Chapter Text
[1 year ago]
“Vi are you sure about this..” you muttered as Vi walked over to the daunting punching machine. “Relax sweets, you’ll be fine. Just remember what I taught you”
Vi had been teaching you how to fight. You already knew the basics just by living in Zaun but you were nowhere near the level of most kids your age.
You asked Vi a while ago if she would consider helping you learn and she was beaming at the idea, though she tried to seem cool.
At first she knocked you to the ground so many times that you lost count but you were slowly improving day by day. You started gaining more confidence too, not onto Vi’s level but the ability to properly protect yourself in a place like Zaun was a true gift.
You just didn’t know that she planned for you to use the punching machine in the abandoned arcade. “Are you sure that I’m ready..” you asked her once again. “Definitely” she responded with a smile.
You took a deep breath before preparing yourself. Vi switched the machine on and you began swiftly dodging the hits it threw at you and punching back.
Your heart was racing and you felt a high you hadn’t felt in years, but it didn’t last long. You weren’t fast enough to dodge one of the machines' boxing gloves hitting you in your side.
You groaned in pain and once Vi realised what had happened she quickly switched the machine off and came running to your aid.
“Shit shit shit” Vi murmured to herself nervously. “Fuck sweets I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have let you go on the machine” She apologiesed profusely.
“Hey, don’t worry” you muttered as my hands clenched my side. “I’m fine, it’s not even bleeding, it’ll probably just bruise” You tried to provide some comfort but the pain in your side wouldn’t magically disappear, no matter how much you wanted it too.
“Can I see?” Vi asked softly, a light shade of pink dusting over her cheeks. You nodded, paying attention to the blush forming on the other girl's cheeks.
Vi gently lifted up your shirt, lightly running her fingers over the bruise that was already starting to form. “You should be fine, let’s go get some ice from the last drop” Vi murmured as she held out her hand for you to grab.
You smiled and thanked her, gratefully taking her hand as she led you back to the last drop.
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[normal timeline]
After a few awkward moments of silence you walked out after Vi, wanting to make sure she doesn’t get herself into any more trouble.
You soon find her at the memorial next to the bridge that connects Piltover to Zaun with her head in her hands. “Vi..” You speak softly and gently as you approach her.
Vi looks up to see you and lets out a small sigh. Not knowing what to say, you look towards the memorial, as if begging the lost spirits to help you.
“You still don’t understand don’t you” Vander sighs as he approaches the two of you, causing your head to jerk up. Vi doesn’t dare move, staring at the ground with an intense gaze. You hadn’t even realised Vander had followed you, too focused on finding Vi and making sure she was okay.
“What I don’t understand is how you can work with them.” Vi spat, finally looking up to meet his eyes. “We were here, we saw what they did!” Vanders eyes widen slightly but his expression quickly returns to the neutral one you are used to seeing.
“I grew up knowing that I’m less than them” Everyone knew the feeling well, everyone living. In the undercity had gone through it. “I want Powder, Ekko, her, to have more than that and I’m willing to fight for it!” Vi’s gaze quickly locks onto you before returning to Vander.
“So was I..” Vander begins. “I was angry, just like you” Vi looked down once again. “I led us across this bridge..” Vander sighed at the memory before continuing. “Thinking things could change, if I hadn’t your parents would still be alive.”
Everyone was silent for a moment, your breath catching in your throat. You had already known about Vi’s parents but you could tell that Vi was still angry about it all.
“I know you wanna hurt the topsiders for what they’ve done to us, but who are you willing to lose?” Vi stays silent so Vander continues “Mylo? Claggor? Powder? Her?” Vander says gesturing to you with his head for a moment.
Vi’s eyes widen for a moment as she continues to stare at the ground, guilt all over her face. Vander walks over to our side of the bridge, leaning back on the wall between me and Vi. “Nobody wins in war Vi”
After a few moments of silence Vi leans against Vander, her head resting against his arm, quickly followed by you.
“What’s gonna happen to us?” You ask softly as you begin to stare at the ground. “The enforcers are gonna come back, what do we do then?”
“I…I don’t know..I’ll figure it out.” Vanders' response brought neither you nor Vi comfort but it was the truth. No one knew what was going to happen.
Vi stares out at the memorial, looking at the faded pictures of lost loved ones that might have already been forgotten. Her eyes narrow, she only knew one thing. She would do absolutely anything to protect her family and you
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Powder sighed and dragged her feet over to the bar, sitting down with a strangely familiar pink bunny. Vander smiled and swiftly poured the little girl a drink with her own special cup that she had doodled all over.
Powder dismissed the drink, instead fidgeting with the weathered old bunny with one hand and resting her head on her other arm. Vanders eyes widened as he took the bunny away from Powder, he knew he recognised it, it was Vi’s old bunny that had been stolen from her and thrown up into some dangerous old power lines.
A million thoughts raced through his head, how did she get it back? Why did Powder have it? Why didn’t Vi tell him about it?
Then everything clicked.
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