Here Comes Vi (League of Legends)

Biting the Dust

Caitlyn woke up to an empty bed that morning. Confusion spun around her. She slipped out of the sheets and stumbled to the doorway. Cait pushed open the doorway and found the apartment almost completely barren. It was like no one had lived here at all. Her heart dropped to the floor.

"Vi...Vi..no. Vi? Vi, where are you?!" Caitlyn shouted. Her messy hair slipped past her shoulders as she spun around wildly looking for any clue. How had the entire operation moved while she was asleep? Did...did it even happen at all? Caitlyn froze at that possibility. Did she imagine everything? Cait looked at the palm of her hand. No cut, not a scratch. She turned around and rushed to the other side of the living room and scanned the walls of the hallway. The hole Cait had seen Ekko leave was gone. Caitlyn moaned and fell to her knees. It was all just a delusion?

"Vi..please... Vi, this isn't funny.." Caitlyn mumbled as her hair curtained her face. She rested against the wall and stared up at the ceiling. Something wasn't adding up. No one had touched this apartment in the months following her death. Cait had made sure of it. And if the apartment was all cleared out here...why did they leave Vi's room untouched? Cait stood and padded back into Vi's room. Everything was in tact as it had been from the night before. She was missing something.

Caitlyn spun on her heel again and rushed back to the wall Ekko had punched. She ran her fingers lightly across the wall and then checked her hand. There was residue of fresh plaster and spackle. It had been repaired. Cait rubbed the inital grogginess from her eyes and was finally able to spot the difference of the fresh paint over the old. Cait pulled her hand back, aimed carefully, and punched through it again. She wasn't strong enough though, only leaving a dent and bruising her knuckles badly. She cursed and clutched her hand. Caitlyn looked around for a blunt object.

Cait walked away from the wall and into the guest room. This room had also been cleared out. Cait sighed and turned around to leave. She stopped when she saw the back wall. Across the door and the wall the name 'JINX' was graffited. That confirmed it then. They had been here last night. Now all Cait had to figure out was why they had left and where they had gone.

"You won't get away from me that easily, Vi." Cait whispered. She spotted a book in the corner of the guest room and picked it up. She quickly skimmed the title and smiled. This was the book she had given Vi when Vi first joined the force. It was the code of conduct for the Piltover Police. Caitlyn thumbed through a few pages and laughed at Vi's annotations and snide comments, particularly when it came to apprehending the criminal. Cait snapped the book shut and smiled. This would work perfectly. Caitlyn went back to the wall, lined up the spine of the book and then broke through the patch job with the binding of the book. Cait hummed in triumph. It was exactly as she thought. A sealed letter waited for her in the gap Ekko had left behind. Cait grabbed it and tore it open.

Hey Cupcake,

You found this like I knew you would. You were always sharp as a tack. But I know you. And I know you're going to try to find me again. You can't do that. It's too dangerous right now, like I told you. I'll make sure to step up my game. When it's safe, I'll contact you again. Included are all my leads on C. Hunt that bastard down, thank him for me, and blow his god damn brains out.

Till We Meet Again,
Vi

Cait gave a half smile at Jinx's additions to the notes including a sketch of her pretending to vomit at the "cuteness" of their relationship. She flipped the paper over and found a note from Ekko.

Cop Lady,

Check out your gun

Ekko

Caitlyn furrowed her brow in confusion. She hadn't even brought her gun with her to the apartment. Cait pulled the other paper out of the envelope. It had a complete list of suspects who may know C's location and where to find them. Caitlyn nodded to herself. She stuffed both the papers into her boots and looked around. She had no reason to come back here. She needed one last look.

Caitlyn strolled around the apartment slowly. She traced her fingers along the walls and looked at the outlines where pictures used to hang. They had done a very thorough job of removing everything from this place. It was startling that they managed to do this all without waking Caitlyn up. But she supposed that may just be a perk of being able to manipulate time. Caitlyn stopped at the balcony she and Vi had spent countless hours shooting the breeze on. She smiled fondly. Cait turned and stopped by Vi's workout room. She paused in front of the mirror wall. Cait sighed, she looked like death. She looked how she felt. She walked into the kitchen from there. Cait looked out the window and realized it was later than she thought. She should check in with Jayce before he tears the city apart looking for her. Caitlyn moved forward and exited the apartment. She walked slowly down the stairs and solemnly exited the building. She looked up at the apartment's balcony and smiled.

And suddenly, the apartment blew up. Caitlyn went from smiling to shocked as she watched the apartment burst out in some type of explosion and erupt into flames. Hot shards of glass fell on and around her as she struggled to suppress memories of a very similar explosion. Cait pressed a hand to her mouth as she watched Vi's home go up in smoke. With no home to return to... Caitlyn wiped her eyes. Her partner committed blatant arson. She was always glad to be connected to more criminals. Cait heard sirens in the distance and decided to be seen at the scene of the crime wouldn't look good for her. Cait turned tail and ran in the opposite direction. She ran a good distance away, swung a left and circled around to be running straight for the police department.

Caitlyn pulled herself up the twenty-one steps to the station and heaved for air against an alabaster pillar. Her brown hair hung sloppily across her face. The front doors opened and luckily it was Jayce who walked out. He looked at Caitlyn in shock.

"Cait, what are you doing here?" Jayce asked. Caitlyn pushed her hair back with one hand and stood up.

"Do you still want to take me out for dinner?" Caitlyn asked abruptly. Jayce was bewildered. He blinked a few times.

"Are you feeling well, Caitlyn?" He asked. Cait smiled and then burst into manic laughter. She pulled herself together and beamed at Jayce.

"Never felt better! Now, I'll ask again, do you still want to go to dinner with me?" Caitlyn asked, leaning against the pillar again. Jayce nodded hesitantly. Cait smiled. "Great! I'll go home and tidy up. Pick me up after your shift." Caitlyn told him, clasping her hands together in front of her. She walked down the steps, paused and turned around.

"Hey..Jayce.. Can I borrow taxi fare to get home?" Caitlyn asked, realizing she had no money. Jayce was doubly surprised by Caitlyn's request, knowing normal she'd be too proud to ask. He nodded and handed her an ample amount of money.

"Just. Get home safe, Cait." Jayce spoke quietly. She nodded enthusiastically and rushed to hail a taxi. She got her ride and didn't stop smiling once on the way home. It had finally sunk in for her. She kept repeating one sentence over and over under her breath.

Vi was alive. Vi was alive. Vi. Was. Alive.