The Blades and The Gauntlets [Vi x fem!oc]

Chapter XIV: The Blind Rage

The narrow alleys of Zaun seemed to close in on them as they moved through the labyrinth of darkened streets. The flickering neon lights cast eerie shadows, and the ever-present hum of the city was punctuated by the distant clanking of machinery and the occasional shout from unseen figures. Vi winced with every step, leaning heavily on Caitlyn and Mila for support. The blonde girl was unsure what they could do to help her best-friend, doctors in Zaun did not exist, or at least not the way they did in Piltover.

Her mind quickly went to the nurse that once helped her, but they were too far to walk all the way to Piltover Central Hospital. And even if they weren't, she wouldn't ever cross that bridge again.

"Easy, Vi." Caitlyn murmured, her voice soft but firm as she adjusted her grip for better support.

Mila, on Vi's other side, kept her arm wrapped securely around her waist, her brows furrowed in concern. "You better not pass out on me," she warned, her tone a mix of worry and forced lightness. "I'm not carrying you."

The red-head protested with a wince, trying to prove both to them and to herself she could carry herself. The pain wasn't unbearable, but she knew she wouldn't be able to fight with it. "I'm fine."

"Silco's goons aren't far behind," Caitlyn spoke once more. "We have to keep moving."

But Mila didn't pay attention to her words. Her eyes traced the red pattern on Vi's shirt, and as if she could sense it, the wounded girl tried to hide it below her jacket. But her friend knew she wouldn't be able to walk longer.

Every time she looked at her, she saw the toll that prison had taken on her. The strong, confident girl she once knew now had scars, not just on her body but in her eyes, in the way she moved and talked.

She had been through hell in Stillwater, and no amount of stubbornness could hide the fact that she was barely holding it together.

A surge of fury welled up inside Mila, hot and fierce, directed squarely at the man responsible for all of this - Silco. It was his fault that Zaun had become a living nightmare, his fault that the streets she once called home were now soaked in fear and blood. Her anger did not die down or disappear during her time in Piltover, nor while she was finally free - but rather grew bigger and bigger with every night without Vi, without her friends.

Mila's grip on Vi tightened as her anger flared, her free hand clenching into a fist. If she ever got the chance, she would make sure Silco paid for what he had done - for every life he had ruined, every family he had torn apart. She would make sure he paid for what he had done to Vi, to Powder, to Zaun.

"What the hell is that?" Vi questioned, her eyes looking at a big building in a pit next to them.

The structure was massive, a hulking monolith of steel and concrete that towered ominously over the surrounding area. Its windows were dark, and the few lights that flickered within cast eerie shadows on the walls. The building seemed out of place, even in Zaun, where chaos and decay were the norms. On the very top of it, there was a neon sign.

The blonde girl hadn't seen that symbol in years, not since the day everything had fallen apart. It was unmistakable, a haunting reminder of the little girl she had once known, now twisted into something far more dangerous.

"The sign." Caitlyn spoke, her eyes moving in Mila's direction, like she anticipated answers from her. Before the blonde girl could say something, Vi's voice broke the silence.

"Never mind, just help me to the edge."

With small, cautious steps, they made their way to the pit in front of them. The thick smoke that poured from the structure's chimneys obscured the bottom, making it impossible to see how far down it went. The air was heavy with the acrid scent of burning chemicals, and the atmosphere seemed to weigh on them with every step.