Part 15 - A Few More Steps
Despite the sun beginning to rise, Viktor remains inside of his dark room. The darkness comes from the countless curtains and sheets that he has all around the windows within his room.
Within that very room, Viktor vigorously flips through the pages of a notebook at a desk in front of him. He occasionally coughs, but decides to ignore it. "Come on.." Once done flipping through the pages, he walks towards a table with multiple fluids, all with different colors and textures.
Viktor looks towards a green like substance, before pouring it into a tiny medicine cup, and drinking the fluids. Once done drinking it, nothing even remotely changes with his health. He remains unable to walk without a cane, and his eyes are still sunken in and weak looking.
As he leans down against the desk in front of him, a girl suddenly knocks onto the door of his. "Come in." Viktor tells, before a girl walks inside.
A darker skin girl with a giant puffy bun walks into the room, with a notebook in her hand. She also has a stereotypical intelligent appearance with glasses. "What can I do for you, Sky?" Viktor asks, while looking over his shoulder, and looking at Sky with those sunken in eyes.
Sky looks at him with a worried expression, and slightly parted lips. "Not at the moment, sir. I just wanted to make sure that you had everything that you needed for your experiments." Sky answers softly, while continuing to look at Viktor.
Viktor then turns back around, without looking towards Sky at all. "I'm okay. You should take the day off. I'll be fine on my own here, thank you." Viktor assures.
Sky stands with hesitation while she continues to look at Viktor. Despite that, she agrees. "Yes sir. If you don't mind, I wanted to give you a gift. It's been a pleasure being your assistant." She says, before holding up a stuffed animal.
Viktor turns to look at the bear stuffed animal, before chuckling slightly. "Put it down wherever." Viktor says before Sky puts the bear down on his desk, and leaves the room.
After leaving the room, Sky has an extremely suspicious expression on her face.
Silver, still dressed in the stolen enforcer uniform begins to sneakily follow Marcus into The Last Drop. Because Silver was in the back of the line, he finds it easier to break free from the group without causing a scene.
During this time of morning, the area is not so crowded. Because of that, it's easy for Silver to sneak around Marcus without many people finding him suspicious. Silver proceeds to follow as Marcus goes to the back of the building.
With suspicion in his eyes, Silver waits around the corner. He watches as Marcus approaches two large men guarding a door at the end of a hallway. "I'm Marcus. I'm here to discuss something with Silco." Marcus informs the two guards.
The guards proceed to open the door for Marcus, after they see some form of identification from him. "Marcus says he's here to discuss something with you." One of the guards inform Silco, as they open the door for Silco to see him.
Silco stares ahead at Marcus for a few seconds, before signaling the guards to let him in. "Come in." Silco offers, before Marcus walks inside, and takes a seat. The entire time, Silver watches with a shocked expression.
He instantly begins to question what business Marcus, top commander of the forces, has with Silco. But what's more, he feels a sudden jolt of what feels like electricity zap through his body once he hears Silcos voice for the first time in years. Because of this, he instantly remembers what Lucy told him yesterday regarding Silco killing Vander, and brainwashing Jinx.
The guards proceed to close the door to Silcos office, not allowing Silver to hear what's going on inside. "I was right. I was told to come down here in search of one of my troops. Not only that, but a hectech gemstone is missing." Marcus informs Silco with an aggravated tone. "They don't know that it's Jinx just yet, but I can tell they have an idea it's someone from the Undercity. And when they find out, it's not going to be good. And the gemstone? I didn't even know that was stolen until I was informed by the council. This is getting ridiculous."
"One of your enforcers are missing?" Silco questions, as he turns his head over his shoulder to look at Marcus. "Was this the day of the bombing that Jinx caused just yesterday?" Silco questions.
"It was..meaning she could've kidnapped them." Marcus grunts with so much frustration and anger. Silco frowns his eyebrows in deep thought, before turning his entire body to face Marcus.
"I agree. It is getting ridiculous." Silco says calmly, as he slowly stands up from his chair, and approaches Marcus fairly closely. "At this rate, the soon to be free nation of Zaun, will go to war with the Topside. It won't be pretty, so-"
"It doesn't need to come to that! Just give us back the gemstone, and our enforcer!" Marcus yells out.
"I don't know what you're talking about.." Silco says to Marcus, before sitting down on top of his desk, and staring at him. Marcus is disbelieved at Silcos response. "As I was saying, at this rate we will go to war. For you and your daughters sake, get me a meeting with one of those council members. Either we will be separate and free from Piltover, or we will go to war. And trust me when I say, Zaun. Will. Win." Silco demands, while staring at Marcus with passionate eyes.
Marcus let's out a sigh of stress while facing Silco. "I understand.." Marcus says in disappointment.
On the outside of the door, Silver and the other guards stand near eachother. Before Marcus and Silcos discussion, Silver persuaded the guards to let him stay near out of "protection for the commander."
After their discussion, Silver walks away from the door with wide eyes and a shocked face. Realizing that this has been Silcos goal all along. Freeing the Undercity(Zaun) from Piltover. Though his means of going about it are corrupted and dangerous.
Silver proceeds to go back in line with the rest of the enforcers. Soon after, Marcus joins them. Moments after, the group of enforcers continue their search of Caitlyn and the gemstone.
Vi, Caitlyn, and Lucy walk down the lower area of the Undercity. The entire time they walk, Caitlyn watches the people with a concerned and nearly saddened face. "This is horrid.." Caitlyn says with her sad tone, as Vi looks towards her from the corner of her eye.
Vi then looks ahead with a saddened faces as well. "I can't believe Silver lives down here now.." Vi says.
"This is what Silco and his shimmer production caused. So many people are lost. And the kids don't stand a chance. There used to be more people down here. I don't know what happened to them all, but I assume they died." Lucy shares.
Afterwards, the three get to Silvers house. But they're all shocked, especially Lucy, once they see the state that it's in. "What the hell happened?" Vi questions, while the three look around the room.
Caitlyn looks around the room with focused eyes. "It was either a fight, or someone went mad." Caitlyn informs the others, while continuing to look around the room. Lucy looks at Caitlyn with worried eyes, before Vi puts a hand on her shoulder.
Lucy looks at Vi with slightly watery eyes as a result. "Don't worry, he's fine. He's Silver, remember?" Vi reassures, before Lucy frowns more.
"I know, I just wish I could've helped them both more-" Lucy says, but Vi immediately cuts her off by putting her other hand on Lucys shoulder, and turning her entire body to face her.
"Don't do that, okay?" Vi says, while looking at Lucy with compassionate eyes. "You've done so much already." Vi reassures, and Lucy starts to feel better.
"This blue haired girl. Is she your sister?" Caitlyn asks the two of them, while slowly moving in closer with compassionate eyes as well.
Vi immediately glares at Caitlyn with some hostility. "That's not for you to know right now. For now, we get out of here and find those two that's missing." Vi responds and Caitlyn immediately looks towards the both of them as they walk away.
"Listen. I'm trying to help, okay?" Caitlyn says to Vi with aggravation in her tone.
Vi quickly stops walking, and she turns around and looks at Caitlyn, all while Lucy is in the middle of it. "That's right. We asked you to help. Not pry into our lives. Understand your boundaries." Vi demands as the two stand face to face with one another.
"I'm prying because I care." Caitlyn suddenly raises her voice out of nowhere. "I stayed here in an attempt to capture someone who killed over ten people. But instead of pursuing that, I decided to leave it alone for the time being, because I actually care about the corruption involved here. I'm here to help, whether that's stopping the shimmer production, or getting you to this blue haired girl. So she can stop the madness she's causing." Caitlyn explains to Vi, who noticeably starts to grow angrier by the second.
"Go..." Vi says to both Caitlyn and Lucy out of nowhere. Both of their faces drop to a more concerned one, as Vi says those words in a trembling way, along with her head down.
Soon after, Vi grips her hair, with her back slightly slouched over and her eyes and teeth tightly clenched. "Vi?" Lucy calls out to Vi in a comforting tone, while the two continue watching her in concern. "I said go!" Vi suddenly roars out.. Her pupils grow into a purple color the moment she lets out such a violent scream.
"I'm sorry, okay?!" Caitlyn quickly yells in response, before moving in closer to Vi. After she does, Vi lifts her head, and stares at Caitlyn with a shocked face that begins to soften. Her pupils that turned purple, begins to grow back into its normal blue.
"Whatever happened here. Whatever trauma you've been through regarding enforcers. I'm sorry." Caitlyn apologizes in a sincere tone, while Vi continues watching her with her shocked face.
Lucy watches Vi as well. Though her Face is much different. She remembers the day Powder caused the explosion six years ago. She remembers how Vi yelled at Powder, and hit her. Those purple eyes just now, resembled her eyes of that day.
Vi slowly stops staring at Caitlyn with her shocked face. She turns around and walks away with a face of guilt and regret. "Let's go." Vi says to Caitlyn and Lucy, before they walk out of Silvers home.
Not too long after, Silver and the enforcers continue to walk. While Vi and the other two continue to walk. In the middle of the Undercity, those two groups soon cross paths with one another. On a busy area, filled with many buildings, alleys, and complex routes.
Silver stands in the back of the line of enforcers with a shocked, but extremely relieved smile. Seeing Lucy, and Vi who he thought was dead. It sends him a rush of happiness that almost starts to form into tears of joy. "Caitlyn!" Marcus calls out to Caitlyn, before running towards her.
Vi immediately looks at the other enforcers with skepticism, as they run up towards them. "We've been looking everywhere for you. Your mother is worried. We need to get you home immediately." Marcus says to Caitlyn, who begins to grow conflicted.
"I can't.." Caitlyn says to Marcus and the other enforcers. Vi immediately watches Caitlyn with a shocked expression thanks to her answer. "There's a lot happening here. I can't just leave when I'm in the process of helping others." Caitlyn assures while staring at the commander with determined eyes.
"Helping others huh?" Marcus looks towards Lucy and Vi. He squints his eyes the moment they land on Vi. "Wait, isn't she a prisoner at Still Water? Why is she with you and not in a cage?" Marcus questions. Caitlyn is instantly stuck on what to say, while Vi stares at Marcus with frustration.
"She's been helping me with the case and-" Caitlyn was beginning to answer, before Marcus cuts her off. "But you weren't authorized to do that, were you?" Marcus questions in a condescending tone.
"Jacob. Handcuff the girl in the red hair." Marcus demands. Vi immediately clicks her teeth, before everyone's standing in silence.
After the awkward silence, Marcus looks towards the direction of Silver. Silver is caught off guard the moment Marcus's eyes land on him. "I said handcuff the girl in the red hair." Marcus orders once again, as the other enforcers around Silver stares at him.
Silver looks at Marcus, before looking at Vi and the others who are staring at him. Realizing the situation that he's in, he begins to walk towards Vi and the others. Vis angered expression rises, and so does her guard.
Once Silver walks close enough to Vi and the others, he whispers some words to them. "Follow my lead." Silver whispers to Vi and the others. Vis guard immediately lowers, and she stares at Silver as if she's heard a similar voice before. Lucy on the other hand, immediately begins to smile.
Silver suddenly grabs Caitlyn by her hair, and points his gun towards her head. "Back off, or I kill her!" Once Silver yells that, he and the others begin to back away slowly from the cluster of Enforcers in front of them.
"What the hell?!" Marcus yells with confusion, as all of the enforcers raise their guns at Silver and the others. "Hold your fire!" Marcus demands.
"That's not Jacob!" An enforcer in the back of the line yells. "Get behind me!" Silver yells to Lucy and Vi who immediately get behind him.
"When we get close enough to that alleway, we gotta make a run for it." Silver whispers to Caitlyn, Vi, and Lucy, while he continues to back up and hold Caitlyn hostage. After Silver talks some more, Vi finally realizes who's voice that is. Once she realizes, she can't help but smile.
"Seriously? Is that your great plan?!" Caitlyn whispers back. "I told you he would be okay." Vi says to Lucy with a smile.
"I hope we'll all be okay after this." Lucy says in response to Vi.
"Are you a friend of my sisters or no?" Silver questions Caitlyn, as they get closer and closer to the corner of a building.
"Let her go!" Marcus demands loudly with anger that's extremely noticeable.
"Go!" Silver yells. Suddenly, him, Vi, and Lucy all sprint inside of the alleyway, all while Caitlyn watches.
After realizing that Caitlyn isn't with them, all three of them stop running and look towards Caitlyn. "Come on!" Silver yells. "What're you waiting for?!" Lucy questions. Caitlyn begins to look back and forth between the enforcers, and Silvers group.
Suddenly, her and Vi make eye contact with eachother. Vi watches her with worried eyes, before calling out to her. "Let's go!" Caitlyn calls out to. Caitlyn, making Caitlyn much less conflicted.
Caitlyn then proceeds to run into the alleway with Silver and the others. Once Marcus and the enforcers get to the entrance of the alleway, they watch Silver and the others run. "Shoot!" Marcus demands.
"We cant get a good shot! We might hit Caitlyn!" One of the other enforcers responds, causing Marcus to growl in frustration.
"Then go after them!" Marcus demands once more, before the enforcers chase after Silver and the others with guns in their arms.
"This is insane!" Caitlyn screams in disbelief, while the four of them run as quickly as possible. Making turns down different alleys, running through buildings, sidewalks, etc
Vi looks towards Caitlyn, before suddenly starting to smile. "You finally scratched the surface. Congratulations." Vi responds to Caitlyn with a smile, as the group continues running away from the group of enforcers chasing after them.