. You betrayed your partner for us. It'd make no sense for you to just take the gemstone."

I scoff. "That didn't stop him from pinning it on me." I nod over to Cayden. Caitlyn gives me a stiff nod. "Sure, but... I wanted to ask if you were ok." My eyes widen slightly at this. "Peachy." I say, uninterested in going into my feelings. "Don't let him get to you, Blade." I stay silent, recalling a memory.

The boys were most likely staring, blaming her for the explosion. "Don't let them get to you, Powder. You didn't do anything." I said, smiling at her as I pat her shoulder. Powder looked back at me, giving me a weak smile.

"Blade?" Caitlyn prompts, seeing my motionless figure. I sigh, "Evelyn." She looks at me confused. "Call me Evelyn." I clarify.

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We're standing outside, below Caitlyn's bedroom window. It's now sunrise and people are few and far between, but non the less, about to start coming out and roaming the streets. "Ok, Vi, Cayden, you both will climb up there first. I'll help Caitlyn up after you, it's rather difficult to climb with an injured leg. Then I'll come up after you are all safely on the balcony." I instruct them as Vi looks up the wall. "How are you gonna get up? Your arm is just about as useful as her leg."

I glance down at my shoulder. I'd managed to slow the bleeding down as we were walking. Flexing it slightly, I begin to speak. "I'll manage." I point to the wall, and Vi reluctantly passes Caitlyn over to me before she and Cayden start climbing. When they reach the window Cayden peers in. Deciding it is clear to go in, he carefully opens the window before climbing in.