Layla

"Agh!," I screamed before shooting upwards, I put a hand to my heart as I panted from the pain I was in. My vision was so blurry and the world was spinning, I tried holding it in but couldn't stop myself from throwing up. I turned to my left and emptied out my stomach into a trash can beside the bed I was lying on. After I'd thrown everything up, I looked down to see I had no clothes on.

I yelped in disbelief as I pulled the sheet to cover myself as I tried looking around to see where I was. I'm lying in a big bed, but the mattress has a ton of stains in it, the room has wooden floors and rotted wooden walls. There was clothes and all different kinds of things laid out on the floor, my stomach twisted again as I saw used syringes and bottles of shimmer. 

What the hell is this place? And why am I- oh my god!

In the bed with me was a MAN lying on his stomach, his head was facing me and I resisted the urge to throw up again. He was a decent looking man with black hair, a chiseled face with stubble decorating his chin. He was muscular and had that man smell, but he was naked too.

There's no way we'd...I would never let a...

My lower area felt sore and I noticed bruises along my arms and saw some on my legs as I looked under the sheet. I gasped and forgot how to breathe, a panic attack was forming and I tried to be quiet as I frantically searched for clothes. I covered my privates with my hands as I looked around for clean looking clothes, I quietly went to the three-legged dresser to open a drawer. I found baggy pants and a big sweatshirt, most likely the mans, and I put them on fast before tiptoeing out the door. There was a living room and then a window next to another door, I ran to the door and threw it open.

I was hyperventilating at this point, closing the door softly before gazing at the streets in front of me. I was in the Undercity, but it was oddly clean and the people walking wore nice clothes. I put my hands on my head to work on my breathing as I started walking aimlessly. This looks like my home but it also looks like Piltover in a sort.

I continued walking as I looked around at the people, trying to find a familiar face or someplace to go to find help. I thought about going to my club to find Fran or one of my coworkers, but I stopped moving as I looked up at The Last Drop. The sign was shining brightly as people laughed and walked about, nobody was angry or starting fights. There was no drunks walking about, I mean there were one or two but I recognized some people from Piltover down here.

Okay what is this? This makes no sense.

I walked quickly to the door and threw it open, stepping into the bar. Maybe Jinx will be here and I can figure things out, I know she's not a fan of me but I need a familiar face-. I saw blue hair behind the counter, but the hairstyle was space buns not long braids. But when the girl turned towards me, her jaw dropped and she almost dropped the cups she was holding.

The girl wasn't Jinx, but she was just like the older version of Powder I'd always pictured.

She gave the two cups to a customer standing by the bar before she walked around and started towards me, not taking her eyes off me. She looked like she was afraid that if she looked away I'd disappeared, I was feeling the same thing.

"Layla? You're really here?" She sounded so excited, like she hasn't seen me in years. Happy tears filled my eyes as she stopped 2 feet in front of me.

"P-Powder?"

"Oh Lay, it's been so long!" She opened her arms and wrapped them around my torso, squeezing me tightly. After a moment I snapped out of my daze and hugged her back, "I missed you."

The happy tears threatened to fall as I pulled back to hold her face in my hands, "I missed you so much more. Powder, you're so beautiful!" She let out a watery laugh, I couldn't believe that our Powder was here instead of Jinx.

Before I could ask how this was happening, a deep voice rang out behind us at the bar. "What's going on here?" My hands let go of Powder as she turned around to look at the man, he wore the same look Powder had when she first saw me. "Layla?"

Vander looked the exact same as the day we lost him, but he lacked the tired bags under his eyes, making him look friendlier. He was standing behind the bar as he scanned my body to make sure it was really me and that I was okay. Not only was Vander standing there but Mylo and Claggor walked through the door that led to the basement, laughing at each other as they rounded the bar. But they stopped when they noticed me, their eyes went wide and the three of them just stared in shock.

Why is everyone so shocked to see me? I'm the one who should be fucking blown away by their appearances!

My shoulders slacked as a happy smile crept across my face slowly, they looked so healthy. Mylo had more meat on his bones and he had grown a mustache, I just know that when I ask him about it he's going to say it makes him look more mature. And he is completely right. Claggor looks the same, but he didn't have the usual weariness he had always worn when we were younger. He was always so scared of getting in trouble and made sure we stayed safe, but he looked at ease. Like he knew he was completely safe and there was nothing to be afraid of, I envied him in this moment.

My eyes scanned back and forth between the four of them and I tried figuring out how this was possible. I put a head to my forehead to check my temperature, "H-How is this possible? How are you all here and...healthy?"

Vander stood up straight and lifted an eyebrow in contemplation, "Well we for one live here. But we should be asking the same of you since we haven't heard from you in years."

My eyes were so wide I thought they were going to fall out of my head and roll out the door that just opened behind me. I almost started an argument but another voice rang out behind me and the tears were back.

"Oi what's with all the weird looks? You all look like you've seen a-," I turned around to see Benzo holding a box full of odd parts in his hand. He dropped the box out of shock and rubbed his eyes before looking at me again. He stepped over the box and walked a few steps towards me, he repeated my name just like the others had.

The tears finally came out as I realized it really was all of them, and just like Vander, Benzo looked so healthy.

I let out a sob as I wrapped my arms around his neck, his usual smell of cigarettes and coffee washed over me and I hugged him tighter.

He laid his arms around my upper back as he whispered, "I'm so glad you're here, Lay. We've all missed you." He held the back of my head as I cried harder. Like Vander was with Vi and Powder, Benzo has always been my father. He's never been the one to get emotional, so I'm soaking in this moment for as long as I can before all of us demand answers.

The hug lasted another minute and then Mylo and Claggor ran up to me to catch me in a group hug, and lastly there was Vander. He always gave the best bear hugs and he still does, but when he pulled back he smiled and said something that took me by surprise.

"Thank you for coming back to us after all these years."

I stepped back and looked around at the group in confusion, "Wait what? That doesn't make any sense. If I had known you all were alive I would never have left! What is going on today?"

"You left us remember? After the accident, you gave up singing and said you couldn't be around us because we reminded you of all the memories." Mylo spoke up as he sat on one of the stools along the bar, Claggor followed him and Vander leaned against the bar next to them.

"You ran away and we haven't heard from you since." Powder chimed in, her hands were behind her back and she looked nervous that I would run out the door again.

My head was spinning with all this new information, I tried piecing everything together to make sense but nothing was connecting. Finally I gave up and threw my hands in the air dramatically as I started rambling. "No no that can't be right. God, I don't remember any of that because in my mind it never happened! I woke up this morning in a dirty bed with a MAN butt ass naked, even though I am completely and confidently gay. I know we did it last night and I would NEVER agree to that because I am and will always be in love with one girl only. I am 90% sure I'm on Shimmer because my arms have rashes that itch and I get jumpy whenever I see the color purple. I know this sounds crazy but you're all supposed to be dead! The Undercity looks a lot cleaner than it did two days ago and it's freaking me out. I j-just need to find Ekko or Professor Heimerdinger. No, first I need to find Vi, she always knows what to do and I need her to smack some sense into me."

I looked up and was met with dead silence, all of them avoided eye contact with me except for Powder who gave me doe eyes. Oh no, I freaked them out with my rant and now I wouldn't blame them if they sent me to a shrink. I looked over at Benzo who had sympathy in his eyes, Vander had the same but they didn't say anything.

"Layla, you don't remember anything at all do you?" Powder asked timidly, probably afraid I'll explode on her. I softened my hard gaze and shook my head tiredly, my head was pounding.

"Pow I don't know anything that happened before this morning. It's all blank. Maybe if I can just talk to Vi-."

"Layla!" I looked over at Powder who had tears in her eyes, my heart dropped to my feet as she fidgeted with her hands.

"Vi's been gone for 7 years now. She's the whole reason why you ran away from us."