Chapter Text
A sparkling white speck of dust –what was once Dr. Reveck and General Medarda- lands on Caitlyn’s face, and she realizes the worst might be over, but there are still many things to clean up.
Vander’s giant protective arms around them slowly retreat, the danger of the the last gemstone’s energy running wild over.
Hextech is gone. All stones are destroyed. Things are as they were many years ago.
The members of the Herald’s commune go on with their day as if nothing happened, as if their leader was still walking among them.
Creepy...
Caitlyn glances at the morphed form of Jayce’s hammer, attention diverted to where it stands tall, rammed into the ground like a flagpole.
It’s the last remaining trace of Jayce and Viktor’s creation, forever changed by whatever happened to Jayce in the last few months. Caitlyn has no idea if, with it’s organic shape, you could even call it Hextech anymore.
No matter, it was her friend’s wish to destroy all what’s left of their creation, and she’ll make sure it will be honored.
Her eyes stay locked onto the weapon, lost in thought regarding the world that was and the world that will be, until a hand finds itself on her shoulder, making her almost flinch from the sudden contact.
She swirls on the spot, coming face to face with Vi who looks at her with a strained smile.
Glancing over her shoulder at the werewolf –that was once her parent (?)-, she quips:
“Do we still have to explain what we found at the signal flare?”
Caitlyn follows her line of sight, taking in the transformed man in front of them again.
Slowly, not taking her eyes of Vander, she shakes her head:
“No, I think I can gather the details.”, she states matter-of-factly, her gaze shifting back onto Vi, “But I might need some context.”
To be honest, she’s not sure there is enough context in the world to make her understand what exactly happened here.
Vi looks unsure, opening her mouth to explain, but before she can get a word out the man himself jumps into motion, shifting to face Caitlyn with –what she thinks- is a smile.
He extends a pa- hand, like he wants to shake hers, forgetting his new form makes them the size of her torso.
With a steady, rumbling voice he introduces himself: “I’m Vander. I run the Last Drop.”, he looks at both Jinx and Vi for a second, as if he’s gathering his thoughts.
“I believe you are... associates?”, he tries to say, but it comes out more like a question.
Caitlyn can feel her eyes go big and round involuntarily at the assumption. She knows where she stands with Vi, sure, but...
She stares at Jinx, still pulling Isha close to herself. Her expression is much the same as she imagines herself looking.
With all that’s been going on she hadn’t thought about it, but where exactly does she stand with Jinx?
They’ve found common ground, and she’s been nothing but helpful. But that’s nothing concrete...
As she notices the seconds stretching on, and the wolf-man Vander grow restless, she decides to simply nod, the complexities of their relationship probably best kept to themselves.
“Something like that.”, she adds on, something telling her the movement is not enough to be convincing.
Vander’s smile grows slightly, her answer apparently satisfying.
She wont lie and say she’s not intimidated by his new form. It’s a lot to take in.
At least he seems to be a normal person behind all that... gold and fur.
Before the uncomfortable questions can continue, Vi steps in, placing a hand on Vander’s side to get his attention.
“This is Caitlyn, she helped us work with Piltover.”, she explains gently, gaze jumping between him and her.
Vander nods, eyes resting on her uniform she changed into at the old Hexgates to lead the Corps.
Pulling softly, Vi continues the introductions, directing his attention to Jinx and Isha.
“Powder you recognize, but she goes by Jinx now. Long story.”, she explains, tone betraying she really doesn’t want to go into detail.
She points at Isha holding onto Jinx’s leg:
“And that’s Isha. The two are inseparable.”, she tells him, which the man answers with a hum.
Jinx steps forward carefully, Isha following her lead without a second thought.
With every step she grows faster and faster, until she sprints right into Vander, crushing him in a hug that would have sent a normal human to the ground.
“So glad to have you back.”, she mumbles into his fur, pressing herself ever more into his body.
Caitlyn feels like she’s intruding, but it would feel just as wrong to leave after Vi has just introduced her. Looks like she has no choice but to stand around awkwardly on the sidelines.
One of Vander’s big hands reaches around to place itself on Jinx’s back, reciprocating the hug.
“I’ve missed so much. You’re both all grown up.”, he says choked up, “How long was I gone?”
***
“How long was I gone?”
The words hit Vi like a punch to the face. He must have been alive for all those years, barely hanging on in that horrific form.
Before she can lose herself in imagining the endless torture he must have been caught in she asks:
“What’s the last thing you remember?”
Her hand that still remains in his fur fists up involuntarily, anxiety running wild in her body.
Vander looks conflicted, his non-existent brows knitting up.
After some deliberation, he starts to recount: “I remember... a warehouse. You and Silco. A bridge... or walkway.”
He bows his head, lost in thought.
It takes some time until he continues: “After that, all I remember is iron... The taste of blood, the smell. Nothing more.”
...That might actually be pretty good. From how he looked like before the Herald’s touch she imagines he went through stuff he’s better off not remembering.
Of course, this also means they somehow have to tell him it’s been seven years.
Jinx breaks out of her hug, looking at Vi like she has realized much the same thing.
Remembering he was never one to rip the bandage off slowly, she decides to tell him just how it is:
“It’s been seven years since that day.”, Vi states, and she makes sure to try and steady him with her hand.
At her words, Jinx resumes her hug, Isha joining in as well.
Craning her neck to look up at him, her sister says: “We thought you died that day. If we’d known you were still alive we’d have-“
The words die on her lips, probably realizing they wouldn’t have.
Vi quickly decides to join the hug, thinking about that day is only going to sour the mood when they are supposed to make the best out of this moment.
He’s alive, that’s all that counts.
Vander looks shook, thoughts probably running a mile a minute.
He shakes his head in disbelief: “Seven years. You were alone for seven years?”
His voice wavers dangerously, his body beginning to shake.
Immediately Jinx piques up: “We managed, for better or worse.”, she shrugs slightly, her arms still remaining around him, “Look where we’re now! We’ve got lots to show ya!”
Wordlessly Vi deepens the hug, trying to calm him with her steady hands, hoping Jinx’s words were exactly what he needed to hear.
To her great satisfaction, she can feel his body still, panic subsiding.
He doesn’t deserve to suffer any more. He shouldn’t need to feel like he has to blame himself.
She holds on, resolute in the fact that Vander deserves to be hugged as long as he wants.
The three of them stay in this position for what some might call way too long, but to them it’s just right this way.
It’s only when Vander himself decides to break out of the hug they stop.
She catches a cheeky grin on his face as he states: “Oh, I see you came quite the ways without me.”
He leans down closer to ground, right in Isha’s face, studying her curiously:
“Hello, Isha. I take it I’m your grandfather?”, he says, completely earnestly.
The only answer that he receives is Jinx’s howling laughter.
She can’t contain herself at all. Jinx completely crumbles, falling to the ground with tears streaming off her face.
Vi can’t stop herself from slightly chuckling either.
As Jinx rolls on the ground, holding her stomach from all the laughing, she stammers out: “Not...My...Kid...”
Vander begins to stand straight again, embarrassment apparent despite his new form. Vi’s not sure how she can tell, but some things must simply be part of who he is.
Isha herself looks unsure, ready to bolt at any second, but the smile on her face betrays she too thinks this is funny.
As she fights to gain control of herself again, Jinx starts to stand, resting a hand on Isha’s shoulder:
“We ran into another. ‘Couldn’t leave her alone out here.”, she explains, a silly grin still plastered on her face, “And, well, we never split up again after.”
As she says this, she gazes proudly at Isha, pulling them close again. The kid lets her, melting into her touch.
Vander hums next to Vi, probably coming to the same conclusion she has: That’s her kid.
Silence follows, stretching on comfortably, Vi basking in the joy of their family reunion.
She’s only pulled back into reality as she hears someone clear their throat behind her.
Cait...
She’s almost forgot she was here, too preoccupied with catching up Vander.
She was standing there the entire time...
Gods, they just had her watch all that. Vi can only imagine how she must feel. She knows she’d rather be swallowed whole by the ground if she had to just stand there.
Noticing Vi’s eyes on her, Cait steps closer, speaking hesitantly: “I don’t want to destroy the moment, but I believe we got two cities to rebuild. You can continue catching up on the way?”
Her stance betrays she feels horrible for even suggesting it, but Vi can only say she agrees. She knows Vander will too... once they’ve explained what’s going on.
***
Jinx, the Revolutionary.
Jinx, the one to return the Hound of the Underground.
It’s going to be sooo funny to read about herself in future history books. People will think this can’t be real.
But here they are! On their way topside, Vander in tow, their city freed and whatever the hell was going on with the tin-man-Herald and his homeless boyfriend also resolved.
Also also, Shimmer-Doc is gone, so there’s no more crazy experiments and super-drugs going around.
‘Nation of Zaun is right at our doorstep.
Yep, they are gonna get their voice. They held up their end of the deal.
Something in her knows Silco would be proud, proud at what she achieved, even proud at the fact they saved Vander.
Deep inside of her she wishes he was here with them.
Look to the future, kid. Many things are to come.
Right. He wouldn’t want her to dwell on such things at such a occasion. He’d want her to focus on what’s best for them.
She knows Sevika is still in Piltover, probably already organizing whatever shall happen to their home in the future.
It probably consists of many big stupid words like: Independence, Autonomy, Voting Rights, Free Trade Agreements...
...bleh. Her mouth’s already dry from just thinking about all that boring stuff.
Trying to focus on something else than diplomacy, she tries to imagine Sevika’s face when she realizes ol’ Vander is still alive.
Thinking about it, she wonders if he’ll decide to lead the Underground again. Sevika’d let him probably, and he did it the longest out of anyone she can remember.
But then she looks at him, his new form, remembers how painful her surgery was and can barely imagine how his process must have been like in Shimmer-Doc’s hands and then comes to the conclusion he deserves to retire in peace.
At least, that sounds like something Vander would do. She has no idea what retirement means exactly really.
That’s also what he’s already done in her youth anyway, so there’s no way he suddenly wants to return after that happened.
Smart cookie.
Yes, yes she is. Maybe the academy will give her a doctorate since she’s now a hero.
Maybe if she asked nicely?
...Or maybe she should demonstrate one of her bombs? That will get their attention!
...You do you, I’m proud either way kid.
Find your way, you did well.