In the enemy's embrace

"Shh, it's alright, it's going to be ok. I'm here."

Vi stroked Caitlyn's hair as she collapsed on the ground, wounded on the inside and the outside. As she saw that rocket hit the counselors' window, something inside her was shattered.

"Mom..." She sobbed, hoping that it all had been nothing but a bad dream or a product of the dark side of her imagination.

Vi wrapped her arms tighter around her as Jinx stared at the scene with hatred, cursing every atom on the young women's bodies.

"I think your choice is more than clear now, sister."

"Powder... this is not you. I know you're still in there. Please... please listen. I-"

"Liar! I don't want to hear it anymore. She's gone. Jinx is the monster you created, so get the name right."

The teenager took a step forward, swinging her braids as she stared down into Caitlyn's swollen eyes.

"I hope the pain of this moment never leaves you. That's for stealing my sister and making our lives miserable from the start. I'm done being betrayed. We are enemies, Piltie, and no amount of shared moments will ever change that, Vi deep down knows that as well."

Jinx smiled at the sight of Caitlyn's tears rolling down her face. What a lovely scene. Almost as good as seeing the smoke coming out of the fanciest tower in Piltover, the city that had taken everything from them.

"Goodbye, Vi, we'll see each other again."

With an exaggerated bow and a psychotic grin, Jinx disappeared between the rubble. Part of Violet was telling her to run after her, but right now there was nothing in this world that could make her leave Cait's side, not again, not when she's so hurt.

Vi picked up Caitlyn, who hugged her tightly and buried her face in the crook of the shorter's neck, crying rivers.

"I'm here. I'm not leaving. It's going to be ok."

Violet gently placed Cait against a wall in what she assessed to be a safe spot, trying to hide the tears that were rolling down her own face.

They sat in silence for what felt like an eternity, crying and mourning the loss of a mother and a sister. The silence that filled the space was deafening, only being broken by the women's sobs. Caitlyn thought about her mother; about Jayce; about all the innocent lives that had been lost; about how this was exactly what Vi had gone through when she was younger. She thought of a ten-year-old Vi, seeing her mother's dead body under the rubble of a broken city, killed by the same enforcers who swore to protect people. Yet she was there, protecting her like she hadn't gone through twice as much suffering from the hands of the people Caitlyn admired.

Caitlyn weakly reached to the side, grabbing Vi's hand tightly, still facing the ceiling with pain-filled eyes.

"Thank you..." she managed to say, still trying to make the tears stop.

"...for what?" The other whispered, trying to figure out how the taller could express anything but hatred and misery with those soft lips after all that just happened.

"For staying."

Caitlyn stared into Violet's grey eyes with a weak smile, thanking the world for not being alone in what was probably the most traumatic day of her life.

"Of course, Cupcake." Vi answered in a weak whisper, quickly catching the other in a warm embrace.

"We... we should go check on the council. Maybe there's survivors. Maybe we can help. Maybe-"

"You're still hurt, Cait. You can barely walk and there's no way you're in the right state of mind. There's tons of people that are running to the scene right now, you need to rest."