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Her ragged breaths echoed in the space around her and it- around them. A metallic scent lingered in the air, so close to blood yet so far away, accompanied by the unmistakable, familiar chemical odour of shimmer. It made her sick, it made the blood in her veins run faster. Ominous red lighting washed the floors in an eerie glow, metal bars reflecting it into her eyes, eyes that didn’t – couldn’t even bother to shield themselves from it as she stared into shockingly clear heterochromia ones, ones that watched her with a knowing look she hadn’t even gotten from a human, let alone a creature like this, in weeks.
Since you put all those holes in him.
Everything remained unnaturally still, time suspended in a single moment as she dangled over the floor. She gulped, the sound seeming to reverberate throughout the entire hallway and come out thrice as loud.
“What…what did you call me?”
It came out softer than she intended, sounding less like a threat and more like fear. Fear for a ghost from the past that she could very much feel in time with the strain on her wrists, wrists that held veins with a pulse so loud she could hear it. Like confusion, like disbelief, like hope. The kind she hadn’t allowed herself to feel since she held up a torch that spit out blue smoke and a piece of her heart with it, when her sister Vi showed up with a fucking Piltie enforcer who looked terribly like her-
Fake fake cheap ripoff devil thief-
She startled out of her thoughts when her feet touched the ground, gently, oh so gently. The hold on her wrists loosened, slowly, until they let go entirely and she snatched her hands back with a pained hiss, briefly examining the angry red marks blossoming there. Her finger twitched, right where it rested beside the pin on her grenade. She pressed herself back against the cold wall like a cat cornered, painted nails digging bloody crescents into her palms. Not the worst of it.
“Powder.”
Her eyes widened when it- he(?) took her arms in one gigantic palm, the other brushing over the marks, careful to keep the claws from hurting. First over the ones she made, gentle, soothing, glancing up with a chiding look that screamed of fondness (one that was etched into her memory like carvings on stone) then over the ones he made, and Jinx hadn’t ever felt a touch more regretful. He shook his head, huffing and fidgeting, yet still careful to keep her arms safe from his claws.
“…Vander?”
He looked up at her, eyes flashing in recognition. In memory or something else, she did not know (you never know, do you?). But she did know, that there was familiarity there, and that was all she needed to take a chance on the only family she had left (who would want her). Her gaze softened, hand hovering in the air between them.
But the moment she made contact with smooth fur, it darted away from her touch, disappearing down the hall before she could blink. No-
“Vander!”
Jinx chased down the hallways without a second thought, shimmer powering her with rapid fire reflexes as she instinctively followed behind the overwhelming scent of blood and chemicals. And yet, despite only a seconds distance between his takeoff and her pursuit, he was nowhere to be found. She looked around frantically, hearing a thunderous rumble from her right. NonononoNO! I can’t lose another one! She grit her teeth, pushing her body to the limits, feeling her legs burning and finally, finally catching sight of a gigantic leg disappearing behind a blasted-in opening in the darkness.
Jinx rushed forward, a wild, giddy hope in her veins as she followed right on his heels…
Only to stumble back with a surprised yell as she barely avoided falling into the bottomless pit. Jinx dug her fingernails into fresh earth and cracked cement, cursing when she felt her grip slipping. But did she need to hold on, really? She could still follow, still find him! God knew what way he’d find off of the island if she didn’t catch him now, even she wasn’t that fast. And when she thought about how his absence made her feel…She panted heavily, a dreadful feeling of emptiness crawling into her chest, not unlike a few hours ago when she heard that Isha was taken away by those filthy fucking enforcers-
Isha.
The fog in her brain suddenly lifted, making her still. She carefully pulled herself away from the pit, heart thundering wildly in her chest as her grip became less and less stable...exhaling in relief when her feet hit stable ground. She wouldn’t do something so reckless, not when she had Isha to think about. She wouldn’t abandon the kid like that, whatever shit may rock her boat.
(Not when she had someone who cried for her, who looked devastated at the thought of losing her, who brought her illegible scribbles in the name of drawings and asked her to dye her hair blue and braid it like her own. Not when she was someone’s hero, and not doomed to be the villain of the story. Not when everyone else in her life had already failed her, and she wasn’t sure if she was talking about Isha or another little girl anymore.)
Jinx hesitated for a second, looking down the deep pit in contemplation. Thinking of everything she was leaving behind, unsure of whether she’d have the chance to go back. The cave glowed invitingly, almost beckoning her into their unknown depths. She squinted into the formless darkness, realising that the cave was in fact glowing, tiny luminescent plants dotting the underground here and there. They were unlike anything she had ever seen before, yet seemed oddly at home for the setting (it’s their natural habitat dumbass, of course they look at home).
She shrugged it off, thinking. It wouldn’t be easy to get back here to look for clues, the place was bound to be crawling with enforcer scum after this attack, not to mention their little stunt. She had no doubt that they would go after Vander like bloodthirsty hounds, and for the first time in her damned life, she couldn’t…blame them.
Urgh that sounded wrong.
She gagged, washing the taste of it out of her throat. But anyway, she didn’t want to think about what’d happen to him if they were to find him before she did. She huffed, pulling the pin on her grenade and tossing it to the most unstable part of the opening. It beeped in warning, growing higher in pitch before screaming. In a flash of pink, she was down the hallway, watching the rocks explode and block the opening in with a glorious show of dust and smoke, just as the sirens began to blare overhead.
She’d find him again, one way or the other.
–
“Took your own damn time getting here.” She was given a once over. “You look like shit.”
Sevika’s voice greeted her gruffly, stinking up her hideout with her cigars as usual. Jinx rolled her eyes, throwing her dented gun at the older woman in retaliation. Sevika grunted when it collided with her chest, but her annoyance soon transformed into curiosity as she explained the weapon. She leaned forward on the couch, gesturing to it with a raised eyebrow and taking a long drag.
“I like to arrive fashionably late.” She drawled, pointedly giving Sevika a once over. “But you wouldn’t know much about that, would ya, leftie?”
“I’m surprised you’re still in one piece, blue.”
“Unlike your arm!”
She was rewarded with a grumble for her efforts, making her giggle.
“Where’s the ki-”
All of a sudden, a tiny blur of motion crashed into her body, almost knocking her over with the force. She stumbled back with a laugh, steading them both with a small ‘oof.’
“Missed ya too, kid.”
Jinx ruffled Isha’s hair, noticing in the back of her mind that the some of the braids were messy. She’d have to redo them soon. Hot tears soaked into her pants, pulling her back to reality. Oh…right. She softened, crouching down and gathering the little ankle biter into her arms just as a hiccupping sob escaped her.
“Hey, it’s okay.” She attempted to soothe, patting the kid’s back. “I’m here now. We’re safe.”
“What was that thing anyway?” Sevika murmured, looking almost hesitant to disturb the moment. “It looked…”
“He didn’t hurt me.”
Jinx snapped, not realising what exactly she implied until the words were already hanging in the air, heavy and thick.
“What the hell is that supposed to-”
Jinx stood up with Isha still in her arms, looking too young and distraught to properly understand her explanation. And she’d be damned if the kid didn’t get to know too, so Sevika could stand to learn a bit of the patience she always preached.
“I’m going to bed.”
Sevika opened her mouth to argue, brows furrowed and eyes flashing before another muffled sob interrupted them.
“…Fine.” She relented, but not without a shake of the head. “We’re talking about this later, blue.”
“Can’t wait.”
With a final nod, Sevika turned away, and Jinx started settling in for a long night.
–
Isha listened to Jinx’s steady heartbeat, burrowing deeper into her neck. She peeked at the cool, funky looking clock on the nightstand – one Jinx had made just for her – which read 3:17 am. Digital, because she had never learned, or well, been taught to read an analogue clock. But Jinx had promised that she would teach Isha, so she was happy to not think many thoughts about it. Sleep did not visit her easy today, even though it had been since she had found Jinx. But today was different, today was difficult. Today was… scary. Today she watched Jinx disappear and didn’t know if she was going to come back. And she couldn’t lose Jinx, she couldn’t. She hadn’t, she reminded herself, as she nuzzled in closer.
“Can’t sleep, huh?”
Isha froze at being caught, her mom would always scold her for that. Slowly, guiltily, she raised her eyes up towards Jinx’s, nodding shyly.
“Welcome to the club, kid.” Jinx snorted, ruffling her hair. “Hoped this wasn’t one of the things you’d take after me, but I guess I can’t help it.”
Isha frowned.
But it wasn’t Jinx’s fault.
She squeezed Jinx’s waist to convey her point.
“Yeah yeah.”
Jinx sighed, rolling over and looking at her instead of the ceiling. Violet-Pink eyes peered down at her, filled with something like a quiet relief, a deep sadness and a burning curiosity all at once. Jinx looked at her funny sometimes, Isha wondered how she did it.
“I’m…really glad you’re okay, Isha.”
Isha’s eyes widened in surprise, mouth parting silently. She swallowed, pressing her head to Jinx’s chest. It had been a while since she had someone care for her, but since Jinx took her in…maybe she did have a family after all. Instantly, she tore herself back, remembering that Jinx herself, her hero, her family, had been in danger not too long ago, just like her, worse than her. Had watched her fight a beast that was five times her size, and while Isha never, ever doubted her Jinx’s abilities, she had never felt fear like that in her life for someone else. She tugged on Jinx’s top to get her attention, making a clawing motion in question.
“Oh, that.” Jinx chuckled, looking almost wistful. “Don’t worry, he won’t hurt us.”
She let the silence linger in the air for a moment, before shifting, gathering Isha into her arms.
“That thing we saw back there?” She nodded, urging Jinx to continue. “Yeah, well, he was a guy once. Still a guy, I think. And I…I knew him.”
Her voice went soft and quiet, eyes far away in some sort of dreamland. The way they went when she talked about a different life with Isha.
“He was my…father. In a way.” She shrugged, pulling Isha’s braids loose and waving her off when she made a noise of protest. “Calm down little sucker, I’m gonna do them again. Anyway, he was kinda like Uncle Silco. Minus the bad guy part maybe.”
Isha paused, looking up from her fidgeting with Jinx’s own braids, a silent question in her eyes.
“Oh yeah, story time!” She exclaimed dramatically, tickling Isha and making her flinch away with laughter. “So uncle Silco mayyy have been a bad guy when I first met ‘im. He and Vander- my dad, didn’t really like each other. They always pointed fingers at each other, but one of them was conveniently dead before I got the full story out of them.”
She laughed again, but it sounded empty.
“Fuckers.” She muttered, shaking her head fondly. “We were at each other’s throats, literally. I was a different person back then, you know, Powder.” Isha nodded eagerly, recalling the piece of information with pride. “So you do listen, that’s my girl. Anyway, I wasn’t like this back then. Wickedly cool and cute. So I got myself in trouble, killed my whole family, my older sis now hates me, blah blah blah.”
There was a small pause.
“Can’t blame her, I kinda hate myself too.”
This is what Jinx had to live with?
Isha’s eyes filled with tears, hugging Jinx tightly and hoping it helped somehow. To tell her that it wasn’t her fault. She knew it couldn’t be, Jinx was amazing, Jinx was strong and brave. She was only trying to help right? It wasn’t her fault the bad guys won. That just happened sometimes, she would know. She had lived with it all her life.
“Don’t give me that face, I’ll relay all the sadness to you some other time.” Jinx booped her nose, trying to lighten the mood. “Except now, I do have family still. I can reach him. And I- I have the chance to make it right!”
She laughed, somewhere between delight and disbelief.
“I can bring him back, Isha.” She sighed wistfully, eyes sparkling. “But I don’t know. It feels like something’s missing. There are so many puzzle pieces that aren’t falling into place, I’m alone and- I don’t know. And even if I did miraculously figure everything out, it feels…wrong, you know, to do this without Vi at my side. Remember Vi?”
She nodded, more hesitantly. The mean woman who tried to kill Jinx. But why would Jinx want her? Even if they were sisters, didn’t Vi sever that bond already? Jinx deserved better, even if she was forgiving and nice.
“Yeah. Always his prodigy, wasn’t she?” She mumbled, a tinge bitter. “Now passed out in the bottom of a mug, crying about her breakup and wasted. Gets beaten up by someone without fail every day. Gotta feel something other than heartbreak, I guess. And they call me the crazy sister!”
“But…” She continued, sitting up and swinging her legs impatiently. “I don’t want to miss this chance, Isha. I know I can make things right, I just needed this. And if it takes reconciling with Vi in the pits of despair- literally- after we tried to kill each other, hell, why not.”
She groaned, flopping back down with a heavy thud and shaking Isha on her way.
“If only I had some sort of lead.” She lamented, throwing her hand up and scratching at the nailpolish. “How the hell am I supposed to track down some mystical glowing plant deep in the underground ? I can’t even-”
Isha shot up with a gasp, tugging on Jinx’s arm excitedly. Miner’s lanterns! Her dad used to bring some home every day, and she saved them all until she could make a glowing plush toy. Well, it didn’t really go as planned…the toy didn’t actually glow, which disappointed her, but it had a faint dreamy shimmer when you looked at it in the night. Her favourite nonetheless.
She lost it the same day they died in an accident.
“What, you wanna show me something?” Jinx snapped a rubber band, making a hesitant noise. “In a moment, kid, I really need to figure out-”
Isha huffed, hoping off the bed and hurrying to her stash of drawings. She ignored Jinx’s protests, throwing them on the ground left and right until she found what she was looking for. She hurried back with her prize, proudly presenting it to Jinx and jumping up and down.
“Huh? It is really cute, you’re bound to be Picasso soon but-”
Isha made a sound of frustration, tapping at the flowers pointedly.
“…Wait.” Jinx flung the rubber band to the side, picking the drawing up in surprise. “You’re saying you know this thing?”
“Mhm.”
“Ho-ly!” Jinx laughed, ruffling her hair. “I knew I could count on you, you little rascal! Lead the way.”
–
Jinx hopped up onto the counter, ignoring the offended cries of the people standing in line. She didn’t have time to waste on petty things like lines.
“Tickets for The Scarlet Wolf.”
“Ha!” The bookie laughed low in his throat, followed by the rest of the patrons..“First time here, kid? I’ll let you in on a little secret, just ‘cause I like ya.”
He looked her up and down with clear intent, and she rolled her eyes. All of this with the hood on. Not that they’d dare try with Jinx, but you know.
“Wolf’s been losin’ for a while now.” He told her, as if she didn’t see every single time Vi got handed her ass. “You’re better off betting on anyone else, really.”
Jinx hummed in mock wonder.
“Oh really?”
In an instant, the barrel of her gun was against the man’s throat, safety clicking off loudly in the arena that was stunned into silence.
“Listen up, pal.” She warned, a threat evident in her tone. “I got the money, and you got the tickets. You give me what I ask for, alright? Doesn’t matter if my fighter’s being pathetic, she’s still mine.”
The man raised his hands slowly while the rest of the patrons backed away, seeming a lot less worried about her cutting in line. Jinx noticed the bouncer striding over out of the corner of her eye, lip quirking. Fun! She grabbed Jinx roughly by the shoulder, jostling her and pointing her own gun at her head.
“Hey, you can’t be doing that around-"
Jinx abruptly jumped down from the counter, the movement knocking a few blue strands loose from her cloak. She stood up at full height, letting the harsh fluorescent lights overhead illuminate the pink in her gaze. She smiled when the woman froze, lazily twirling a coin between her fingers.
“What was that?”
“…Sorry ‘bout that.” She apologised, voice almost shaky. “You’re free to go.”
“What are you-” The bookie bristled, warily looking back and forth between them. “Listen girl, I don’t know what kind of game you’re playin’ but-”
“Shut up.” The bouncer hissed, snatching the tickets from his hand. “I’m doing this for our own good.”
Jinx watched the encounter with mild amusement, breezily flicking her entire coin purse onto the counter.
“H-here you go- uh, miss.”
She extended them carefully, like offering food to a wild animal, as if she was afraid of Jinx biting her arm off. Or blowing it up. She could get Sevika a matching twin!
“Much obliged!”
Revelling in the slight flinch when she (delicately, mind you) plucked the scraps of paper out of the woman’s hand, Jinx pocketed her pistol with a little twirl.
There were a few audible sighs of relief, some indignant spluttering, but the small crowd of onlookers who had gathered in hopes of witnessing a fight scattered in disappointment. They were in a pit fighting ring, did they really think they’d get to see the bloodshed for free? She should start charging ‘em, a dime a murder. She’d be a millionaire! The girl ignored the bewildered gazes and brewing accusations, breezily skipping over to join the rest of the audience.
“Are you fucking kidding me? You have all these rules and shit and we’ve gotta follow them, but some punk shows up with a fancy gun and you just-”
Ohh she did not envy random bouncer woman right now.
Jinx easily claimed her usual spot among the bloodthirsty crowd, the layout familiar enough to navigate blindfolded and the crazy fans predictable enough to dodge and duck from. She had been coming here for months now, it was practically a routine at this point. When she first caught wind of Vi ditching her shiny new enforcer job and girlfriend for the nitty gritty bottoms of the pits, she almost didn’t believe it. She had thought Vi had gone soft, had become too used to the comforts and luxuries of the Piltie life. Working for the very same people who took away everything she cared about – well, if she ever did – and threw her in a cell to rot in for the rest of her life. A traitor in every sense of the word, the one she was so fond of using.
She also wasn’t surprised in the slightest.
Because underneath all those fancy new clothes that smelt like expensive cupcake perfume, the lungs that breathed in fresh air and limbs that rested on cushy chairs of the finest leather, was still the woman- the girl who clawed her way to the top through bloody fists and a broken jaw, who came home with a fresh set of bruises everyday yet with eyes that somehow burned even brighter in determination every time, who spent her evenings punching a run down machine instead of spending time with her family, who ate scraps and talked with her fists.
Needless to say, Violet was a rascal Zaunite through and through, and she was fucking proud of it.
When it came down to it in the end, all she knew was beating and getting beating up. Jinx had gone as soon as she knew where, the ugliest, nastiest, most brutal fighting pit in Zaun. Most matches here ended with at least one player badly wounded, and quite a few ended in death. It was a Gladiator’s ring through and through, and the more depraved citizens of Zaun ate it up like a full course meal every time.
It was tucked away in the more sinister part of Zaun’s underground, as toxic as the dense air and thick chemical sludge seeping out from the factories around it; the only reason it managed to avoid the authority checks. Even the most innocent person would be able to smell death as soon as they walked in here.
Naturally, Jinx felt quite at home.
The lights in the audience section dimmed down, and the announcer began his usual over the top commentary. A waste of time if you asked her. If he was going to be dramatic, he could at least put a little soul put into it, instead of sounding like a washed up broken record spit out from the depths of corporate jargon. The crowd cheered nonetheless, pumping their fists and holding their tickets up. A few were already chanting for the other fighter, the voices growing steadily louder over the introduction.
“Alright then!” The announcer laughed, fake and practiced. “Without further ado!”
The twin spotlights simultaneously flashed on in the ring, and the crowd went bat-shit insane, screaming even louder. They’d beat the voices in her head at this rate. The opposing fighter was introduced, a big, burly woman who reached halfway up the pit in height and had even bigger hair that was braided and pinned back into a bun. Electric blue, curiously enough. Raya, ‘the earthquake’ Gunnar.
Is Vi gonna get the shit punched out of her by one of her supporters? This should be fun.
Even from back here, she could see Vi swaying unsteadily on her feet, shaking her head and punching the air experimentally. The bell dinged, signalling the start of the match, and Vi almost immediately attempted an uppercut…only to get brutally punched in the ribs. She staggered back in shock, almost falling over before the fighter grabbed her by the bandages and delivered a strike to her nose, the sickening crunch of cartilage echoing throughout the pit and making her grimace. She never did like that, and even Vi being on the receiving end couldn’t change her opinion.
Vi stumbled a few steps back with every strike, getting not even a second’s reprieve between the hits to retaliate or defend herself. Not that she would’ve, anyway. What was it that Sevika said? Ah…right, “blocked with her face”. Jinx liked to believe that not many people knew her sister as well as she did, but that statement was an exception.
Vi was slammed back into the wall from the force of impact, coughing and spitting up blood. The crowd chanted in delight, waving their symbol of support.
Damn, not even five minutes. That was a new record.
The fighter popped her neck, swinging her heavy fist to deliver the finishing blow…
...to the cracked concrete.
Vi reappeared behind her in a blur, targeting one well aimed punch to the back that stunned her opponent, sending her crashing into the spot where Vi herself was pinned not more than a minute ago. It was just long enough for her to land a series of quick paced, light punches to the abdomen before finishing it off with a blow to the jaw, and was that…? Yeah…Jinx definitely heard bone breaking.
Maybe her sister wasn’t completely wasted after all.
Yet.
She whistled low when Vi managed to knock her to the ground, the crowd going deathly silent in worry for their hard-earned black money. Vi pinned her opponent to the ground, not allowing her to breath and hitting her face over and over until it was a bloody mess. Jinx almost thought she was going to win, a rare victory in the middle of her loser era.
That was, until Vi fucked it up for herself.
She paused in the middle of the final hit, looking disoriented and confused, huge grey eyes deliciously lost for a split second. Big mistake. With a bulky, strong fighter like her opponent, Vi’s greatest strength was her speed and agility. And she had just fumbled it, bad. Her blood went splattering across the floor, their respective positions flipped in an instant. Vi struggled fiercely, but there wasn’t much she could do against her opponent’s weight and strength. She was trapped for real this time. The other fighter used her own tactic against her, beating the hell out of Vi’s face as she gasped uselessly for air. Eventually, she went boneless, laying motionlessly as Raya got up and raised her fist in victory. “RA-YA! RA-YA! RA-YA!”
At least she hadn’t lost too badly.
Jinx watched in amusement as Vi’s battered body was hauled out of the ring by a couple of employees, looking utterly pitiful and broken. She hurried to throw her coins at the collector’s table, pulling her cloak on tighter before following after them.
The air outside was thick and chilly, moonlight blocked by the clouds and rickety buildings. A starless night. They had been happening more often than usual as of late. They unceremoniously dumped Vi on the side of the streets, after making sure nobody was coming to get her. Her new friend usually did that job, but he seemed to have gotten rather tired of Vi’s antics these days. Loris, was it? She couldn’t blame him, Vi was two handfuls and a footful on top of that. Jinx supposed they shared that in common, nobody stuck around in their lives. Maybe there were two Jinxes in the family.
She was pulled out of her thoughts when Vi whined, rolling over on the dirty pavement and pushing herself up on all fours with shaky hands…only to immediately pass out and drop back onto the ground. Jinx’s finger twitched, lip curling ever so slightly in distaste. She was doing that here? For everyone to see? If she was going to be this pathetic, she could at least do it in private. And here she thought this sight was reserved for her. Leave it to Vi to disappoint her where she didn’t even think it was possible to.
Jinx looked around for a few moments in contemplation, finding no one but the occasional drunkard stumbling along to their home. If they had one. In any case, most of them were out of it even more than Vi was – which was saying something – so it wasn’t an issue. She walked closer, until her feet were right beside her useless sister’s face. Gingerly nudging Vi’s body with her foot, Jinx carefully examined her for any reactions, coming up empty.
Oh well.
She hooked an arm underneath Vi’s thighs, hoisting her up into a bridal carry with a huff. The shimmer in her blood burned with the effort, teeth grinding as she struggled to settle them both into a comfortable position and achieving it after a few failed attempts where she almost dropped Vi on her ass. Blood spilled down from her scarred lips in a slow trickle, shining almost tauntingly in the dim moonlight that peeked past grey clouds. She remained limp in Jinx’s hold, looking like a ragdoll ready to be thrown around and used. Jinx let herself tuck a strand of terrible box dyed hair behind her ear, sighing, half in exasperation and half in fondness.
“What am I gonna do with you, sis?”
–
The trek to Vi’s apartment from the arena wasn’t a long one, the entire journey taking less than ten minutes even with Vi’s deadweight snugly nestled into her arms. She figured it was because the apartment hunt came after the pit fighter idea, and not the other way around. Still…
Even Jinx thought this place was pitiful.
It was small, very small, barely big enough for her to take five steps to the side and ten steps forward, reeking of cheap booze, sweat and blood; exactly the kind of apartment you’d envision a pit fighter to have. The only furniture the place had was a sad looking mattress soaked in…a lot of questionable fluids, and a small table that housed dirty dishes and day old food. The metal fireplace creaked ominously every so often, the lick of its angry red flames reflected in the broken mirror. The sole sense of personalization this dump had was the dozens upon dozens of alcohol bottles scattered across the room, decorating every inch of it in the scent of despair. It really was as miserable as she had expected, maybe even worse.
Vi really was going through it, huh?
Jinx gently laid the older woman down onto the mattress, figuring Vi was probably dirtier than whatever filth it bore so they cancelled each other out…kinda. Vi didn’t stir once, remaining blissfully passed out and letting Jinx manipulate her body into whatever position she wanted. Very convenient for her, thoroughly embarrassing for her sister. Vi hated being taken care of when they were younger, she was one of those types that thought that needing help was a weakness. They were also hypocrites apparently, because she always told Powder the opposite.
“If I knew that all it took for you to break down was a girl,” Jinx spoke to herself, setting the first aid kit down beside her and manoeuvring Vi’s head onto her lap. “I’d have crashed more of your bar dates.”
Vi didn’t actually date, not really. She was always more focused on getting better and stronger, preferring the roughness of an opponent’s fist to learn from over the gentleness of a lover’s caress to melt into. Priorities, she called it.
That didn’t mean she limited herself entirely though. Vi had had more than a few girls (and boys, but she was never into them) chatting her up at Vander’s bar far into the night, when she’d return home late from a job or a training session; affairs Powder would only catch when she woke up in the middle of the night looking for her sister. It was only one time that she had (accidentally) seen Vi doing anything other than said chatting, making out on the roof underneath a makeshift tent made of bedsheets and fairy lights with their hands roaming under each other’s shirts, but Jinx knew that it had probably happened with all of them.
It left a bitter taste in her mouth.
Didn’t have time to spend with family outside of their half assed missions, but had time to explore some girl’s mouth.
Guess that hadn't changed.
Jinx pressed the antiseptic-soaked cotton hard into a bigger cut on her face, even if Vi couldn’t feel it, just because she was petty like that. Jinx almost jumped out of her skin when Vi made a noise, eyebrows drawing together and lower lip pushing out into a small pout. She stayed very still, holding her breath and checking for any sign that Vi was awake. When a couple of minutes passed with no movement or sound, she breathed a sigh of relief, swiping at Vi’s lower lip with the makeup remover and pushing the pout back into place.
“Alright, you big baby.”
She cooed mockingly, horrified to find some warmth seeping into the words. Disgusting.
Once she finished wiping the makeup and facepaint off (this hadn’t been cleaned in ages, even she wasn’t that bad!), Jinx got started on the scrapes and bruises on her face, plastering them over with the most cartoonish band aids she could find. Vi could stand to embrace her inner child a little, if she hadn’t already killed it. After making sure Vi’s face was dotted with a sufficient amount of pink, her eyes slid down to Vi’s body, lips immediately pulling into a grimace.
Jinx had her work cut out for her.
She started by unravelling the soiled bandages wrapped around Vi’s chest tightly, and look, Jinx hated wearing a bra as much as the next woman, but she wasn’t suffocating herself to death with bandages. It was a bit of a struggle, especially since Vi didn’t move an inch to help out, but she eventually managed to pull the not-so-white ribbons free and dump them at the edge of the mattress. She shook her fingers immediately after, glaring at them in disgust. Whatever, Vi’s poor hygiene wasn’t her problem.
Jinx turned her attention back to Vi’s naked torso, littered with more bruises than she could count.
She let her fingers trail gently down the line of wounds, lingering to brush over the purplish ones with special care. Jinx stopped abruptly at a spot on her upper right abdomen, a particularly nasty wound that looked old and new all at once, several shades darker than the rest of the bruises on her skin.
Jinx hesitated, before ducking her head to press a soft kiss to the injury, the way Vi did for her when they were kids. She swore that she could feel Vi flexing beneath her lips, only to see her lying completely still when she looked up, exactly the same as before.
Okay, her mind was playing way too many tricks on her today.
She got to work on dressing the wounds, a task which was over quickly enough as she hummed and busied herself with doodling on the bandages to kill time. A part of her brain itched when she saw the finished result, and she could not for the life of her figure out what was wro-
Oh.
Right. Can’t leave her sister tits out and all.
Jinx grabbed a fresh set of bandages, firmly but loosely wrapping them around Vi’s chest so she could fucking breathe like a normal person. Even if the average person just wore a damn tank top instead of whatever the hell this was. She cranked on some music in her earbuds when she was done, getting up to go mess around with Vi’s things and settling in for a long wait.
That facepaint sure looked fun.
–
The first thing she registered was a slight tickling feeling in her left ear, a soft breeze causing the goose bumps to rise on the skin of her neck. A small shiver ran through her body, partly from the freezing cold and partly from the foreign sensation.
The second was the blinding pain.
Vi shot up with a gasp, turning over and dry heaving miserably with her nails scraping at the gaps between the hardwood floors. She was fairly sure that one of her fingers had a splinter from how hard she was clutching, but the brief, sharp pain from it seemed like a merciful distraction compared to the ache nestled deep within her bones. Her knees protested at the angle, bruised and sensitive, making her drop down and curl up onto the floor with a pained hiss. The motion only served to aggravate the throbbing in her jaw, the wounds along her side flaring up in pure agony.
She would’ve screamed, if even breathing didn’t hurt her ribs.
“Cait-”
Something inside of her called out instinctively, shrivelling up and dying when the bitter realisation settled onto her tongue like poison. She spit it out, gagging and wincing when it puddled and stuck onto the burning cuts on her face. Vi shivered again, pushing past the ache in her limbs to wrap her arms around herself in search of warmth. Her joints felt like rusted machinery, rattling and screeching like one of Powder’s old monkey bombs.
“Powder…”
A small sob escaped the confines of her throat, the hiccupping noise echoing pathetically in the still air around her. Vi sniffled, instantly breaking out into a fit of coughs from the blood that she inhaled which made her ribs hurt. A low whine sounded from her throat, rolling over to avoid the disgusting feeling of her own spit sticking to her skin. She winced on her first attempt to open her eyes, feeling like she got stabbed in the brain. Vi groaned in annoyance, blinking her eyelids open against the weight of lead trying to hold them down…she caught a glimpse of blue before her eyes fell shut again, brows furrowing…
She could just sleep here…wouldn’t make a difference right….
“Fuck, Vi…”
There was a hand cradling her face, ever so carefully. Vi relaxed into the warm hold, grabbing it so she could nuzzle her face into the calloused skin. She nosed it curiously, the scent of gunpowder, axle grease and baby powder greeting her in a weirdly comforting blend. She jolted when a sharp fingernail dug a little too deep into a bruise on her skin, ignoring the awkwardly whispered apology and clinging to the hand that tried to leave. It was so warm and her face fit into it perfectly and-
Anddd it left.
Vi blindly reached a hand out to chase after it, making a noise of discontent when it only left behind a gentle breeze in its departure. She sat up abruptly, a bit too abruptly, because her muscles all protested in unison but she didn’t care. Her head was throbbing, but she still tried to focus her blurry gaze into giving her- something, anything, please-
She almost thought she was dreaming when she saw her parading around her apartment. Her with her twin blue braids, her with her sickening shimmer pink eyes, her with her pale skin and sharp lines and cute little blue cloud tattoos which were a mockery of her little sister-
Jinx turned around with a mocking smile, dragging her gaze up Vi’s body with a predatory glint in her eyes.
“Lookin’…good, sis.”
Vi saw red. She didn’t think, and before she knew it her hand was wrapped around Jinx’s throat, squeezing as hard as she humanly could. The pent up frustration, pain, anger and sorrow condensed into a single moment as she spat out the name with venom in her voice and hatred in her soul.
“Jinx.”
Jinx coughed, still managing a chuckle.
“That’s- hrgh- me!”
Vi squeezed harder, grunting with the effort.
“I don’t…want to hear…another word out of your fucking mouth.”
“It’s Vander-”
No.
“Get his name out of your mouth!” She snarled, “I’m not falling for another one of your tricks!”
Sweat began to trickle down Jinx’s forehead, her hands clawing at Vi’s death grip in vain; her little gasping breaths competing with her need to choke the words out.
“He’s- alive-”
Vi growled in anger, barely holding back from screaming the accusations.
“We both know that’s bullshit.”
Jinx’s eyes rolled back into her head, hands dropping uselessly at her sides. Her brows furrowed, but she offered no resistance otherwise, looking at Vi with an odd mixture of desperation and resignation, but beneath it all was a long held feeling of fear, one she knew so well on that face. Looking scared and looking like Powder- Powder who was afraid to get punched and Powder who looked distraught at the first sign of conflict.
How fucking dare she-
A pink tear slipped down her cheek, the sob swelling up in her throat caught in Vi’s hold. And for some stupid fucking reason, she just couldn’t be responsible for it.
Neither for her tears, nor for her death.
She wouldn’t be able to handle looking at Jinx’s lifeless corpse, wondering if Powder had still been in there. Looking at Jinx and seeing Powder instead.
Looking at Jinx and seeing her sister past all the shimmer and the crimes.
Vi let her go, both of them gasping at the same time. She pulled at her hair with shaky hands, stumbling back and colliding into her dresser. Jinx fell down onto her knees, coughing and circling her bruised throat carefully. Vi looked away, swallowing. A misplaced feeling of guilt gnawed at the edges of her mind, nausea arising anew in her throat and a violent shudder rocking her body. She put her hands on the dresser, clenching and unclenching them, staring into the cracked mirror.
“He needs- our help.” Jinx continued, voice hoarse but determined. “I can prove i-”
“Shut up.” Vi demanded, its intensity greatly reduced by the tremor in her tone and her hands. “Shut up.”
“Vi…”
“Shut up!”
Jinx softened, raising her hands in a placating motion and slowly inching closer.
“I know we’re not exactly on the best terms…”
Vi snorted, crossing her arms defensively.
“And you’re not exactly…” Jinx looked her up and down with her lip quirked, then trailed her eyes over Vi’s messy apartment. “In the…ah, best state of mind.”
Vi bristled.
“At least I’m not a terrorist with all of her screws loose.”
“No!” Jinx exclaimed cheerfully, getting close enough to pat her on the back. "No, of course not. You’re just a filthy cop with all of her screws loose.”
Vi snapped her mouth shut, jaw clenching.
Traitor.
“I only did that because I wanted to get to you.” She hissed, every fibre of her being flaring up in righteous anger. “Before you destroyed anything, or anyone else.”
“Aww, I’m flattered!” Jinx giggled, “I take it you’re a fan of my work, sis?”
Vi could feel the exhaustion eating away at her strength, the fight leaving her limbs. She couldn’t keep playing these- mind games anymore.
“…What are you really here for, Jinx?”
Jinx seemed to sober at that, sighing in annoyance.
“I already told you, Vi.” She repeated, “Vander’s alive. And I don’t know what happened to him but-”
“Stop. Lying.” Vi sneered, “Vander is dead, I saw him die with my own two eyes and-” She took a deep breath, staring Jinx dead in the eye with her next words. “I saw the light leave his eyes before I killed my sister.”
Then, quieter :
“And clearly I’m paying the price.”
Jinx froze, eyes widening with the most devastating expression Vi had seen on her face within the past few months. It shouldn’t have, it fucking shouldn’t have but it pieced the broken fragments of her heart together only to stomp on it again, sending it scattering into a million different pieces.
“…Look.” Jinx swallowed audibly, exhaling a shaky breath before squaring her shoulders. “Whatever problem you have with me…let it end with me. But please, Vi, don’t take it out on Vander. He needs our help and I know we can do this together-”
Jinx took her hand, interlacing their fingers with a gentleness Vi hadn’t felt since- since-
LIES! LIES LIES LIES-
“NO!” She screamed, snatching her hand back as if she had been burned. “DON’T YOU DARE LIE TO ME ABOUT THIS! DON’T YOU FUCKING DARE!”
“I’m not.” Jinx stated softly, confident and assured. “Trust me, Violet.”
Her lip quivered, before the dam broke. She turned away from Jinx, silent tears spilling down her face and agitating her wounds. Vi made for her poor excuse of a bed in long strides, wiping the evidence from her visage as discreetly as she could and sitting down on it.
“Tell me everything.”
Jinx bit her lip. “So…have you heard about the attack at Stillwater?”
–
Vi was going to go insane.
And she thought she had already accomplished that.
“You good?” Jinx nudged her shoulder carefully, blinking innocently at Vi’s glare. “What? I’m just trying to be a good sister.”
Vi grumbled, dragging her hands down her face.
“And you’re sure that this…thing, it’s Vander?”
“Yes.” Jinx waved her hands around animatedly, almost reminding her of Powder. “Only three people ever knew my dead name, and they’re you, Silco and Sevika. And he sure as hell didn’t look like any of you three! Trust me, I didn’t see any missing arms or eyes or girlfriends, and I’ve seen many breakups-”
Jinx dodged the thrown pillow with a chuckle, eyes gleaming with a childlike happiness.
“It’s him.” The smile faded from her face, voice going small. “Nobody calls my name like that anymore. Not even you.”
Vi grit her teeth, closing her eyes to breathe.
“If this ends up being a trick, Jinx, I swear to god-”
“You’ll kill me, murder me, destroy me, blah blah!” Jinx drawled, before leaning in excitedly. “So, are you in?”
Vi sighed.
“…Like I have a choice.”
–
“Guess being a miner’s kid comes in handy in these kinds of situations, huh?”
The kid skipped ahead of them cheerfully, coming to a stop in front of a boarded up passage. Honestly, Vi didn’t know why Jinx brought her along. It wasn’t like the kid couldn’t stay behind, she was sure Jinx had some sort of…hole she was stashing her in. She didn’t serve much purpose either, and if they actually did come across this big, ferocious beast (allegedly), Vi doubted that it would be entirely safe for her. But whatever, you couldn’t question a crazy woman’s decisions. Especially when one of those decisions followed her around like a lost puppy.
Besides, she figured it wasn’t any more unsafe than being at the receiving end of an enforcer’s gun.
Jinx followed right at the kid’s heels, catching Vi’s gaze behind her and angling her head towards the entrance. None of this rubbed her right, not in the slightest.
In truth, Vi was far from believing this story of hers. She doubted if she even believed it at all. And, surprisingly enough, not because she thought it was a trick. No, she hadn’t seen this level of honesty on Jinx’s face since she had met her. As honest as a person like Jinx could get, anyway. But that was the damn problem. Vi never knew when Jinx’s honesty and the actual truth were in alignment with each other, and it was driving her crazy.
She had been noticing Jinx’s insanity for a while now. At first, she thought it was nothing. Everyone talked to themselves, and god knew Vi was guilty of doing it herself. Dreaming of Powder in her prison cell, her eyes, her laugh, her warmth…it was the only thing that kept her alive and sane for seven agonising years at Stillwater. Of course she couldn’t blame Powder for doing the same with their loved ones, immortalising them in her memory.
Then came the tea party.
The mindless killing and violence had definitely contributed to the image of Jinx in her head, but she used to think that was all Silco. She thought that she could fix it, that it could be better again. That she’d have her Powder back.
But nothing had prepared her for the actual thing. It was one thing to defend someone from a real threat like Silco, and another thing entirely to defend them from the threats that were only real to them.
Jinx was too far gone when Vi reached her.
It made sense, in a way. The worst of criminals were always the most insane.
Vi hadn’t ruled out the possibility that Jinx was lying to her on purpose just yet, she was yet to meet someone as unpredictable as this girl. But for now, she was taking the wait and watch approach.
She blinked in confusion when she came back to herself, realising that she was alone. Hurrying to keep up with the kids, she ducked through the small opening, emerging in a dark underground stairwell that smelt like dust, damp earth and…
…Paint?
Vi broke out into a fit of coughs before she could verify that conclusion, holding her forearm up to her face to shield her eyes as she ventured further down the stairs. She heard a short, broken off sound, raising her head to see Jinx smothering a laugh behind her hand.
“What’s so funny?” She choked out, following behind warily. “Jinx-”
“Don’t choke to death so soon, Piltie.” She taunted, laughing freely now. “We’ve still got a job to do.”
“’uck you.” Vi rasped, scowling..“It’s not my fault that you probably spend all your time in some dirty dump.”
“Talking to yourself again, sis?”
Vi rolled her eyes, letting them get adjusted to the dark and musty surroundings before continuing on. A bright assortment of colours caught her attention, starkly standing out against the stale environment. She paused, taking in the gigantic mural that spanned almost the entire wall. Her breath caught in her throat.
It was beautiful.
It depicted a colourful Jinx – nothing like the pale, sharp, real version standing before her – holding a smoke torch up to the sky and a hand to her heart, Vander’s proud face gazing down at her from the side. A symbol of Zaun.
It was also a lie.
A lens tinted with so much rose that it blinded your vision and tripped you into a ditch.
Her fist clenched.
This was nothing like Jinx.
The real Jinx held out Powder blue fish bait for Vi, not a rainbow beacon of hope for ‘her people’. That smoke torch was meant for Powder to call her sister, not for Jinx to pull some bullshit about ‘leading’ a revolution. She tricked and manipulated to get what she wanted, playing the mask of Powder with a level of deception that only came from years of practice. The real Jinx held resentment and mockery in her eyes, not hope and determination. The real Jinx wasn’t someone Vander would be proud of, she was someone he’d recoil from and stare at in horror and disgust. His real daughter had died the same day he had.
Jinx wasn’t a symbol of Zaun’s revolution, she was a symbol of everything that was wrong with Zaun.
And yet…
Even when Jinx was the heir of the drug lord who killed Vander, when Jinx was the one who ran into the traitors’ arms at the first sign of conflict, when Jinx was the one who turned her back on her family and embraced the life of a criminal with open arms, when Jinx didn’t spare a second thought for all the people suffering under Silco’s rule, when Jinx murdered the firelights without a shred of mercy in her heart and laughed about it, when Jinx was the one who put Zaun in the spotlight for the already bigoted topsiders to target, when Jinx was the one who started all this shit with the war in the first place...
Even when Vi was the one who spent her teenage years rotting away in a prison cell and still clinging onto her will to live, when Vi was the one who didn’t lose sight of her reasons through a mouthful of blood and a body full of broken bones on the cold, dirty floors of Stillwater, when Vi was the one who remained steadfast in her principles and ideals, when Vi was the one who truly carried on Vander’s legacy, when Vi was the one who took all the pain and suffering with the hope that one day she would find her sister and break Silco’s sick rule over Zaun, make it a better place for everyone…together…
When Vi had to choose between her sister and the woman who gave her the freedom she needed to make all of that happen in the first place.
When it came down to it?
Vi was called the traitor, and Jinx was called the hero.
Her jaw clenched, teeth grinding together so hard she could hear it.
She tore her eyes away from the wall, catching Jinx’s gaze with an accusatory glare. Jinx inspected the mural behind her for a moment, before shrugging casually and moving forward with a smirk. Vi wanted to punch it off of her face.
But a part of her wondered...
Maybe Powder could’ve been the face of Zaun.
Maybe she could’ve used her intelligence and her engineering skills, used her genius inventor brain and her meticulously crafted gadgets, used the potential that Vi always knew she had for good. Maybe she could’ve come up with a more sustainable source of energy for Zaun, instead of the chemcores. Maybe she could’ve figured out a way to enable plants to grow in their infertile soil. Maybe she could’ve displayed her inventions, gone to study in Piltover, maybe she could’ve become the brightest mind of their generation.
Maybe she could’ve been happy, if Vi hadn’t ruined it for her.
She swallowed, flexing her hand.
Her throat hurts.
Vi pushed past the stinging in her eyes, following behind Jinx blindly.
And now they’d never find out, thanks to her.
She watched in amusement as Jinx put the glowing mushrooms(?) in her mouth, chewing experimentally and humming in thought. She plucked another off of the walls, extending it to the kid in offering, who moved away in apprehension. Her lip quirked ever so slightly.
But maybe…
Maybe Jinx could…
“When are you going to admit that this is just another one of your fantasies?” Vi clicked her tongue, nodding towards the child. “Or do you not want the kid to know how delusional you are?”
Jinx snorted, leaning down to the kid’s level.
“She wasn’t always like this.” She teased, looking back at Vi for a moment. “She actually used to be pretty cool.”
“Is that why you tied me up and forced me to make an impossible decision?”
Jinx ignored her entirely, playing with a hand grenade Vi hadn’t even noticed that she brought.
“Before I kicked her butt.” Jinx added, “She’s just too embarrassed to admit it, Isha.”
“See what I mean?” Vi scoffed, offended. “Delusional.”
The girl stopped a few paces ahead, carefree attitude morphing into something sharper. She turned around in entirety, facing Vi straight ahead with a sardonic smile, pink eyes glinting with a dangerous edge.
“Wish I was just seeing things…” She began, lazily stalking forward.“…when I saw you throw in with the Piltie bitches who murdered mom and dad.”
Vi drew in a sharp breath. Her heart hurt more than her ribs.
“…At least they didn’t have to see the psycho their daughter turned into.”
She countered, unable to meet Jinx’s eyes. The argument sounded weak to her own ears, so she kicked a pebble out of the way in frustration. Vi knew there were many things she could say about Jinx. All the crimes that she had committed and pain that she had caused.
Vi also knew that none of them compared to what she did.
“Which one?”
oH THIS BI-
“Wake up, sis.” Jinx drawled, tossing a braid behind her back with all the sass she could muster. “I’m a hero. I busted half of Zaun out of Stillwater, while you were passed out in the bottom of a mug.”
She smirked indulgently, tilting her head at Vi.
The fucking audacity-
“Now can it and keep walking before I kick your ass again.”
“You wouldn’t last one second without your…” She challenged, glaring down at the hand grenade in disgust.“…ugly gadgets and chicken shit tricks.”
Jinx just laughed, eyes twinkling in amusement.
“What about your over-designed bitch mittens that you didn’t even build yourself?”
She growled low in her throat, frustration building up quicker than the blink of an eye, letting the gauntlets drop to the ground with an echoing thud. She had been faring quite well without them in the ring, thank you very fucking much.
Besides, Jinx wouldn’t last a full minute with her in hand-to-hand combat.
“You think I need these to-?”
Vi stumbled back with a gasp, the skin of her cheek burning with the remnant of a strike. She looked up in confusion, brows furrowing and mouth opening and closing uselessly. She made an incomprehensible noise, stuck between all the responses she had on her tongue.
“There.” Jinx declared, putting her hands on her hips with a cocky grin. “One second.”
She turned away, resuming on her path.
Oh no. She did NOT-
Vi surged forward, pulling on Jinx’s braid with all the finesse of a toddler and aiming a punch at that stupid smirk- she fell to the ground with a grunt from the tackle, chest flaring up in pain from Jinx’s weight sitting on it. But she’d be damned if she gave up now- Vi used her heavier weight to her advantage, easily flipping them over and pinning Jinx’s arm over her head.
“Last chance to surren- argh!”
Wickedly sharp fingernails scratched at her eyes, making her yelp and drop her hold to fend off the offending hand. In an instant, Jinx had her slammed down on the ground, a gasp escaping Vi’s lips when her entire back protested emphatically from the impact. Her eyes rolled back from the pain, the split second distraction allowing Jinx to grab her by the throat and squeeze so hard that Vi saw stars.
The warm breath from a chuckle ghosted over her pierced ear, an involuntary shiver running through her body.
“Just returning the favour, sis.” Jinx whispered, her lips brushing against Vi’s earlobe with every word. “No hard feelings.”
Vi grit her teeth.
“Like…hell…you…are!”
The pressure on her windpipe increased, pointed fingernails digging into the skin of her neck and leaving behind marks which were soon to scar. Her breath came out in small choking noises, hands desperately clawing at Jinx’s as her eyes slipped shut and the fight left her form. Her brain clouded over, going foggy and pliable as her mouth fell open in a quiet moan…
….Oh.
They both froze, the grip on her neck going lax from Jinx’s shock. Vi swallowed, eyes going wide and breath coming out in heavy pants. Jinx stared at her in open surprise for a few moments, searching for…something, in Vi’s expression. Vi felt her face grow hotter with each passing second, feeling the same way Jinx looked.
What the fuck was that…
While Vi was still attempting to process, Jinx seemed to find what she was looking for; And to Vi’s absolute horror, her lips slowly lifted up into a smug, knowing smirk, canines glinting in the dim glow of the luminescent plants.
Fuck.
She opened her mouth to say something, and Vi panicked.
She pushed Jinx off of her in a burst of strength, hard, who went with a surprised yell, tackling her down on the other side immediately after and landing a slap to her face before she could retaliate. Vi coughed and hunched over when she felt a kick to her abdomen, Jinx freeing one of her hands and landing a punch to her jaw.
“Like- hgh-…I was…saying!” Vi huffed, struggling with holding her down.“Last chance to surrender!”
“Go right ahead fat hands-”
Vi grunted in surprise when she felt another weight bearing down on her back, delivering tiny kicks and punches to her torso as she strained to pry the little gremlin off of her. She pulled her arm back to return the favour, crying out in pain when sharp teeth sank into her already bruised hand. She threw it out in a punch instinctively, looking up from their scuffle in shock when she heard a tiny squeal. Vi froze when she saw the blood dripping down from Isha’s nose, the powder blue hair…
And suddenly she was back behind that dreaded factory, her dad’s lifeless corpse behind her and her little sister’s blood on her hands, her tearful eyes begging Vi not to leave…
Her breath hitched, eyes welling up with tears.
Before she knew it, she was being pushed aside roughly, Jinx hurrying forward to help Isha up and hover a hand over her face in worry.
“Hey, kid.” She spoke softly, brushing the loose strands of hair out of Isha’s face. “Still got all your insides?”
The kid sniffed, wiping the blood off with a ‘meh’ expression (which honestly shouldn’t have offended Vi as much as it did), and nodding in affirmation. Jinx plopped the helmet back onto her head, holding her hand and pulling her along until she resumed zooming ahead of them. It made a part of her sigh wistfully in longing.
It made a part of her jealous of what could’ve been.
Vi rubbed the back of her neck, guilt starting to rear its ugly head. Her lips parted with intention, but no sound came out. So she just stood there as Jinx and Isha moved forward, her legs unwilling to move without resolving…whatever this was, somehow.
Jinx glanced behind when she didn’t hear Vi follow, raising an eyebrow in question when she saw Vi’s expression and closing the distance between them before Vi could blink. Freaky. She grabbed Vi’s injured (or well, more injured) hand without warning, turning it around and examining it from all angles. When she seemed to be done, she glanced up at Vi, frowning.
“You were hurting, too.”
Vi blinked dumbly.
Her hand?
“Yeah.”
“That’s why you hit her?”
And suddenly, suddenly it wasn’t about Isha anymore and her heart clenched painfully.
“I didn’t mean to…”
She bowed her head in shame, biting her lip until the taste of metal filled her mouth.
Jinx hummed.
“Okay.”
“…Okay?”
“Yeah.”
Jinx shrugged, smiling. Genuinely, soft and full. And it was…beautiful. It suited her.
“Okay.”
“Pow-”
Vi startled when Jinx abruptly pulled something from her belt, squinting at it in confusion. Jinx peeled a plaster from it and tucked the rest back into her belt, prompting Vi to let out a curious noise. She hadn’t even noticed that was there before. She grabbed Vi’s hand again, laying it down with a gentleness that made her heart ache with fondness. Vi swallowed, staring at her uselessly. Jinx glanced up, pursing her lips with a cautious smile.
“What’s that look for?”
Of course, she couldn’t convey that like a normal person-
“Nothing.” She denied instantly, switching topics. “Do you just…carry that around with you?”
“Not all the time.” Jinx snorted, punching her shoulder playfully. “Who do you think has been patching you up these past couple weeks?”
…Oh.
“By the way, I know you’re broke right now, but you should really invest in a tank top or something.” Jinx suggested, patting the bandages wrapped around her chest. “These get dirty real fast. I mean, that’s a fresh set right there, and look at it.”
But that meant-
Realisation slowly dawned on her, perfectly in time with the blush creeping up her neck and warming her face. She spluttered indignantly, unable to settle on a single thought. Gratefulness? Accusations? Humiliation? Lo-
“Don’t get all shy on me now.” Jinx teased, tracing the lapels of her jacket like the brat she was. “We used to do this all the time when we were younger.”
“Agh- I’m not!”
“And don’t tell me you need me to hold your hand too.”
She snatched her hand away immediately, hoping her hair hid the worst of it as she stalked forward.
“Shut up.”
She shoved Jinx once just to be petty, ignoring her delighted laughter.
“So…” Vi cleared her throat, “The kid…is she…?”
“Not mine if that’s what you’re implying.” Jinx looked at her with a smirk, as if mocking her for suggesting such an idea at all (which Vi technically hadn’t-!) “Little scoundrel crashed into me once and stuck on like a big old barnacle since then.”
She paused, seeming to think for a moment before adding :
“Probably helped that I shot the assholes who were chasing her.”
Jinx using her explosive potential for good…
Huh.
Vi watched as Jinx skittered forward to join Isha, chasing her around the tunnel and throwing mushrooms at each other while giggling like kids.
Maybe…maybe this could work out after all.