Chapter Text
Chapter One
bad idea
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The sun beat down on Vi’s back as she climbed the wall toward the rooftop. She didn’t enjoy doing this alone, but the hit was a high-risk location. Little Man was almost caught outside the building, and he was the slipperiest little shit she ever met. He knew the ins and outs of every street in the Undercity, and he knew most shortcuts Topside. The chances of him getting caught were low, so the close call meant that this job was dangerous. Very dangerous…
But that also meant the bounty would be worth it if she were successful.
She hauled herself onto the rooftop and straightened up, stretching her arms up over her head, listening to her shoulders and spine pop.
Powder wasn’t happy that Vi was going alone. She didn’t want to come herself, she was still too young anyway, but she hated that Vi didn’t have someone with her. Even Mylo would have satisfied Vi’s younger sister, but Vi wasn’t willing to risk anyone else if things went south. As much as she hated to admit it, she couldn't protect the others if they came along. She could handle herself if anything went wrong, but a job this dangerous meant she couldn't afford to place her family in any danger.
She sighed. As much as she may despite the topsiders and enforcers, she can’t deny that they’ve got it pretty nice. Piltover was a beautiful city, with its shimmering ivory towers, blimps, and gold filigree. It was a stark contrast compared to the Undercity. The Undercity was grey and black, constantly simmering in green smog, with streets that were often littered with puddles of hazardous chemicals and drugged-up citizens struggling to find their next fix. It was a wonder the population was as high as it was down there.
Vi shook her head and rubbed her eyes, sunlight glinting off the white towers and hitting her in the eyes. She was tired and sore, and she hadn’t even reached her destination. It was certainly harder to get to this place than it was to get to the Academy. She couldn’t help but wonder who lived in this place for it to be so deep in the wealthy part of the city, let alone so hard to access.
Taking in a deep breath, she moved along to the roof, jumping down onto the next one and landing with a thud. The ground shook under her feet and she held out her hands to steady herself before continuing. As she made her way through the rooftops, the sun slowly beginning to set in the distance, Vi began to question her dedication to this job.
She didn’t doubt Little Man in the slightest, but how likely was it that she could find this place, get in and out undetected, and then get home without being noticed by enforcers? If it was really as highly guarded as Little Man made it out to be, then-
Suddenly, she could see it, and her mouth fell open in shock. He’d told her it was big, but he didn’t tell her it was an actual mansion. The roof towers over the rest of the buildings, elegant architecture telling her just how rich this family really was. Balconies lay under a few windows, big enough to hold someone about her size, and others only had small sections of the roof to give her access to the inside.
“Holy, shit…” she muttered, “If I get caught, I am in so much trouble…”
Despite herself, a wide grin spread across her face. Her heart pounded in her chest as she picked up the pace, adrenaline pumping through her veins. She practically sprinted toward the towering building, images jumping through her mind of the things she could afford if this went well. New clothes for Powder, more materials for Powder’s bombs, a new lock pick for Mylo, a new hammer for Claggor, maybe she could even get something for Vander! She reached the edge of the roof of a neighboring building and peered over the edge. A couple of enforcers were stationed at the corners of the property, chins raised high and heads turning to see every angle within their view. An alley separated the roof Vi was on from the wall surrounding the mansion. It was tall, about the same height as the rooftop across from it. If she could make the jump, the rest would be easy. She just needed to time it when the enforcers weren’t looking. She looked to the corners of the property, crouching low to avoid being spotted.
The enforcer at the corner near the front of the mansion turned his head toward her and she ducked down, out of sight, watching him closely as he turned his head back toward the main road. He did this again a few times, at a steady pace, looking in each direction for about five seconds, before looking away. Vi looked to the other enforcer at the back corner of the mansion. He did the same thing as the other enforcer, though he turned his head about three seconds later than the other enforcer. That gave her a window of three to five seconds to make the jump.
Biting her lip, Vi rubbed her hands together and pushed herself up as they looked into the alley.
One … she counted in her head, two… three…
As soon as the enforcers were looking into the streets facing the front and back of the mansion, Vi ran at the edge of the roof and jumped, pushing herself off the very edge and launching herself toward the wall. She wasn’t spotted, but she overshot the leap, and her feet slipped on the top of the wall. Her hands reached out and caught on the edge of one of the sections of roof under a window, pain flashing down her arms as the metal edge cut into her fingers, even through the bandages wrapped around her palms. She hissed in pain and struggled, feet kicking in the empty air beneath her. She looked down and her stomach churned at the drop below her, spurring her into action. With a grunt, she adjusted her grip on the edge of the roof and pulled herself up onto it. Heart still racing in her chest, she looked around for anyone who might’ve seen her. Luckily, the coast was clear.
She laughed breathlessly, the corner of her lips drawing into a smirk.
What the hell was I afraid of? That was a piece of cake.
She shook her head and stood up, walking slowly along the roof toward the closest window.
Locked.
Her smirk fell and she wrinkled her nose in distaste, moving to the next possible entry point. A balcony. She pulled herself over the railing and glanced inside, before pulling on the handle.
Locked.
“The hell?” She scoffed, “Who locks their balcony?”
Vi rolled her eyes and looked for the next window, finding one over her head over a section of the roof. It was cracked open. Her smirk of delight returned and she climbed onto the railing, pulling herself onto the section. She was pretty high up now, but it wasn’t anything she wasn’t used to. Just another reason she was glad she hadn’t brought the others. Powder wouldn’t have been able to keep up and Mylo and Claggor would have taken the time to open the window or the balcony.
Creeping along the wall, she peered inside the room and found it empty.
“Perfect,” she whispered and pushed the window open further before climbing inside. Careful not to make a sound, she made sure the window was propped open to leave an easy exit. Satisfied, she moved further into the room, craning her head back to get a good look.
It was a bedroom, with a large, lavish bed in the center of the back wall, curtains hanging from the ceiling around it. Marble pillars were set in strategic places, each one giving Vi an easy hiding place if someone were to come in. One wall was lined with shelves, and a few glimmering trophies sat on display. The roof arched up high over her head, eventually coming to a large window letting in the light of the sunset.
It looked so similar to the rest of Piltover that it almost hurt Vi’s eyes. White and gold were the main features, with some dark grey and black in less obvious places. It was way too… Posh for her tastes. Her smirk had faded as she’d observed her surroundings, and it was replaced by a frown. There were plenty of things in this room that she could take and make money off of, but they all look so heavy.
“I’ve already come this far,” Vi muttered, “No point turning back now.”
She shook her head and moved to the nearest golden statue, slinging her bag off her shoulder and stuffing the statue inside. She snatched a large gold and blue case off a dresser and lifted it up to inspect it, scowling. It was shiny and delicate, intricate filigree across the cobalt blue walls. With a roll of her eyes, she tossed it in the bag. It tinged as it hit the gold statue.
Humming to herself, she dragged her fingers along the edge of the dresser. It was too fancy, too pristine and rich. Her fingernail scratched the top, leaving a scuff mark on the wood. A satisfied smile spread across her face and she turned her attention away, to the next trinket within reach. Jewelry lay on the table, scattered and spread out, the only thing in the room not perfectly in place. Picking up a delicate-looking necklace, Vi admired her reflection in the smooth silver plating. She looked bored, and out of place in the lavish room-
Somewhere behind her, she saw something through the reflection. It’s quick, just a flash of movement near the window she’d entered through. Holding her breath, she lowered the necklace and dropped it into her bag. There was a soft creak behind her, and she tensed. Then, like a gunshot, the window slammed shut, making her flinch.
Fuck .
Fuck, fuck, fu-
“Tell me why I shouldn’t put this bullet through your head right now?” The words were followed by the loud cocking of a gun.
Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck.
“Now, now,” Vi said, forcing a chuckle into her voice as she spun on her heel, “There’s no need for-”
The bag nearly fell out of her hand when her eyes met her capturers. Her bright blue eyes were trained on Vi, staring at her from the other end of a large shotgun. She looked so at ease, holding it as if it were second nature, a scowl on her face. Dark blue hair fell across her forehead and around her shoulders, but none of those were what startled her. Not the gun, not the piercing eyes staring her down, not the intense look of distaste on her face.
It was the fact that she couldn’t be any more than a few months younger or older than Vi herself. Probably sixteen, maybe seventeen, but nonetheless, young. Younger than anyone Vi would have expected to be on the other end of a gun pointed at her.
That put two options out in front of her; A, she could manipulate the girl, talk her way out of this situation, make a plea for mercy and pull the sick family member card, or B, she could fight her way out.
With a gun trained on her head, the second option wasn’t ideal, but Vi was never good at talking things out. Neither was Powder, if she were honest, so she didn’t feel too bad about it. The vague memories she had left of her parents told her that they weren’t great at negotiating, either.
“Well?” The girl said, her lilted voice ringing clearly through the air. “Are you going to give me that reason, or do I need to pull the trigger?”
Vi narrowed her eyes. The girl’s finger was poised on the trigger. What was the chance that she’d actually shoot her?
“You won’t do it,” she said, smirking. “You don’t have the- Fucking shit!”
Vi dropped to her knees as the pillar beside her exploded in a shower of broken marble. She stared at the bullet hole where her head had been just a second ago, mouth agape in shock. “Holy- You just- You-”
“That was a warning shot.” She cocked the gun again, “Answer my question, or the next thing that’ll explode will be your knee.”
Vi whipped around to stare at the girl, at the sheer determination on her face and felt a shiver of fear race down her spine. She wasn’t frightened often, and certainly not by anyone her age, but this girl had just tried to shoot her in the head. If she hadn’t ducked, she might’ve been dead.
That left only one option.
“My sister is sick. We need money to pay for her medicine.” Vi said, the words spilling out of her mouth with ease. “She’ll die without it.”
The girl cocked her head, and for a moment, Vi thought she was going to pull the trigger again. Instead, the barrel lowered, her shoulders relaxed, and she glanced away from Vi. It was a split-second opportunity, but she took it, running toward the girl.
She raised the gun again, reflexes quick, but not quick enough to prevent Vi from shoving the barrel out of her face. It flew from her hands as Vi shoved her out of her way and ran toward the window. She tried to pry it open, but it didn’t budge. The girl had locked it.
“Fuck!” She cursed and reached for the latch, undoing it before something hard hit her in the back of the head.