Vi

"Thanks, I thought I was a goner." The man who we just freed breathed heavily into the air mask we gave him, his voice was rough along with his looks.

When we walked into the room with our masks on, we were faced with the massive fan that brought the Grey smoke all throughout the Lanes. But it was tied up, or no, someone was tied to it making it unable to continue turning. Blue and pink paint splattered all over the flap he was tied up on, when we tried getting him down one of us triggered something. Dolls of all five of our faces came down, they hung in the air with a rope around their necks and red stuffing coming out of their stomachs like guts.

Only my sister would be this creative.

"You're Smeeches man." I stated as I tried to stop my skin from crawling off my bones in this uniform, I felt sick to my stomach. I was so scared of Layla seeing me like this that I didn't even think about how my sister would react to my new attire.

This is the right thing, we have to do this.

I keep repeating the bullshit to myself hoping that I'll magically believe it, Layla wanted us to get to Silco but Jinx already took care of that for us. I don't know whether she'd understand why we need to use the Grey that Caitlyn found out about from something her mother passed down to her or horrified that we're doing what Jinx did to her to the people in our home.

I've made up my mind, whether she needs more time or not I don't give a fuck. We're not alone anymore, I'm going to the Firelights and getting her back. I'll throw her over my damn shoulder if she tries fighting me, she has to know I'm not letting her go.

Ever. I love her and damnit I don't care if it makes me weak, but I'm gonna fucking marry that girl and make her mine forever.

"Was, names Heenot. I...I decided it was time for me to retire." I continued staring at the dolls that were still hanging there as I listened to Heenot sneeze and cough. He was tied upside down so his face was right above the vents that let out the Grey, I'm shocked he's able to sit up right.

"Looks like someone chose to retire you." Caitlyn said as she held the gun Layla had used when we went to the factory with Jayce.

"Yeah well, timing was never my strong suit-." He sneezed loudly before apologizing, but Caitlyn cut off his sentence as she shoved the tip of the gun in his face.

"Tell us how you wound up here." I stood up straighter in shock, her finger went dangerously close to the trigger as he tried to plead his case. I leaned down towards the man so she'd see my 'what the fuck' face, she understood and pointed it down a bit but still kept it ready to shoot at any second.

"Jinx is off the rails! She's got a real fire lit under her ass. She's planning something big, right here in the pipeworks. She was headed towards the old tunnels, something about rerouting the vents." He said quickly, it didn't surprise me that my sister was planning something. But down here there's a hell of a lot of space, the pipe system is ridiculously big.

"Well if that's all you have to say, cuff him. You're a confessed criminal. You'll spend your retirement in a cell." Caitlyn said strictly as she turned away to reload her gun as I stood up in shock. That's it? That's really how it happens? Pilties just wave their hand and people like him and I get thrown into a concrete cell?

That's bullshit. Whether I'm wearing a fucking badge or not, she's acting like a-a cold hearted snob.

"Can I get a minute?" I asked taking a step forward as she turned around to look at me. The hard look in her eyes softened a tad as she nodded and walked towards the way we came through a tunnel. I followed after her and she put her gun down on the floor before leaning back, I sat on a thick pipe across from her as I leaned my back against the rusted wall.

I opened and closed my mouth a couple times as I tried figuring out how to put my thoughts into words. "I think we should turn the others loose." She scoffed and started to argue but I cut her off. "Listen, if that Heenot idiot is telling the truth, Jinx is gonna have surprises in store for us."

"All the more reason to bring backup." Caitlyn stated as if it was the most obvious solution to our dilemma, I wanted to smack the girl.

"She'll smell their nerves a mile away and find a way to use them against us. Tell me I'm wrong." I said trying to speak calmly but there was a storm inside my stomach that gave me a bad feeling as I looked at her angry expression.

"I can't let her get away again. Are you sure you're ready to..?"

I closed my eyes as I answered her, "My sister is gone. No matter what Layla sees, I now only see Jinx. I mean, she tried to kill her. This has to end. I'm sorry about your mother. I'm sorry I can't bring her or anyone else back who was hurt by Jinx, but please just-. Everyone in my life has changed, I don't have Lay with me right now. Just promise me you won't change too, I need a friend right now Cait and you're the only one who knows how this has to go."

I felt my eyes tear up as I dropped my head, I need my best friend right now but I need to give her space. I'm not mad at Layla, it's just hard to accept that she's still here but she's changed too. Not nearly as bad as Jinx, thank god, but mostly she's changed for the better. She's stronger and braver, more confident now that she's a favorite of both the Lanes and Piltover. I've always been tough, the only thing I gained over the years was muscle and stronger emotions towards the enemies I've faced in the past. Ever since I took one look at the older version of Layla I almost fall to my knees every time I see her, she makes me weak just like she used to. Years ago I hated that she made me soft, now I see that she weakens me but also makes me stronger than I've ever felt after winning a fight or when I stole liquor from Vander's bar with the boys and we got wasted.

This is different, and the feeling is so addicting I can't get enough of it. She's addicting.

Caitlyn strolled over to me and put her hand on my shoulder, squeezing lightly. "I won't."

~~~~~

After we told the others to go back up to Piltover, we quickly went down the tunnels to the vents that held the Grey smog. But one of the pipes was busted open, forcing the Grey away from the city where we'd originally planned for it to go when we needed it. My sister's monkey logo was decorated on the pipe so we knew this was her doing.

We went through the vent to follow the smog, but when the air cleared up we walked into an open cement room that was lined with thick, tall pillars. I froze on the stairs as I stared at the room with debris scattered all over the floor, the pillars had bright neon drawings on each one of them.

One had pictures of a blue and red girl playing together, another had a yellow and red girl sitting together in a chair. But the one that made me stop breathing was the one with a big orange man holding the blue and red girls in his arms. Powder and Laylas laughter from when we were kids echoed in my head as I stared softly at each picture. But I flared my nostrils in anger as I remembered why we were here, that blue girl is gone and she'll never come back to us. I'll be damned if I lose my yellow girl because I didn't stop Jinx's antics.

"If you see an opening...take the shot." I said feeling empty as I took a step forward, but I was held back by Caitlyn as she called my name. I turned around to see the question on her face, I stared blankly back at her so she knew I wasn't kidding.

I didn't say anything as I turned back around to continue up the stairs and onto the main floor in between the row of pillars on each side. I hesitantly stalked to the middle of the room as my patience started slipping, I want to just get this over with. I know seeing her will mess with my head, like it always has, but I couldn't let that happen this time. "Jinx!"

My shout echoed off the walls as I heard a rough voice speak from somewhere close by, "Finally got the name right." I powered up my gloves as I put my fists up, looking around at the ceiling towards the sound of the voice. "Guess there really isn't a crack in the earth where you won't find me."

"What is this place?" I asked as I got a better look at more pictures that painted the pillars, one was of the blue girl crying on the floor as flames erupted from behind her crouched figure.

"Don't you remember the old Janna bedtime stories Vander used to tell us? Miners trapped underground, air running thin! But then some wispy wind woman wafts to their rescue." Her voice deepened as she told the story I remember hearing long ago, but she scoffed and then started speaking normally again. I now saw the picture of a woman with glowing eyes and hair that blew behind her, this must've been the woman with the magical windy powers from the story. "Wild the kind of crap people get up to when you choke them out."

I grew tired of her distracting me and interrupted her to try and see if I could find out where she was hiding. "We used the Grey to keep people off the streets, to keep them safe."

"We. Never thought my sister would turn blue belly."

"Never thought mine would orphan kids." I spat right back at her, I remember seeing the little girl that she was with a couple times. Never thought that after her little rampage with killing Councilors in Piltover that she'd decide to pick up a kid off the streets and keep her around.

"Ha why not? Done it enough myself. But plastering my face all over so someone else would do your dirty work? Poisoning our air? You've turned a leaf, sister." I dropped my fists in defeat after listening to her words, I'm not the one at fault here. I need to believe Layla, I made a stupid mistake when we were kids but I shouldn't blame myself for every one of her problems she's faced over the years.

"I'm done blaming myself for your mistakes. Done pretending you're my sister when you're not. You killed her. I'm not gonna let you stain her memory anymore." I put back up my fists, picturing Layla standing right beside me. Just imagining her face gives me strength, she's what I'm fighting for. I already lost Powder, I'm not losing her to Jinx too.

"Then stop me." I looked ahead underneath the picture of the windy lady and through the fog I saw my sister's silhouette standing there in front of me. "'Cause no matter what I do, I just can't seem to die."

My throat clogged as I looked at the sad look in her eyes, I closed my eyes and looked away as I whispered an apology. I heard Jinx repeat my words back to me before a gunshot sounded from Caits gun, the bullet whizzed past my head as it went straight for Jinx. But the bullet didn't hit a person, it hit metal. I gasped as I heard Jinx laugh maniacally, I automatically took a step back as I saw the metal shield, that had a gun shot through it, roll towards me. It stopped just at my feet and I stared into it before putting up my fists and turning in circles as I looked around to find her.

"I know you're sweet on our girl. Hope you got a chance to you know... Before..." She giggled and I started looking around frantically, my heart racing as I tried spotting her. Her face flashed in front of me for a brief second before it went away, I turned around and tried not to roll my eyes as I looked up to see Jinx standing on a tall piece of concrete. She held her machine gun and wore an expression I couldn't read as we stared at each other, I powered on my gloves as I stood into a defensive position.

"I'm ready."