Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

In the dull, blue-gray light of the moments just before dawn, the woman attempted to catch her breath against the cold stone terrace. She ran the calloused fingers of her right hand through her sweat-drenched hair, and huffed as air returned to her lungs. The path she had taken on her run was so much longer than she remembered it being, but the ability to run two miles straight in one direction was more freeing than the sound of a cell door sliding open, so she hardly cared that she could barely breathe. What she was irked by, however, was the fact that even this early, there were a few dozen people milling about. Do people seriously not have better places to be on a Sunday morning? Hell, it isn't even 6 A.M. After taking a minute to calm down, the woman waited for the right moment to approach, and when no one else was too close by, she walked over to the fountain and kneeled before it. 

The Angel of the Waters looked down at Vi with loving, knowing eyes. She saw the scar on Vi's lip, the self-proclamatory tattoo on her left cheek, all the muscle and walls she had developed over a decade ago out of necessity; she saw all of these things and knew all the pains, all the traumas that Vi would never verbalize. And she knew why Vi had come to her.

Vi let out a breath that she hadn't meant to hold, and shakily moved her palms out in front of her, gently placing them in the water of Bethesda Fountain. She was not a spiritual woman by any stretch of the imagination — there was little Vi believed in that she could not feel with her own two hands — but for some reason, despite every part of her that thought it was childish, Vi felt that the angel and her four cherubs were alive, seeing her, and acknowledging her for who she was. Vi breathed in and out again, and plunged her hands all the way to her wrists into the healing waters. She twisted her hands, cupped them together, and brought them up. As her hands rose above the fountain, Vi furrowed her brow, and couldn't help but laugh to herself; what exactly was the plan from here, genius?

She briefly thought about drinking from the fountain, but there was no way she was about to willfully poison herself with god knows what. As she faltered, Vi allowed the water to slip past her fingers. She sighed, and with a nervous smile, the woman pressed her wet hands to her face, like she would when waking up any other morning. Vi rubbed the bags under her eyes, felt her cheekbones, and ran her thumbs down her jawline to the dull point of her chin. 

“Well, I don’t feel particularly healed…” Vi mumbled to herself. “But thanks anyway. I don’t know your name, but I read online that the woman who made you was named, uh, Emily? Emma? Eh, I’ll call you Em… Thanks, Em.” Vi stood, wiping her hands on her running shorts, and walked away from the fountain. She jogged up the steps to the terrace’s upper level but wasn’t quite sure where she was going, so she very quickly ended up sitting on an iron-wrought bench, staring at her new phone without purpose. 

The thing was way too flashy, she thought. Sure, smartphones had been around seven years ago, but she never got one. The dingy TracFone she had bought for herself when she was 14 worked just fine for four years, and she didn’t see the need to get a new one at any point. Naturally though, when she got her old phone back after seven more years of it being turned off and collecting dust… Well, Vi wasn’t surprised that it didn’t wanna turn back on. So, she was stuck with this flat, glass rectangle that weighed practically nothing for how much it cost, had only three buttons and a fingerprint reader, and was constantly threatening to shatter into a million tiny pieces if she so much as held it too tight or too loose. Vi didn’t even want the damn thing, but her old man insisted on buying it for her last night, so there was no point in arguing. He was as stubborn as she was when he wanted to be.

Vi could at least appreciate that the phone made her sister happy, though. She stole it at least half a dozen times over dinner to set up different functions and download a million different apps that Vi doubted she would ever use. It was cute though, watching her sister work, so Vi didn’t mind at all. She had manipulated the device so deftly and with such ease, fingers flying across the keyboard to input all the phone numbers of their mutual contacts that she could think of. Vi’s hands and fingers were good at a lot of things, but texting and using a phone were not among that list.

She stared blankly at the phone for a while, until it started vibrating incessantly. Vi was smart enough to know she hadn’t broken it, but the sensation still took her by surprise. When Vi saw the name that popped up on the screen, she instantly hoped she hadn’t worried him. “Hey, what’s up?” Terrible way to pick up, Vi.

“Hey, kid. You alright? Where are you?”

“I’m fine, Vander, just went for an early run.” Vi sighed. She understood why he sounded so nervous, but really wished he didn’t.

“Ah, alright… Pretty damn early, kid.” Vander laughed a little.

“Yeah yeah, well you’re up too, which is maybe worse, seeing how late work keeps you awake.”

“Hey, I trust you to make your own decisions, Vi, you know that… Just your first real day out, so… I guess I wanted to check.” Vander’s voice was careful and measured, just like it had been yesterday. She wished people wouldn’t feel like they had to tiptoe around her, like she was a tripmine waiting to go off if someone so much as looked at her too intently.

Vi furrowed her brow, and guessed that Vander could probably tell. “I know.”

“Listen, I know it hasn’t even been twelve hours since I asked, but if you want to take me up on my offer, I do have a grocery list I could pawn off on you, while you’re out.”

Vi smiled. That was the Vander she loved, the one who was perfectly comfortable pushing her buttons. That sort of back and forth was her preferred love language; anything else tended to feel way too forced. “Oh yeah? Those old bones getting too weary to do the chores themselves?”

“You wish, I could still hand your ass to you. You got any cash on you?”

“Yeah, okay Vander,” Vi laughed. “And yes, I have what you stuffed in my pocket last night.”

Vander chuckled. “Huh, suppose I did do that. Well, I’ll text you a list of supplies, and you can swing them by the pub by 2? And then if you want, I can see what else there is for you to busy yourself with.”

Vi let out a breath, and smiled through the phone. She hoped Vander could see that, too. “Yeah, Vander. Sounds good. You might see me beforehand though, I gotta take a shower like no one’s business.”

“Sure. See you when I see you, kid.” 

When Vander hung up, Vi suddenly felt uncomfortable being so alone in the sea of humanity. More and more people from all around the city were converging on the Mall, where she sat with her thoughts on her bench. Everyone was with someone else, or at least was listening to someone or something in their earbuds. It certainly wasn’t anything new, Vi understood that the specific hustle of modern New York City hadn’t changed much in the grand scheme of things over the last seven years; but it felt alien to her even so.

After a brief bout of disassociation, Vi shook herself awake, and decided to take the long way back so she could take some time just to think. She walked down the Mall for a ways before making a hard right into Sheep Meadow, one of the largest open lounging areas in Central Park. It wasn’t packed yet, but in another hour it certainly would be; it was shaping up to be a beautiful autumn morning, and the weekend at that. The sun might not have been out, but it was the sort of day that Vi could tell would be perfect for strolling around and getting up to nothing with loved ones, if only she was in the mood. 

As if on cue, as Vi was crossing Central Park West, her phone buzzed again. It only vibrated once, which Vi was fairly sure meant that it was a text and not a call. Thank fuck.Vi slid the phone out of her hoodie’s pocket, and paid half attention to the sidewalk while she texted, like she had seen everyone else doing. 

Ekko:

yo! this who I think it is? your sister literally just sent me this number last night with no context

Yeah, that’s not gonna fly.Before responding, Vi took a minute to figure out how to change her friend’s contact info.

Vi:

sup little man?

Little Man:

welcome back to the land of the living. you up to anything tonight? we should celebrate

Vi:

maybe in a few days, i’m gonna take it easy today

feel free to come by the pub tho, i might be helping out vander

or just drinking

Little Man:

sure dude, I’ll bring Z along

Vi:

Z?

Little Man:

new-ish roommate, she’s super chill

Vi:

oh ok, cool

she hot?

Little Man:

I’ll let you decide that when you meet her lol

After tucking her phone away once more, Vi continued at a slow pace down 9th Ave, breathing in the life of Hell’s Kitchen for the first time in seven years. She had always loved this neighborhood, it was her favorite in the city, although she could certainly admit she was biased for half a dozen different reasons. Those streets had been changing for tens of years, rents constantly rising and people steadily flooding in, but Vi’s years away felt like they paid a particularly heavy toll on the place. Sure, it felt the same in some ways — Vi was still able to pop into her favorite bodega to get a bacon egg and cheese and a coffee — but it also felt like the Kitchen had moved on. Transitioned into something new, something unfamiliar.

Or maybe it’s just me.

Just over half an hour later, Vi tucked into a brown brick building on 45th, and climbed up the stairs to the fifth floor; it was the top floor of the building, and through many years of working his ass off, smiling at the right people, and mean-mugging the right ones too, Vander owned all four apartments on the floor. They were about as spacious as you would expect for a five-story apartment in Midtown, with glamour becoming of single-bedrooms that faced other single-bedrooms across streets and alleys. For the three years that Vi had lived with Vander — who had the floor’s only two-bedroom — she had grown to love the dichotomy of spots like this: tiny places in big towns. Walking through the hallway, Vi smiled as she passed each of the other apartments; first Vander’s, then the one Mylo and Claggor shared, and finally the one across the hall that currently housed Vi’s sister. Vi thought briefly about knocking to see if she was awake, but knew her sister well enough to reason that she absolutely wouldn’t be. So instead, Vi slotted her new silver key, still without a keyring, into the deadbolt of the fourth apartment. She felt the bolt click, then slid the key into the doorknob, and entered the space.

Empty. It was far more than she had had for the past seven years, but the apartment still felt empty — though to be fair, it was the guest apartment where Vander dumped whoever he was looking after at the time. The living room was all hardwood floors with no rug, and a dingy, red sofa faced a featureless wall. Beyond the living room was a sparse bedroom, into which Vi’s sweaty laundry was promptly flung, and to its side was a razor-thin kitchen and a bathroom that could under no circumstances support two people. It was certainly better than her jail cell, but it wasn’t home.

Vi placed her phone on the sink counter and turned on the shower, jumping in before waiting for the water to heat up. She let the temperature rise in waves as the water rained down on her, carving away at the remnants of her workout. Vi pressed her back against the shower glass as she rested, giving an incredible view of her tattoos and musculature to the crowd that wasn’t there. This place may not feel right, but god is it great to shower alone. Vi reasoned that much of her exhaustion in that moment was due to both the run and the lengthy walk back, but she did feel drained. It had only been twenty-four hours since being released from prison, so years of relative stagnation were still easily lodged in Vi’s body and mind.

After toweling off, Vi walked through the kitchen and living room naked to fish through the bureau in her room for something to wear. Old shirts and pants sat lined up neatly in piles, long since forgotten by her, and returned to her possession by Vander. He’d kept it all, even though a lot of it probably wouldn’t fit her anymore. As Vi continued to the lower shelves of the bureau, she couldn’t help but laugh out loud when she found what would be her underwear drawer; dozens of brand new sets of boxers and panties were tossed in haphazardly, with clearly no intent to organize. Vi knew instantly that Vander had asked her sister to handle that drawer, and it did not escape her how good it made her feel that such a small detail could make the apartment feel just a little more like hers. 

Vi settled on a simple gray tee that used to be purposefully baggy on her, but now loosely hugged her shoulders and biceps, and a black pair of jeans. Thinking about the slight chill in the air that morning, Vi wondered if any of her old jackets were around. She was so tired last night that she hadn’t even bothered to check to see if anything of hers was moved into the bedroom closet. When she softly pulled the door open, a smile grew on her face. In the middle of the coat rack, separated from about half a dozen tops on either side was the love of her teenage life: a busted-up, maroon leather jacket that had always been just too big for her, but made her feel as strong as she felt like she had to be. It was a source of confidence that she certainly needed back then, and maybe still needed. Only now, when Vi slipped on the garment, and ran to the bathroom to look in the mirror at herself, she found that it fit perfectly. 

Vi gasped. Before her in the mirror stood an incredibly strong person. A person whose pink hair shouted that they knew who they were, whose silver eyes whispered about someone delicate underneath all the bravado, and whose tattoos told stories of all the shit they had been through to get where they were. She couldn’t be proud of everything, and while she knew the feeling would soon be replaced by the constant, thrumming doubt in her mind, Vi felt at peace with the person she saw in the mirror.

“Hell-ooo? Anyone home?” Vi’s moment was stolen away from her even quicker than she’d imagined it would be when she heard a voice call from the living room. “Oh, Vi, it’s just you! I thought someone had broken in or something, would’a stabbed ‘em for you. Why’ya just standing there?”

Vi shook off a quick fear that had overcome her psyche as she looked at her sister and mustered a smile. She walked out of the bathroom. “Why would you think someone broke in, Jinx?”

“Well, the door was wide open!” Vi looked past her little sister, and saw that she had indeed forgotten to close the door on her way in from her run. “I would’ve knocked if you hadn’t basically invited me in already. As well as who knows what other shady folks.”

When Vi hesitated for the briefest of moments, Jinx opened her arms for a hug, which Vi gladly accepted. Jinx still felt so small and frail in her arms; she could hardly believe that her sister was 21 now, old enough to make her own money, pay her own bills, and be her own woman. Vi had missed a third of her sister’s life, and she felt the ache of that loss especially strongly when Jinx let go of her. Jinx was nearly all Vi had thought about while she was in prison; it felt like no amount of time spent together now could make a dent in that lost opportunity.

Jinx bounced over to the couch, where she had apparently thrown her favorite blanket already, and curled up into it. She suddenly became uncharacteristically quiet. “You’re up earlier than I thought you’d be.”

“I went to bed pretty early. Gotta fuck up my sleep schedule after seven years of it being kept for me, right?”

“Yeah, I guess… good time for sister talk?”

Vi very nearly could have bawled. “Of course!” Vi quickly closed the apartment door, and then tucked into the folds of the couch, curling up with her sister. “Something up?”

“What, I can’t just catch up with my sister after she was imprisoned for nearly a decade? Jeez, some people.” Before Vi had the chance to respond, Jinx continued. “Well, you’re not wrong, there is one itsy bitsy thing I wanna mention before we get to normal talk.” Vi nodded, signaling Jinx to go on. Whatever it was had to be pretty important for Jinx to be acting so serious. Well, serious for her. “Okay, so it’s this: I know that it’s been like, a zillion years since I changed my name or whatever, but it probably doesn’t feel like that, since you were locked up when I went through my… thing. Obviously me and Vander told you, so like I know it’s not a surprise or anything, and you’ve probably worked through it all in your head. But if it takes you a little while to get used to saying Jinx… it’s okay. I’ll forgive you.”

Vi’s heart ached. A part of her didn’t want to, but she had to admit that for the last two or so years since she’d been told, it had been hard to say the new name to herself; to really commit it to memory, and to associate it with her sister. Most of the time, her subconscious referred to Jinx as just ‘my sister’ and not by any name, to guarantee that she didn’t get it wrong. When she did think about Jinx, there was still a 50/50 chance that it was Powder that came to mind. There was always guilt associated with that, and fury at herself for not being around to guide Jinx through that change when it happened.

“Hello, Earth to Vi?” Jinx said, and poked Vi on the forehead. “This is Houston. What’s it like up there? Empty and vast, like we expected, or full of weird aliens and pink rocks?”

A tear came to Vi’s eye, and she quickly scooped her sister into the strongest hug she could muster. When she feared she might crush Jinx, she pulled back and looked her in the eye. “Oh, Jinx… I won’t lie, I have been working through it all this time, and sometimes it’s hard, but… I mean, what the fuck kind of sister would I be if I didn’t love you for exactly who you are, and the person you’ve become?”

Jinx smiled a little, and changed the topic to stifle her own tears. “So you found the jacket, huh?”

Vi nodded. “Yeah, I did. Fits even better now, don’t you think?” Vi stood from the couch and flexed for Jinx, showing off the jacket, which almost looked like it had been tailored for her now.

“I separated it from all your other stuff so you’d see it. To be honest, I might’a stolen it if I’d thought it would fit me, but no way. I’m too little, and too scrawny.”

“You’re not as little as you used to be, sis’,” Vi laughed, and sat back down with Jinx. 

The sisters talked for hours, mostly about all the big things Jinx had been up to that she wouldn’t want to tell Vander about. Occasionally Vi would insert a relevant story from her time in prison, but really, she just wanted to hear Jinx talk. Even when she was a kid, Jinx was so eccentric, and just listening to her ramble was one of Vi’s greatest joys in life. Over the course of their conversation, Vi came to learn that being thrown through countless hoops of mental instability over the years had only made Jinx even more delightful and quirky. It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, far from it, but Jinx seemed entirely comfortable with who she was, and enormously confident in herself. So Vi simply listened. She listened to her little sister talk about the little gadgets she had finally started to make money off of, the zillions of art projects she had going on — which she insisted Vi come to her place to see later that day or the next — and the band she was trying to start with Ekko and his new roommate, who was apparently the badass-est guitar player in all five boroughs. Vi was acutely aware of all the time she’d missed, but Jinx was surprisingly good at keeping her older sister focused on all the time there was to look forward to. She would never say it, but Jinx was endlessly supportive of Vi, and aware of what must be going on in her head. 

Around noon, a comically loud groan from Jinx’s stomach reminded the pair that she should probably eat, which gave Vi the excuse to finally go out, since Vander had sent her the list. It wasn’t too extensive; around a dozen items, only two of which were bulk supplies for the pub. She could get it done in just two stops. 

As the pair set out, Jinx looped her arm through Vi’s, and dragged her to a pizza place five blocks away that she insisted was far better than it used to be. Jinx bought two giant slices and a large soda, and managed to juggle it all as they walked to the grocer that Vi remembered. It didn’t take long for them to pick up everything Vander had asked for, although Jinx did manage to sneak an item or two into Vi’s basket at both stops; her sister certainly had not lost her sweet tooth, and while Vi felt bad about spending any amount of money that wasn’t hers, she felt more comfortable using it on Jinx rather than herself.

Just before 2 o’clock, Jinx pushed open the door of The Last Drop, the pub that Vander had run for the better part of the last two decades. It was a cozy place, tucked into the heart of Hell’s Kitchen on 10th Ave. As if Vander’s steady hand as its owner wasn’t enough to make the place feel like home, The Last Drop was also a haven for young queer people, which had made Vi happy long before she knew what that meant for her. Vander may not have been queer himself — or Irish, for that matter — but everyone else on staff fell somewhere on that Venn diagram. It was a comfortable, accepting place, with good food, music that wouldn’t blow your eardrums out, and company that took you for what you were, and wouldn’t judge you by your past. And if they did… Well, the tales of how the Hound of Hell’s Kitchen would toss people out to the curb himself were well-documented and told all throughout the West Side.

“We come bearing gifts!” Jinx loudly proclaimed as she burst through the entrance, notably not carrying anything other than the bag of gummy worms she refused to keep waiting. Vi managed to dash through the rapidly closing door without fumbling anything, and looked around to see who was there. The only help that Vi recognized was Mylo, who at second glance appeared to be just loitering, not working. Vi gave a finger wave to anyone who looked her way, and assumed that they would assume who she was without her needing to give an introduction. “Mylo, look who I found!”

Mylo was even lankier than he had been as a teen; he was easily over 6 feet tall — now taller than Vi — looked like he’d weigh a hundred pounds sopping wet, and still sported the wild, dark brown hair that stuck up and around at odd angles. As he sidled over to Vi, Mylo attempted to swipe a gummy from Jinx’s bag, but she was far too observant for him. Jinx danced around the man, holding the bag just out of reach before collapsing into a stool at the bar.

“So, you’re back, huh?” Mylo raised an eyebrow. “I wouldn’t have even known, since you couldn’t even bother to say hi yesterday.”

“Cut me some slack, kid, you were busy all day with who knows what, and I’m still on prison time. Hardly my fault.”

“Eh, fair enough.” Mylo raised his hands in admittance, and then held out his arms as if to give Vi a hug. “For real, though, I’m happy to see you. Really, not fucking around.”

Vi looked incredulously at Mylo. “Oh my god, I appreciate the sentiment, but can we please do this shit after I put down all these bags?” Jinx and Mylo laughed, and let her go behind the bar to enter the kitchen.

In the kitchen, Vi was greeted by the welcome sight of Vander, who had a huge smile on his face, and Claggor, who was leaning against a clean stovetop. The younger man had an apron over his long-sleeve knit, and saw Vi out of the corner of his eye through his glasses. Claggor was around 5’8”, right about where Vi was, with a much larger, happier frame than his roommate.

“Oh, hold that thought, Vander,” Claggor said, and immediately rushed over to Vi to help her move the bundle of brown paper bags to a butcher-block countertop. As soon as she was free of cargo, Claggor threw his arms around Vi’s shoulders. “Good to have you back, Vi.”

Vi smiled. There weren’t many people she would accept a hug from so willingly, but Claggor was definitely one of them. “Hey, good to see you too, Clag.” As she looked between Claggor and Vander, Vi made a connection. “So what, Vander’s got you in charge back here or something now?”

“Three days, Jericho’s got the rest,” Vander answered, watching Claggor dig through Vi’s bags to find something he apparently needed. “He’s good, Vi. Real good pace for the Sunday shift. If you’re here for dinner, have him make you something.” As Claggor smiled wide at Vi again, and returned to work, Vander whispered to her. “Don’t let him in on this, but I actually think his lamb stew is better than Jeri’s.”

“I refuse to believe that,” Vi joked. Against all odds, she was in a great mood. Seeing Vander and the rest of her little family in such a normal setting felt right, like it wouldn’t be too hard to feel normal again after all.

“Van!” Mylo suddenly poked his head in through the entryway to the kitchen. Vi caught a slight warble in his voice. “I gotta step out for a few minutes, that cool?”

Vander also seemed to catch the tone in his voice, but didn’t question it. “You aren’t working today anyway, Mylo. See you when I see you.”

“Oh. Right. Welp, seeya Vi, I’ll be back!” In five leaps, Mylo bounced through the kitchen, winked at Vi, and left through the backdoor.

“What was that about?” Claggor asked. Before Vi or Vander could answer, Jinx rushed into the kitchen. Claggor looked at her with a grin. “Let me guess, he’s running from you?”

“Huh, who? Oh, Mylo? Nah, he just looked out the window real weird and was suddenly all like ‘Buh, I gotta go, Jinx!’ And then he mumbled something about where he was goin’, but I wasn’t really listening that well. Oh, hey Claggor, what’s for dinner?”

“Whatever you want, J, same as always. Is that all you came in here for?”

“Oh shit, that’s right! Vi, I saw someone walking in the door that I think you wanna see.” As Jinx finished her sentence, she wiggled her eyebrows at her older sister, and let out a burst of laughter.

Vi narrowed her eyes at her sister, as if to link their minds. When the years of separation failed her, Vi gave in. “Okay, who is it?”

“Nope, you just gotta see for yourself!” Jinx bounced around Vi, and pushed her over to the entryway. “And we will be staying in here so we don’t have to be grossed out by whatever happens next. Good luck!”

“P- Jinx, what are you talking about? Who the hell is-”

When Vi walked behind the bar, she immediately saw the person who had just entered The Last Drop, and her jaw actually dropped. There, making her way slowly to the bar, was the most effortlessly beautiful woman Vi had ever seen. Her dark, almost navy-colored hair was put up into a loose but neat bun, which left an unobstructed view of her high cheekbones and sharp jawline that almost seemed purposefully carved, sloped together into a pointy chin. The woman’s face was perfectly diamond-shaped, which complimented her bright blue irises that shone even in the relatively low light of the pub’s interior. Despite the angles, the woman’s features looked soft and giving, but she also seemed more badass and capable than the most attractive women Vi could ever dream up. She looked tremendously different, but Vi knew exactly who this woman was. It was all she could do to pick her jaw up off the floor before the woman saw her ogling. 

“Violet? Oh my god, is that you?”

Holy fuck, I forgot about her goddamn accent. “Hey Cupcake,” Vi responded, trying desperately to play off the rush of adrenaline that had just entered her system. “You miss me?”

“It’s Caitlyn, Violet. Caitlyn Kiramman, let’s not be so silly with each other.” Caitlyn’s shocked expression had quickly turned to a serious one, and then just as quickly turned to a look of pure joy. She laughed, and Vi had to pinch her thigh below the counter. Christ on a bike, Kiramman. “Holy shit, Vi, you’re back! Get over here!”

Vi smiled wide, and took a shaky step around the counter to accept her old friend’s hug. Vi was much stockier than her friend, but Cait had always been fairly tall — at least four inches taller than her — so Vi felt warmly enveloped by the woman. “Hey, Caitlyn. How are you?”

“Oh, shut up, I’m not the one who spent the last seven years away. How are you?” As Caitlyn pulled back from the hug, letting her hands linger on Vi’s shoulders, she gave a toothy grin that gave Vi a clear view of the small gap between Caitlyn’s front teeth. Has that always been so endearing?

“There’s not much to tell, honestly. You probably know why I was there; I did the time, and now I’m here.”

“Sure, but you’re certainly allowed to feel some sort of way about having seven years ripped away from you unjustly.” 

Caitlyn looked softly at Vi, which made her feel more vulnerable than she was comfortable with. It was overwhelming enough that she was there at all; Vi always thought Caitlyn was cute before, but the woman before her was drop-dead gorgeous, so much so that it was almost more than she could handle. For seven years, Vi had thought only of survival, and getting out to be with her sister again. Now that she had accomplished both of those things… Other doors were starting to open, and it felt like she was stuck standing in a doorway, without a way to retreat backwards or continue forwards. “I’m not so innocent, Caitlyn,” Vi managed to say.

Caitlyn, for her part, prided herself on being pretty insightful most of the time, so she gestured towards a nearby booth. Vi shrugged, and headed over to it. “I don’t know if you have much time to talk at the moment, but-”

“It’s fine! I’m fine. I mean, as long as you have time, I guess.”

Caitlyn sat. “Well, the first time I showed up and you weren’t here, Vander told me all about what happened… You’re hardly to blame, Vi, you stopped a terrible crime. In a violent sort of way, sure, but it was the choice you had at the time. Besides, from what I remember people saying about the man at the time, he certainly deserved to have the shit kicked out of him.”

“Maybe. That’s enough talking about things we both already know about though, right? What have you been up to?”

Caitlyn was able to read the topic change for what it was, and backed off. That being said, despite Vi’s question being about as pedestrian as possible for people who were seeing each other for the first time in years, the idea that Vi might want to know about what her life was like stirred something long-forgotten in her. She felt her face heat up ever so slightly, and noticed Vi’s eyes widen just a little; she had been caught faltering, if only for a moment.

“Oh what, you have some tea you aren’t spilling, Cupcake?” Vi goaded, a shit-eating grin starting to grow on her face. “Let’s have a party, we can sip something way too expensive from the tiniest cup you’ve ever seen, and we’ll have those little baby sandwiches! Go on, where have the past seven years brought you?”

Caitlyn couldn’t help but laugh. “Well Violet, if you must know, I went to university, as one does. From there I quickly launched myself into the NYPD and became a patrol officer.” Caitlyn risked coming right out with it despite knowing how Vi must feel about the police. She’d told Vi many years ago that she always wanted to be a detective, so it shouldn’t have been a surprise. From the look on Vi’s face, she certainly wasn’t shocked, but was waiting to hear the rest of it. Luckily, there was a rest of it. “I’m sure you’ll be happy to hear that after a couple years, I became disillusioned with the department, as I saw countless people who weren’t done right by police, despite how much money is pumped into the practice every year. It’s money from the people that doesn’t serve those people equally by any stretch of the imagination.”

Vi huffed. “Could’a told you that, Cupcake. I’m sure I did, actually.”

“I’m sure you did too…” To Vi, Caitlyn’s poised, practiced, perfect face seemed immensely remorseful. She clearly wasn’t the innocent but well-intentioned girl from Lenox Hill that Vi remembered. “Well, I realized eventually, which is much more than I can say for a lot of people I’m forced to associate with. Anyways, what I really wanted was to be a detective, but obviously that didn’t happen. After I left the force though, I re-met someone who ran a small investigative practice, so now I am a journalist of a sort, I suppose.”

Vi nodded. “Seems like a better fit. You still live with Tobias and Cassandra?”

Caitlyn laughed. “I can’t believe you still remember their names. Yes, I still live with my parents, unfortunately. I could easily leave, but I haven’t had the time to really consider it for the last few years. But I did manage to convince them to relinquish the coach house to me, so I at least have my own space.”

“Excuse me, coach house?I’m offended you never offered to have me over now.”

Cait leaned back and smiled at Vi’s silly expression. She recalled how much fun it was to sneak out of the house to spend time with Vi back then. Everything mattered so much less, but it constantly felt like the world was ending; but all of that seemed to melt away when Caitlyn spent time with Vi and her friends. “I’m sure you can imagine why I wouldn’t want my cool friend from her cool neighborhood to think I was too fancy to hang out with.”

“And are you?” Vi asked. “Too fancy to hang out with?”

Caitlyn made a face at her old friend, but before she could think of a clever-enough response, her phone buzzed in her pocket. “Oh, shit, sorry to be rude, Vi, but I should check this.”

“You’re fine, Cupcake,” Vi smiled and watched Caitlyn’s face light up when she read the text. As Cait’s thumbs began to fly over the screen to send a response, Vi was allured by her nimble, elegant fingers, and being hyper-aware of the uses for her own hands, couldn't help but wonder what Cait's were built for. She also allowed herself to sneak a glance at the tall woman’s figure; Caitlyn looked strangely comfortable sitting in the booth, as if she felt right at home. Vi paid careful attention to the way her chest heaved as she took in a deep breath, and bet she was trying to think of the perfect words to send back to whoever she was texting. 

When Caitlyn looked back to Vi, it was with equal sadness and elation. “Vi, I hate to cut our reunion short, but I’m sure you have a lot of them to get through these days. I just got the number of a potential lead for the story I’m working on, and it’s vital that I get on that basically right now. I’m so sorry I can’t stay longer.”

“Once again, you’re fine, Cupcake. Sounds exciting.” Truthfully, Vi was disappointed, but used every fiber of her being to not show it. “Can I ask a question though?” Caitlyn nodded. “Why’d you come here today? It’s not exactly happy hour yet.”

“Oh, right! I actually came here looking to talk to one of your friends, Mylo.” Vi sighed. I guess some things never change. “I knew I’d either find him here, or be able to talk to someone who could point me in the right direction. Do you know where I might find him?”

“You just missed him, not sure where he ran off to though. Why do you wanna talk to that kid? He in trouble?”

“I don’t think so… At least, I hope not.” Caitlyn looked around the pub to make sure no one was listening, and noticed a pair of long, bright blue braids dangling down from a set of eyes that peaked out from the kitchen. Caitlyn smiled, and leaned in close to whisper to Vi. “I’ve been told that he was seen speaking with a pair of supposed… ‘art thieves’ from Staten Island. I don’t have his number, or Vander’s for that matter, so I came here… And was delightfully surprised.”

Vi wanted to be annoyed, or worried, but the final thing Caitlyn said took up all available real estate in her cognition. Before she could get a word in edgewise, however, Caitlyn continued smoothly. “Well, you’ve made my day, Vi, but I must be off. Duty calls, and all that.” With that, the woman stood, and began to make her exit.

“Wait!” Vi called out, rushing after Caitlyn to place a hand on her shoulder. When Cait turned, Vi realized quickly that she had no clue what she was going to say. “Uh… do you still want Mylo’s number?”

The faintest twinge of a smile played over Caitlyn’s face before being replaced by her professional, Dinner-With-The-Kirammans demeanor. She reached into her handbag and pulled out a business card with only her middle and ring finger. “Why don’t you text it to me, darling, and we can make plans for getting back to this whole reunion bit soon. Sound good?”

Brain short-circuiting, Vi nodded and took the card. “Yeah. See ya, Cupcake.”

“I’ll see you around, Violet.” 

As soon as the door to the pub closed behind Caitlyn, Jinx burst out of the kitchen with Vander and Claggor close behind. Jinx spoke in a purposefully terrible approximation of Caitlyn’s accent. “Oh Violet , I simply must be back to my fancy apartment in the sky, I’m afraid my husband will be suspicious if I’m out for too long! Oh, if he knew that I was here, I simply don’t know what I would do! Whyever did I come here, please forget we ever met!” Jinx’s speech and the laughter that followed it would have ordinarily made Vi light up with joy, had it been directed towards anyone else. “That’s totally how it went, right?”

Vi’s face was as pink as her hair. “She doesn’t have a husband, Jinx!”

From the bar, Vander smirked and crossed his arms. “Jinx, you may’ve been right, if that’s really the first thing on her mind.”

Vander agreeing with her only made Jinx laugh harder, and Vi’s face burn hotter. She thought about yelling at them, or storming off, but she knew their ribbing came exclusively from a place of love. Still, the fact that Vi had to admit that they were probably right about whatever it was they were conspiring about was embarrassing beyond belief. When Vi slumped down into a stool, Claggor gently placed a hand on her shoulder. “It’s been a long time since you’ve seen her… or anyone really, other than Jinx and Vander for visitations. I think it’d be weirder if that didn’t overwhelm you.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Vi said, appreciating the sentiment behind Claggor’s words, but hating that he had to say them. She was strong as hell, and knew her own head as well as anyone could. She knew it, and all of them knew it. So why do I not understand what’s happening now?

Vander leaned over the bar and ruffled Vi’s hair. “You’re just at freedom’s threshold, kid. It’s been a long time since you’ve been able to just be normal. Take your time working that all out in your head, yeah?”

Vi nodded, sighed, then nodded again. As Claggor walked back to the kitchen, Vander started tending to the bar, and Jinx idled listlessly in her own stool next to her sister, Vi pulled out her phone. Allowing her features to soften if only for a moment, Vi held Cait’s card close to her face — she’d never had great vision, and the letters and numbers on the card were so obnoxiously tiny — and inputted the information into her contacts. 

“Gonna ask her on a date, Violet?” Jinx asked with a smile, half-joking and half-serious, causing Vi to softly pinch her cheek. “Ow!”

Vi:

hey cupcake, it’s vi

here’s mylo’s number. feel free to rough him up a little, he probably deserves it

After sending over the number, Vi went to place her phone back in her pocket, but got her reply before she even had the chance. 

Cupcake:

Thank you, Violet. I don’t think I’ll be roughing anyone up today, but I shall consider it.

If I didn’t express it properly before, I really am happy that you’re back. 

Vi:

well it’s a good thing you stopped by, otherwise you’d never have known

Cupcake:

Don’t be so sure. I am an excellent investigator. Plus it is a nice pub, and Vander is good company, so I stop in every couple of months anyway.

Vi shot Vander a glance. Vander only gave a sly shrug, and continued wiping down glasses. After making a face, Vi returned to her phone.

Vi:

so i have to wait two months until i see you again?

Cupcake:

Could be longer, I have quite the busy schedule to keep.

Vi:

wow way to break a girl’s heart

Cupcake:

Well perhaps I could make some time tonight after I talk to this contact, if you have nothing else going on.

“Tonight?” Vi whisper-yelled. 

“Yeah, what about it?” a voice beside her asked. “You change your mind about taking it easy?”

Vi nearly jumped out of her stool, and instinctively hit the man who was sitting to her right. He had dark skin and white hair that was styled up into a dreaded mohawk, and was dressed in comfortable but stylish streetwear that showed off his toned arms. He was barely recognizable, but he still had the same eyes, which were endlessly soft and attentive. The man had clearly come into his own; Vi couldn’t help but smile, and briefly forget about the text she’d just been sent.

Ekko feigned injury from the shoulder punch. “Wow Jinx, she really was absorbed in that thing. Who would’ve thought Vi of all people would get addicted to a smartphone?”

“Shut up, Little Man,” Vi laughed, and brought Ekko in for a headlock. “I totally noticed you show up, just felt like hitting you.”

“Yeah, okay, now let me go!” Ekko complained, eliciting a jolt of laughter from a woman sitting next to him. While still play-strangling her friend, Vi looked over his shoulders to see the woman on his other flank; she was a few inches shorter than him, and had playful bronze eyes and hair that was dyed neon green, partially pulled up into two wild buns. Fashion-wise, she looked like an incredibly stylish mechanic, and she sported an incredibly wide smile that Vi noticed never seemed to fade. To put it simply, the woman was… well, electrifying. If Vi had remembered what she said to Ekko earlier that day — which she absolutely didn’t — she probably would have found the woman attractive.

When Vi eventually let Ekko go, and he scrambled to fix his hair, Vi smiled back at the woman, but doubted she could ever seem anywhere near as happy as she was. “Hey there, you Z?”

“I would have introduced her already if you hadn’t put on that whole show,” Ekko said, hitting Vi in the shoulder. “Vi, this is Zeri, my roommate. Zeri, the famous Vi of Hell’s Kitchen, Dispenser of Wrath, both earned and unearned.”

“Nice to meet you!” Zeri shot out her hand, which Vi shook slowly. “Don’t worry about Ekko’s opener, Jinx has told me all about you, stories that I’m sure are more accurate, but still not totally.”

“Bingo-bango, Z!” Jinx butted in. She tossed a gummy worm to Zeri — who caught it in her mouth with a laugh — before stuffing the rest of the contents of the bag into her own mouth. 

“How’d you meet the Little Man, then?” Vi asked.

“We started helping out at the same homeless shelter around the same time, actually,” Zeri replied. “That was a few years ago, when I had pretty much just moved here from the Philippines. Ekko basically showed me the ropes of the city, and after a while it just made sense to move in together! We do basically everything together now, and living in Manhattan is way better for me than it was being out in Hollis with my ‘rents.”

“I don’t think I even know where that is,” Vi laughed.

“Oh it’s a regular fantasy-land out there in Queens, I’m not sure it’s even real anymore. Like, we have a bridge called Throg's Neck, which is absolutely not real. They call it New York City, but like, when it takes an hour to get into Harlem, is it really? I’m kidding, mostly.”

“So Vi,” Ekko said, wiggling his eyebrows. “You said something about tonight to the mystery person on your phone? Got a hot date you didn’t tell us about?”

“What?” Vi sputtered. “No, I… Fuck off, I’ve literally been out of prison for a day now.”

“Hey, calm down, it’d be fine if you did. Literally no judgments here, sib.” Ekko looked at Vi with his soft eyes, and when he got no insight from her, he tilted his head to look at the younger, more eager-to-speak sister. Jinx was in the middle of throwing her empty bag into a trash can twenty feet away when she noticed Ekko’s vision. The bag sank ceremoniously into the garbage, and Jinx hooted in triumph. “Nice shot, killer.”

“Thanks. Oh! Are we talking about the woman Vi is in love with that left just before you got here? It seems like that’s what you were talking about.”

“Jinx!” Vi complained. 

“Oh, we are absolutely talking about that now,” Ekko said with a devious smile. “Who is she? Did you know her before, or is this like, a just now thing?”

Vi sighed. “Her name is Caitlyn Kiramman. She turned up in the Kitchen one day when I was like, sixteen or something, saying she was running away from home. Well, obviously her rich parents tracked her down in a matter of hours, but we stayed in touch after that. She was one of those friends that you only see once every couple of months, whenever she could sneak out to hang.”

Zeri gasped. “Long lost friends! This is so cute!”

Ekko agreed. “I think I remember you mentioning her back then, maybe. So what, does she want to see you again tonight?” 

“I dunno, she said she’d be able to make time to hang out, if I wasn’t up to anything.”

“That is literally the definition of wanting to see you, Vi,” Zeri joked. “I know you weren’t feeling up to much, but how about we all go out to dinner, the four of us here? You invite her, and if after dinner you wanna just collapse, you can! It won’t be one-on-one that way, and we can even carry conversation if you wanna fall asleep in your chair.”

With a sigh, Vi relented. “Fine. But I’m not falling asleep if she’s there, that’s just rude.”

“Chinatown!” Jinx blurted out. “I want dumplings, and boba! Ekko will treat us, and then we can stuff the lovebirds in a taxi and forget about ‘em!”

“I know the perfect place, then!” Zeri said. “Vi, are you good with that? No pressure, but I think it could be a lot of fun. I know we just met, but I’d love to meet this mysterious lady.”

Vi nodded, and tuned out as her friends began theorizing all about Caitlyn, and making plans for what to get up to before dinner. Jinx said something about showing the other three something she’d been working on back at the apartment, but Vi let her cognition sink into her phone again as she texted Cait.

Vi:

i’m being dragged out to dinner with people later, if you feel like joining us to save me

Cupcake:

Who and where?

Vi:

prob just my sister, ekko, and his new roommate

chinatown

you like bubble tea?

Cupcake:

Very much so. I’ve got to put my phone down soon, but simply give me a time and an address, and I will come to your rescue.

Vi:

my hero!

see you at dinner, cupcake

Cupcake:

See you tonight, Vi.

As Caitlyn tucked her phone back into her handbag, she fully froze and failed to notice the sidewalk light change. “Move it, lady!” someone shouted, spurring Cait back to movement. “Sorry!” As Caitlyn crossed 6th Ave, her mind bounced back and forth between thoughts of Vi and her work like a ping-pong ball. The prospect of each was almost too exciting to fathom, and yet in the next eight hours, she would be really getting started on what she thought would be her biggest case yet, and be seeing Vi again. When Caitlyn had woken up that morning, Vi was about as far from her mind as a person could be; now it was hard to imagine not thinking about the handsome woman.

When Cait wandered into Bryant Park, her favorite spot in the city to work, she began to feel the constant, gentle thrumming of her index finger tapping on her thigh. With a sigh that she found equally anxious and blissful, Caitlyn sat down at a table and let her mind wander as she waited for her contact to arrive.

She didn’t have to wait long. Not thirty seconds after Caitlyn sat down, she saw a woman walk onto the terrace that matched her employer’s description of the contact: hair that burned red like a rampant fire, which was pulled back into a semi-short ponytail that looped through the back of a green and gold ball cap, and eyes the color of a dead sea. Her attire was unassuming, but the woman was surrounded by an air of importance, confidence, and conviction. Cait got the impression that the woman hadn’t stopped walking since getting off the ferry.

Caitlyn took a breath to get her finger to settle down; she understood that for her, stimming was normally a sign that she wasn’t wholly invested in her work. Once she calmed, she looked intently at the contact to get her eye, and when their gazes met, waved to her. Caitlyn gave a wide smile as the woman took the seat opposite her.

“Well you sure aren’t Hunter S. Thompson, but I suppose you’ll do,” the woman said.

Caitlyn laughed. “I take it you’re Sarah, then? Did my employer tell you about my passion for gonzo journalism, by chance?”

Sarah looked blankly at Caitlyn. “Lucky guess.”

Cait blinked. “Okay, well I understand that you were met by one of my other associates, and they pointed you in my direction. In case you were not informed, I am an investigative journalist, but I have plenty of detective experience, so my hope is that I can assist you in tracking down the men who stole this piece of art. The piece is yours, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Alright…” Caitlyn paused as she realized that she still didn’t know this woman’s surname. “And your relation to these men is what, exactly, Miss…”

“Fortune,” the woman said, extending her hand across the table. “It’s Sarah Fortune.”

Chapter Text

“Alright, Miss Fortune,” Caitlyn said, clicking her pen. “What is your relation to these art thieves?”

It had never been hard for Caitlyn to focus on work. In fact, it was likely a detriment that she was so good at it. When Caitlyn was passionate about something, she was single-minded and unnaturally driven until she got what she wanted or completed her task, like a bullet shot from a bolt-action rifle. School, biathlon, her police duties, or investigating a story, it never mattered; once Cait had something in mind, no one could stop her, especially not herself. Most of the time, this meant that certain other things fell to the wayside, like maintaining relationships, or acting as was expected of the Kiramman’s daughter. Some people told her it was a skill. Some people said to her that it was just “the way she was born, who she was, nothing to be ashamed of.” Some people treated her like she was less than human. It didn’t matter, so long as she got the work done; there weren’t many people Caitlyn cared about offending.

But it does matter, doesn’t it, you hopeless fool?

At the end of the day, Caitlyn knew that compartmentalization was her greatest short-term asset, as well as her strongest long-term downfall. So when she clicked her pen, Caitlyn turned off the part of her brain that wanted only to text Vi until she saw her again, and resolved to turn it back on as soon as she could. 

“Hello? Did you catch that?” Sarah asked, elegantly waving a hand in front of Caitlyn’s face.

“Oh, sorry! Had my mind on something. My apologies, it will not happen again. Did you say much?”

“No, just answered your question. I grew up in the same neighborhood as them.”

“Okay, and could you confirm each of their full names for me?” Caitlyn asked, placing the tip of her pen on her notebook.

“Tobias Felix and Malcolm Graves.”

“Great. Funny, Tobias is my father’s name. What were Felix and Graves like growing up? Did they get into trouble often, or is this abnormal behavior?”

“Well they weren’t on the honor roll, I can say that much. TF was a loveable scumbag, one of those kids that could get away with anything because everybody liked him so much. He’s also got a penchant for gambling, always has, which means he gets himself into a lot of tough spots that Graves has to bail him out of. It started pretty low stakes in high school, with like bullies or whatever, but their ambitions naturally got bigger. Maybe seven years ago, Toby willingly placed himself in the middle of a huge gang war in the borough, basically trying to play all sides. From what I heard, Graves pulled him out right before it got too hairy, and they made it out with a huge chunk of money. Really screwed over the local gangs, which was kind of great, but in time that allowed just one to gain control over the whole island. So… not great.”

“I see. Why do you think Graves has such a dedication to Felix, if you had to guess?”

“Honestly, your guess is as good as mine. Could be just loyalty to his oldest friend out of sympathy or pity, or it could be romantic. Maybe G’s just a glutton for punishment. Whatever it is, Graves is a decent man who just throws his lot in with the wrong people.”

“I would say it is likely a mix of all of those.” Caitlyn jotted down some quick notes on the two figures, leaving room for further points for each in case Sarah thought of something else. “So, how did you come to meet them after all this time? You only told my employer that you owned the artifact they’re believed to have stolen. Is there more to the story than that?”

“Not initially. They broke into my home last night, but were gone before I’d even gotten out of bed. They took nothing that was worth anything, not really. None of my parents’ things, or any expensive shit. It took me the better part of an hour to figure out what they grabbed: one of my mother’s old journals, which was buried in a pile of her old boxes I’ve never figured out what to do with. But they left the place looking totally spotless! It’s like they knew exactly where to find the book, lifted it, and teleported away.”

Caitlyn nodded. “Ah, I think I understand, then. This art piece was your mother’s, but she had hidden it, and the journal they stole told them where to find it?”

“Yeah, that’s about it. There’s other stuff in that book, too, but I don’t remember there being much else important when I read it. So as soon as I figured out what they were after, I went to cut them off, but it was too late. The stash was raided. I was able to work out through some locals that they got on a ferry, so I immediately followed them. A few hours later, I met someone in the Battery who put me in contact with your boss, and well, now I’m here.”

“Alright. Well, thank you for being forthcoming, I know all too well that matters of family complicate things. And for the record, if we come across it, I would be very interested in trying to decipher that notebook for you, to see if there’s anything else you should know. If you’re comfortable, of course.”

Sarah narrowed her eyes at the investigator. She seemed like she meant well, but Sarah could tell that the woman had carefully put together her outfit and demeanor to hide that she was extremely wealthy. Upper-crust people were all cut from a similar cloth, and Sarah was wary to trust her. What was her angle, and why was she in this line of work? I’ll have to see what Rafen knows about the name Kiramman. “Maybe.”

“Fair enough. Do you have any idea what the artpiece is, Miss Fortune? Have you seen it before?”

“My mom showed it to me once, yeah. It’s an ancient, ornamental glove that’s made of solid gold, or something like it, with blue gemstones encrusted into it. It’s one of those pieces that collectors would freak out about despite it doing functionally nothing.”

“So you assume they want it for money, then?”

“No, there’s no way,” Sarah scoffed. “Tobias is smart enough to know there are better ways to get more cash.”

“That would imply some sort of greater significance to the artifact. Does that sound right?” When Sarah nodded, Cait continued. “Okay… In that case, would you mind telling me a little about your mother? I wonder if I might gain some insight into why she hid the piece, and how she came into possession of it.”

Sarah sighed, and pulled the bill of her ball cap over her eyes. “Her name was Abigale. That’s with a G-A-L-E, not G-A-I-L. She was a good woman, and a great mother. But she was also particular with her secrets, controlling when it came to her work life, and horrendously sentimental, all three always to her detriment. But she was the best woman I’ve ever known.”

“And her occupation?” Caitlyn asked.

“Professional person with money. Art collector, if you want. I imagine you know something about the type.” When Sarah spoke, Caitlyn found some aspect of her answer false, like she purposely hadn’t given the full picture. However, Sarah clearly knew that she came from money, and spitting that fact at her caught her off guard. Art collector… Maybe a thief herself? “Before she passed, she was quite famous, so you can feel free to look her up. Someone gave her the glove as a gift for her collection, off the books. But she never ended up telling anyone she had it, and I never found out who gave it to her.”

“Alright,” Caitlyn said, more in her own mind than in the conversation by that point. “Believe it or not, that’s nearly all the questions I have for you. I already have a potential lead on how to locate Felix and Graves, and now that I have your number, I will keep you posted on how that goes. You seem like a fairly proactive woman, so I assume you plan on staying close by as things are happening. Do you have a place to stay in Manhattan?”

“I’ll be staying with my friend in the Bronx. It’s not ideal, but better than taking the ferry.”

“Okay. In that case, if you get up to anything case-wise, you may feel free to text me with any more information as you get it, or ask for assistance. I can handle myself, believe it or not. I do have one final question, however.”

“Shoot,” Sarah said.

“What is your objective in speaking with me?” Caitlyn asked plainly.

“That’s… not a question I’d expect you to ask. Does it matter?”

“To the case? Truthfully, no. But it matters to me. As a journalist and an investigator, I look at cases like stories that I’m helping unfurl. If I am going to tell this story to someone else someday, I want a full scope of each of the characters. It’s not the best analogy; you are obviously much more complex than any character in a story, by nature of the fact that you are a full, real person. But it helps me figure it out, even still.”

“Oh… In that case, my objective is to do right by my mom, and my family. The artifact doesn’t really matter to me, it’s the integrity of the thing. Plus, the more Gangplank wants something, the less I like the idea of him having it.”

“I’m sorry? Who is Gangplank?”

“He’s that one crime boss that made it out of the war all those years ago,” Sarah said dismissively, as if it was common knowledge. “Nobody knows his real name, he keeps it pretty hidden. He calls himself the ‘Reaver King’ of the Dead Pool, which is the name of his gang. I also have a feeling that he was close to finding the glove, thus spurring Tobias and Malcolm to action. He’s wanted it for years. And while no one could prove it… I know for a fact that he’s the man who murdered my mother.”

Caitlyn took that all in. For the first time, the young detective felt a real, personal pull to this case; it was no longer just a promising assignment she’d been given, but something with real people at its heart. Something that would bring people closure once it was all told. The fact that she’d never heard about this Gangplank figure dumbfounded Caitlyn. “I’m… so sorry. How come this wasn’t talked about more?”

“Are you really surprised that people in Manhattan didn’t care about what was happening in Staten Island?”

Caitlyn nodded sullenly. “No, not at all. For the record, I do care, and vow that I will bring you peace, Sarah Fortune. As best as I can.”

Sarah laughed a little, getting a better picture of the kind of person Caitlyn was. Privileged, and naïve… but driven, considerate, and real. “I don’t need peace, Caitlyn Kiramman. I’m used to shit being crazy. I just need to keep my mother’s legacy. That’s all.”

Caitlyn smiled for Sarah. “You would know better than I, but I think you’re already doing that quite well. Can I treat you to anything before we part ways? Coffee? Tea?”

Sarah stood from the table, and Caitlyn followed suit. “How about you answer a question for me, Detective, if you’re in a giving mood?” Cait narrowed her eyes, but nodded. “You asked what my objective is, so what’s yours? Why do you do this work, when you could do literally anything else?”

For a moment, Caitlyn thought briefly about prattling off the speech she had to give her parents once every few months, ever since she had first shown an interest in law enforcement — it had changed slightly for her latest profession, but the bulk of it was still the same. Instead though, Cait found herself giving a slower, more honest answer. “I’m not quite sure, truthfully. I care a lot about justice, and seeing people done right in the face of systems that refuse to offer them that basic right… But there’s more to it than that. I care about people, and their stories, and I feel like no one else in this damn city could give a rat’s ass about anyone outside of their immediate circle. I’ve tried to help people in lots of different ways, and this seems to be the best way to actually make a difference. At least in comparison to the other professions I’ve tried.”

“Huh… Fair enough. For what it’s worth, I hope helping people works out for you,” Sarah said. “And you said you think you can track them down already?”

“I have a lead, yes.”

“Care to share?

Caitlyn paused. If she was being honest with herself, Sarah Fortune did not seem like the most honest woman in the world… But she certainly wasn’t entirely untrustworthy, in Caitlyn’s best estimation. “I have received word that they were seen speaking with a man in Hell’s Kitchen named Mylo. That was when I was first alerted to the theft this morning, and put on the case.”

Sarah nodded, and took out her phone to shoot a quick text off to someone. “I assume you’re going to seek out this Mylo soon, then? Please let me know when you do, and how things go.” Caitlyn waited for Sarah to look up from her phone, and when she did, caught her gaze in a brief lock. Her eyes spoke of quiet multitudes of anger, trauma, and conviction, but there was a tenderness there too. Caitlyn gave a soft nod, a wordless affirmation of mutual understanding, and Sarah appeared to soften in response. “I should really say thanks for this, I guess. So thanks, Detective.”

“Just Cait’s fine,” Cait said with a smile.

When the two women parted ways, Caitlyn elected to take the half-hour walk back home, rather than taking the F Train or hailing a cab. As counter-intuitive as it sounded, she had always found that she could get more done on a thirty minute walk than she could with the fifteen minutes she’d save using faster means of transit. At twenty-five years old, Caitlyn had plenty of experience with the strange thing that was her brain, and understood exactly what sort of rituals stimulated sporadic cognition, versus focused, targeted thinking; and in that moment, she very much preferred the latter.

So think she did. Caitlyn let her mind speed ahead of her steps like a bullet train, one that she was miraculously able to keep up with. The images of two neighborhood troublemakers from Staten Island began to form in her head. The figures grew up, skirted death, and ran away from the city, only to return when a force larger than life — the mythic mob boss Gangplank — was getting ready to seize Abigale Fortune’s prize. Did they take it so that GP couldn’t? What would be the motive behind that? And why wouldn’t they just talk to Sarah? She didn’t seem to hate either of them. Now buried deep in the urban jungle of Manhattan, Caitlyn could imagine the two thieves pulling on various threads, but only knew where one of those threads led. Mylo. You were a rabble-rouser back in the day, but not malicious. Why would Felix and Graves come to you? And does that reaffirm your character, or tarnish it? Then there was the matter of Gangplank. Caitlyn had never heard the name before, and would have to do some heavy-duty research.

When Caitlyn arrived at the Kirammans’ townhouse, she opened the door as softly as possible. She didn’t think anyone was home, but nevertheless decided to descend the stairs to the basement, where she could walk down the thin hallway that doubled as a wine cellar and a passageway to the coach house, rather than risk running into either of her parents by walking through the house and courtyard. Caitlyn had often made use of the basement when sneaking friends over in her high school and college years, even when she hadn’t lived in the coach house. She didn’t have to keep up the habit anymore, but it felt nice to feign some minor victory on her mother and father.

Caitlyn let out a loud sigh when she climbed up the stairs into the coach house; her own little sanctuary. The coach house was two stories, compared to the main house’s five and roof terrace, and always felt much closer to traditional living in New York City than the house, although it was still a far cry from any of the one bedrooms and studios that she’d visited over the years. Cait grabbed herself a bottled green tea from the fridge, and wandered up the stairs to her makeshift office. She had forgotten — or simply neglected — to clean up the work from her last case, so various documents and literal red yarn was strewn all about chaotically. 

Pushing off cleaning for another day, the detective sat down at her computer and began fervently looking up any information she could find on Gangplank. The name itself didn’t yield many helpful results, so she switched tactics, and decided to start with the organization he was running instead; with any hope, she could follow the trail to the man himself.

The detective was thrilled with where she found her answers. According to a shockingly helpful research paper which compared real gang warfare to fiction by a graduate student in some Literature program across the country, the Dead Pool was a gang whose origins traced back to the early 2000s. The name first started being floated around Great Kills as more of an idea than an actual organization; early reports said that the Dead Pool was meant to harken back to the ideals of 17th and early 18th century piracy. They were largely considered a joke until the gang war that ravaged the district seven years ago, when they seized an opportunity to “unify the people of Staten Island, whom the gang referred to as citizens of ‘Bilgewater’, under a single flag”. The author concluded by stating that while activity has died down in the years since, the cutlass-and-flintlock design on their flag can still be seen all over the borough, and that the values of the Dead Pool “feel like a direct result of the disdain of one community onto another, making it a fascinating case for compelling gang narrative in real life”.

The story-nerd inside of Caitlyn got the better of her, as she ended up reading the entire dissertation. When she finished and looked over her notebook, now sufficiently supplied with theories about the Dead Pool, Cait leaned back in her chair and shook her hand in the air to release any excess energy she was working though. As she stimmed, Cait let her eyes wander around the office, and gasped when she glanced at the modern clock face on the wall. It’s already 6:30?

“Shit,” Caitlyn said to herself, pulling out her phone to see if there were any new messages she’d missed after putting her phone on silent. Along with one from another friend that Caitlyn ignored, there were three texts from Vi.

Vi:

hey cupcake, meet me at the dim sum place at elizabeth and canal?

like around 7:30?

you still available cait?

Caitlyn:

Yes, of course! Apologies for not answering earlier, I had my phone on silent while I was working.

I still have to get ready, so I may be slightly late, if that’s okay.

Vi:

you’re good. see you there

After setting her phone back down, Caitlyn got ready as fast as she possibly could, which involved doing her makeup at lightning speed so that she would have ample time to be indecisive when it came to choosing an outfit. She eventually settled on a white romper with a simple floral pattern that she hadn’t worn in ages, as well as one of her favorite, well-worn denim jackets. It was about half an hour later than Caitlyn would have liked when she eventually opened up a ride-share app to request a ride to Chinatown. As she waited for the driver to arrive, she debated a half dozen different ways to put up her hair before relenting and simply wearing it down.

If anyone was home, Cait managed to dash out unblocked. On her way out the front door, she heard another text come in.

Vi:

hey, we’re just leaving now, jinx took awhile showing us something. hope you didn’t leave already

Caitlyn:

No issue at all, I took quite a while to get ready as well. Plus, I have a longer way to go than you do. I should arrive right at 8:00.

Vi:

ok cool me too

Caitlyn:

May I ask who Jinx is? Is this Ekko's roommate, or another guest?

Vi:

oh, shit

no jinx is my sister, should’ve mentioned that she changed her name

Caitlyn:

Oh, good for her! Thank you for letting me know so I don’t insult her.

Speaking of, any pronoun changes? For Jinx and otherwise.

Vi:

uhh i don’t think so

she says she and they are fine

Caitlyn:

Noted. I am excited to meet her again. Of all the times I stopped by The Last Drop, I don’t remember her being there.

Vi:

did you really come to hang out with vander?

Caitlyn:

Maybe I also liked the cuisine.

Vi:

cuisine huh? is that what they call it these days?

Caitlyn read her interlocutor’s latest text as she opened the door to her rideshare, and nearly squealed. Aware that her face was completely flush, she only gave the driver a quick wave and smile before turning her attention back to her phone.

Caitlyn:

Whatever do you mean, Violet?

Vi:

cupcake

you know what all those flags inside the restaurant mean right?

Caitlyn:

Yes, I am well aware of what each one means.

In fact, I bet I could tell you where each one is, although you may have to ask Jinx whether I’m right or not.

That joke may have been too much. I’m sorry.

Vi:

you’re good, cupcake. you’re not really wrong

tell me where two are and i’ll believe you

Caitlyn:

Okay. The orange-pink flag is hung between the door and window booth further from the bar, high up; the light blue and pink flag that also has a white strip in the center is on the far wall opposite the bar. We sat close to it earlier today.

Vi:

jinx says you’re spot on, cupcake

Caitlyn:

Do I get a prize?

Vi:

idk your tastes may be a bit expensive for a recently freed convict

Caitlyn:

Don’t be too sure, Vi. I used to sneak out quite frequently to spend time with you back in the day, didn’t I?

I’m confident that you can think of something I would enjoy.

Vi:

i guess i’ll have to

Caitlyn:

I am sure I will love whatever you come up with, Violet.

See you soon.

Immediately after sending her final text, Caitlyn set her phone to silent and shoved it in her bag. Her face was burning, and she could hear herself breathing heavily. Thoughts of Vi flooded Caitlyn’s mind. Vi laughing at a stupid joke she made across a table for two at a small, mid-scale restaurant; Vi innocently spooning with her, whispering sweetness to ease her out of every anxiety she couldn’t get rid of herself; Vi doing unspeakable things to her, drowning her body in desperate desire. As Caitlyn allowed herself to fall into the rhythm of her familiar, vibrant imagination, she was shocked at how deep the pit went. She had never felt so strongly so quickly, and could only remember having a small crush on Vi back in the day. But absence makes the heart grow stronger, she supposed, and so too does suppression. Stranger still, every time a new image passed through her mind, Caitlyn found that it was presented twice; first Vi’s hands firmly easing the knots out of her shoulders, then her running the pads of her thumbs over Vi’s calloused hands in practiced circles. Everything she could imagine Vi giving her, she wanted to give right back.

“You okay back there, ma’am? You’re breathing kind of hard.”

Caitlyn stifled. “Yes, yes, I’m fine. Thank you.”

This new obsession is fine, Caitlyn told herself. But I need to at least temper myself before dinner. Cait reached into her handbag and pulled out her notepad, figuring that perhaps by focusing on her case again, she could at least set aside the thought of her recently freed convict until dinner. It worked decently, though her thoughts were about as scattershot as the notes themselves. Felix and Graves, high school delinquents turned gang war profiteers turned… art thieves? The line doesn’t follow straightly. Where did they go for so long? Abigale Fortunes’ fortune, comprised of a single piece. Gangplank the ‘Reaver King of the Dead Pool’, two random rogues, and stalwart Sarah Fortune; what’s so important about this glove that they all want it? And do any of them have buyers? Higher-ups? Felix and Graves talked to Vi’s friend; why? Mylo seems nice, but does he have a criminal history? Could he stow away the thieves? I’ll have to ask Vi. Vi. Could Abigale’s journal hold more secrets than Sarah knows? Hard to find the journal without finding Felix and Graves, or the artifact.

Before she knew it, Caitlyn found herself hitting five stars on her rideshare app and stepping out of the car onto the sidewalks of Chinatown. These streets were quite familiar to Caitlyn; due to its close proximity to the Civic Center, as well as her appreciation for her father’s culture, Cait spent a lot of time in her youth wandering with friends around the alleys of Chinatown. Once upon a time, she had known all the best tea houses and dim sum places, but recent busyness had decreased her time outside of Lenox Hill and the rest of Midtown over the past few years. She didn’t often complain about it, there was enough to do on the Upper East Side; but she always had more fun here, and in Hell’s Kitchen and Chelsea.

Cait pulled out her phone to look at the time: 7:56. Her ride had brought her right to the restaurant’s front step, so Caitlyn stepped further into the sidewalk and pressed her back up against a wall nearby, the perfect spot for keeping out of the way of foot traffic and keeping an eye out for Vi and company. For no particularly logical reason, Caitlyn wanted to see them before they saw her, just in case. 

It was 8:03 by the time Caitlyn’s practiced eye caught a glimpse of pink hair through the crowd. As she looked around the person, she saw three other abnormally colorful heads in turquoise, neon green, and stark white. Of course these are Vi’s friends.Caitlyn smiled at the sight of them, and her breath caught when their faces came into clearer view. Vi had applied just the slightest amount of eyeliner; she looked otherwise identical to how she’d been that afternoon, but Cait was thrilled that she’d noticed such a small difference. There was clear thought behind the decision, though whether she or someone else had made it was hard to say. Even from a distance, Vi read as immensely sure of who she was, and made no attempt to hide that person; Cait thought that was the hottest thing about her. 

“Cupcake!” Jinx yelled when her eyes met Caitlyn. “How’d you get here before us? We like, totally weren’t late at all, and definitely didn’t take too long at home fawning over some incredible art.” The younger woman threw her arms around Cait in a flash. “Good to see ya’, Cupcake. That’s your name, right?”

When Cait saw a nervous look on Vi’s face over Jinx’s shoulder, she couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “Hello Jinx, it’s been quite a long time. And that does appear to be the name that your sister thinks I go by, doesn’t it?” With a huge, natural smile, Cait turned to the other two. “Because I have no way of knowing if Violet told you my actual name, hi! I’m Caitlyn Kiramman, but you can call me Cait.”

“‘Sup, Cait. I’m Ekko, you’ll hear Vi call me Little Man a million times tonight, feel free to tune that out. This is Zeri, and as far as I know, she doesn’t have a Vi-appointed nickname yet.” Ekko put out a fist for Caitlyn to bump, which she did happily, if a little stiffly.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Zeri added, bumping Cait’s fist before she had the time to unfurl it.

“Question, while we’re talking about names:” Ekko started before Vi could say anything. “I haven’t heard anyone call Vi by her full name since we were kids and Mylo tried it, after which he promptly got absolutely decked. How’d you manage that?”

“Hm… My winning personality, probably.”

“Blah blah, enough introductions!” Jinx called from the threshold of the restaurant. “Let’s get a table already!”

As the group began piling into the hole in the wall spot Zeri had recommended, Cait placed a hand on Vi’s shoulder, stopping her. Her lips had been pressed shut this whole time, which was endlessly worrying for an infinite number of reasons. When Jinx turned to see them still outside, Caitlyn cut off her incoming complaint. “Why don’t you grab a table and sort out seating? We’ll be there in just a sec.” With a smile, Cait turned back to Vi. Now fully focused on the woman, Caitlyn had her own reasons to be nervous, but pressed forward. “It’s nice to see you again. Been quite some time, huh?” 

“Yeah, you could say that,” Vi said. 

She didn’t look open for a prolonged hug, but Caitlyn couldn’t help herself, and gave Vi a terse embrace. To her surprise, Vi reciprocated. “You okay, Vi? You seem quiet.”

“I’m fine.” When Vi said nothing more, Caitlyn let the silence draw out the rest of what Vi was feeling. “Well, I’m tired. Really fucking tired. But I didn’t want to push back seeing you. You know, since you’re so busy.” Vi winked at Caitlyn, causing her heart to flutter.

“Oh, you’re so considerate. Well, only stay out as long as you want, okay? I won’t be offended if this isn’t a long night.” Looking into the restaurant, Caitlyn saw that the trio still hadn’t gotten a table, so she leaned in close to whisper to Vi, secretly relishing their proximity to each other. “By the way… are you not okay with people calling you Violet?”

Vi chuckled. “Not normally, it just feels way stuffier and prettier than I am. But it feels nice when you say it, so… I guess keep doing it.” 

“I’ll just temper how much I use it in the presence of others,” Caitlyn said, relishing the smile that had grown on Vi’s face without her noticing. But she could feel the temperature rising in her cheeks again, so Caitlyn turned to enter the restaurant. Before taking a step forward, Cait felt Vi press into her right side, looping their arms together. Vi maneuvered herself just in front of Caitlyn, and mumbled something as she opened the door for the two of them. 

“What was that, Violet?” Caitlyn asked, her own voice barely a rasp.

“I said you look nice… Cupcake.”

“Oh my god, stop, you’re going to make me blush,” Caitlyn said, barely joking.

“Make you blush? Like you aren’t already?” Vi laughed, and ushered the two of them inside, and through the small shop to the circular table near the back where Jinx, Ekko, and Zeri were sitting. The place wasn’t too busy, but it was extremely small, which made the weaving walk to their table precarious; Caitlyn continued to cling to Vi’s arm until they reached their friends, ready with the excuse in her head that she was ‘making sure they didn’t bump into any servers’, but no one said anything as they approached. It pleased Caitlyn more than she’d ever admit to have so many points of contact with Vi.

Cait’s lazy, daydream grin faded, however, when she saw how the seats were organized. The table was just large enough for five chairs, and while Ekko and Zeri sat next to each other, Jinx was leaning back in the chair across from them, forming a point of separation between the last two seats. “I picked out seats!” she said with a wicked grin aimed at her sister. “Vi, you’re between me and Little Man so you can reconnect with your two closest people in the whole wide world, and Caitlyn, you’re between me and Zeri so you can get to know your two new best friends. It’s perfect!”

When Caitlyn turned to look at Vi’s reaction, she could have sworn she saw the briefest twinge of sadness, but if she did, it was instantly masked by the unbreakable love for her sister. “Sounds great, sis!” Vi snaked her arm out of Caitlyn’s clutch, and took the seat Jinx had appointed her. Apparently assigned seating is bad all the time, not just for family functions. Caitlyn took her seat, and smiled briefly to Zeri as believably as she could.

As she settled into her chair, Caitlyn noticed Jinx looking at her expectantly while Ekko had Vi’s attention. With an internal sigh, Cait set about reading Jinx’s expression; when she raised her eyebrows as if it was obvious, it became clear to the detective that Jinx, while devious, was in no way being malicious. Across the table, Vi laughed at something Ekko said and hit him lightly in the shoulder; it didn’t escape Caitlyn that from this vantage point, it would have been much less obvious to stare at Vi, since she wouldn’t have to crane her neck to the side to look at her.

Duh! Jinx, you clever little thing. Thank you! Caitlyn turned to look at Jinx, who mouthed ‘You’re welcome’ before turning to her sister. “Do you know what you want, Violet? I want as much fried rice as fits on this table.”

“Same wavelength, honestly,” Vi replied. “I could probably eat the entire stock of this place, so whatever people want to order is good with me, if we’re sharing.”

“Well,” Zeri added, “we have to get at least a double order of scallion pancakes. It is non-negotiable, they are literally the best in the city.” As the rest of the table began throwing out other things they wanted, Caitlyn compiled a list of everything they said in her head, and organized the order by who suggested each item and who seemed the most excited about it. When a server approached the table with tea, Caitlyn gave them a warm smile, and after asking the table what they’d all like to drink, recited the entire order in succinct, fluent Cantonese. Only a small part of her regretted perhaps appearing better-than; Caitlyn was accustomed to people judging even the most minute aspects of who she was, so as much as it probably hurt in the long run, she had a thick skin when it came to people’s opinions. But the server was grateful for the ease of communication, which Caitlyn thought mattered far more than what anyone might assume.

Naturally, all eyes at the table were on her as the server walked away. She looked from person to person matter-of-factly, and surprised herself upon the initial read of everyone’s first impression of her. Ekko’s kind eyes looked vaguely impressed, but perhaps not shocked; Zeri had a big smile on her face, which to be fair, it seemed like she always did; and Jinx was on her phone, twiddling away as if everything was completely normal. Because it is normal, Caitlyn. It’s just communication, and these aren’t people who are looking for the first excuse they can find to rip your head off. Vi was the only one with wide eyes; her silver irises shone in the dim, cozy light of the restaurant, which failed to hide the heat in Vi’s cheeks. Cait’s heart did a flip.

“How’d you remember that whole order?” Ekko asked. “That’s just impressive.”

“Oh, uh… I’m very good at keeping lists, I suppose,” Caitlyn said. “Honestly, I assumed you all would be more surprised by the fact that I was fluent.”

“It’s just words, you know?” Zeri replied. “I mean, Little Man speaks Spanish, I speak Tagalog — granted, I did grow up in the Philippines, so it’s a little different, but still.” Caitlyn nodded, but was too focused on looking at Vi’s expression out of the corner of her eye to think of an intelligent response. “So what do you do for work, Cait?”

“Oh, I’m currently a… an investigator, of a sort.”

“Of a sort? Sounds a little sus, Cupcake,” Jinx said. There was a thud under the table, which caused Jinx’s attention to jolt suddenly to Vi. The sisters shared a look, and without a word exchanged, came to a quick agreement. “Are you actually a secret agent or something? You can tell me, I’m great at keeping secrets.” 

Caitlyn laughed a little. “No, nothing so extreme, though I suppose my wording was slightly strange. A family friend offered me a position under her that’s… well, it’s sort of freelance, and sort of not, if that makes sense. We certainly aren’t a recognized news outlet. But either way, all that is to say I’m an investigative journalist.”

“That sounds rewarding,” Zeri said. 

“It is, very much so! I suspect that the case I’m working on currently has larger implications than any I’ve worked on before, which is both exciting and nerve-wracking.” Caitlyn spared another look at Vi across the table, who was too busy fidgeting with her hands to notice, and felt a sudden wave of worry when she thought about Vi’s adoptive brother. “I have faith that it will go well, though.”

“Is that why you stopped by the bar earlier?” Jinx asked. “I was sorta wonderin’, because there’s no way you could’a known Vi was gonna be there.”

Cait felt slightly cornered by the question. She was more than comfortable talking about her work — even specific case details if she trusted the group of people she was with — but Jinx was stepping on a landmine without knowing it, one that only she and a few others could trip. “Well… that is why I was there initially, although I cannot discuss any details. Secret agent stuff, you understand how it is.” Caitlyn winked at Jinx, eliciting a smirk from Jinx, and one from Vi as well. Seeing Vi’s head perk up, Cait scrambled for a way to change the subject. “Besides, once I arrived… thoughts of the job sort of got moved to the back burner. Reconnecting with Violet seemed much more important.”

In that infinitesimal moment, Vi met Caitlyn’s gaze, and like a gear clicking back into place, Vi’s mind began racing; any exhaustion she had been feeling was flushed out of her system when Caitlyn looked at her. Time slowed as the energy flooded Vi’s senses. Those eyes were so attentive, so singularly-focused. Vi was enamored with how much attention Caitlyn was suddenly paying her, but even more meaningful was how she’d just handled Jinx’s question. The nuance of the unspoken knowledge about Mylo that Caitlyn couldn’t share did not escape Vi, and she marveled at how easily Caitlyn deflected in a way specifically tailored to her little sister. Cait had only met Jinx a few times back in the day, and had the briefest context for who she was now, yet seemed to understand exactly how her brain ticked, and what sort of answer would work. The perfect balance of respect and lightheartedness. A seemingly infinite pool of attention paid to her sister… but now, just a moment later, those crystal eyes were on her… and only her.

Vi came to the immediate realization that while being imprisoned had first and foremost taken her away from Jinx and Vander, it had also ripped away the opportunity she’d had with Caitlyn before she could even recognize it existed. Any infatuation she had for the girl from Lenox Hill as a kid was paltry, and quiet in her mind against the noise of survival. Now it was too loud to ignore.

As time sped back up to normal, Vi couldn’t help but be lured into Caitlyn’s aura. “Oh, Cupcake, I really mean that much to you? I’m so flattered,” Vi ribbed.

Caitlyn felt the shift in Vi’s mood, and preemptively dug her fingers into her thighs to keep from stimming. “Well let’s not get too ahead of ourselves, Violet. You can imagine that I know lots of important people, and it never behooves someone to lose contacts, now does it?” Complete and utter bullshit. God, it must be written all over my face.

“My apologies, Miss Kiramman, you’re right. You mustn’t have much time for little old me amongst all your New York royalty. You probably treat people with attention depending on how much they can do for you, yeah?”

“Maybe. And if I did, what could you do for me, Violet?”

Just as tension rose to a fever pitch, and Caitlyn could have leapt across the table to jump on Vi, Ekko cleared his throat. “So! Cait, I meant to ask earlier… Are you a Kiramman like, daughter of Tobias and Cassandra Kiramman?”

Buzzkill, but fair. 

As the world filled back in around the pair of women, it occurred again to Caitlyn that she wasn’t alone at dinner with Vi. Ekko and Zeri seemed to be having a good time, but didn’t necessarily need to watch them not-so-subtly flirt with each other all night long. Jinx, meanwhile, looked to be having the time of her life. Her body language was about the same as normal, but Caitlyn noticed the tiniest smirk forming on her lips as she looked at her sister. She looked like a puppet master who had just perfectly laid out the tension in a scene. Wait, you little… I can steal as many glances at Vi as I want from here without having to crane my neck, but the tension of being separated from her… Ingenious. How far out did you plan this?

Caitlyn sighed, and managed to look back at Ekko with a smile. “Yes, that’s my parents. Feel free to air out any grievances about my mother’s political choices… I have heard them all, and likely agree with you.”

“Actually, I’m more familiar with your dad,” Ekko corrected. “He’s a really good doctor, from what I hear. He’s done a lot of medical work pro-bono for people coming through the shelter me and Z help at. Some really important surgeries. I never met him, and he wouldn’t know me from a stick in the mud, but tell him thanks.”

Caitlyn’s smile set a lot more naturally on her face. “I will, Ekko. I’m sure he’ll appreciate you saying that.” Caitlyn poured herself a small cup of tea from the teapot placed in the center of the table. “Is that where you work full-time?”

“No, I wish, though… If only I could pay to live in this city on goodwill alone, you know?”

“If only indeed,” Cait agreed. “Perhaps that would entice more of the people I find myself spending time with to take the sticks out of their arses, or at least make decisions that actually benefit the people of this city.”

“Fuck them,” Zeri said. “You’re our friend now, just hang out with us instead!”

Caitlyn opened her mouth to speak, but Vi spoke up before she could. “Did I not tell you they’d love you, Cupcake? But seriously, you should come to The Last Drop more often than every two months.”

Cait had been about to say something regarding how she wished she could spend more time with friends, or that she had certain family obligations that took up all the free time she found herself with, but listening to Vi made it seem so simple. “Okay,” Cait said, feeling stupid for smiling so hard. “I will. But for the record, you could invite me to other places, you know. I’m not so fancy that I won’t step in your homes, if you’d have me.”

The table laughed, and as Jinx prattled off a million different things they could all do together, plates began arriving, and the group dug in. The fast friends went through everything they ordered with gusto, adding on two extra orders of scallion pancakes as the night went on, and all the while Caitlyn drank in the sight of Vi, who ate like she hadn’t eaten in months. The two connotations behind that drew on Cait’s heartstrings; it was unlikely that she had much food growing up, and the seven years in prison couldn’t have been any better. There was a raw, visceral, and efficient appreciation that Vi approached her cuisine with. She sung the praises of every last dish, and didn’t take a bite for granted. And after having been shaken from her tiredness, Vi reveled in her company, pushing Ekko and her sister’s buttons as frequently as she picked up her chopsticks — which she was hilariously clumsy with. Caitlyn stole a million glances at Violet over the course of dinner, and every time she was filled with joy at just how happy Vi looked.

Nearly two hours later, the five of them ducked into a compact bubble tea shop with walls painted in vibrant pastels that contrasted nicely with the night sky, which itself was hidden behind layers upon layers of streetlight. Ekko and Zeri had insisted on paying for dinner, so Caitlyn eagerly fronted the bill for their drinks. As they waited, Caitlyn continued to look at Vi once every couple of seconds, and found herself thinking about her Monday schedule. To be fair, the investigator’s schedules were only as strict as any given case she was researching demanded, which in that case meant that her plans for the next day were fairly locked. Any time spent away from her current investigation drastically increased the likelihood that Felix and Graves would skip town again, making them infinitely harder to track down. Even so… they were still together, and still Caitlyn ached to see Vi the day after. The feeling was equal parts infuriating and delightful.

“This one’s yours, right Cupcake?” Vi asked as she brought a milk tea over to the window Cait was pressed against.

Caitlyn squinted at the small, printed label stuck to the side of the cup. “Mhm. Thank you, Violet.” Ekko, Jinx, and Zeri were already halfway out the door, so as the party of five began wandering aimlessly, vaguely in the direction of Columbus Park, the three of them settled into an easy conversation while Vi and Caitlyn trailed fifteen feet behind.

“How are you thinking about getting home, Cupcake?” Vi asked between sips of her drink. “The Metro?”

“Plotting to get rid of me already, Vi?” Caitlyn asked. “Which for the record would be totally fair if you’re feeling tired.”

Vi laughed at Cait’s quick cover. “It’s fine, Caitlyn, I’m actually not feeling so tired anymore. Haven’t been for a while. Just making conversation.”

“Well in that case, I have deliberately been trying not to think about it yet.”

Vi thought to hold her tongue, but decided to throw caution to the wind. “So then what have you been thinking about, Cupcake?”

Caitlyn chewed on tapioca for a little longer than necessary. “May I be truthful with you, Violet?”

“Unless you’d prefer to lie.”

“Oh, shush. So… I have been thinking primarily about one thing, and occasionally flipping over to a second, and I feel that the two things are much more closely linked than I originally had anticipated. Which is both good and bad.”

“Sorta ominous, Cupcake. Care to elaborate?”

The detective knit her brow. “You mentioned earlier at dinner that I should swing by Vander’s pub more often, and I’ve been thinking about it since. I would very much like to come tomorrow. I would like to be the first person in the door when it opens, and the last person you and Vander have to toss out to the curb for staying too late.”

Vi’s heart soared. “I think I could convince him to let you stay as long as you like. I wouldn’t leave you to the wolves.”

“I appreciate the sentiment,” Caitlyn said with a smile, “But… And don’t get me wrong, you are by far the primary reason I would want to be there. But if I did, there would be other business I would need to attend to first, I think.”

“Oh? Oh…”

Vi’s face was simultaneously filled with joy, confusion, and intense worry; Caitlyn hated being the catalyst for whatever she must be feeling. “I don’t mean to put you in a shitty situation, but… Well, I need to talk to Mylo for work, and I also would very much like to see you anyways.” Caitlyn sighed, and looked ahead to Jinx, Ekko, and Zeri, who had just reached the corner of Bayard and Mulberry. “Would you mind if we snuck off for a second, so I could speak with you about what exactly this case is? I want to be clear about what’s happening, and… how I’m feeling.”

Vi nodded slowly. “Sure, Cupcake. Where to?”

As the pair caught up to the trio, Zeri immediately recognized that they were having some sort of private conversation. “Yo, don’t take me the wrong way, but do you wanna go our separate ways for the night?”

When Vi gave Caitlyn a quick, reassuring smile, she knew she was okay to make the call. “I was just thinking that, yes. I’ve got a pretty early morning tomorrow, but it’s been great getting to know you all. Maybe we can hang out again soon?”

“Hell yeah. It’s been real, Cait,” Ekko said with a smile, which faltered when he noticed Jinx deflate at the news that the night was coming to an end. “J, you wanna come back to Harlem with us? Couch is always open.” 

“Hm, I dunno…” Jinx responded. Looking to Caitlyn, she asked: “Where are you going to take my sister? Back to your place? Ours?”

Caitlyn’s cheeks burned. “Uh, just Canal Street! I mean, we’ll be walking to Canal so I can catch the 6.”

Vi gently touched the top of Caitlyn’s hand before walking up to Jinx. “We’re probably gonna wander around for a bit more, and then head home separately.” Vi pinched her sister’s cheek. “See you when I see you, J?”

Jinx appeared to mull it over in her mind for a moment, until she finally looked at Ekko. “Oh, what the hell, your couch is comfortable enough, let’s do it.” Jinx hugged her sister, and without another word, began trotting off. “Don’t keep her up past her bedtime, Cait!”

Once her sister was out of sight, Vi looked at Caitlyn, and softly took her hand. Caitlyn found her grasp endlessly gentle despite Vi’s rough calluses, and she had to take a moment to wrap her mind around the feeling.

“Lead the way, Cait.”

“Oh, right. Here, let’s go this way.”

Caitlyn led Vi around the County Criminal Court to Collect Pond Park, a smaller urban green in the north of the Civic Center. “I used to come here all the time to get away from my mother whenever she dragged me downtown as a kid,” she explained, guiding the two of them to a bench that faced the reflective pool that the park was known for. “I would sit on this bench, or on the walkway over there, and I’d stare down into this water at myself. And think about who I was, and who I wanted to be. And both of those images changed a lot overtime, I think.” A smile came to Caitlyn’s face without her really meaning it to.

Vi leaned forward to look at Caitlyn’s reflection. A soft, genuine smile plastered her face, but there was a deep pensiveness hidden beneath it. Vi was loath to break Cait’s peace, but squeezed her hand without letting go, and spoke up. “I kinda like who I see there, personally. Who do you want to see?”

Caitlyn chuckled. “I’m not looking at myself tonight, Violet.” When Vi’s head jerked up to look at her, Cait immediately questioned how she was brave enough to say something so blunt. When Vi was quiet, she sighed and continued. “I know it seems weird, because it is a public space, but I would like to ask if I may come to The Last Drop tomorrow. However, I need to clarify exactly what my intentions are before you answer.”

Vi simply nodded.

“Alright. I just began working on a case this morning that happens to involve Mylo, as you know. My employer is a woman named Grayson, also a former NYPD officer, although she had much more time under her belt than I did when she handed in her badge. She runs a small investigative practice, of which I am one of just a few journalists. When she gave me the assignment today, I did not tell her that I knew Mylo, as I only met him passingly when spending time with you, and I had assumed that you were… well, out of my life. I can remove myself from the case if you would prefer that I not be the investigator involved.

“Either way, Mylo was seen speaking with two men who matched the descriptions of a pair of art thieves who made off with an artifact from a safehouse in Staten Island early this morning. The thieves are named Tobias Felix and Malcolm Graves, and I met with the owner of the artifact this afternoon to get more information about them. They don’t seem like dangerous individuals, but I fear that there are other forces at play with vested interest in this art piece who are dangerous. Have you heard of a gang called the Dead Pool?”

Vi appeared to rack her brain for a moment. “Yeah, I think so. Bunch of pirate fucks?”

Cait grinned. “That would be them.”

“Yeah, people were talking about them around when I got incarcerated, I think, ‘cuz that was during the height of the shimmer trade all those years ago.”

“Right, I remember… That actually gives me a new angle to approach this from, so thank you. That’s beside the point. What I’m getting at with all this is… This case is important, and if I was to visit The Last Drop tomorrow, I would first want to ask Mylo some questions, and if it turns out that he knows where Felix and Graves are hiding, then I would have him bring me to them. But I would do that as quickly as possible, and ideally, if you were interested… Spend the rest of the day continuing to catch up with you. Because I would very much like to do that. In fact, I think I want to spend time with you more than I want to solve this case by several magnitudes. So… I know it’s a lot to take in, but may I come to The Last Drop tomorrow?”

Vi did take it all in for a while, staring down at their reflections as she worked through her thoughts. “It’s just… so soon. I’ve literally been out of jail for 36 hours, and it feels like I’ve already been hit by a fucking train. That’s gotta be some sort of magic, right? It’s like a story or something.”

Caitlyn was worried that she had pushed too far, but another gentle squeeze reminded her that Vi was still holding her hand. Never before had Caitlyn felt so wholly enveloped and cared for by just holding someone’s hand. As she looked at their embrace, Cait made the decision that if she didn’t have to, she would never let go of it. “It does feel like magic. For what it’s worth, I’m sorry that the timing has come together to so spectacularly spite you.”

The strong woman shook off some kind of funk. “I’ll be okay, Cupcake. Shit’s always crazy, right? You just push through it… I dunno what that kid is up to, but I wanna see you tomorrow too. It feels fast, but… I know that you want to come by for more than just the case, and that feels really good.”

“So… I’ll see you tomorrow morning?” Caitlyn asked.

“I sure hope so,” Vi said, smiling. Her heart was pounding as she let go of Caitlyn’s hand, which the elegant woman seemed sad about briefly, until Vi moved her sturdy hand over Cait’s shoulders. As Vi placed the tips of her fingers on Caitlyn, she waited for Cait’s wide eyes to give her the okay to pull the two of them together. Violet brought Caitlyn in close, and Cait’s head tucked perfectly into the crook of Vi’s neck.

For Caitlyn, it was almost too much; the feeling of Vi’s strong arm around her shoulders, shielding her from the residual uncomfort of too many bad memories in the Civic Center; her side perfectly placed against Vi’s like a jigsaw; the cool autumn night that nipped at her warm, ruddy cheeks; and the light just right, billowing down from streetlights that danced off of the leaves floating in the reflective pool.

“Hey… I know shit might be about to get wild, but… Thanks for coming tonight, Cupcake. You saved me.”

Caitlyn grinned ear to ear. Someone would come to kick them out of the park eventually, but until then, she had no intention of leaving.

Chapter Text

Outside his third-story window, a car horn blared, and he exhaled the smoke from his cigar into the gray morning air.

This place is a fucking dump, the gruff man thought as he cleared the morning crust from his eyes. Cardboard boxes full of hoarders’ fare were strewn about randomly, the only piece of furniture was a couch that looked twenty years old but sat like it was fifty, and the whole affair was coated in a liberal layer of dust. They had been holed up in the Midtown shithole for only twenty-four hours, and still the man was desperate to leave. Only the familiar flitting of his partner’s playing cards in a hand and the dulling calm granted by his cigar was keeping the man sane.

“God, I miss being in AC,” the man’s partner said, toying with the Jack of Hearts. “Only had to deal with Kench on our backs every now and then, and he was a fucking joke.” The card shark laughed, and threw the card at his partner with deadly accuracy.

The man caught the card, and couldn’t help but smile despite himself when he saw what one it was. “You goin’ fucking soft on me, Toby? Good memories in AC, sure, but we both know it was way better in Vegas.”

“We weren’t even there for a year, G!” Tobias protested. “And all that money we made is where, exactly? In our pockets?”

“Hardly my fault, you’re the one who saw fit to piss off that Reckoner.”

“I didn’t know he was in town! It complicated the whole operation.”

“I know, I know,” Graves said, hands up in defense. “Listen, Toby… You’re sure we can trust this Lane kid? He seemed… flaky.”

“It’s fine,” Tobias assured. “He got us this place, right? Not half an hour after I found him. His people are basically our people; rats who crawl beneath the feet of giants, and make out with all the cheese.” Graves let out a hearty laugh at his partner’s dumb analogy. “Whatever, you know what I mean. He’s more reliable than he looks. Even scrounged up some pretty solid food to hold us over for who knows how long. With any hope, he’ll swing by tonight and tell us where we can move to until we figure out what to do with this thing.”

Graves looked across the room to the small, ornate chest that was beside Tobias on the couch. Neither of them had dared open it; the chest radiated an energy so unnatural that there was no doubt the glove was inside. “And what exactly is it, my dear rat?”

Tobias shrugged. “Fate, physically manifested in a tacky fashion statement? I’ve been trying to assess its vibe, and… I dunno, it’s just fucking weird.” Graves huffed, and took a long drag of his cigar. Toby regarded his oldest friend with a smile, and sighed. He waved his deck of cards in the air. “Bring that card over here, Jack. Let’s play a game.”

Graves nodded and stood, but before he could walk across the room, the pair of thieves heard a harsh knock at the door. One, two, one-two-three.

“He’s early,” Graves whispered to Tobias.

“Then it’s not him,” Tobias said back, swiping the Jack of Hearts from his partner, and the chest from atop a cardboard box. “Get back to the fucking window, Malcolm. We gotta go!”

As the two men scrambled out of the window and onto the fire escape, they heard the door unlock. “Fuck.”

Several hours earlier, Vander smiled when he heard a knock at his door. One, two, one-two-three. After flipping his omelet, he walked across the apartment to open the door without looking through the peephole to see which of his kids it was. “Well if it isn’t the lovebird? To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Shut it, old man,” Vi laughed, and walked past Vander into the apartment. Unlike her place, which felt like a college dorm room she had just moved into, Vander’s place felt like stepping straight into her past; photo collages of Mylo, Claggor, Jinx, and her littered the walls, and every corner was home to some obscure artifact from her teenage years that she’d completely forgotten. Vi was 15 when he’d legally taken the four of them in, which meant she only spent three years with him, but it felt more like a lifetime. The scent of onions and green peppers filled Vi’s nostrils, and she couldn’t help but let out an easy sigh.

“You wanna eat? I can make another, easy.”

“That’d be great, Van.” Vi sat down at the kitchen table and watched the man work. She supposed it wasn’t wholly true that she’d only spent three years with Vander; for nearly all six years they were in the foster system, Vander had kept close tabs on them all, and would frequently come to visit wherever they were staying at the time. Vi didn’t know everything about the gentle giant’s past, but she knew he was friends with her parents before they died, and felt a natural protectiveness for them after it all happened. The boys were often separated from Vi and Jinx, but Vander made time for all four of them no matter where they were. He scooped them all up as soon as he could afford to take care of so many kids.

“So, Violet,” Vander intoned, “How was the date?”

“Hardly a date, there were three other people there.”

“Maybe, but I assume it was just the two of you at some point, otherwise your doting sister wouldn’t have texted me from Ekko’s couch to see if you made it home alone, with company, or not at all.”

Vi groaned. “You’re gossips, the lot of you! I feel like no one seems to understand the fact that I’ve literally only been back for two days… But what did you tell her?”

“That I wasn’t about to walk down the hall to see if I could hear you,” Vander laughed. He plated the omelet he was working on and slid it to Vi, and began working on what would become his own. “Seriously though, how is Caitlyn doing? You know she came by a lot when you were gone.”

“She told me. Did she talk to you?”

“Everyone talks to the man who pours the drinks, Vi. She actually came to me when she was thinking about handing in her badge, and I pushed her to do it. She looks a hell of a lot better out of uniform, if you ask me.”

“I agree,” Vi said with a dreamy smile on her face.

“If I can be frank, you weren’t openly happy a lot of the time as a kid, and for good reason, don’t get me wrong. But I remember you always wore that face home whenever you came back from your playdates in Central Park.”

“What face🙺” Vi protested. “Also, they weren’t playdates, I met her when we were sixteen.”

Vander shrugged and laughed. The conversation faded while Vander worked on his breakfast, but after a few minutes, he sat down opposite Vi, and spoke before he ate. “All I was saying is: she made you happy back then. If that’s still true, don’t wait to act on it just because it feels like it’s too soon.”

“But is it too soon?”

Vander looked softly at his daughter. “Vi… it’s only too soon if you say it is. The tricky thing is that you might tell yourself it’s too soon, when you don’t really think that. You just have to trust your gut. If it helps, I trust it.”

“Okay… okay.” Vi mulled over the events of the previous night in her head; spending time with Caitlyn felt like a dream she didn’t deserve… And the reality of Caitlyn’s business today felt like the shackles that always came with silver linings. Vi huffed, and ate Vander’s omelet, which was every bit as delicious as she remembered them being. “So who’s working today?”

Vander reached behind him to the kitchen counter to grab a sriracha bottle. “Well, I’ve got a bunch of people whose names would mean nothing to you now, and it’ll be that way for a while. Claggor and Mylo are both helping out in the morning, but they won’t stick around until dinner, and Jeri’s in the kitchen tonight. You gonna take me up on my offer?”

“Not quite, Van,” Vi said, speaking slowly. “I want to come in for the day, but… I’m not sure how much work I can do. Is that okay?”

“Yeah, we can start slow, if that’s what you want…” Vander stared at Vi, who was being careful not to look directly at him. “Everything all good, Vi? Seems like something’s bothering you other than Caitlyn.”

“I’m fine,” Vi quickly responded. When Vander casually raised an eyebrow, Vi sighed and leaned forward. “Okay, so, things might get a little weird, and you may be worried, but I’ve got it under control, okay? I’ll let you know if something happens, but… I’m sorry I can’t tell you the whole truth right now. Do you trust me?”

“Like I said, I do. Is this about Mylo?” Vi swallowed hard. “Thought so, he was acting weird when he came back last night after you’d left. Well, you say you have it under control, so I trust you.”

Vi let out the breath she’d been holding. “So you won’t let him in on anything, right?”

“I’ve got a better poker face than you, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“Yeah, okay,” Vi laughed.

From that point on, the pair continued to eat together as if nothing had happened. Eventually, Vi thanked Vander and excused herself, dumping her plate in his sink before exiting the apartment. As the door clicked shut behind her, Vi reached her arms as high as she possibly could in an overexaggerated stretch. Her hands blocked out the dingy orange light from the ceiling lamp that lit the space, which remained on no matter how bright it was outside — which to be fair, it wasn’t that bright out. But Gray Days were okay in her book, they normally meant people made less of an effort to seem like they had more energy than they actually did.

A nearby doorway swung open. “Having a good time clogging up the hallway?” a familiar voice asked from past the door’s threshold.

Vi jumped slightly at the voice, and tried to stand as normally as possible as Mylo approached her. “Look, I know I ghosted yesterday, but you don’t have to act like I’m an actual ghost.” Mylo grinned and went in for a hug, which Vi accepted.

“Hey, you’re good. Shit happens, right?”

“Yeah, you can say that again. Listen, are you coming to work at the pub today?”

Vi nodded. “I don’t know what Vander’s gonna have me doing yet, though. Is there really that much to do that isn’t being covered?”

“It’s a restaurant, Vi. There’s always things to do, even if it’s just shooting the shit with your adoptive brother, right? Speaking of things to do though, I’m gonna take a walk before work, so I’ll see you there, okay? We’ll talk about all the exciting things you got up to over the last seven years.”

Vi playfully scowled at Mylo. He winked at her, and began bounding down the stairs to the first floor two steps at a time. When he was out of earshot, Vi sighed and leaned against the wall. “Just push through it, Lane…”

Two hours later, Vi was taking chairs off of tables and managing to shoot the shit with Mylo, Claggor, and the new help without thinking about whatever scene was about to come. There was a familiarity about The Last Drop that helped with that; the layout of the bar was exactly the same, the few immortal stains remained in their stalwart positions, and of course, Vander’s quiet presence at the bar was potent and lasting. There were a few more gray hairs in his beard, but otherwise, Vander was the exact same guy he was all those years ago; Vi suspected that so long as Vander remained unchanging, so too would The Last Drop. Rents may rise, and Hell’s Kitchen may shift, but its Hound isn’t moving any time soon.

Just before noon, Vi’s phone buzzed.

Cupcake:

I’m outside the pub, Vi. Is Mylo present?

Vi took a deep breath in through her nose, and pursed her lips as she blew it out. “Mylo, you wanna come help me with something over here?”

“Sure thing!”

Vi:

yeah, i got him here. come on in

Vi’s heart pounded in her chest as Mylo waltzed over to her. She didn’t have anything for him to actually help with, so she started to rack her brain with lies as he gave her a strange look. “What’s up?” he asked, just as the door opened.

“Hey, we’re not really open yet, can-” Mylo’s eyes shot open wide as Caitlyn strode in through the door that Vi had unlocked several minutes earlier. Vi’s mouth sat agape for an entirely different reason; Caitlyn’s outfit was simple, a charcoal button-down shirt with a single button tactfully undone, slate black pants, and the same denim jacket she had worn the night before. Her hair was pulled up into a ponytail, leaving an unobstructed view of the graceful curves of her neck, and two simple diamond-shaped earrings. She looked perfect.

When Vi locked eyes with her, Caitlyn flashed a quick smile before looking at Mylo, who looked ready to bolt. Vi managed to tear her eyes off Cait, and quickly lashed out a hand to grab Mylo by the wrist as he started running, locking him in place. “Vi, I’m sorry, I really gotta go, actually.”

“Nope, you gotta stay,” Vi said matter-of-factly. “If you’re not in trouble, then you’ll have no problem talking to her, right?” Mylo looked down at his adoptive sister with panic in his eyes. Vi was sympathetic, but as always, took no shit from him. “Whatever this is, she wants to help.”

Caitlyn approached the two of them, paying no mind to all the eyes around the restaurant that were now focused on them. Instead, she bore into Mylo’s eyes, and with very little effort on her part, Cait could tell that Mylo hadn’t done anything wrong. He looked like someone who knew he was over his head, and was scrambling to stay afloat now that someone was watching him. “Mylo, if you don’t remember me, my name’s Caitlyn Kiramman. You can call me Cait.”

“I know who you are, Cait, you come in here all the time. And you can let go of my wrist, dude!” Mylo yelled at Vi. Vi let go, knowing he wouldn’t try to run again, not at this point. “What do you want?”

“For what it’s worth, I’m not a cop anymore. I just wanna ask a few questions about your… friends. We can do it here, if that makes you more comfortable.”

When Mylo scanned the room, he saw Vander and Claggor both peering at him from the bar, and his cheeks regrettably went flush. “Fine. Come on, corner booth.”

Caitlyn nodded, and allowed Mylo to walk her to the far corner of the restaurant while Vi ushered everyone else into the kitchen, assuring them this would only take a minute or two.

“Is Mylo okay🙺” Claggor whisper-yelled. “What’s wrong, why’s Caitlyn talking to him? Isn’t she a cop?”

“Hey, hey, it’s all good Clag. Cait let me know yesterday that the case she’s on right now involves Mylo, apparently he was just witnessed talking to some thieves. Everything’s gonna be fine, trust me. Besides, she’s independent now, or something. He can trust her.”

Claggor knit his brow with worry, but nodded. Vander put a hand on his shoulder. “You know anything more about these thieves, Vi?”

“Not really,” Vi said, running a hand over the shaved half of her head. "From Staten Island, they took some art piece from a woman. Apparently they aren’t dangerous, but they are well-known, I think. I mean, as much as thieves can be.”

Vander nodded. “Well, I trust the three of you. Let’s just hope he hasn’t gotten himself stuck in anything.”

As the onlookers tried to gain insight into what was happening, Caitlyn sat calmly across from Mylo Lane, and pulled out her notebook. She opened a page she had already prepared for Mylo, and clicked her ballpoint pen to get herself into work mode. “So, Mylo. In case you are unaware, you were seen by an anonymous party speaking to two art thieves yesterday morning. Did they tell you their names?”

“Who saw me? Can I ask who saw me?” Mylo asked.

Caitlyn spoke as matter-of-factly as possible. “Truthfully, I was not told who, but under no circumstances could I divulge that information to you anyways.”

“Alright, fine, their names are Malcolm and Tobias.”

Caitlyn nodded. “And did you meet them for the first time yesterday?”

“No, Toby and I go way back! See, they live in Staten Island, but TF would come take the ferry to hang out with some mutuals of ours pretty often, so I got to know him. He’s very funny, a real prankster. Anyways, I haven’t seen him in almost ten years, rumor was he and his boyfriend ran away to AC after all the shimmer shit went down. I don’t think they were involved in that, though.”

The detective was astounded at how fast information started pouring out of Mylo. She’d known he was a fast-talker, but didn’t suspect that would carry over to an interrogation. She had nothing to complain about though, since all the information he was giving lined up with what she’d imagined was the case.

“And had you met Malcolm before?”

Mylo made a show of thinking about the question. “Maybe once.”

“Okay. Can you tell me about why they approached you, Mylo?”

“Well, he looked way different. Toby has this crazy beard now, so I like didn’t recognize him at first, and when he got up close, I was like ‘Oh shit!’ but had to keep quiet about it, you know? I don’t know what the hell he’s been up to, you know, so he could’a been contacting me for some secret plug or something. Don’t get me wrong, I would’ve said no, obviously, but before I could ask I got this weird vibe from a box that Malcolm was carrying. So instead I was like-”

“Hold on, slow down, Mylo. Can you actually tell me more about this box?” Caitlyn flipped to a different page in her notes.

“Uh… it had all these carvings on it, and it looked really old. Like, really old, like ancient civilizations type of shit, not like ‘Oh my nona passed down this precious heirloom from when her mother came to America in 1900’ old. And it just… I dunno, it creeped me out. Felt like the Declaration of Independence was inside, like that Nic Cage movie… Which one was that, Con Air?”

“National Treasure,” Caitlyn corrected, stifling a laugh. “I don’t suppose they actually told you what was in the box, did they?”

“No way, Malcolm was real cagey about it. Heh, Cagey. Anyways, they just told me they knew I had connections, and asked if I could set them up with a place to lie low for a couple days until they could figure out what they wanted to do next.”

“And did you do that for them?”

“Yeah, ‘cuz I’m a good friend,” Mylo said, throwing his arms about like he couldn’t believe Caitlyn would question his reliability.

“You say you have connections. Mind elaborating?”

At this, Mylo stiffened. “Uh… I mean, you know all of us used to run in… not the best crowds, right?” Caitlyn nodded, remembering several of Vi’s stories from back in the day, about having to fight to survive, even after being adopted. She had always inferred what that meant. “Okay, so, I still have friends who are like, kinda seedy, but mostly good people. Anyways, I was able to hook the guys up with a place nearby.”

“And where is that?”

Mylo narrowed his eyes, and leaned forward. He looked like he was trying very hard to be serious. “And what do I get for telling you?”

Caitlyn was unfazed. “You get to not be turned into the NYPD for housing criminals.”

“Oh, is that illegal?” Mylo wore a lopsided grin that managed to get another laugh out of Caitlyn.

“Yes, it is. And I reserve the right to change my mind if I determine that you’ve involved yourself in something truly dangerous. You wanna bring them to me now?”

“Uh, I don’t… I don’t think that’s such a good idea, if I’m earlier than they’re expecting me, they might try to run.”

“You’ll find that I’m good at finding people, and that’s if they could get away.” Caitlyn stood, and looked over to the kitchen threshold, which no less than three heads were poking out of. “How far away is it, Mylo?”

“It’s on 56th Street and 10th, not far. Are you sure you wanna go right now, though?”

“Positive.” Caitlyn walked over to the bar and waited for Vi to poke out. “You coming with, Miss Lane?”

“That’s a new one,” Vi commented, unable to help the slight smile that grew on her face. “Mylo, how much trouble are we in?”

“Shut up, Vi, I know I fucked up, and should’ve talked to people or whatever. But I knew what I was doing, they’re good guys.”

Vi sighed at the younger man, and turned back to the kitchen. “Vander, we gotta handle something. Sorry to take away your employee, we’ll be back as soon as we can.”

Vander looked down at his two kids, and figured there was nothing to be done that they weren’t planning on doing already. Plus, with Caitlyn along with them, he felt better about whatever the two were running into. “See you when I see you, Vi. Mylo, we’ll talk.”

Mylo looked ashamedly down at the floor. “Yeah, Van… Sorry.”

After waving to Claggor and steeling themselves for whatever confrontation they were walking towards, Caitlyn and Vi followed Mylo up 10th Ave for just ten minutes until he turned onto 56th Street. He led them to what appeared to be a fairly decent apartment building, painted a dull, unassuming gray that blended in with the sea of concrete and brick that surrounded it. Just looking at it from the outside, Vi assumed there were either studio spaces or incredibly tiny one bedrooms inside, but they were probably nicer than Vander’s building.

Mylo brought them inside, and up to the third floor. All the while, Vi looked to Caitlyn to try and glean what she was thinking, but to no avail. Cait had placed her notebook in a handbag just after they left The Last Drop, but still white-knuckle-gripped her pen. Her eyes were singularly focused on wherever Mylo was leading them; it wasn’t necessarily the time for admiration, but Vi was seriously impressed with Caitlyn’s work ethic.

“This the one?” Cait asked when Mylo stopped in front of one of the apartments.

“Yep. I have a special knock, is it cool if I use that so they know it’s me?”

“You may go right ahead,” Caitlyn responded, pocketing her pen; Vi saw her fingers snake around something else unseen within the folds of her bag.

Mylo knocked on the door. One, two, one-two-three. No answer. Mylo knocked again, and still there was silence.

Now worried, Caitlyn narrowed her eyes and inspected the door, sweeping her vision from Mylo to the deadbolt to the knob. “Mylo, is it locked?” He tried the knob, and found that it twisted without issue in his hand. “Okay, open on three, ready?” Vi and Mylo both looked at Caitlyn to gauge what she was thinking, but her eyes were laser-focused on the door. “One, two, three.”

Mylo swung the door to the apartment open, and stepped aside for Caitlyn, who brandished a sleek, matte black pistol from her bag. “Tobias Felix and Malcolm Graves! Come out with your hands up!”

Caitlyn walked into the space in practiced movements, and quickly surveyed the scene as Vi and Mylo entered. The studio was clearly a safehouse, filled with nothing more than a couch, a refrigerator, and a slough of boxes containing God knows what. A thick film of dust covered most surfaces, like whoever was staying here hadn’t been keen on poking around.

“Cupcake, you good? Are they here?”

The detective peered into a tiny bathroom. This can’t even fit two people, much less hide them. “They’re gone.”

“God dammit My, did you text them?” Vi yelled, slapping him hard on the shoulder.

“Vi, it’s fine, he didn’t. I would’ve seen. Did anyone else know they were here?”

Mylo squirmed. “I mean, I told people I was using this safehouse. But I didn’t give any other info, promise! No one does, we just have to make sure other people don’t show up to complicate things. There are thousands of places like this all over the city, if someone else was looking for them, they’d have to check them all! Honest!”

“Someone else looking for them…” Caitlyn muttered. As Vi glared at her brother, Caitlyn returned her attention to the rest of the room. Two boxes tossed to the ground… Two dustless spots on the couch, one on a crate by the window… The window!

Before Vi could even register it happened, Caitlyn was straddled on the windowsill, leaning out onto the fire escape that led to the back alley. “Open window, guys, they’re being chased. No way to know how long.”

“Cait, wait!” Vi said, and rushed over to the window. “I’m coming with you, alright?” Without intending to, Vi had landed her face just inches away from Caitlyn’s. Cait looked deeply into Vi’s eyes for a moment, two, three, before nodding and pulling her other leg outside. “Mylo, just go back home, okay? Or to The Last Drop, I don’t think this is big enough to be dangerous to people… But this isn’t over, yeah?”

“Yeah, Vi, yeah,” Mylo said, and rushed out of the apartment without having to be told twice.

Vi swung herself through the open window and shut it, and saw Caitlyn already dropping onto the shut lid of a dumpster. Her eyes scanned the alley like a hawk; it would have been endearing if they weren’t actively chasing wanted criminals. How and why the hell is this how I’ve decided to spend my third day out of Stillwater? What the hell kind of spell does that woman have on you, Lane?

“They likely entered here,” Caitlyn said as Vi caught up to her, pointing her index and middle finger like a gun at the alley entrance to a parking garage on 57th Street. “What do you think, Violet?”

“I think this is your area of expertise, Cupcake,” Vi said. “Lead the way.”

The pair strode into the garage and towards a nearby stairwell, and were quickly faced with a decision. “Vi, keep your eye on your phone if I text you. I go up, you go down?”

Judging by the size of the garage, there were a lot less floors down than up. “That’s a lot more ground for you to cover, Cait.”

“It’s fine, I imagine you can run up a flight of stairs faster than I can.”

Vi smirked. “And why would you assume that, Cupcake?”

“Oh I don’t know, because you’re far more athletic than I am? Whatever, Vi, we don’t have time for this!”

Just as Caitlyn was about to start climbing, a shout echoed through the stairwell from below. It sounded exasperated, but not hurt. “Decision made, Cait. Come on!” Vi grabbed Caitlyn’s hand, and began bounding down the stairs as fast as she could.

The sleuths reached the bottom after just one flight of stairs, and ducked behind the nearest car they could when they entered the parking space. Peering through the car’s windows, tucked behind a cement wall, Caitlyn could sense at least one person down here, maybe two; the air felt… off. Cait pulled out her phone, opened her notes app, and took a moment to feverishly type a message that she showed to Vi: Stay here, I don’t want you to get hurt.

Vi made a face. Really? And perfect punctuation, now? She ripped the phone out of Caitlyn’s hands and typed a response: Don’t care I’ve handled worse I’m not leaving you. It was the fastest Vi had ever typed.

Caitlyn sighed silently and took her phone back. With her gun leveled out in front of her, which she noticed Vi kept looking at — I’ll have to unpack that later — she stood up from behind the sedan, and walked slowly forward. Vi was close on her heels, but not too close. It worried her that Vi was walking into this unarmed, but she also felt infinitely more confident having the woman on her six. Don’t think about that, Caitlyn. Focus on the job.

As Caitlyn maneuvered around the wall, her eyes trained on two individuals in a silent, unnerving stand-off. A man who she assumed was Malcolm Graves based on description — he had thick mutton chops, hardened eyes, and a cigar hanging out of his mouth — had his hands up in the air and was backed up against a wall, and a woman with fiery hair tied through the back of her ball cap was pointing two revolvers at him. Shit. Caitlyn didn’t want Sarah to get hasty and shoot, but figured that not revealing herself would be the better option. Shakily, she held up a hand for Vi to stay as still as possible.

After a moment, Sarah spoke up. “Graves… where the fuck did your partner just go?”

“Shit, Sarah, I don’t know! He just fucking disappeared in front of me too, and you didn’t hear him say anything to me about it, did you?”

“You tell me the truth, Malcolm Graves, or I swear to God you will meet my mother’s fate.”

“Calm down, Sarah, I seriously don’t know! I can call him, I-”

“No, keep your hands up!” Sarah shouted. “Why’d you steal it? What the hell even is it?”

“We don’t know what it is! Toby told me he heard someone Gangplank hired had located it, and that he’d be making a move on it soon. They never had the balls to investigate your apartment, so we decided we would. We got on a plane and flew into LaGuardia two nights ago. That’s it.”

“So what, you don’t even want it🙺 Why the hell wouldn’t you just talk to me?”

“Sarah, we both know you get weird about shit when it comes to your mom. Remember when we offered for you to come with us, and-”

“Shut the hell up, Malcolm! If I so much as hear Abigale Fortune’s name cross your lips, it’s a bullet in Tobias’ fucking skull, and then yours.”

This may have gone too far, Caitlyn thought to herself. As calmly as she could, before Graves was dumb enough to speak, Cait inserted herself into the scene. “Sarah, calm down… No one here thinks ill of your mother. Put the guns down.”

Sarah’s head whipped over to face Caitlyn; she saw the detective, looking resolute and sure of herself. Behind her was a woman that she’d best describe as a guard dog; Caitlyn had the gun pointed at Sarah, but the pink-haired woman behind Cait was the one staring daggers into her, fists curled like she was waiting for an excuse to throw down.

She wasn’t about to put down her weapons, as she could call Caitlyn Kiramman’s bluff with relative ease; Sarah’s friend had done research into Kiramman’s history, and found that over several years in the NYPD, she had been involved in quite a few incidents, and despite having fired rounds on many of those occasions, she had never used lethal force. If Sarah had to guess, at the end of the day, the woman wouldn’t be able to put someone down.

The choice was made for Sarah. Before anyone moved, Graves’ phone began to ring incessantly. “Answer that,” Sarah and Caitlyn said in unison.

As Graves reached into his pocket, Sarah slowly moved one gun towards Caitlyn’s heart. Caitlyn’s eyes didn’t budge, but Sarah saw an intense rage in the other woman’s eyes. “Tobias, where the hell are you?”

Nearly a mile away, Tobias Felix spoke in hushed tones to his partner. “Dude, you’re not gonna believe this, but I’m on the Central Park fucking Carousel.”

“What the hell? That’s like a mile away, you’ve never gone that far!”

“A mile?” Cait whispered incredulously.

“He is not a mile away,” Sarah sighed, tucking her revolvers in hidden jacket holsters. “Graves, give me your phone, I’m talking to him.” Malcolm hesitated since Sarah had put away her guns, but when the detective slowly, almost innocently pointed her gun at him, he cursed and handed it over. “Felix, where the hell are you?”

“Sarah? Great, I wanna talk to you. Listen, some kid’s looking at me funny, so I think I gotta run, but I’m at the Carousel right now.”

“I have a gun to your partner’s head, Felix, stop screwing around!”

Tobias activated the camera on his phone, and as Sarah held Malcolm’s phone out to look, sure enough, the camera was pointed at a glossy, painted horse made of questionable material. “I don’t get it either, Sarah, I’m just telling you what happened. Seriously, I have to run, but I have the glove with me. Come with Graves and meet me at Belvedere. I’m gonna give this dude the runaround until then. Oh, and get him to tell you about the Deck!” Before Felix hung up, the camera shook violently as the card shark dove through a window and into the woods.

“The hell? Graves, what sort of crack is he smoking, and how did he get all the way to Central Park? We were literally just looking at him. If that video was fake, you have to tell me.”

“He said Belvedere, like the castle?” Malcolm asked. “What the hell… I’ll explain on the way, I guess.”

Sarah sighed, and looked at the pair of women who seemed largely confused and out of their league. “Come on, Kiramman. You wanna do something good? Come help me find that glove like you promised.”

Caitlyn nodded without pause, and began to follow Sarah and Malcolm as they exited the parking garage.

Vi blinked twice and trailed behind her partner again. “Cait… what just happened? What is happening?”

“Don’t know everything, but we’re gonna listen in.” As the group began to walk briskly north, Cait pointed to Sarah. “That’s Sarah Fortune, the owner of the art piece. And he’s Malcolm Graves, one of the thieves.”

Vi struggled to wrap her head around everything that was happening. “What the hell did you drag me into, Cupcake…”

“Sorry,” Cait muttered, paying close attention to Graves, who had begun telling Sarah something about Felix’s deck of cards, for whatever reason. She had begun to feel guilty about Vi’s involvement in her work life.

“Hey, it’s whatever,” Vi said, and took Cait’s hand as they sped up. “You promised I’d have you for the day, right?”

Fifteen minutes later, Tobias poked his head out from behind a bush. When the fur-lined leather jacket and shock of blonde hair were nowhere to be seen, he ritually rifled through his deck of cards until he found the Ten of Spades. He blew lightly on the card, causing the little spades to flicker with potential. “Alright, speedy. Let’s see what you got.”

The rogue tucked the playing card into one of his boots, and as he began to run, his feet swung in front of him with incredible haste; after getting used to the new movement, Tobias was able to make it all the way across Bow Bridge in two seconds. “Holy shit, this is awesome!”

“There you are!” a voice shouted from the side of the bridge Felix had just been on. “Come back here!”

As the blonde man started to give chase again, Tobias cursed under his breath. “Every time I use one of these, you find me… what are you, a scent hound for magic tricks? Get a better hobby…”

Tobias ran as fast as he could up the winding paths of the Ramble, but the magic in his step wore out quickly. He picked the card from his boot and shoved it back into the deck, and began shuffling as he ran. The Ramble was a maze of wooded paths that he hoped would be able to keep his pursuer just far enough off his trail to set up a trap. Malcolm will get to the castle with Sarah in… fifteen minutes, ten if they care. If I’m gonna get there before them, I’ll have to sprint. What’ll tie that fucker up… a Spade?

As the pursuer began to make his way up the hill and into the forest, he quickly found himself at a crossroads. “Come on, dude, use some magic,” he muttered to himself. “I can’t find you if you don’t…” Without time to dally, the man chose a path at random. If I don’t move at all, I’ll have wasted time. If I take a guess and I’m wrong, I just keep running. If my guess is right though…

The man’s bright blue eyes caught a flash of movement in the trees. “There you are! Can we please just talk?” As he turned a corner, the man saw his quarry, leaned up against an old oak. His thick beard was trimmed to a fine point, and a single one of his eyes peered out from beneath a hat. As the man stood there twiddling a card between his fingers, he made no attempt to move.

The blonde man’s head suddenly rang incessantly, and he pinpointed the cause to be coming from the magic man. “Will you please just stop doing that, and listen to me🙺 My name’s Ezreal. What’s yours?”

The card shark said nothing.

“Come on, dude, do you even know what it is you have?” Ezreal glared at the small case in the man’s other hand. Wait, something’s off. The glove isn’t giving off a signal.

“Where’d you put it? Tell me!”

Still the man was silent.

Ezreal groaned, and in a fit of rage, he found a rock on the side of the path and hurled it at the bearded man. As the stone collided with his chest, the card shark disappeared into a puff of smoke, and the stone carried through to impact the oak. Just above the hit, a playing card was lodged into the tree, seemingly the only physical sign that the magician had been there at all.

“Clever…” Ezreal walked over and plucked the card from the tree; a Jack of Diamonds. When Ez turned the card over in his hand, beams of sunlight that pushed through the dense canopy of the Ramble glinted off the card’s faces. Strangely enough, the faces weren’t reflexive like on a normal playing card; one wore a hat and had a thick beard, while the other was drawn with wider mutton chops and a cigar.

Suddenly, Ezreal received another pulse of static straight to his mind; a strong one that pulled him due north. “There you are…” Before setting off, the man looked up to the sky above. “I swear I’ll get it back, Mom and Dad. I’ll make you proud… I promise.”

As Ezreal traveled, Tobias was shuffling through his deck, and methodically placing various cards on the stonework of Belvedere Castle; most of them were Hearts, a constant reminder that his own heart was racing. You’ve pulled off bigger ploys than this, Felix. It’s just magic! What’s the worst that could happen?

Tobias sighed as he sat back and looked around at his handiwork, a network of playing cards that buzzed with potential, all selected and positioned just so. Against the gray expanse of clouds high above, and the stone castle at his feet, Tobias’ eyes were drawn to the flocks of birds that skirted around the woods. A cardinal was perched atop the roof of a gazebo, a blue jay soared past him to spiral around the castle tower, and a bird with a yellow breast that Tobias didn’t immediately recognize picked at crumbs on a bench.

Well, best get moving. Tobias palmed the Two of Hearts, and slapped it on the locked glass door leading into the castle. Toby’s hand was instantly repelled back by a second impact which caused the glass to shatter. He wasn’t sure whether he had lucked out or not regarding the castle being closed on Mondays; eerily, there were no people on the castle’s terrace, meaning he was alone with the birds.

The vagabond made his way into Belvedere, and up the stone steps to the highest level he could get to. Peering out over the surrounding landscape, Felix could see the blonde man approaching from the south. “Showtime, Tobias,” the magician said to himself before cupping a hand around his mouth. “Hey, blondie! I’m right here, so let’s talk!”

Ezreal stared up at Belvedere, and the thief presenting himself so openly. Oh yeah, because that’s trustworthy. As he approached the first stone steps, the hunter’s mind was under a constant assault from ten or more small, arcane auras. With his senses flooded, Ezreal was on edge, so he skirted the side of the stonework and used the ramp rather than the steps. “Is that actually you up there? I don’t particularly feel like wasting my time again.”

“Oh, did you like my friend? First time trying that one out, I’m glad it worked.”

“So what, is the deck magic, or are you?” Ezreal called up.

Tobias shrugged. “Well, I’ve been an amateur magician my whole life, if that’s what you’re asking.”

Ezreal sighed. The noise in his head was incessant, and droning louder the closer he got to the castle itself. If he took a moment to concentrate, he knew he could pinpoint the location of at least one of the signals, which he assumed were coming from the cards. He had one of them in his pocket, after all. “Do you even know what the glove does? You could get seriously hurt!”

“What glove?” Tobias asked with a sly grin, raising empty hands and waving his fingers. “I’m not wearing any.”

As the hunter took two steps closer, another jolt of pain coursed through his mind, alerting him to the corner of a playing card sticking out from behind a light post. I guess if I’m not gonna get anywhere talking to this guy, I might as well act. Ezreal took a moment to stoop down and pick up another nearby rock. “I hope you aren’t insulted by me making sure you’re really real.”

“Go right ahead!” the rogue grinned, spreading his arms wide.

Ezreal readied himself, and after winding back the smooth stone, he threw it as hard as he could at the ground where he could see the card behind the light post. Years of playing baseball as a child paid off in that moment, as the projectile sailed through the air with pinpoint accuracy and impacted the card. The thunk of stone on stone as the rock collided with the ground, muffled slightly by the card, was immediately followed by a hissing sound like gas shooting forth from a canister. In diamond-shaped fractals, Ezreal watched as the entire area in a hundred foot radius was filled with a thick fog cloud, obscuring any sight that the two had. Ezreal grinned; this result was better than he ever could have expected.

Sarah knit her brow as she strode through Central Park. This is stupid. There is no case in which this isn’t another trap. What reason would they have for talking to me now, after the glove is stolen? No, they’re trying to mock the memory of my mother. Someone had to have paid them off to make a fool of me. Well, I’m no fool. I’m going to walk straight into this damn trap, and I will still walk out with my prize.

“Excuse me, Mr. Graves?” the detective asked. “So, you say this deck of cards is magic. I assume you mean they’re in some way better for magicians to do tricks with? Or perhaps that they have some inscrutable technology embedded inside them?”

Graves groaned. “Listed lady, I get if you’re in denial, I was too. But I’m tellin’ you, it’s just fucking magic. You’ll see it when we get there.”

“Well fine, if the cards are really arcane in nature, is it safe to assume that the glove is too? Is that why Gangplank wants to get his hands on it?”

“Don’t say that name so loudly, Jesus!” Graves exclaimed. “You’re getting real fast and loose with these questions, lady. Remind me why you’re here again?”

“I told you, my name is Caitlyn Kiramman, I’m an investigator working for-”

“Okay, forgive me for making you believe I actually cared. Can we go any faster, maybe? Lives are on the fucking line here!”

Caitlyn looked incredibly exasperated, so Vi touched her hand as they picked up the pace. They were on 79th Street Transverse, just a minute away from the castle. If Vi was going to say something to Cait before she ran headlong into whatever this was, it had to be then. “Cupcake, are you sure about this?”

The stalwart investigator spared a brief glance at her friend. “Whether I’m sure about it or not hardly matters. Sarah’s going whether we do or not; I won’t stand by as this story happens when I’m not there to witness it.”

“Yeah, okay, I hear that,” Vi said. “But what if you get yourself into something you can’t get out of?”

Caitlyn sighed, and allowed Violet to take her hand. “When you protected your sister all those years ago, were you worried about not getting out of it?” Vi was quiet. “Same thing, Vi. If this is going to affect or harm the people of this city, I want to do what I can to quell it.”

“Cait… I agree with the sentiment, but if you get caught doing something you’re not supposed to be doing, the police will be on you. Do you have any idea what it was like being torn away from Jinx for all those years? I know I did the right thing beating up Deckard, but I would give anything to have that lost time back.”

“Well, I don’t have a sister I’d be forced to leave behind, so I can take the chance.”

“You’re being dense, Caitlyn!” Vi shouted, holding firm to Caitlyn’s hand to hold her in place. The sudden jolt she got from trying to move when she no longer could temporarily shook Caitlyn’s concentration. “You still have people who care about you!”

“I… I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that,” Caitlyn said, her eyes torn between the injured look on Vi’s face and the staircase that Graves and Sarah were now ascending.

Vi touched Cait’s cheek with her free hand and angled it towards her. “Cait, look at me. I know how much this means to you. I know how seriously you must take your work. I am perfectly fine with storming up those stairs with you into God knows what. But I’m going in there because I want to be there for you, and I need you to do the same thing. It’s not selfish to prioritize yourself when it means you get to keep doing good later, right?”

Caitlyn was still torn, but couldn’t look away from Vi. Her gray eyes were boring holes into Cait’s psyche, and her upper lip was quivering ever-so-slightly; Cait wanted to run her finger along its scar.

“I know it’s hard not to have your thoughts get stuck on a railroad, just… remember there’s other things that matter, okay?”

Vi brushed a strand of Cailyn’s hair behind her ear, and like clicking the pen to switch her mental functions, Caitlyn’s mind was suddenly flooded with thoughts of Vi once more. She remembered visions of Vi across the small table at the mid-scale restaurant, of the two of them spooning to ease their mutual anxieties, of Vi over her, underneath her… She obsessed over her irises’ exact shade of silver, the curve of the scar on her lip, the contour of her strong jawline. There was this immense, unspoken care that Caitlyn didn’t have to ask for verbally; she knew it was there without any confirmation. Cait felt their heads drawing nearer to each other without meaning to, as if adhering to a simple, inescapable gravity.

BOOM!

A massive thundering sound erupted from on high, and from halfway up the stairs, Graves yelled “Toby!” Suddenly he and Sarah were gone from sight; it was just Vi and Caitlyn on the transverse, the moment effectively sundered. Caitlyn wanted so badly to kiss Violet, but settled for squeezing her hand as tightly as possible, and using her eyes to express her gratitude as truly as possible. Vi nodded, and without any words, the two of them sprinted up the steps after Sarah and Graves.

When the group reached the top of the steps, they saw that a massive fog cloud hugged the stone terrace of Belvedere Castle. Graves didn’t hesitate to run head-long into the fog, but was buffeted back when a series of small, concussive blasts burst from all sides of the area. After shaking off the funk, he ran in again with Sarah and the pair of detectives following just behind.

“What the hell’s happening, Graves?” Sarah shouted at the top of her lungs, swinging wildly at the man to hit him, not quite sure whether she should be aggressing him or not.

“I don’t know! T, where are you🙺”

“Malcolm!” Tobias shouted, from somewhere high and unseen. “Top of the tower, come help, now!”

“Names, T!” Malcolm chided his partner softly to himself, before whipping his head around to find the door to the castle.

Vi was still holding Caitlyn’s hand, trying as hard as she could to see through the smoke and mirrors. Graves was having a hard time finding which part of the building he could enter, since the cloud seemed the most thick around the castle itself. As she attuned to the area, Vi could make out five different figures in the courtyard. Wait… Bad math. Cupcake and I are accounted for, Sarah is right behind Graves… That other voice was coming from on top of the building. As the fifth shadow ducked into the castle, Vi realized that all of the other members of her party were wielding firearms, and the smoke hindered all of their vision; she sighed. You’re up, Lane.

“I’ve got him!” Vi slipped her hand out of Caitlyn’s and sprinted towards where she’d seen the figure enter the building. Ducking into the building through a shattered glass door, Vi could already see better, and heard a set of pounding footsteps climb the stairs. She couldn’t help but smirk; as much as she regretted being in the middle of what was sure to be considered illegal activity, Vi couldn’t deny that she loved the chase. “Get back here!”

Vi pursued the runner all the way up to the higher of two outdoor landings, and burst out into the brisk autumn air with plenty of air in her lungs. She felt like she could have kept running forever, but the man she’d been chasing was now trapped. He was a scrappy-looking man with blonde hair and bright blue eyes that dazzled against the expansive gray sky. The man was slowly approaching another figure that Vi assumed was Felix, the other original thief. As the blondie leapt at Felix, the thief smiled, and after twisting a playing card out of his sleeve, he disappeared. The sleight befuddled Vi, but she figured she didn’t need to understand right away. As long as she could restrain this kid, she hoped all would be well.

“Hey Blondie!” Vi said, cornering the man against the thick stone railing. “Trapped between a rock and a pair of fists, huh? I know the feeling. Don’t make this hard on yourself.”

When the man didn’t respond, Vi shrugged and moved to grapple him. She stepped forward with a guarded stance, and as soon as she was close enough, she shot out an arm to latch onto the man’s wrist, and follow up with the restraint. As Vi closed her fingers on her target, however, he disappeared into a puff of smoke, and she tumbled against the stone wall as the kinetic energy of her maneuver carried her towards what was now nothing but thin air.

“God dammit!” Vi cried. “What the hell is all this🙺”

From down below, everyone heard Vi scream out in frustration as the fog began to clear, including Tobias Felix, who had landed exactly where he’d planned. The card shark had placed his more explosive cards all around the building itself, but if they failed to concuss the treasure hunter, Felix had hoped to lure him into the castle to trap him, and run away with the glove while Malcolm and Sarah dealt with him. As such, he had planted the Ace of Spades on the gazebo wall a hundred feet away; using the Joker as his anchor, Felix had used the Ace to flawlessly teleport himself away from the scene.

At least, it would have been perfect, if the brawny woman who now leaned against the top of the tower wasn’t standing empty-handed.

Tobias gasped. The Jack of Diamonds!

Before Tobias had the chance to look around, he was tackled to the ground by a great force, and a fist clocked him across the jaw. “Fuck!” Again and again the man laid strikes down on Felix, his blue eyes wild with energy; without the time to do anything about it, Felix felt the ornate box slip out of his grasp.

Adrenaline raced through Ezreal as he rushed away from the thief. He hollered with joy. “Holy shit, I used magic! And I predicted your play! And I got what’s mine!!!”

“Bullshit!” Sarah called out from the terrace. The smoke curled around her body as it faded, and seemed to linger around the barrels of her revolvers. “I don’t know who the hell you think you are, but that chest belonged to my mother, so I would see that you give it here before I send you to meet her in death.”

“Sarah, don’t do this,” Caitlyn intoned from her side.

“Detective, I’m grateful you came with me all this way, and I’ll talk about this when it’s all done if you gotta tell a story, but I’m getting that glove and I do not care how it happens.”

“Wait… Sarah?” Ezreal thought aloud. Narrowing his eyes at the roguish woman, something clicked in the treasure hunter’s mind. She had only just arrived, but even so, Ezreal knew there was something familiar about her. The hair that tumbled from her head like a raging fire, the eyes that wavered like a roiling sea… Sarah had a beauty that reminded Ezreal of the woman who his parents had bequeathed their heirloom to all those years ago. Miss Abigale is going to protect this for you until we come back, Ez… We’ll be back as soon as we can be, and before you know it, it will be your time to wear the glove. But they didn’t come back, and the glove was lost to time. Until now… It’s in your hands, Ezreal. “That’s right, she had a daughter!”

Sarah’s eyes widened. “What did you say…?”

“Sarah, right? I know you may be confused, but I need to put the glove on. Your mother Abigale would have-”

“ENOUGH!” Sarah screamed, and took her first shot.

A red haze clouded Sarah’s vision; the barrel of her gun was aimed right at Ezreal’s heart, and the bullet would have perfectly hit its mark if Caitlyn’s intuition wasn’t so finely honed. As soon as the man said Abigale's name, Caitlyn launched herself at Sarah, shoving her to the side to throw off her aim. Ezreal was halfway through opening the chest when Sarah’s bullet tore through his shoulder, sending him to the ground. The pain only served to sear further conviction into the man’s heart; the chest had fallen to the ground several feet away from him, its second latch shattered and glove deposited onto the stones, and Malcolm Graves had turned on a dime from running to Tobias to running for the artifact. No… you won’t take this from me!

Ezreal ripped out his final trick from his jacket, and tossed a second card he had picked up from the terrace at Graves; the Six of Hearts. He knew roughly that it would cause an explosion, but was pleasantly surprised when the burst of arcane energy dealt no damage itself; Graves was sent flying off the terrace. With the detective grappling with Sarah’s second pistol, Ezreal was free to leap onto the golden glove and slip his hand into it.

When Ezreal’s fingers filled the glove, the sapphire-like stone on its front shone white-hot, and a blissful agony rippled through his body that outshone the pinprick bullet wound in his shoulder. As the energy tore through Ezreal, he convulsed involuntarily and let out an earth-shattering scream that rang true in all five boroughs of New York City; in that moment, Ezreal called out to all the souls and spirits of the city, and asked for their aid.

Ezreal was quiet for just a moment as the pain rescinded back into the gauntlet; when that sullen, potent ache returned to his palm, his arm, and his entire being, Ezreal’s cry was echoed all throughout the city as countless people matched his cadence without understanding why. Escaping from Belvedere Castle, Violet Lane fell to her knees and screamed alongside Ezreal, much to the surprise of her partner, who wasted no time rushing to her side. “Vi! Vi, what’s happening🙺 VI!”

Sarah, Tobias, and Malcolm looked on in awe and horror as Ezreal let out a third and final bellow, one that the city itself seemed to respond to. His body began to shine the same celestial blue and gold as his eyes and hair, and he floated several feet off the ground. Not far to the northeast, the flawless gray sky above the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir coalesced into a localized storm cloud that rained sorrow down on her waters. All over the boroughs, New York gave Ezreal the strength he needed to come down from his effort.

When Ezreal touched the stonework of Belvedere’s terrace with his golden glove, freezing cold and scalding hot all at once, the acute stress returned to his mind; but now his sense was enhanced, and the entire city was alight with arcane potential. In an instant, the boy felt awake, and so too did the city. There’s a rhyme there, Ezreal thought.

The City that Never Sleeps was now, once and for all, truly awake.

Chapter Text

Blue and gold. 

Sarah Fortune stared wide-eyed at the man who shone blue and gold like his glove. He was coming off some sort of spiritual experience, and his body shook like it was holding in more raw energy than a nuclear power plant. He looked like he was about to break; but he never did. 

“What the hell was that…? Who the hell are you?”

When the man opened his eyes to the gray reality around him, the glow receded from his form, and he was left looking just like he had before. His eyes frantically flitted back and forth, and he spun in circles to witness the whole city. “I… I have to go.”

Sarah wanted to fight, wanted to rip the glove from his hand and put it on herself… But for the first time since that day all those years ago, when she had vowed never to feel fear again, she was truly, utterly frightened. “What just happened? What is that thing?”

The blonde looked at Sarah with a sudden sadness. “I… I’m sorry I have to take this from you. My name’s Ezreal, and my parents gave this to your mother to protect many years ago… And when they died, I had no way to collect it.”

Sarah faltered. “How did they die?”

Ezreal shrugged, and lifted his right hand. “This is the Gauntlet of Ne’Zuk. It has been passed down to worthy inheritors for thousands of years… But only a handful of people have ever been commanded to wear it. Most of the time, if you put it on, it will do nothing. Under the right circumstances, though…” As Ezreal spoke, the city called out to him, and he winced in pain as the piercing energy invaded his mind once again. He could feel his senses expanding exponentially, simultaneously growing more broad and more acute. 

Sarah looked at Ezreal strangely, like he wasn’t quite real. “And you met my mother?”

“I did, once. She was nice.” Sarah nodded. “I really have to go… I can feel the city calling out to me. It’s so loud… Heh, they always said the first day would be the worst, at least.”

“Wait… You said there were circumstances to you putting it on? What were they? Why was my mother the one it had to be given to? Jesus H Christ, why do I even believe you?”

Ezreal gave a sad, sort of bemused smile to Sarah. “I know some things, Sarah, but I definitely don’t know why you believe all this… I guess it’s so ludicrous that it may as well be true, huh? Listen, I’m so sorry, but I don’t have the time to explain it all right now. I’ll… I’ll come find you soon, so stay in the city, okay? I promise I’ll explain it all when I can, when shit gets less… loud.”

Sarah thought to object, but nodded instead. Ezreal sighed and nodded back in response. He raised the gauntlet and pointed it south, and in a flash of bright golden light, like a gateway or vortex opened around him, Ezreal disappeared. He reappeared several hundred yards south, and after repeating the jump several times, the man disappeared beyond the tree covering of The Ramble. 

“Sarah…” Graves muttered from the nearby gazebo. He was holding up Tobias, whose face was starting to bruise. “We gotta get the hell out of here. You gonna come with us this time?”

Sarah spared a glance at the detective, who had seemingly lost all interest in everything going on, and was solely focused on her pink-haired partner, who appeared to have lost consciousness for a brief moment. The woman’s eyes fluttered open, and Caitlyn quickly attended to her. When Sarah turned to face her old friends again, it was with a weathered but well-meaning smile. “Yeah, I’ve got a place we can stay, let’s get the hell outta here before the fuzz shows.”

Tobias looked through his swelling eyes to the pair by the castle. “You sure you wanna leave them?”

The rogue nodded. “Too many people won’t be good. But you’ve got my number, right Detective? We’ll talk!” The detective seemed oblivious to the three thieves. “Well then, let’s make like fucking trees, boys.”

Caitlyn was vaguely aware of people fleeing from the scene, but her eyes were locked on Vi’s. “Vi! Vi, stay with me, you’re gonna be okay. Can you tell me what’s wrong?”

“I… We gotta go, Cupcake… Will you carry me?”

Caitlyn laughed, and desperately held in her tears. “I will help you up, but if you’re in pain, we should deal with it post-haste.” Cait picked Vi up as gently as possible and slung one of her arms over her shoulders. As she began to walk them a ways away from the castle, Cait noticed that Vi was having a hard time keeping her head up straight.

“Did you seriously just say post-haste? Like, in a real sentence? You’re so posh.”

“Shut up,” Cait said affectionately. “You need another minute. Here, sit down gently.” She eased Vi onto a bench and sat down next to her. Caitlyn was scared about Vi’s well-being, but couldn’t help but smile madly when Vi’s head dipped into the crook of her neck. “How does your head feel, Violet?”

“Fine. Fuzzy… Drunk?” Vi nuzzled deeper into Caitlyn’s shoulder. “Did the big explosion from earlier make your ears ring?”

“No, it didn’t. Are your ears ringing now?” Vi nodded. “Do you have a history of tinnitus?”

“Tin what?”

“Never mind.” As Vi’s breathing pattern steadied, Caitlyn busied herself by taking hold of both of Vi’s hands. Vi was shaky, and ever-so-slightly warm to the touch, but what caught Cait’s attention most as she massaged Vi’s knuckles were sets of unfamiliar ink. On Vi’s left hand, stretching down to her wrist, Caitlyn ran her fingers over a simple, monochromatic depiction of the Freedom Tower. She wrapped both hands around the hand and moved it to the side. On Vi’s right hand, there was an even simpler shaded outline of a fist, with musculature flexed as if it was punching something unseen. 

“When did you get these two tattoos done, Violet? I don’t remember noticing them before.”

“I don’t believe that for a second, Cupcake, you’re like the most observant person ever…” Vi’s head tipped forward as she looked through heavy eyelids at her hands in Cait’s. “Wait, what the hell? I don’t have hand tattoos.”

Caitlyn furrowed her brow. “Oh boy… Well, it appears you do, darling. You said your head feels fuzzy, but is it in any pain?”

Darling? “No, really, I can tell you where and when I got every piece of ink I have, this isn’t like a brain thing. Honest.”

Cait’s cheeks turned a light shade of pink. “While I would very much like to hear those stories, we don’t have the time. If you didn’t have them placed there, then why do you think they’re there?”

“I… I don’t know. This magic stuff’s new, maybe that?” The validity of that theory scared Caitlyn, but before she could get in a word to assuage their fears, Vi’s phone started buzzing violently in her pocket. She fished it out. “Oh shit, it’s Jinx.”

Vi didn’t hesitate to answer the call, but Caitlyn swiped the phone from her to save Vi any potential headache. The two shared a look that made up for an hour’s worth of banter.

“Vi! Where are you right now🙺”

“Hi Jinx, it’s Caitlyn. Vi has a bit of a headache right now, but she’s right here with me.”

“Cait! Then put it on speaker phone and hold it away from you!” Caitlyn did so. “Okay Vi and Cupcait I don’t know where the hell you’re at but I need you in Harlem at Little Man’s place right now! Right right now!”

“Jinx, what’s wrong🙺” Vi asked, her voice strained; her demeanor had flipped on a dime.

“So I’ve been at Ekko’s since last night, and he went out to work this morning so he’s not here, but Zeri didn’t because she didn’t have to and all of a sudden I heard her screaming bloody murder in her room! So I barged in, and you gotta promise to believe me, pinky-swear the next time I see both of you, she was like glowing and shit! All lime green and copper-colored and her eyes flickered, and then she screamed again and I didn’t know what to do, and she started shooting lightning everywhere and then the power went out!”

The fogginess in Vi’s mind was nonexistent as she listened to her sister. “Jinx-”

“No, no, you said you’d believe me! Okay, maybe you didn’t, but I’m getting that pinky promise!”

“Jinx, we do believe you,” Vi said as calmly as possible. “We’re in Central Park, and something crazy just happened here too.”

“Wait, really? Okay okay just tell me when you get here. You’re on your way, right? Zeri’s forehead is practically but not literally boiling and I think she has a crazy fever! She’s in a ton of pain and I don’t know what to do, also I think the power is out for the whole building. No, the whole block. All of Harlem🙺 Hell, it’s possible!”

“Jinx, we’re on our way,” Caitlyn said, handing the phone to Vi so she could help her stand up. “As fast as we can be, okay?”

“Okay Cait. Hey, take it off speaker phone, I gotta say something secret to you.”

Vi made a face, but was more than pliant when it came to requests from her sister. The pair began walking, and Caitlyn took back the phone, toggling the speaker phone function again. “Okay Jinx, what is it?”

Jinx’s voice came as little more than a whisper. “You said Vi had a headache or wasn’t feeling good or whatever, and that something crazy just happened. Are those two things related?”

Caitlyn glanced uneasily at Vi’s hands, which clutched desperately at her non-phone hand. “Maybe. We’ll look into it as soon as we get to you, okay? Pinky promise.”

“That’s both pinkies you’ve given to me, Caitlyn Kiramman. Are you willing to make that sacrifice?”

Caitlyn laughed a little, which she could tell calmed Jinx, if only slightly. “I take promises very seriously, Jinx. You may consider my pinkies yours. We’ll be there soon, okay? Text me or Violet if something else happens, and once we’re there we can bring Z to see a doctor. I’m going to text my father to see if he’s at the hospital or at home today. Remember Ekko vouched for him?”

“Uh huh, good chap, saved some homeless people’s lives and junk. Sounds perfect!”

“Get Zeri some water and some aspirin if they have it, if you haven’t already. Give her our love, and let her know we’ll be there before you two know it.”

“Okay Cait.” 

As soon as Jinx hung up, Cait tucked Vi’s phone into her own pocket so that Vi wouldn’t have to let go of her hand. “What did Jinx want to ask you, Cait?” Vi asked, seemingly unphased that she wasn’t getting her phone back.

“I believe if I tell you, she is going to cut off that pinky you’re holding,” Cait replied easily. It seemed silly given the seriousness of the moment, but she took Jinx’s request for privacy very seriously.

Vi’s face soured. “Cait, if she’s in real danger, you don’t have to abide by her games. You can tell me what’s going on.”

“The question she asked was a clarification on what happened, nothing more. Trust me, darling, you don’t have to worry about it. Let’s get moving, shall we?”

Without either of them thinking to let go, Caitlyn and Vi walked hand in hand as they briskly made their way north. Caitlyn thought to head to the nearest Metro station to save time, but Vi adamantly pulled her north up West Drive, so she didn’t argue. If it weren’t for their minds moving miles a minute, it would have been a lovely walk; there was a gentle breeze, and the cloud covering was light and dynamic, without the threat of precipitation. Occasionally though, when there were lulls in their conversation, Cait could swear she heard heavy, far-off rain on water amidst the white noise of Central Park at midday.

It was nice, but it was hardly the afternoon Vi had hoped for when Caitlyn made her intentions clear. She had hoped Mylo hadn’t gotten himself in too deep with anything, and while that turned out to be mostly true, the events of the previous hour were — at the very least — difficult to comprehend. As they walked, Vi would frequently lift her right hand from her side and stare curiously at the new tattoo. Whenever she clenched her fist, she could swear she felt the ink heat up half a degree. The first time Cait caught her looking at it, the detective launched an assault of questions to make sure Vi still felt alright, which she largely did. When it happened, and she had felt compelled to harmonize with Ezreal’s unworldly chorus, there was a ringing in her head. Something called upon her to wake up, and to take up arms. Then she’d fallen briefly unconscious, and by the time she woke up, she was immensely lethargic and confused but otherwise okay.

As they approached the paths that circled JKO Reservoir, Caitlyn was tapping absent-mindedly at her bag, which Vi took as a sign that Cait was thinking about taking notes about what she was saying. Vi chuckled a little under her breath, and let go of Cait’s hand to allow her to pull out her notebook. “You gonna be able to write and walk, Cupcake?”

“Of course! Many days my profession keep me walking from place to place longer than I actually remain in one spot, so lots of my best thinking has to be done on the road. Unfortunately that means my writing has to keep up the same pace, which you can imagine doesn’t do wonders for my penmanship.” Vi looked over Cait’s shoulder bemused, and was unsurprised when her handwriting was still far from chicken scratch. 

“Able to think out something with me while you jot stuff down, then?”

“Of course,” Caitlyn replied, taking a moment to smile at Vi.

“You don’t think all this magic stuff is really real, do you?”

Caitlyn huffed, and turned to her page on Tobias Felix, which was now filled with notes on his demeanor as Caitlyn observed it, and the mysterious deck of cards he carried around. “Every sensible part of my brain says no, but… I know what we saw. Or rather, I can’t reasonably explain a lot of what happened without jumping to that conclusion. I have a theory that if this is all arcane in nature, perhaps the people we’ve met themselves aren’t magic per se, but the artifacts we’ve encountered — namely the deck of cards and the glove — have some sort of ancient power. I can’t be sure, but it makes more sense to me than people being truly magical. Either way, with that sort of power in play, it would make sense why Gangplank was searching for the glove.”

“I thought I heard you say that name earlier. What does he have to do with all this?”

Caitlyn looked strangely at Vi and stopped in her tracks. “You know about him?”

Vi nodded. “Sure, lots of people in Stillwater want GP dead after how he ravaged the Island. Granted, a lot of those people were members of the gangs that he razed, so… not exactly the most honorable people. Then again, everyone in that place is doing the best they can, gangs or no. Anyways, is the Dead Pool involved in this too?”

“Tangentially, maybe. It seems as if he was closing in on the location of the gauntlet before Felix and Graves swiped it from Fortune.”

“Heh, funny that none of them ended up with it then,” Vi commented, taking a moment to stare out at the Reservoir. It was raining over the water.

“It is… I am curious about that Ezreal figure, but I was… distracted when he left. Vi?”

Vi had begun wandering close to the wrought-iron fence that lined the water. Cait watched as Vi stood against the backdrop of a heavy rain on the water, and smiled at her friend’s simple beauty. She knew they had much bigger things to worry about, and that they should really be on their way to Zeri and Jinx, but Caitlyn couldn’t help but relish the sight of Vi. Her broad shoulders and toned figure were all-encompassing amongst the greater image, so much so that it didn’t occur to Caitlyn that the downpour was falling exclusively over the water, perfectly lined up with its shores. Only when a massive wave rose up from the water’s surface — seemingly of its own volition — did Cait realize something was off.

“Vi!”

Caitlyn watched as the wall of water reached nearly twenty feet tall, and with a speed unbecoming of its relatively slow rise, it rushed past the Reservoir’s iron barrier and crashed into Vi. The water overtook Vi like an offensive tackle, throwing her to the ground and enveloping her in a cold embrace. As Cait shot forward to make sure she was okay, the flood swirled around her like it had a mind of its own, lifting into the air and circling Vi over and over; it acted more like wind than water.

As Cait approached Vi, the floating mass of water backed off, and sat down on the sidewalk several feet away from them. Cait thought Vi looked more inconvenienced than shocked. “Are you okay, Vi?”

“Yeah, I’m fine… I feel… really good, actually?”

All around them, onlookers shrugged and continued about their business, and joggers on the waterside path continued as if the impossible hadn’t just happened. “Something’s definitely weird about the city,” Caitlyn mused. “This feels like a dream.”

“Pinch me, Cupcake. Maybe I’ll wake up.” The women pinched each other, but neither was ripped from their current reality into the soft comfort of a bed.

Vi and Caitlyn watched as the water, still piled up in front of them, began to take the shape of a person. Over the course of a few seconds, skin and hair formed from the element, and a beautiful face came into view. The person’s long hair looked to be dyed a light blue, they had dark skin with discolored patches, soft and flowing features, and eyes the color of oxidized copper. “Vi, it’s you!”

Without warning, the figure leapt into Vi’s arms, and enveloped her with a hug that Vi was reluctant to reciprocate. Cait felt a pang of jealousy pass through her, but waited for Vi’s reaction. Vi, for her part, managed to take the strange encounter in stride, and patted the person on the shoulder as they let go of her. “Uh, who are you? What are you?”

“You spoke to me yesterday! I couldn’t really talk back, but I feel like you saw me!” Vi tilted her head. “Lots of people come to me to pray, or hope, or just to talk; you seemed very nice when we met.”

Catching on, Vi took a guess. “Wait, are you… The Angel of the Waters? Em?”

They giggled. “I’m a spirit of all the water in New York City, but that fountain’s easily my favorite spot. Oh, uh, don’t get me wrong, I am, like, an actual person though. Just… different. I’ve been… Well, I have been asleep for a very long time, but I just woke up! You can call me Bethesda, or Beth. Sorry for knocking you over by the way, I got a little excited.” Beth smiled wide at Vi, and offered a hand to help her stand up.

“I’m sorry,” Cait interjected. “You said you’re a spirit?”

Bethesda looked over to Cait with the same eager smile. “Caitlyn Kiramman! It’s so great to meet you!” Beth opened her arms to give Cait a hug, which she trepidatiously accepted. “You guys seem like you have somewhere to get to… I’m sorry, I don’t want to keep you.”

“It’s fine. Again, you said spirit? And can I also ask how it is that you know our names?”

Beth opened their mouth to answer, but stopped when Vi held up her hands. “I also have questions, Beth, but you’re right about us having somewhere to be. Actually, we should probably go get on the A, if we walk it’ll be another forty minutes before we get there. Shit Cait, has Jinx texted us? Do you think they’re okay? Why the hell did I want to walk, that was so stupid.”

“Hey, hey, it’s alright,” Cait consoled. “I’m sure they’re fine, she hasn’t texted. And if you want to head to the Metro, we can get to the 86th Street stop in five minutes. Easy.” Cait put an arm around Vi, and spoke lower so that Bethesda might not hear. “Are you comfortable with asking them to come with us? I know this is all weird, but… Maybe we just jump in head first?”

Vi shrugged. “Weirdly, I trust them a hell of a lot more than any of your friends from earlier.”

“Not my friends,” Caitlyn remarked. “But for the record, so do I. Bethesda, are you able to leave the Reservoir? I don’t exactly know how this all works.”

“I didn’t used to be able to, but I think so,” Beth answered, examining her form and fashion. “This is the first time I’ve had a physical form since… Well, sort of forever.”

“Great. We really must get going, but would you like to come with us?”

“Of course, definitely don’t wait on my account! Let’s go.”

With no need for further affirmation, Vi started off at a breakneck pace, once again taking Caitlyn’s hand to lead her along. Cait was worried about how all over the place Vi’s cognition seemed to be, but she smiled at the now familiar feeling of Vi’s firm grasp. The way Vi held her hand wasn’t dainty, but it also wasn’t forceful. There was an insistence there, like everything was right when they were locked together — and it did feel like a lock, a mortal lock. But Cait knew that she could let go if she wanted to. I don’t think I want to let go ever again. Both of their minds were all over the place, Catlyn supposed; her own thoughts had been pinging back and forth from Vi to the case to the fact that literal magic apparently existed, like a three-way tennis match being played at lightspeed. Any of the three would be all-encompassing to her normally, and with her bullet train cognition, it would have been easier to just focus on one. But holding Vi’s hand made it seem feasible to think about more than one thing at once, and for those thoughts to actually be coherent, productive, and manageable. Hell, with Vi at her side, letting her brain run wild actually seemed… better. It felt like so long as they were together, things would turn out, no matter what.

Caitlyn trailed behind Vi as they made their way through the park, across Central Park West, and down into the labyrinthian concrete subway tunnels, and all the way Vi held her hand. Worry was knit into her brow, but even with everything else happening, Caitlyn understood that Vi was first and foremost aching to get to her sister. From the scattershot history Cait knew about Vi, it was clear to her that the woman had done practically everything in her life in service of her sister. Hell, she had even gotten herself incarcerated for Jinx. Vi was selfless almost to a fault, and even though it could teeter on being unhealthy, that selflessness was more admirable to Caitlyn than any single trait held by any of the great people she’d had the privilege of meeting in her insane life of high society. As someone plagued with a one-track mind, Vi’s particular brand of loving conviction was laudable, and undeniably attractive to Caitlyn.

As Cait swept her Metrocard behind Vi and pushed through the turnstiles onto the 86th Street platform, it occurred to her that a water spirit might not have a Metrocard. “Oh Beth, did you need me to-”

Before Cait could finish her offer, she watched Bethesda shift into a mass of water and pass through the turnstile without issue. She shook her head as insanity continued to clash with reality in her vision, and noted that no one other than Vi seemed to blink at Bethesda’s action. Is it possible that they can’t even see her perform magic? That would explain the indifference when she appeared… But how would that even work?

“It’s funny,” Beth said as they all settled into their standing positions on the train. “I’m super familiar with the underground of this city, like the sewers and everything, but this is my first time on the subway!”

“You don’t have to be that excited about it,” Vi laughed. “They’re barely even real trains. At best, you can hope to see a rat stealing someone’s slice of pizza, and at worst-”

“Aaand you’ve made your point!” Cait interrupted, laughing as Beth hung onto every word Vi said. There was a strange innocence about Beth, like the kind that comes from immense, unapplied wisdom. 

Ten minutes and five stops later, Caitlyn, Vi, and Bethesda exited the station at 125th and began to snake their way to Ekko and Zeri’s apartment. When it occurred to Vi that she didn’t yet know where Ekko lived, she texted Jinx for the address, who ended up calling Vi just after sending it over. “I just wanna make sure to come down to get the door as soon as you get here, and not a second sooner!”

“Yeah yeah, I hear you sis,” Vi said with a smile, detecting more normalcy in Jinx’s chaotic cadence than there had been during their last call. “Oh, don’t freak out, but we kind of have someone tagging along with us.”

“Do I know them?”

“You know the Bethesda Fountain?”

“Hardly relevant, Vi. Well whatever, it’s fine. Are you almost here?”

Vi faltered for a moment at Jinx’s quick acceptance of a foreign party, but didn’t waste any time thinking too hard about it. “Turning the corner now, J. Come on down.”

Ekko and Zeri lived in a two-bedroom on 129th, just south of the City College. The neighborhood reminded Vi of the places Ekko used to stomp around when he wasn’t in the Kitchen. The Lanes-to-be had met him early on in their time in the foster system when his parents had considered adopting. Four kids was obviously too much for them — hell, they weren’t very well off to begin with, and bounced around pretty often — so it didn’t end up happening, but Ekko ended up getting along with them all better than the children in his own school; they all managed to keep in touch when the Lanes were inevitably separated in the endless stream of houses that didn’t last forever. In those years, it seemed to Vi like none of them would ever have a place they could comfortably call home. Their home, not just someone else's. Vi still didn’t feel like that, if she was being truthful, but seeing Ekko in a place like this, a spot she knew he’d fought for by himself, filled her with a pride she hadn’t expected.

Jinx was already at the steps to the apartment when they arrived. Vi ran down the sidewalk to meet her, and scooped her up in a huge hug. Cait smiled at the sight, but frowned at the rest of the street. Sure enough, Jinx had been right: power appeared to be spotty in much of the neighborhood, as dozens of ‘Open!’ signs refused to animate, and no lights shone in apartment windows. It was still midday, so it would be hard to tell even if they were, but Caitlyn picked up on the very particular vibe a neighborhood gets when the power goes out. Not that I’ve ever had to deal with that.

“Cupcait!” Jinx proclaimed as she approached, Bethesda following shortly behind. “I’d ask ya’ how last night went, but that hardly seems appropriate right now, huh? Oh, new person! I dig the hair. I’m Jinx, I don’t own this place. Come on up, quick!”

Jinx bounded up the steps in a blur and wasted no time bursting into a fourth floor unit, not bothering to make sure her guests were following. “Z, I’m back! You still alive?”

“Yes, J,” Zeri grumbled from an endearingly beat up couch. “I feel a little better, I don’t think I’m gonna knock out just yet.”

“Well good, ‘cuz we could hardly be a rock band with only a drummer and a bassist. And besides, I don’t think Ekko could pay for this place without you. Anything more I can get you? Vi and Cait are here, we might bring ya’ somewhere if you’re up for it.” As Zeri smiled at her caretaker, Vi suddenly felt a little strange, watching Jinx take care of someone. Anyone else watching would see Jinx implementing a fusion of her own eclectic nature and Vi’s gentle, loving nature, but all Vi saw was the energy her sister put forward.

“I’m all good, Jinx,” Zeri said after taking a moment to sigh and collect herself. “Hey Vi, Cait. Sorry you had to come all the way up here.”

“Hey it’s all good, Zeri, we were out anyway. Mind telling me what happened?”

“It’s gonna sound weird, but sure. So-”

“Oh, that reminds me!” Jinx interrupted. “Pinkies!” She took a moment to lock one finger with Vi, and then bounced over to Cait to take both of hers at once. 

“Right,” Zeri said with a laugh. “So I was just chilling in my room reading, when all of a sudden I heard this horrendous scream. Sounded like someone was in the apartment, but it sounded nothing like Jinx, or Ekko. All of a sudden, I was compelled to like…”

“Harmonize with him?” Vi asked.

“Yeah, that’s exactly what it felt like,” Zeri responded, confused. “He was calling out to me, so I had to answer… When I came down from it all, Jinx was shaking me awake, saying I was glowing . And the power was out, and I felt fucking exhausted.” As Zeri finished her explanation, her gaze met Bethesda’s, and they yawned in sync. Vi looked curiously between the two of them, feeling a quick pang of lethargy that passed just as swiftly. She pressed her hand to Zeri’s forehead, and was zapped by static when their skin touched.

While Vi continued to speak with Zeri, Caitlyn gave them space and took a moment to admire the home’s décor. Handed down appliances and homey clutter played a delicate dance with intricate art pieces and elegant plant life. Herbs and spices adorned countless shelves, side by side with books in several languages and framed, artistic photographs of their friends and family. Cait smiled. The cold façade of her parents’ townhouse always felt more like a possession than a home to Caitlyn; this place felt like what she imagined a home should feel like.

“Cait?” Vi asked, dragging Caitlyn back to the present. “You catch that?”

“Oh, no I didn’t. Sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Zeri replied. “Vi said you offered to take me to see your dad? I think I’m well enough to go.”

Caitlyn nodded. “Great, I’ll call a ride, then. He’s working from home today, which probably works better anyways. I may not be the Kiramman with a doctorate, but you don’t seem like you need an emergency room.”

“Um…” Beth started. “Do you think he’d be open to seeing two people? I’m suddenly not feeling so well.” 

“Beth, I mean… sure? Do you think he’d… you know…”

“Oh!” Beth managed to laugh, but they were very clearly losing energy. “Yeah, I’m like fully human and everything, just… more. But as far as I’m aware, no major difference. I just feel… fuzzy.”

Zeri and Jinx stared strangely at Bethesda, clearly latching onto their ‘fully human’ comment. “I’ll explain once we get to Cait’s,” Vi said. “For now, let’s just all sit down and… take a minute. Seems like we all need it.”

“Hey Cait, can you send me the address to this fancy mansion of yours?” Jinx asked, not bothering to take a seat. “I wanna send it to Ekko so he can come by once he’s done at work. Promise I won’t dox you or anything.”

Caitlyn raised an eyebrow playfully at Jinx. “I can do that… if I can get one of my pinkies back.” Cait managed to break through the worried expression on Jinx’s face, eliciting a smile. For the third time, Caitlyn and Jinx locked pinkies; Vi just about melted watching the two of them interact.

The five of them sat and rested in the cozy interior until it was time to pile into the large rideshare Caitlyn had ordered. Zeri wasn’t burning up anymore, but she was unable to walk down the building’s tall staircase without Vi’s assistance. As they rode to Lenox Hill, she slumped on Jinx’s shoulder, which the rail-thin woman accepted openly. And as far as Caitlyn and Vi could tell, the longer Bethesda stayed with them, the more they began to resemble Zeri’s condition. She had no clue whether they would be better or worse if they returned to the water, but they would probably say something if they needed to disincorporate again.

Cait tipped the driver generously when they pulled up to the Kiramman townhouse. The tall, white brick five-story building was crammed between dozens of others on East 61st, each one just slightly different than the last. They were unique, cramped affairs, but each one was a single unit, meaning that whoever lived in each one owned the whole thing, or at least rented it out for a stupidly exorbitant price. Vi didn’t even want to know how many digits were on this place’s price tag. No wonder Cait never had me over…

“Well, mi casa es su casa,” Caitlyn said as she unlocked the front door. Vi sensed that she was nervous about bringing people home, but she nevertheless wore a smile on her face. “We’re here, Dad! Are you home?”

As Vi entered behind Caitlyn, she was astounded at just how clean, modern, and massive the townhouse was. Whether or not Caitlyn enjoyed it, the Kirammans clearly lived lavishly. Crisp corners and bright colors were abandon all throughout the first floor, where two sets of artsy, polished staircases stretched up and down towards equally decadent floors. The far side of the long room was more window than wall, which faced what Vi presumed to be the ‘coach house’ that Caitlyn lived in. Through another glass panel to their right, past the basement stairs, she could see through to a galley kitchen that was wider, longer, and far cleaner than her own.

“I know my home is… a lot,” Cait said to them all as they entered. “Feel free to make yourselves at home, as much as you can. If you need anything, let me know, and I’ll show you around when I can. My father should be downstairs in just a moment.” Just as Caitlyn signaled, she heard a set of steps descend from the second floor, but her careful ears knew instantly by their cadence that it wasn’t her father. I had just assumed she wouldn’t be home…

Cait started introductions before even seeing her. “Everyone, this is my mother, City Councilor Cassandra Kiramman. Mom, this is Violet Lane and her sister Jinx, and the two people we brought to see Dad; Zeri and Bethesda.”

As she descended, Cassandra Kiramman subtly raised a single eyebrow, taking a pass over each of her daughter’s friends in turn. On first glance, none of them would have been her first choice in people for Caitlyn to associate with, but that had never stopped Cait from spending time with whoever she pleased in the past. Besides, so long as Caitlyn stayed out of trouble, who was she to really say who she spent time with? Still, she analyzed them. “It is lovely to meet you all. My husband will be down shortly, I believe he’s wrapping up a correspondence at the moment.”

While she talked, Cassandra took a quick, careful glance at her daughter, and found that she kept darting her eyes at the pink-haired woman to her side. Upon further inspection, Cassandra recognized the woman, and remembered her name. Caitlyn had met Vi many years ago when she tried — and failed horribly — to run away from home, and she continued to visit Vi up until the girl was incarcerated at the age of 18. It had pained her to see how broken-hearted Caitlyn was the day she learned what happened, and perhaps it was Cassandra’s own dismissiveness at the time that led Caitlyn to rebelling far more than she had previously. She remembered the crime being brutal, but the story of protecting a sister was compelling at the very least.

Vi noticed Caitlyn’s mother eyeing her, and returned the look. Cassandra had the same bright blue eyes and sharp edges as her daughter, and her hair was cropped neatly and graying elegantly. She stood tall and poised, and seemed perfectly measured in every aspect of her existence. When Cassandra reached the bottom of the stairs, Vi approached with hand extended. “Thank you for having us in your home, Mrs. Kiramman. It’s nice to meet you. Re-meet, I guess, I think we met once when Caitlyn and I first met.”

Cassandra took Vi’s hand briefly. “I believe you’re correct, Violet. I am happy to see you out and healthy; I read about what happened. Truly a horrendous event.”

Vi looked uneasy, and Caitlyn stared furiously at her mother, but it was Jinx who broke the tension. “Yo, Mrs. Kiramman! Is this an elevator? In your house🙺”

“It is,” Cassandra replied calmly. “You may actually take it up to the fourth floor, I believe that’s where Tobias said he’d prefer to see you. Caitlyn, why don’t you see them settled with him while I speak with Violet?”

Vi and Caitlyn shared a look, and Vi nodded. She figured they would catch up when things were settled, and if Cassandra needed to be appeased, then so be it.

“Yes, mother,” Caitlyn said. “Come along, I’ll see you to two of the guest bedrooms.”

“Two ?” Jinx asked as they piled into the elevator. “Are there more than two?”

As everyone else left the room, Vi looked at Cait’s mother, who had already moved into the kitchen. “May I fetch you anything to drink, Violet? You seem like you’ve had quite the day already, and it’s not yet two o’clock.”

“Just water, thanks,” Vi said, making her way to a nearby dining room table. “Did Cait text you about anything that happened?”

Cassandra poured water from an overly fancy filter in the refrigerator. “No, she neglected to. She only told her father that one, and then another of her friends had fallen suddenly ill, and that it would be better for them to see him, rather than going to an actual hospital.”

“Oh, uh… Well thank you again for accommodating this. Mondays, right?”

Cassandra did not seem amused by the joke. She handed a tall glass to Vi, and sat opposite her at the table. “So, how was it you reconnected with Caitlyn?”

“Oh, she came into my old man’s pub yesterday morning, following a case.”

“Is that so? She so rarely reports to us about the work she’s doing, but I suppose that makes sense. Secrets and all that. How did that go?”

“Erm… ongoing still, I think?” Vi said, unsure how to approach the topic. Even if she properly understood how all the pieces were fitting together, Vi did not feel confident sharing information with Cassandra. Try to twist the flow of conversation, Vi. “She gets real serious about her work, huh? Strong conviction.”

“Very much so. I suppose it’s natural, given the two people she was raised by, and her particular mind for… specificity. I take it you were happy to see her yesterday, if you’re already spending time with her again today.”

“Yeah, definitely.” Vi couldn’t help but smile. “It feels weird, being out… But when Cupcake showed up, and I saw her face again, it was just like we were picking up from seven years ago.”

Cassandra didn’t acknowledge the fact that Vi let the nickname slip, but a small nod alerted them both to the fact that it had happened. “I see. Well, Caitlyn was very fond of you back then, even if she adamantly refused to allow us to invite you over. And my husband is more than happy to help people in need when they show up at our doorstep. So you’re welcome here as long as you like. Within reason, of course.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome. A bit of comfort could do you good, I’m sure. Seven years is quite a long time. What facility were you sent to again? Stillwater?”

Vi had to restrain herself not to go on the offensive. Hearing the name of that place come from Mrs. Kiramman’s mouth just felt… wrong. Vile. She froze when she could think of nothing to say in response, but was saved by the bell when Cassandra’s phone pinged, and the matriarch glanced at a message she’d just been sent. The steely and measured woman frowned, stood from the table, and walked over to the glass wall that faced the courtyard. She appeared to gaze up at the sky for a moment before turning back to Vi. 

“I actually must apologize, Violet, I appear to have forgotten a meeting I have coming up elsewhere in the city. If you aren’t here when I return tonight, I do hope you come by again soon. Good day.” Without another word, Cassandra left Vi sitting speechless at her dining room table.

“Fuck,” Vi sighed, feeling any energy she had leave her once again. Each time Vi’s energy level had flipped so far that day, the switch had been more drastic. By just 2:00 in the afternoon, Vi already felt like crashing. She allowed herself to briefly press her forehead against the cold table in an attempt to collect herself. Vi could admit to herself that she was overstimulated… but it didn’t matter. Shit will never not be crazy. You just push through it, Lane.

Vi exhaled as she stood, and pulled out her phone as she began pacing around the first floor. I should make sure Mylo’s okay. As she sent off the first message, Vi stared curiously out at the courtyard. Far off, somewhere else in Lenox Hill, a single portion of the day’s cloud cover had broken, and was shining a perfect beacon of sunlight on a place she couldn’t make out from her vantage point. Is that what Cassandra was looking at?

Vi:

hey mylo, it’s vi

you okay? make it back safe?

Mylo:

yup, back at work, told vander and clag everything

glad to see youre still alive lol

did you and your gf find toby and malc?

Vi:

fuck off, not my gf

we found them, turns out cait’s contact hunted them down herself

Mylo:

wild

you with them now?

Vi:

no, someone else interfered and stole the art piece they had. after that they ran off with sarah

the contact

anyways, shit got wild. then jinx called us saying zeri was sick, so we’re all at cait’s house now

her dad’s a doctor

Mylo:

shit dude

i guess let us here in hk know if theres anything we can do

Vi:

thanks my

we can talk more about it later, but real quick, are you okay? like with everything that happened?

Mylo:

i feel bad for dragging you into it, i was just helping the boys out

didnt know they had so much heat on them, but either way i prolly shouldve figured out a better way to help them

sorry vi

Vi:

it’s okay, bro. i know what it’s like to do dumb shit to protect the people you love

Mylo:

fuck off with that sappy shit

plus what you did wasn’t dumb shit

you did deckard a favor by fucking him up that hard, taught him not to mess around with shimmer or you-know-who

Vi:

thanks, my

i’ll keep you posted on zeri

Mylo:

dope

did you catch any of the crazy shit happening while you were traveling btw?

Vi:

what do you mean

Mylo:

idk read the news dude

ig it was raining weird over jko, the power went out in parts of harlem, lots of other shit all at the same time

Vi:

yeah, we walked by jko… guess it didn’t occur to me

listen i’ll talk more later, gonna look at the news i guess

Half an hour later, Caitlyn left Jinx and her father to oversee Zeri and Bethesda, who were both sleeping soundly in the fourth floor bedrooms, which were rarely used. Tobias Kiramman had been more than happy to tend to them, but was perplexed as to what the actual issue was. Their temperatures were both running high, but neither had any other symptoms of fever apart from lethargy. When the doctor asked Caitlyn how she’d met the two, and Jinx doubled down on how she knew Beth, Cait ended up telling them both about who she was. She was hesitant to use the word magic, but stated that she had come from the water of JKO, and seemed to have some control over the element. Strangely enough, Jinx appeared more surprised than Cait’s father; she saw his left eyelid twitch like it had when Caitlyn was a girl, and had discovered that her mother was once a celebrated biathlete, and was incredible with the rifle — from that day on, little Caitlyn was obsessed with toy guns, and honed her deadly aim. Back in the present, Cait noticed her dad send a text to her mother. About Bethesda?

Caitlyn let down her hair and ran her fingers through it as she exited the elevator onto the first floor. Looking around, she didn’t see her mother anywhere, but did catch Vi staring at her hands as they massaged her scalp. Cait smirked, finally feeling like she could take a moment to stop thinking about the rest of the world, but Vi didn’t seem like she was in a good mood.

“Vi, are you okay? You’re making a face. Where’s my mother, did she say something to you🙺”

“No, nothing like that,” Vi said, coming out of some sort of stupor. “She left a bit ago for some meeting. Cait, have you looked at the news at all?”

Caitlyn frowned. “No, I’ve been talking with Dad pretty much the whole time. Why?”

Vi showed Caitlyn her phone, quickly tapping between different articles she had saved, all regarding strange events throughout the boroughs that started at the same time, the better part of two hours ago — right when Ezreal had put on the glove. “Check these out, Cait. The only place in the city that’s had rain today was directly over JKO; reports say that the precipitation was just up to the fence, all around the water’s edge. So that’s maybe Bethesda, right? Then in Queens, a house in Forest Hills suddenly combusted, like completely all at once, leaving three dead. Abnormally fast gale force winds reported in the FD, almost killed a couple window washers, and a minor earthquake in the Bronx. A massive tree suddenly appeared out of nowhere in Morningside Park, like it had been there since before the city was built, as big as one of those ones in California. Then of course there’s the power outages in nearly half of Harlem. All at the same time!”

Caitlyn read through the articles, and waited for Vi to calm down. “Which one of us is the detective again, Violet?” Vi rolled her eyes. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t help myself. You’re right though, this is… something. A whole lot of something.”

Vi tilted her head down at the floor, once again feeling the whiplash of moving back and forth between states energy and lethargy; it was starting to feel unreal, manufactured. Mystical. “Sorry for freaking out… Are Zeri and Beth alright?”

“Just tired,” Caitlyn reported. “Like you appear to be. My father thinks they will both be fine come this time tomorrow. I didn’t tell him about everything, but I did tell him about Bethesda’s nature. With my best guess, I think I was wrong about people not being magic. Bethesda clearly is, after all, there’s no other way to describe it. As for everything in the news… I would not be surprised if there are other figures throughout the city who had some sort of potential unlocked when Ezreal put on that glove.”

Vi thought back to being in Harlem at Zeri’s apartment, and remembered the shock she’d received upon touching Zeri’s forehead. She suddenly looked back up at Caitlyn. “Wait, you don’t think…”

Caitlyn nodded. “Don’t tell anyone else yet, but… I do. A few of my father’s instruments were acting up as he worked with her, and the first time he touched her, he got shocked pretty bad.”

“Fuck…” Vi said, taking a seat on the nearby couch to rest her head. Caitlyn thought to join her, but before she could, the doorbell rang. 

“I should get that, it’s probably Ekko. I’ll be right back, Vi.” As Caitlyn wandered to the front door, she thought more about returning to and attending to Vi than she did about how to best catch Ekko up. Nevertheless, she smiled when she opened the door and saw him standing there.

Ekko smiled back and pulled Caitlyn in for a tight hug. “I got here as soon as I could. Thank you for this, Cait.”

“Please, we have plenty of space, and as you know, my father’s more than willing to lend a hand. It was the least I could do.”

Ekko looked around nervously, but whistled as he moved through the space, following Caitlyn’s lead. “Nice digs, Cait.”

Cait huffed and hit the button to open the elevator. “I know, it’s a lot. Here, they’re all on the fourth floor. Zeri’s in the room to the left, Jinx should be with her. Vi and I may join you soon, but we have to handle something first.”

Before stepping into the lift, Ekko shared a glance with Vi, who gave him a soft wave. She looked more exhausted than Atlas holding up the sky, which Ekko supposed was not much different than the pressure Vi was used to. Hopefully Cait’s able to help ease that shit. I’ll check in later. He smiled. “Sure, Cait. Take your time.”

With Ekko ushered up to the makeshift hospital ward, Caitlyn turned her attention back to Vi, who had shifted to lie down on the sofa. With her eyes closed and one hand holding her phone over her heart, Vi perhaps looked more peaceful than Caitlyn had ever seen her. It was a farce, clearly, or she was too tired to even register how stressed she was. It pained her, but Cait knew Vi would be more comfortable if she only moved.

“Get up, lazybones. I know you’re awake.”

Vi’s eyes darted open. “Shit, sorry Cait, you’re right. Not the time to be resting.”

“That is not at all what I meant,” Caitlyn said, lending a hand to get Vi up on her feet. Keeping possession of that hand, Caitlyn brought Vi to the courtyard entrance. “You deserve rest more than anyone I have ever known. But there are better places to do it.” After taking a deep breath, Caitlyn touched Vi’s jaw as gently as she could, and pointed her gaze to the coach house. “See that building there? Two floors of absolute quiet bliss. There’s a strict ‘No business but my own’ policy in place, meaning no interruptions, no chaos, and no thought that can’t be given the time to breathe.”

Vi pressed her hand to Caitlyn’s as it laid claim to her face, loving how intertwined their hands were with each other. “Does that make me your business, Cupcake?”

Caitlyn’s face burned, not having intended to set Vi up for the easy flirt. “Yes, it does. Currently, I’m in the business of getting you to take a moment to yourself, where you won’t be interrupted by anything, including yourself.” Before she could respond, Caitlyn opened the door to the courtyard and pushed Vi through it.

Outside, Vi’s eyes reoriented, and for one final moment before allowing herself to be pushed around by Caitlyn, she let her thoughts spill out. “Oh yeah, Cupcake, see that beam of light up there?” 

Vi was pointing to a singular ray of sunlight that broke through the gray sky. “I do. What about it?”

“Only sunny spot in the city right now, although that seems hard to prove. Anyways, I read it’s apparently shining on the manor of that like, omega wealthy family that’s friends with the Mayor. What’s the name, Crownsmen, I think?”

“The Crownguards,” Caitlyn replied. “That would make sense, some of them do live close by.”

“You know them?” Vi asked, looking up at Caitlyn as they entered the coach house.

“I do. My mother is close with Pieter and Augatha, so their children became my friends by association. Lux is very nice. Garen is… a hardass, but perhaps a well-intentioned one. We can worry about them later though, right? How do you feel about green tea?”

“Sure.”

“Great.”

Caitlyn grabbed two bottled teas from her fridge, and continued ushering Vi through the smaller home. The furniture was all of a similar style to the main house, but in general, the coach house felt much more cozy and lived in. Paintings hung on wall space that probably used to be blank, and discarded clothes cluttered some of the corners — not egregious, just lived-in. Beyond the kitchen and breakfast nook was a small half bathroom, stairs that led to the second of two floors, and a living room that was larger than Vi’s. When Vi sat on one of two opposing loveseats, Caitlyn sat down next to her.

Vi took a long breath in and out as she settled into the couch, and took a sip of her tea. She didn’t recognize the brand, but it was incredibly good; very lightly sweetened, and endlessly refreshing, but in the way that readies you for bed, rather than waking you up. 

“Feel okay, Violet?”

Vi shrugged. “I feel… tired. Not in the weird, nebulously magical way I think I was before. It’s just… fuck, Cupcake, the last three days have been insane compared to my last seven years.”

“I know, darling… You can take as much time as you need here, though. Do you feel like sleeping?”

Vi shook her head. “Your mother said we’re welcome as long as we need within reason.”

Cait laughed at Vi’s terrible approximation of her mother’s accent. “Well, I’ve requisitioned all control of the coach house, so on these particular grounds, I have final say. We don’t have to listen to her reason, even if we are connected to the main house by the basement.”

“Wait, so there’s like a secret tunnel that leads to this place?”

“Hardly secret, it’s more like a glorified wine cellar.”

“Wine cellar?” Vi belly-laughed. “Jesus, your life is crazy!”

Caitlyn managed to nod between fits of giggling. Vi’s laughter was contagious, and as Caitlyn followed suit, she found herself craving the sound of it even as she was still hearing it. Never had a sound delighted her so much. 

As the women came down from their humor, Vi found Caitlyn’s eyes on her. Her crystal-blue irises were dynamic, and bore holes through Vi’s silver eyes into her very being. There was an endless well of care behind Cait’s gaze, and Vi quickly and easily became obsessed with the way the light danced off her features. Cait’s lips quivered slightly whenever she took a breath, even if it was through her nose. Zooming out from Caitlyn, the loveseat wasn’t very large, so in attuning to her surroundings again, Vi noticed that her thigh was pressed against Cait’s. A soft heat formed from the touch, and Vi couldn’t help but relish in the closeness of their bodies; it was more intimate than being naked. Suddenly, her hands were in Cait’s, and Cait was rubbing gentle circles over each of her knuckles in turn.

“I can text an academic friend of mine who studies abnormal patterns in nature,” Caitlyn soothed, barely more than a whisper. “But that can happen tomorrow. He’s pretty busy, we might not be able to see him for a while anyways. For now… rest.”

Vi’s heart thrummed in her chest in an unfamiliar pattern. “Yeah… we just push through whatever shit gets thrown at us, right?”

Caitlyn nodded, continuing to massage Vi’s hands. “I love your hands, Violet. They’re strong, and capable, and… when I was holding them earlier today, it felt like no matter what, so long as I was holding them, things would turn out. Does that make sense?”

“I feel the exact same thing… it’s weird.”

Caitlyn’s heart was firing on all cylinders. “Not exactly the afternoon I was hoping for, if I’m being honest. I’m sorry to have inadvertently put you through all this.”

“Don’t apologize. Every step of the way, you’ve asked if I’ve been comfortable with this, and I said yes every time. I’m basically your partner at this point, Cupcake.”

Cait’s breath hitched. When Vi said nothing more, Caitlyn allowed her face to burn as she shakily stretched out her fingers to brush a strand of Vi’s hair away from her eye. As she tucked it behind her ear, Cait intended to move her hand back to Vi’s hands, but found that she couldn’t. Her entire body felt frozen, locked in place and warm to the touch. The pads of her index and middle finger just grazed Vi’s neck, and the fingers of her left hand slipped to fully grasp Vi’s right.

“Cupcake… say something. You froze up.” 

Caitlyn’s eyes wouldn’t tear away from Vi’s eyes and lips. “I… I can’t. You say something.”

Vi knit her brow, and thinking about the first conversation she had that morning, a blissful smile began to form on her face. “It’s not too soon,” she whispered to herself, before moving her free hand to the nape of Caitlyn’s neck and pulling her in.

Under the influence of the dull blue-gray sky, in the low lamplight of Caitlyn’s sanctuary, Vi’s lips met Caitlyn’s with a fervent desperation. Cait gasped as Vi pulled her in, and relished in the feeling of their connection. She had kissed plenty of women before, but none had felt so revelatory, meaningful, intimate, or necessary as Vi’s kiss did. Settling into a rhythm, Caitlyn brought her hand, still intertwined with Vi’s, up to her heart. When Vi pressed her body against Caitlyn's, their arms and hands were tangled together, caught in a delightful trap. Vi noticed and loved it; it was as if when she parted her lips to lay claim to Caitlyn with her tongue, the magnetic field that had brought them together became even more powerful. As long as Vi kissed Caitlyn, and Caitlyn kissed Vi, their hands would never separate. It was comfortable. It was loving. It was perfect.

If it was anyone else, when Caitlyn finally broke off from Vi’s kiss and pressed their foreheads together, she would have craved to go further. But with Violet, for now, all she wanted to do was be together. No matter what they did, it would be enough. It would be exactly what they needed.

“Violet… Would you like to come upstairs to take a nap with me?”

There was no innuendo in Caitlyn’s question; Vi smiled wider than she likely ever had before. “God, I’m so tired, Cupcake… I would love to.”

Hand in hand and perfectly affirmed to each other, the pair made their way up the stairs to the master bedroom. After Cait put on a soft record, the pair settled underneath an old, long-loved quilt. Folded into each other, with fingers forever intertwined, Vi and Caitlyn let their weariness take them, and drifted into a slumber so tranquil, so restful, and so earned that not even the end of the world could wake them before they were ready.

Chapter Text

It was a bright and cold day in late October, and the coffee that Vi bought from a bodega half an hour earlier had lost any remnant of heat it once had, but even so she couldn’t help but feel warm, happy, and comfortable. 

Vi sat lazily on the ground against a tree that faced Great Hill at the north end of Central Park, where her sister and friends were competing to see who could throw a frisbee the most competently while treating it like it was anything but a frisbee. Unsurprisingly, Jinx was adept at making them all laugh with how ridiculous she was, but she was also undeniably the best at getting the disc to go exactly where she wanted it to. Over and over, the frisbee sailed in unpredictable, yet somehow perfect arcs that made it nearly impossible for Ekko, Zeri, and Bethesda not to catch it. There was something about watching Jinx just exist that completely lit up Vi’s world. Not only that, but Caitlyn was sitting by her side, quietly reading a book while she waited for her other friends to arrive. Occasionally, she would whisper a few of the words to herself without meaning to, barely audible. Vi had learned it was an insecurity of Cait’s, but she still found it endlessly endearing. Vi smiled; moments like this were quickly becoming lifegiving for her.

Despite the immensity of her first few days out of prison, the two weeks and change which followed were relatively calm for Vi. The city carried on just as it had before Ezreal put on the glove, but for the small group of them who knew what had happened that day, the smallest movements in their collective peripheral vision seemed more ominous, potent, and real than they otherwise would have. Vi could never fully escape the knowledge that some looming threat hung just over the horizon, but she also had Cait’s hand to hold, which served as a battery for regaining the strength and grit that she knew herself for. Three weeks out from prison, Vi was finally starting to feel like her old self; better even, because so long as she held Caitlyn’s hand, there was no doubt that things would turn out. 

“Hey J, throw it here! I have an idea!”

Vi watched Jinx happily toss the frisbee between her legs, and smirked when it landed precisely in Zeri’s hands. Zeri wore a mischievous grin, and after rubbing her hand on the bottom of the disc for a few seconds, she channeled her electricity into it, and threw it with as much force as possible at a far-off tree. Suffused with that lemon-lime lightning, the projectile shot out with unmatched speed, flying a hundred feet in a fraction of a second and slamming into the tree with a devastating crack.

“Holy shit!” Bethesda shouted, causing Jinx and Ekko to crack up as Zeri went to retrieve the frisbee.

After arriving at the Kiramman’s house the day it all went down, Zeri slept for nearly twenty-four hours straight. While Tobias and Cassandra came and went as their jobs demanded, Caitlyn played master of the house for her guests. She had food delivered, kept everyone at ease, and eventually gave everyone the extended tour once their nerves were calmed. Throughout that night though, Ekko and Jinx held vigil over their dear friend, and Vi did the same for Bethesda, who continued to mirror Zeri’s condition even in sleep. Occasionally, the two of them could be seen flitting their eyes behind their eyelids despite being unconscious, as if they were desperately trying to come to grips with some new reality that even their friends weren’t privy to. 

They appeared to come out of this turmoil on the other side, however, as they awoke simultaneously the following afternoon, both looking and acting as if the whole ordeal had never happened. When Mr. Kiramman returned that evening, he confirmed that they were both perfectly healthy as far as he could measure. As for the measurements the doctor couldn’t make himself, it became clear after a few hours that Caitlyn’s theory was right: Zeri herself was, for lack of better words, magic.

She first discovered her strange connection to electricity when she picked up her phone for the first time after waking up. As she used it, instead of losing charge, it quickly gained charge until it was at 100%. In the commotion following, Jinx badgered Caitlyn and Vi about what really happened at Belvedere, demanding to know just who Mylo had gotten himself tangled up with, and what they had apparently done to the city. With zero hesitation, Caitlyn invited everyone — minus her parents — to her office in the coach house, where she gave everyone a secondary tour through her web of notes. Complex theories about Sarah Fortune, Ezreal, the glove, Tobias Felix and Malcolm Graves, Gangplank and the Dead Pool, magic incarnate, and at least a dozen other loose threads were splayed out in fully hand-written notes all over the room adjacent to her master bedroom. 

Cait’s notes left little to wonder about other than next steps, which she also had covered. Zeri and Bethesda’s new natures were by many degrees the most interesting thread to pull on, so Caitlyn offered to contact a friend of hers who studied theoretical physics at Columbia whose ideas were frequently disregarded — as Caitlyn kindly put it — as “crackpot theories with decent reasoning but zero practicality”. She imagined that even if he didn’t have a clue about magic in the city, he might have some ideas about how they could practice safety in their new lives.

Because Caitlyn would not budge on making sure everyone who should be present was, it took the better part of three weeks to find a time that worked. In the meantime, Zeri explored the possibilities of storing and releasing electricity within her, and Bethesda got to know what it was like to be physical. After Beth’s second night at the Kirammans’, they weren’t sure where exactly they could land. In the footsteps of her adoptive father, Vi offered up her couch, which Bethesda refused at first out of politeness, but happily accepted after the third time Vi offered. Honestly, it was no real skin off Vi’s back; she had shared smaller spaces with more people for nearly her entire life. 

Just like that, life for the burgeoning group of friends settled into a comfortable rhythm amidst the chaos. There were no more reports of strange events — at least not at a considerable frequency — and the six of them were mostly left to their own devices, which more often than not included luring Vi and Bethesda out to acclimate to a city that, in all reality, neither of them was truly used to. While Vi was often reluctant to spend time with anyone other than her new girlfriend, who she was quickly becoming infatuated with, Beth was intensely curious about this world that they knew only tangentially. It took some intense interviewing sessions with Caitlyn and Jinx to figure out, but Bethesda had an acute memory of New York that stretched back centuries, despite not having experienced it. They remembered falling into a body of water when they were a young adult, and since then they appeared to have absorbed the city’s collective memories through osmosis, barely aware of themselves as a concept outside of what the city had made them so long ago. They also discovered that their physical body was mutable, and could shift to be really anything they wanted. Their story seemed tragic to Vi, but through getting to know the group that would become their first friends, Bethesda was nothing but empathetic and joyful. Vi found that as she began picking up the pieces of her new life, living with Bethesda made acclimating a relatively quick and easy process.

“Heyyy, Caitlyn!” Jinx called from far off, dragging Vi’s mind back to the present. “When’s your science dude gonna get here?”

Caitlyn calmly closed her book, and tucked it in her satchel. “Soon! He said they’d arrive around three, which is now.” Jinx jerked both thumbs in the air, and went back to whatever she was doing.

“Why’d he wanna meet here, again?” Vi asked Cait, taking the lack of a book in her girlfriend’s hand as permission to snake their fingers together. 

“Well I told him he really didn’t have to meet us halfway, but when he insisted, I eventually worked out of him that he really just wanted to take his partner for a walk. Apparently they rarely get out.”

“Huh. That a lab partner, or a partner partner?”

Caitlyn sighed. “Just a lab partner as far as I’m currently aware, though I haven’t seen him in some time. I only met the partner once, but I think they’d make a nice couple.”

“Shame. Maybe you can play matchmaker like you did with the two of us! It’s certainly turned out well, right?”

Caitlyn laughed at Vi’s goofy smile, and tucked her head into the crook of Vi’s neck. “You say the nicest things to me,” she whispered, causing Vi to blush. Caitlyn loved having inside jokes with Vi that were tied to such lurid memories. “But I would hardly call what I did matchmaking. I implied that I would like to take you out on a date after dealing with some mutual business, and then that turned into the two of us running across the city, scared that the world was ending. Oh, and you fell unconscious that day! Hardly a practical relationship timeline, if you ask me.”

Vi made a face at her girlfriend. “Say what you will, Cupcake, but it worked wonders on me.” After leaning in for a kiss, Vi noticed two figures walking up the hill towards them. “Oh hey, is that him?”

Caitlyn followed Vi’s gaze to a pair of men who appeared to be taking their time walking through the park, side by side. To the left was a tall and broad man with a strong jaw and hair slick with product. He seemed to be accommodating the slower pace of the man to his right, who looked slender and frail to begin with, but especially so next to the larger man. The smaller man used a cane to keep himself propped up, but managed to look no less capable or happy than his walking partner. Cait smiled and waved to the two of them, and stood to greet them.

“Jayce! It’s good to see you!” As Cait leaned in to embrace her friend, Vi stood to greet them as well.

“Miss Kiramman,” Jayce said with a playful smile, accepting her hug. “Good to see you too, Cait. It’s been a while, huh? You’d think living in the same city would allow more time for seeing each other than it does.”

Caitlyn smiled as she sensed Vi approach from behind her. “Jayce, let me introduce you to Vi Lane, my girlfriend. Violet, this is Jayce Talis, my oldest friend and biggest pain in my arse.”

Vi smirked and looked up at Jayce, who was nearly half a foot taller than her. He wore a simple two-tone sweater and designer jeans that at once looked refined and down-to-earth. At only a glance, and based on what little Caitlyn had told her, Vi could tell that Jayce played at high society, but clearly felt like an imposter beneath it all; she was all too familiar with the difference in outward and inward persona.

“‘Sup, Jayce,” Vi said simply, taking his hand as he extended it. His grip was surprisingly strong.

“Nice to meet, Vi. I never thought I’d see the day Caitlyn settled down with someone, but it’s a good look.”

Caitlyn pouted, and Vi laughed. “Oh, it’s only been two weeks, I’d hardly call it settling down just yet.” Before Caitlyn could protest, Vi added: “Don’t worry Cupcake, it’s a mortal lock.”

Jayce beamed at how happy Caitlyn looked, but was alerted to his partner approaching them, having been left behind when he forged ahead to greet Cait. “I’m so sorry, where are my manners? Cait, I know you’ve met before, but this is my partner, Viktor.”

Viktor prodded along with his cane and smiled lightly at the gathering crowd. “Hello. Lovely day, is it not? I do love the North Woods.” Vi had a hard time pinpointing Viktor’s accent. It was vaguely Eastern European, but it had a particular melodic cadence about it that was immediately endearing.

Cait quickly ran through introducing Jinx, Ekko, Zeri, and Bethesda. “Not to rush through things, but should we be off? I don’t want to take up too much of your time if you two have other business tonight.”

“No need to worry, Caitlyn,” Viktor said. “I made sure Jayce blocked out his whole day for this venture. Good science must be given proper time and consideration, after all. Besides, I believe we are waiting for one more person, are we not?”

Cait looked strangely at Jayce. “Did you invite someone without telling me, Talis?”

Jayce looked initially guilty for breaking some degree of trust, but seemed confident in his decision. “I did, yes. But not someone you don’t already know. And she’s important to what we’re doing, I promise I wouldn’t invite just anyone here. I think she’ll be excited to see you, and vice versa.” Jayce gave Caitlyn a wink to appease her worry, and looked around at everyone. “That being said, it’s relatively quiet here. If what Caitlyn reported is true, Vik and I believe that anyone who isn’t aware of the particular… reality we’re testing will be unable to see any of its effects. Or at least, there may be some sort of stopgap in how people process cause and effect. So we can start our work right here if everyone is comfortable with it.”

The party was quiet after Jayce finished speaking, but eventually Jinx raised her hand. “Uh, excuse me, Mister Science Man? Before you all get started, mind telling us about what exactly you’re an expert in? Because no offense, but they clearly don’t give out wizard degrees at your fancy school. And if they do, then I’m in the wrong profession.”

“That’s a fair point,” Jayce admitted. “So, I’m a theoretical physicist, which basically means I do math for a living, or more accurately that I’m forced to teach it to poor undergrads who want to be there even less than I do. Viktor here specializes in quantum theory, and for the past few years together, we’ve been studying anomalies here in the city that we attribute to something I call ‘the Metropolitan Arcana’. Now, Cait didn’t even know this when she asked to talk, so we really lucked out in deciding to catch up. Mutually beneficial, I guess you could say.”

Following Jinx’s lead, Ekko raised his hand. “Wait, so just to be clear, do you guys actually think you’re on the trail of magic? Or just some science you don’t understand yet?”

“In my opinion, that’s actually just a distinction without a difference,” Viktor suggested, tapping his cane twice on the grass. “If we’re working off of the logic that every effect in this world has a cause, then when you get right down to it, everything has the capability to be understood. It is just a matter of whether we are yet able to.”

“Fair,” Ekko shrugged. “So what are these anomalies?”

“Lots of things,” Jayce replied. “Most examples we have are personal accounts from longtime citizens of the city who have experienced nearly-imperceptible contractions and dilations in space and time.” Ekko and Jinx nodded along, but everyone else listening in to his lecture seemed lost. “In layperson's terms, some people — including the both of us — have at times experienced repeating instances of time, or skipping through time. Think about when you get déjà vu, or your mind goes blank and you could swear you skipped a beat. It’s like that, but with more surety that you actually experienced what you think you did.”

“Seems like a bit of a leap to call that magic,” Vi said.

“Oh, of course! I don’t expect you to be on board right away. I mean, no one believed me until I met Viktor, who experienced something a long time before we met that he’d been chasing, just like I had… Funnily enough, when we traced our experiences back, they fell on the exact same day, sixteen years ago. That’s when we knew we weren’t crazy.”

Perfectly in sync, as if they had rehearsed this speech, Viktor picked up exactly where Jayce left off. “As you can imagine, coming by witness accounts is hardly reliable, so we needed a framework to start with so that we could at least learn to look in the right places. Early on in my half of the work, I discovered evidence of an extraordinarily rare subatomic object that travels between atoms so quickly that it simultaneously belongs to and attributes to thousands, if not millions of other particles at once, thus inherently linking some fundamental aspect of those objects. We believe that it is this object — ‘the Metro’ — that is creating these effects in New York City we cannot quite comprehend. And I do say New York specifically. I was able to isolate a few Metros somewhat recently, and upon bringing one outside the confines of New York, the Metro simply collapsed. As such, we have determined that this, eh, arcana, if you will, is specifically tied to metropolis. This mass of humanity and memory that we call home.”

“Memory?” Bethesda asked.

“Yes, that’s the most interesting thing!” Viktor smiled, and looked between each of the other people there. “When I discovered the Metro, it was on a visit to the Williamsburg Bridge.” As he spoke, Viktor noticed Vi and Bethesda’s faces darken. “A bit of history, though I suspect some of you may be familiar already… There was a riot on the bridge sixteen years ago that claimed the lives of many… it is quite a historic site for those affected, especially their children. It was on that day all those years ago when my parents… passed. That was the day I first experienced the Arcana, and it was in just the same location that I discovered the Metro. From what I can tell, Metros seem to form around places of historical significance, and as you would imagine, New York has many of those.”

Before Viktor could continue, Vi stormed away from the group without warning, causing Jinx to follow after her. “Ah… I suppose that’s something we have in common, then… Jayce, I suppose that is enough lecturing for now, no?”

Jayce looked briefly at Caitlyn, who largely seemed as confused as he did about the Lanes’ departure, but appeared to want to continue. “Uh, yeah, I think so. Given the info Cait gave me, Bethesda, I figure you’ll probably need a body of water to be at full capacity?” They nodded. “Great. In that case, Zeri: would you mind starting off the day’s experiments?”

“I can do that.”

“Great.” Jayce unslung his backpack and produced a car battery from it. “Let’s get to work!”

Several hundred feet away, as Zeri began moving energy around from place to place, Jinx slowly approached her sister. She had tucked herself behind a tree, and although she made no sound, tears streamed endlessly down her face. 

“... Vi?”

“Hey J…” Vi made an effort to stifle her sorrow, but to little avail.

“That’s the bridge where it happened, isn’t it?” Vi nodded. “And it was sixteen years ago…”

“Yeah… Guess he's like us, then.”

“Are you okay?” Jinx asked calmly and quietly. As Jinx draped an arm over her shoulder, Vi found that there was a weird dissonance in being comforted by her little sister, but it certainly wasn’t unwelcome.

“Yeah, I think so… Just took me off guard. Of the major events in our lives, I tend to think about seven years ago a lot more often than sixteen… How about you? What do you think about?”

Jinx made a face as she thought. “Hmmmm I dunno. I think I think about yesterdays the most. And not because I have some trauma stopgap or somethin’, I'm pretty sure my memory is like, the least fucked up part of my brain. Every yesterday just tends to be more relevant than the one before it, y’know? And better, too. Things have gotten better for us, generally. Not the whole prison thing, but… otherwise. We have a safe place to live, good friends, a little bit of money… And you got a girlfriend! What’s that like, anyways?”

Vi stared at her sister, dumbfounded at just how deftly Jinx had gotten to the core of what Vi was worried about, and turned that on its head. It isn’t that the traumatic thing happened… It’s that I think I think about it too much, and I worry Jinx does the same. If she doesn’t… maybe I don’t have to either.

“Hello, Earth to Vi? Your sister Jinx is asking about your new girlfriend, who you normally will not shut up about when you aren’t around her, yet you say nothing of functional value! What’s up with that?”

Vi laughed as she swatted away Jinx's finger, which repeatedly made efforts to poke her forehead. “I don’t know, J… She’s just awesome. She annoyed me at first all those years ago, but she kept coming over, and… She was just so different than anyone I ever hung out with. Still is, I guess. But she’s down to Earth, and it feels like she understands me without having been through the same shit we have. Which isn't to say she doesn't have her own shit, but that’s besides the point. Not to mention, she’s a fucking bombshell.”

Jinx smiled at her sister, but shrugged. “Not my type, but I get why you like her. I like her too, she’s a lot funnier than I expected.”

“Huh. I don’t know that I know what your type is, Jinx.” Vi smirked at her sister as she began to squirm under the shift of focus.

Jinx liked seeing her sister smile again, so she endured the topic for her sake. “Oh yeah, I guess you probably don’t! I don't think it’s super duper well defined, to be honest. I don't like super tall people, I guess, like Cupcait, or that James dude.”

“Jayce,” Vi chuckled.

“Yeah, whatev.”

“Do you, you know… like women?”

“Uh, doy, my sister is like the biggest lesbian ever. It would be a statistical wonder if I was straight, and I’m not that crazy… I do like some guys, though. Oh, and anyone in between, sheesh, sign me up!”

Vi laughed. Looking at the paved paths that wound around the hill, she could see around half a dozen people in their age range, not including their friends who were still in the middle of science experiments. “Okay, okay. Look around, and tell me who you see that is the most attractive to you, and we’ll work out your type from there. Hell, we can even include our friends back there, I wouldn’t tell on you.” Vi wiggled her eyebrows, hoping to dig something out of Jinx; for the past two weeks, she had gotten the sense that Jinx might have a bit of a crush on either Ekko or Zeri… or both.

Jinx made a face, but nodded and began scanning the Saturday crowd. Vi anticipated that she’d find no one interesting, and either swivel to look at their friends or give up the topic of conversation. Instead, Vi watched Jinx’s mouth suddenly open and her jaw hang slightly slack-jaw. After only a moment of glancing at various parkgoers, Jinx found someone that caught her eye: she was a short woman with shoulder-length blonde hair held back by a thick headband and bright blue eyes that shone like a summer sky, and she looked to be about Jinx's age, maybe a year or two older. The woman wore a gray pinafore dress over a crisp white sweater that fit her fairly slim form closely and elegantly. She walked with a sense of purpose, but still seemed endlessly bubbly and lackadaisical. Vi watched with glee as Jinx continued to stare, not saying a word.

“Earth to Jinx?” Vi said, taking the rare opportunity to be on the giving end of a forehead poke.

“Oh, she’s infuriating,” Jinx said, almost growling. “Her. Holy Fishbones, Vi, her. Gotta know what her deal is, she looks like a sunflower that could kill you.”

Vi burst out laughing. “Woah, easy there, sis! I've never seen you like this… This is so cute! You should go talk to her!”

“What🙺 I can’t go talk to a random person like that! I mean I could, but I don’t even like her or know her or anything!”

“Well duh, we’re just looking at her, how could you already like her? Oh my god, get your face out of your hands, look! She’s walking over to Jayce!”

“What🙺 Why🙺” Jinx's face was beet-red.

“Maybe she’s the other person he invited. Wait, Cait recognizes her!”

Jinx rolled her eyes. “I guess we’d better get going and humiliate me, then!”

“Wait, no, J… I’m so sorry,” Vi apologized, placing her hand on Jinx’s shoulder. “I shouldn’t have pushed it. Hey… Thank you for coming over here to talk to me. I’m still a little rattled, but… you made it better so quickly. I don’t think I tell you this often enough, but you’re so much stronger than anyone gives you credit for. And for what it’s worth… It’s no secret that I wasn’t really around to be your sister. But I’m here now. Who you like is entirely your business, and I won’t ever do something to make you uncomfortable… But if you’d like to talk about it at some point, I would love to do that.”

Jinx narrowed her eyes, and leapt quickly at Vi for a hug. “Jeez, sis, who would’a thought prison would make you so sappy?” She heaved a heavy sigh into Vi, and sank deeper into the embrace. “But thanks… Love ya too, Vi. Are you ready to head back?”

Vi rubbed her eyes to get rid of any remainder of her sadness before nodding. “Yup. Don’t wanna miss any more of whatever the science nerds are up to, right?”

The sisters approached the rest of their group just behind the young blonde woman, who had already made her way to Caitlyn for a hug. “It’s so good to see you! I wanted to text you, but Jayce said to keep it a surprise.”

“Well, I am certainly surprised!” Caitlyn said, smiling wide at her longtime friend. When she saw the Lanes approaching just behind, Cait shared a glance with Vi to make sure she was okay, which Vi responded to with a brief, reassuring nod. I’ll catch up with her as soon as I can. “Vi, darling, do you remember our brief discussion about the Crownguards? This is Luxanna!”

Vi raised her eyebrows. Isn’t this girl a huge deal? “Nice to meet you! I’ve heard nothing but the best from Caity. I’m Vi, this is my sister Jinx.”

The exuberant woman shook Vi’s extended hand, and held on ever-so-slightly longer than she needed to; Vi got the sense that the woman was very particular about her greetings with people. “Please, call me Lux. I dunno why Cait still bothers to introduce me to her friends by my full name, seeing as I normally bar her from using it. Wait, she said darling… Oh my god, are you Caitlyn’s girlfriend? Holy shit, so cute.” Vi smiled wide, but before she could say anything else, Lux deftly stepped to the side to greet Jinx, once again holding out her hand. “And you’re the sister? Hi, I’m Lux Crownguard.”

Jinx hesitated for a moment before grasping Lux’s hand as softly as possible. “Hiya, I’m Jinx. Jinx Crown- I mean, Lane? Right, that’s my name! Yup, totally Jinx Lane!”

As Lux laughed, the world around her seemed to get brighter. “Were you just about to say your last name was Crownguard?”

Jinx looked mortified. “What? No, never. And even if I was you don’t have to call me out on it!”

As Jinx tried to escape, Lux shook her hand tighter, her fingertips moving just a little further to touch Jinx’s wrist. She swiftly moved her left hand to touch the back of Jinx’s hand. “You’re right, I’m sorry. That wasn’t very kind of me. Can you forgive me?”

“Huh? You’re fine, it’s like, whatever. Besides, you’re like an omega-powerful famous person, I’d basically have to forgive you or risk becoming like an enemy of the state, right?”

Lux chuckled again. “I don’t know about all that. Well, it’s great to meet you, Jinx.” Lux gave Jinx’s hand a squeeze before moving on to greet the rest of the party.

After the final series of introductions, Jayce and Viktor continued running Zeri through her simple experiments, and Caitlyn took the opportunity to slink over to Vi. She looped her arm around Vi’s, and snuck in a quick peck on the cheek. “Are you okay, Violet? Wanna talk about earlier?”

“I’ll go more into it later tonight, but… the Williamsburg Bridge riot that Viktor mentioned… Jinx and I were there too.”

“Oh… And that’s when…” Vi nodded. “I’m so sorry, Violet. We can certainly talk more later, if you want to. Viktor is a nice man, though, so if you feel like you want to talk to him about it… I think he’d probably be pretty receptive.”

“I’ll think about it, Cupcake. How’re things going with Z?”

“Pretty well, all things considered. She doesn’t seem very phased by what’s happening, which I suppose is good. She drained all the power out of a car battery, held it inside her, and then put it back in the battery. I wouldn’t have believed it if we weren’t also friends with someone who can turn their body into water and just sort of float around.”

“Wild shit, that’s for sure,” Vi said, resting her head against Cait’s. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Jinx staring at Lux, occasionally fidgeting with her braids as she did so. Huh. Good luck, sis.

Before long, Zeri wrapped up her work, and Jayce thanked her for being so helpful. “I think Vik and I have a lot of data to work with. Now, before we move on to Bethesda, I’d like to thank Lux for coming on short notice! Truth be told, she’s been working with Viktor and I for the past week or so on this project. You may have read online that when all of the strange events were happening several weeks ago, a ray of sunlight appeared over the Crownguard Manor on the Upper East Side. We believe that was an indication of Lux herself. Where it appears Zeri’s medium is lightning and electricity, and we can assume Bethesda’s is water, Lux is also one of the revealed mages. And her medium is… Well, I’ll just let her show you.”

Lux gave Jayce a knowing grin, and wordlessly stepped to be in the middle of the group. She stretched an open palm high up in the air toward the dauntless sun, and stood perfectly still for several seconds. As she stood, her hair shone yellow-gold under the direct focus of the sun’s light, illuminating her as if she was the only thing the celestial body cared about. For just a moment, all the world seemed dark and shadowy in comparison as Lux shone like a star. When Lux channeled the radiance within her, a vertical line comprised of three points outshone the rest of her: one beacon in the palm of her outstretched hand, another in her left eye, and the last in the bronze family crest on her necklace; the Crownguard crest was a resolute eagle over a shield, which Jinx thought looked even more powerful with the holy energy rippling through it. While nearly everyone present averted their eyes from Lux as she channeled, Jinx couldn’t help but stare. The woman before her was immensely, uncompromisingly beautiful, yet completely of this world; it was like looking at the sun.

In the light of her spell, Lux managed to catch Jinx’s gaze. For a quarter of a second, Lux’s breath caught as the strange girl looked straight at her truest self like no one else had before. Lux’s smile grew wider, and after winking at Jinx with her bright eye, she expelled the light within her, disseminating it across the hillock. As the mage twirled in place, tiny motes of fragmented power floated around the space, reflecting like fireflies in the crisp afternoon air. Every color of the rainbow represented, the lights shone in spite of the sunlight that should overpower them.

As the world returned to its natural state, Lux addressed the awestruck crowd. “I know it’s a little flashy, but… that’s me, I guess! Zeri, Bethesda, if what I’ve heard so far is right, I think the two of you are like New York’s current. The ways in which it flows, the everyday normalcy that pervades it, and the extraordinary that shines through all the grime and grit. I’m less present, less applicable than all that, I think. The power I was given represents the light of this place…”

Under her breath, Jinx couldn’t help but whisper… but Lux heard.

“You’re it’s hope.”

Shortly after Lux’s lightshow, the growing group of associates collected themselves and departed from one park for another. Before the afternoon was over, Jayce and Caitlyn intended to get everyone on the same page, so they set out for Morningside Park with the rest of the party in tow. On the way to their final destination for the day, Jayce stopped in his tracks on the sidewalk beside Morningside Pond, and asked Bethesda to explore the limits of their power.

Bethesda was more than happy to show off. Without hesitation, they phased into the wall of water that Vi and Caitlyn had first encountered, and twirled through the air up to the high cliff at the far end of the pond, where they entered a human form again. They daintily hopped from rock to rock until they reached the crest of the small waterfall the pond was known for. It didn’t always flow with much power, but as Bethesda stood atop it, it began to rush forth through her legs with fervor. The water that the falls deposited into was far from shallow, but even so Beth leapt off the cliff face, unworried about where they would land. Like a cloud themself, Beth skirted five feet forward for every foot they dropped. Completely surrounded by the body of water, Bethesda looked elegant and powerful.

As Beth began to make a show of lifting the pond water like pseudopods, Vi worried about the quality of the water her roommate was about to dive into — much of the pond was murky and an unsettling shade of green, and it reflected neither Bethesda’s visage or demeanor. Despite this, Bethesda allowed themself to continue sinking in the air towards the water’s surface, nothing but content painted on their face. They lifted their arms in front of them, formed a baton in their hand out of ice, and began to direct the water to catch them as they descended. Forming currents in the stagnant body, Bethesda pricked and prodded at Morningside Pond with their silent song, and as their toes broke the water’s surface, they sank happily into a perfectly clear pond. 

Bethesda’s form disseminated into the entirety of the pond, and as their friends began applauding their artful display, they reformed back at the water’s edge in a new form. Bethesda had the same dark skin and vitiligo, but their icy blue hair was cropped into a tight crew cut, their jaw was much more angular, and they fashioned themselves an outfit that presented much more masculine. 

“Will that do, Jayce?” he asked, now an inch taller than the bulky man. 

“Uh, yeah, that’s incredible… Thanks, Bethesda.”

Bethesda winked, and circled around to catch up with Zeri, who marveled at his form.

When the group started out north again, they broke into easy walking pairs, rather than engaging in a single large, incomprehensible conversation. For the whole day, Ekko had watched from the sidelines, feeling entirely out of his depth. STEM subjects were always his favorite in school, but the experimentation that Jayce and Viktor were doing felt so much beyond his understanding of mechanics. He saw Lux approach Jinx to walk together, and as Caitlyn, Beth, and Zeri picked up an easy conversation, Vi stepped ahead to match pace with Jayce, who was leading the pack. As the smaller groups peeled apart, Ekko watched as Viktor seemed unsurprised, and took the party’s rear by his lonesome, prodding along slowly and steadily.

“Hey. You get left behind often?”

“Oh, it is no issue,” Viktor said, giving Ekko a kind look as he sidled up next to him. “Sometimes people need to go at a faster pace than I can manage. It is just the way of it.”

“You mind if I ask how long you’ve used a cane?”

“No, not at all. I have used it nearly as long as I have been able to walk. Simply a part of life.”

“For sure,” Ekko replied. He liked Viktor; he seemed incredibly down to earth, as opposed to his counterpart, who seemed a bit too attached to his work, rather than the people it might actually help. There was a quietness to Viktor’s passion that didn’t seem to reflect how intelligent he was. “I know I’m a bit out of my depth here, I’m just a mechanic, but you guys were saying earlier that the anomalies you’re finding are based in like, spacetime or something?”

“Precisely. May I ask what sort of work you do as a mechanic, Ekko?”

Ekko shrugged. “Whatever people need. I taught myself clockwork when I was a kid, so I guess I have a soft spot for that.”

Viktor raised his eyebrows. “Intriguing. I imagine that keeping time must be a rewarding profession. I have often daydreamed about controlling time. Our linear perception of it seems so cruel, and if we could only perceive it in a different order, I cannot imagine how much our perspectives would change.”

“You know, it’s funny,” Ekko said, looking out to the streets of Harlem to their east; his origin point. “People keep throwing around the word magic, which makes me think of fantasy, and I just don’t buy into all that. Seems a lot more like sci-fi to me. The good kind that messes with our established idea of reality so minutely that we hardly notice it’s fiction.”

“That’s an interesting way to look at it… If I told you that my first experience with the arcana was an incident in which I was forced to relive the same sixty to ninety seconds a baker’s dozen times, what would you say to that?”

Ekko didn’t miss a beat. “Must’ve been an important ninety seconds.” When Viktor didn’t respond, he continued. “I’m betting you weren’t able to make a marginal difference?”

The man shook his head. “I tried many times… After a while, the spark left, and all I could do was sit in the ashes and mourn… I have since tried to replicate that experience, but to little avail.”

“Have you been trying to replicate it exactly?” Vik nodded. “I’m no real scientist, but that might be your issue. Sixty to ninety seconds is a long time. If you know exactly when you need to pull the cord, so to speak, four seconds would probably do you just as well. You’d have to imagine a smaller segment of time would be easier to control, right?”

“Yes… Yes, I would imagine that. You’re…” Viktor paused in his stride to look at Ekko more intently. “I thought I recognized you. You volunteer at the Firelight Center, don’t you?”

“Sure do. How’d you know?”

“I stayed there for several months after the riots. Many years ago, of course, but I try to put in time when I can. It’s rare that I get the chance, but I have seen your picture up on the walls.” Ekko couldn’t help but smile. “How about this: since you seem to have a similar fascination for time as I do, why don’t you come work with me sometime? I would very much like to pick your brain on a potential use for the Metro that I don’t think I am quite suited for.”

For half a beat, Ekko thought about Viktor’s offer. He wasn’t sure how heavily he wanted to be involved in this new way of life… But at a certain point, it really doesn’t matter what you think. The world’s always gonna change, and you’re either dead or useless if you don’t get with the times. If I can do something to protect Zeri, and Jinx, and all of the people in Harlem… There's only one answer.

“Hell yeah, let’s do it. You got a number I can steal?”

Several hundred feet ahead of the dealmakers, Vi walked beside Jayce, who had seemed pleased with how the day was going. Vi had a harder time reading him than she had before, but desperately craved for insight on the man who was apparently so integral to Caitlyn’s childhood. “So what’d you think of my roommate, Talis? You seemed flustered back there.”

“Oh, uh, they- he is… very impressive. Magically speaking.”

Vi bust up laughing as Jayce blushed. “Dude, you’re good, I’m messing with you. I mean hey, I doubt he’s taken for. And for the record, all pronouns. They’re chill.”

“Huh, got it,” Jayce nodded. “They really are impressive, though. I imagined some degree of hydrokinesis would make sense, but purifying the pond is… insane. I would love to know where the pollution went, but once we figure that out, that’s already a huge boon.”

“Yeah, for sure. I guess I’ll let you know if he wrecks the bathroom when we get home, in case he’s holding that pollution inside him.”

“Uh… you don’t have to let me know that. I mean, do, but like… Oh, whatever.”

Vi chuckled again. “So, Caity said she knew you when you were kids?”

“That’s right,” Jayce said, happy that the conversation was shifting. “Her parents often sponsored promising youth from underprivileged neighborhoods. I imagine that at first I was just some kid from the Heights, but after what happened to me sixteen years ago… They took greater interest. I got closer to them, and after I got into college, they figured I was a good role model for Cait, so they arranged more times for us to hang out. She’s like a sister to me.”

Vi nodded. “And what’s the baggage from sixteen years ago? Not the bridge, right?”

“No, my mother and I were in a dangerous spot… She got hurt real bad, and all of a sudden, we… teleported. Right to the doors of an emergency room. Whenever I’d tell people what happened, they assumed the story was a trauma response, for having to carry my nearly-dead mother to a hospital. Even my mom stopped believing me eventually… But I swore I’d figure out what happened. I’m positive the Arcana is my answer.”

“Huh. To be fair, until a couple of weeks ago, I would’ve said the same thing.”

“And what would you say now?”

Vi looked at her hands and sighed. She and Caitlyn had traced the outlines of that Freedom Tower and Fist dozens of times, but they still had no ideas about what had happened. She didn’t feel connected to the city like Bethesda and Zeri — she didn’t really feel special at all. But like Jayce, she wasn’t crazy… Those tats were new, and she didn’t ask for them. She was stuck with them, like a curse. Like a responsibility.

“I’d say you’re crazy, but not because I don’t believe you.”

When Vi looked up, she saw that Jayce was also looking at her hands. “Cait told me about those… If you don’t mind me saying so, I think you’re part of this.”

Vi huffed. “Yeah, guess I am. I’m not fucking magic, though.”

“No, you’re not,” Jayce mused. “The Freedom Tower is an interesting pull. Any idea why that’s what showed up?”

“I dunno, I was incarcerated. Freed two days before the city went haywire. Could be that simple.”

“Oh… I didn’t know that.” Jayce looked like he was going to judge Vi for her history, but she saw him work through that thought in real time. “Well, good to know. Let me know if you ever suspect there’s more to it than just that. For now, speaking of monuments, we’re here.”

As Jayce gestured, Vi craned her head to look up. She’d read the reports when it happened, but looking at it in person, it felt like a fantasy. There in Morningside Park, in the heart of Harlem, a massive tree shot up like a skyscraper, dwarfing any other plantlife nearby. It was nearly fifteen feet in diameter, and its roots popped out of the earth at points dozens of feet away. It was completely out of place, much like the Reclining Liberty art piece that was lodged into the trunk twenty feet up. The small Lady Liberty had been on the ground not but three weeks previous, but now no one wanted to risk taking her down, as if the spirit of this tree would retaliate if someone dared steal her queen.

“Woah…” Bethesda said, drawn into the tree’s might. “What is it?”

Jayce cautiously approached the titan. “Because of its proximity, Columbia has been conducting a lot of research on the Tree. As I’m not a biologist, I don’t know the extent of it, but Vik and I have been told that it’s affecting the wildlife all over the park. It also appears to be growing… Not at an alarming rate, mind you, but at a much faster rate than a tree should. It also doesn’t belong to any known species around the world. If I was to take my best guess, Bethesda, I’d say that it’s like you. You manifested from the city’s natural and manmade water supplies, so perhaps something — or someone — that isn’t quite ready to be woken up yet is growing here.”

Jayce let his words sink in, and was not shocked when the group remained awestruck. It honestly didn’t seem appropriate to even describe the titan with words, or science. It felt more natural than anything else in this magical world did, yet it was easily the most astounding. 

So they all stood under the titan’s shadow, wordless and waiting for something to happen, for someone to say something.

Vi looked at Bethesda, Zeri, and Lux in turn, and then down at her hands. The building called to her gently, but the fist seemed more appropriate. She opened up her palm, and the muscles in the inky fist relaxed. Breathe in, breathe out. We just push through the shit that gets thrown at us. So she approached the tree, and with worry in her chest, she placed a palm against the bark.

WE’RE NOT READY YET, VI. SEE YOU SOON.

Vi staggered back from the titan and clutched her head in both hands. Even after leaving their message, the voice… no, voices still rang, like a choir whose refrain stays stuck in your head for hours. A story with a message that remains. 

“Vi!” Caitlyn and Jinx shot forward to keep her from falling. “Are you alright?” Caitlyn asked.

“How are you feeling? Did the tree take over your mind?”

“Yes, Jinx, I’m eeevil now,” Vi said. “I’m okay. Tired of being at the whim of this goddamn city.”

“What happened?” Jayce demanded.

Caitlyn looked ready to jump on Jayce for being flippant about her health, but Vi waved her hand. “I’m fine, Cupcake. You’re right, someone’s alive in there. Someones. I think… three of them. They told me they aren’t ready yet… And then they said my name, and that they’d see me soon. Well, it could have been the royal you, I guess.”

“Intriguing… Viktor, this has been quite the day, hasn’t it?”

Viktor shared a look with Ekko. “Quite the day. Productive, certainly.”

Jayce looked around at everyone meaningfully. “I don’t mean to cut things here, but I think that might be the extent of how much we want to test with this thing today. Caitlyn, thank you so much for reaching out. This research is going to… It’s going to help so much more than you know.”

“Hey, the intel’s gonna help me too, so it’s mutual. If you have to head out, then I suppose I’ll call you at some point soon. Probably best that I take care of my girlfriend now, anyways.”

“Hey! I’m fine, Cupcake. Really.”

As the couple began kindly bickering with each other, their friends all departed in so many words. Jayce and Viktor climbed the nearby stairs to Columbia, Bethesda elected to walk with Ekko and Zeri to the apartment in Harlem, and Jinx managed to disappear into the folds of Morningside Park with Lux Crownguard at her side.

“Wait, Cupcake, did you see where Jinx went?” Vi and Caitlyn had moved to a nearby bench, where Caitlyn had forced Vi to lie down on her lap so that she may massage Vi’s temples.

“No, darling, why?”

“She didn’t say where she was going, and I’m pretty sure I saw her walk off with Lux!”

“Wait, really?” Caitlyn said with a wild grin. “You think there’s something there?”

“Dude, you have no idea, she basically- Wait, fuck, Caity, I promised secrecy.”

“Then I heard nothing, darling. We’ll have to call her later to see what she’s up to.”

For a long time, Caitlyn and Vi sat quietly, Cait’s fingers rhythmically sorting out the worries and pains in Vi’s mind. They were still under the shadow of the titan — it was hard not to be — but neither felt like moving. Vi couldn’t imagine that any tree could hurt the two of them, not even one taller than the Statue of Liberty. And Caitlyn knew for a fact that so long as Vi’s head rested on her thighs, she would never move.

“Hey Violet…” Caitlyn whispered eventually.

“Yes, Cupcake?”

“Earlier today, when I introduced us to Jayce…” Cait’s legs writhed beneath Vi’s head, so she picked herself up. “Did you call us a ‘mortal lock’?”

“I guess I may have,” Vi said, truly not remembering.

“That’s awfully romantic language for you, Miss Lane. Am I perhaps rubbing off on you?”

Vi quickly stirred, and with a shit-eating grin, she leaned against her girlfriend. “Oh boy, I sure hope you’re rubbing me.”

Caitlyn laughed. “Okay, okay. Taxi now, I think. Your place or mine?”

Chapter Text

“Hey Crown Lady! You up to anything?”

Luxanna was a dozen paces away from the group when she heard the woman call out to her. She continued walking, but turned her head and smiled at Jinx, who brazenly followed her without worry of where she was heading. 

“Oh, just a whole lot of nothing,” Lux replied casually, combing a hand through her perfectly straight hair. 

“Want a tagalong?”

Jinx’s face was delightfully expressive, and Lux guessed she wouldn’t have minded at all if Lux said no, which was endearing in itself. “Sure, why not?”

Of all the people she’d been introduced to in such a short period of time, Jinx was the most immediately interesting to Lux. She walked, talked, and acted very much like a firecracker; colorful and unassuming until BAM, action! Where Lux would have described some people as talking with their hands, it was more accurate to say that Jinx spoke with her entire body. She was incredibly lithe, and wore clothing that made flinging her limbs about as easy as possible, whenever a particular thought required more emphasis than anyone else would have used. Despite how bouncy she was though, Lux noticed that Jinx was extremely precise and practiced in her movements; before she leapt somewhere, her pink eyes darted to make sure she knew exactly where she’d land, and whenever she intended to touch someone, it was deliberate and concise. Yes, Jinx was very much like a firecracker… as she sped up to get in step, long neon-blue braids nearly skimming the sidewalk and face grinning with abandon, Lux found it impossible not to look at her and smile.

“You know, it’s Crownguard, by the way,” Lux said after they were away from their friends.

“So what kinda name is that, huh? You like a princess or somethin’?”

“You would think that, given how my family tends to carry themselves. But nope, I’m just a regular girl.”

Jinx furrowed her brow. “I dunno, you’re not convincing me, Princess. I mean, you’re certainly not a ‘regular girl’, since nearly everyone in the city knows who you are. And if they don’t, at least everyone knows Vanguard Security. It’s like the biggest, baddest company in the whole country.”

Lux sighed. “I guess so. I try to trick myself into believing that I’ve lived a normal-ish life, but I know that couldn’t be further from the truth.”

“Hey, it’s fine,” Jinx said, twisting one of her braids around her forearm. “I don’t see a security detail around you, and you don’t have an actual crown, so I’d probably never have known who you were if you hadn’t told me your name!”

“Hey, well it’s your name too, so it should be easy to remember.”

“Huh? Play that one back, Princess.”

“You know, when we met!” Lux giggled. “You nearly called yourself Jinx Crownguard by accident.”

“I can’t believe you’re back on that!” Jinx protested, lightly touching Lux’s shoulder to push her gently. “Actually, I retract that. I have no clue what you’re talkin’ about, never happened.”

“Of course, my apologies,” Lux said. “I was just remembering incorrectly, you said Jinx Lane very clearly and without incident, which is a very pretty name by the way. Did your parents pick it for you, or did you pick it yourself?”

Jinx stared at Lux as she read her like a fucking book. With a goofy smile, Jinx jammed a finger at herself proudly. “Nope, all me! Changed it a couple years back in the midst of a bunch of horrifying mental breakdowns and the following period of radical self-discovery. A real good-bad time, ya know? Oh, not like my deadname is any less weird though, my parents called me Powder. Can you believe that? Violet and Powder, how did they come up with that?”

Through Jinx’s chaotic speech, Lux smiled, wide and genuine. “Powder’s cute. I like Jinx a whole lot better, though. Definitely fits you.”

“Thanks, Princess.”

“Hmm…” Lux placed her finger on her chin. “If that’s to be my new nickname, I should probably make sure that you’re not trying to insult me, otherwise I’ll have to sue you for defamation. So Miss Lane, am I a Princess in a cute, friendly sort of way, or in a hoity-toity spoiled rich girl sort of way?” 

“Nope, definitely non-derogatory.” Jinx began fidgeting at Lux’s use of the word cute, so she popped a stick of gum in her mouth. “Gum?”

“Sure, thank you.”

The unlikely pair continued to walk silently as they chewed their gum, analyzing each other carefully as they left Morningside Park and made their way onto Columbus Ave. Jinx still found Lux to be infuriatingly intoxicating, like a sickly-sweet smelling flower. Despite her high society glow, and the fact that she was some sort of funky wizard, Lux was down to earth, and very cool. She exuded life and energy, but not unbearingly so, and seemed content to just walk and see where life took her, even if that path led far away from whatever lofty goals had been set by her and for her. Lux, for her own part, found that not a single ounce of her minded that her private time was interrupted by Jinx. She normally yearned for time away from her family, from the security details and incessant cameras, but it didn’t really feel like Jinx was inhibiting her from feeling comfortable in her own skin.

“So where we goin’, Princess?”

Lux shrugged, and blew a bubble with her gum. “Dunno! Like I said, I’m up to a whole lot of nothing. I managed to convince people to basically leave me alone for the day, since they trust and know Jayce and Cait. But now I get to be alone, and do whatever I want!”

One of Jinx’s eyebrows shot up, and she waved her hand in front of her face comically. “Holy shit, am I invisible? That’s so cool! Okay, pretend like I’m not even here!”

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Lux laughed. “I mean like, I don’t have to worry about my aunt’s goons creeping over my shoulder, or spending time with people past what I have energy for. Big groups are a lot, and it’s even worse when there’s some prescribed task that needs to be done. I’d much rather just chill and do whatever. I hardly get that luxury.”

“Heh, Luxury, good one Princess. Well if I wasn’t here, what would you be doing?”

“Honestly?” Lux asked, looking at the sprawling city around her. “I do not know. I kinda figured I’d walk around for a while and maybe find something to do eventually. I like Chelsea Market, so I guess maybe I’ll walk south until I get there?”

Jinx narrowed her eyes. “Chelsea’s pretty far away, toots. You wanna maybe… I dunno, we could do something on our way there, to break up the walk. Buhhh, what’s good to do between here and Chelsea that isn’t Van’s…”

As Jinx spoke, Lux loved that her new friend tied together their plans without question. “You know what’s crazy, Jinx?”

“Shoot.”

“I’ve lived in New York for my entire life-”

“Yeah, me too.”

“- and I have never been to Zabar’s.”

Jinx laughed. When Lux’s cheeks reddened, she began to laugh even harder. “What?”

“You’re right, that is crazy. Like, it’s not even life-changing or anything, just a cultural thing I guess, like our way of life… Really it's just like a nice, solid Jewish appetizing place with some home goods thrown in there. Fuck it, tell ya what, let’s go get you some hamantashen! Then I dunno, we’ll figure it out from there.”

“That sounds lovely, Jinx. Lead the way!”

“Uhhh okay, but let’s get on the 1, I don’t really feel like walking thirty blocks.”

Lux nodded, and trailed just behind Jinx as she began easily weaving her way through the busy foot traffic of Columbus and Amsterdam on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. Jinx didn’t take the straightest route, instead opting to turn onto streets that led roughly in the right direction on a whim. It’s close to traveling as the crow flies, Lux thought. Heh, more like as the pigeon flies. If a crosswalk’s light happened to change when the pair walked near it, Jinx would cross the street without question to cut down on their time spent idling and waiting. As they swiped their cards just in time to make the next train at the 103rd Street station, Lux wondered if Jinx was just very lucky, or had some sixth sense for traffic patterns. 

It was not long before they tucked into Zabar’s on Broadway, and Jinx made a beeline for the bakery with a lazy smile on her face. When Lux hesitated however, Jinx turned around and cocked her head. Realizing quickly that Lux really had no clue what she was looking for, Jinx sighed and led her all around the store. It was tedious at first, but Jinx found that she actually enjoyed telling Lux about all the foods she’d never had, or in some cases had never even heard of. Lux was a quick study, and Jinx could tell she was genuinely interested in what she told her. “My dad was Ashkenazi,” Jinx found herself saying, “but like I wouldn’t really have remembered if it wasn’t for Vi and eventually Vander making sure that we kept in touch with some of that culture. Oh, Vander’s like Dad number 2. Not in terms of importance, he’s just like, my new dad. Whatever, you know what I mean.”

By the time they left the store, Lux carried a canvas bag stuffed with random goods she wanted, and Jinx happily cradled two small boxes, one filled with sweet potato knishes and the other with apricot and raspberry hamantaschen. For several minutes, Lux managed to prod Jinx enough to get her to talk more about her life as they huddled against the corner of 80th and Broadway and ate their pastries. Since Lux’s history was public record — even if Jinx wasn’t aware of it — they talked about what Jinx did for work, and even how she came to change her name in the wake of a reimagining of herself while her sister was still in prison.

When Jinx was eventually exhausted of talking about herself, Lux spotted a used bookstore across Broadway, and picked herself up to investigate. The pair spent the better part of half an hour browsing books before meandering their way to the second floor where a plethora of record sleeves lined cozy and delightfully asymmetrical shelves, albums that ranged from well over fifty years old to that year’s releases. Jinx’s music tastes were wide and eclectic, but to her shock, Lux recognized every record she held up. For every deep cut Jinx pulled off the shelves, Lux would hum a little tune to prove that she knew at least one song of the album, and more often than not, the song she picked wasn’t one of the most popular tracks. Jinx was impressed, and endlessly intrigued by this girl who was simultaneously knowledgeable about some things and clueless about others, and who was so easily able to get her to spill about the more sensitive aspects of her life. 

As she pretended to look through another pile of books, Jinx looked to her side at Lux without turning to her, as casually as possible. “Hey Princess, it’s getting a little late. You still wanna head to Chelsea Market?”

“Late? It’s barely 5:30, doesn’t it stay open pretty late into the night?”

“Yup yup yup, but I wanna show you something close by first. But if we’re gonna see it, we gotta go, like five minutes ago.”

Lux laughed. “Okay, but you’re pretty quick on your feet. I’m sure we’ll get there in time.” 

On their way out, Lux bought a weathered leather book and a vinyl with a sleeve that was even more tattered, but in a pretty sort of way. The second she’d gotten her change, she had to chase Jinx out of the store at a brisk pace. Once again, Jinx skipped down the stairs to the subway just in time to catch the train, which they rode from 79th to 23rd. When they breached the surface, the sky above was radiant with the telltale orange streaks of what would surely be a breathtaking sunset. Ever-antsy, Jinx jogged west down 23rd Street, eager to lead Lux towards whatever her mind was set on; Lux could barely keep up.

Just past 10th Avenue, in the shadow of an old elevated rail line, Jinx stopped in her tracks and held her hand up to Lux. Far beyond them to the west, the sun threatened to tuck away for the night. Goofily, Jinx stuck out her thumb as if to measure the wind, and Lux followed where it pointed, up toward the rail above.

“Oh! This is the High Line, isn’t it? I’ve been here!”

“Yeah, yeah. Okay… Alright, now!”

In a flash, Jinx took Lux’s hand and yanked her towards the roughly-hewn steel staircase that led up to the long, elevated park. As Lux’s eyes witnessed the scene in front of her, she became immensely more grateful that her focus had been on Jinx as they walked along 23rd. 

Framed perfectly between buildings of brick and glass that lined the street, the sky was a beautiful painting, rife with colors Lux had never even imagined before. The horizon burned with bright orange flames as the last of the sun hid behind it. Luxanna’s eyes widened as the light shone over her, as orange turned to a dull, comforting red that compelled her to stop and soak in all the moment. The vermillion strip softly faded to lilac and lavender, which danced in playful waves that almost seemed to ebb and flow with the cerulean sky above that safely carried the pair of women into civil twilight.

“San Giorgio Maggiore…” Lux said, mouth agape as she spun in circles to take it all in. 

“Who’s George?” Jinx said with a smile, setting herself down on a modern-looking bench to watch Lux spin.

“Oh, sorry. This is… maybe the best sunset I’ve ever seen. It reminds me of San Giorgio Maggiore at Dusk , by Claude Monet. Maybe if we were on the other side of the Hudson, it’d look more like The Houses of Parliament with the skyline and everything.”

“Weeell, I don’t think I could get us across the river that quickly. I hate those tunnels, they make me feel like I’m way less in control of traffic, even if they’re functionally the same as a bridge. Next time, maybe.”

Lux laughed, beaming at Jinx, and joined her on the bench. “You were right, you know. This was worth rushing here for.” The bench they’d found had no back, so Lux had to resist the sudden urge to lean on Jinx’s shoulder.

“Pretty nice, huh?” Jinx fished a hamantasch out of her bag and bit into it. “I dragged Vi and Beth out to this spot a few days ago. It was nice, but it wasn’t this nice. Maybe it’s because you’re here!”

“Huh?”

Jinx idly slipped her index finger under the silver string of Lux’s necklace and lifted, bringing their attention to the bronze crest that grazed her neck. “You’re basically like a sun wizard, right? Maybe the sun knew you were gonna be lookin’ at her tonight, and decided to put on a show!”

“I suppose it’s possible…” Lux said, smiling a little still. “But I don’t think it works like that.”

As she chewed on her pastry, Jinx furrowed her brow. “And how does it work, Princess? Maybe a bit of a leap, but I feel like you know a whole lot more than even Sweater Boy does.”

At that, Lux bellowed with laughter. “Jayce is a nice guy,” she said as she came down from her humor. “Pardon my pun, but he’s barking up a pretty big tree. I don’t think he knows what he’s really getting into, and he does not seem like he’d make an adept politician.”

“What do politics have to do with magic?” Jinx asked.

Lux rolled her eyes. “Everything, Jinx. Unfortunately.” The bright woman looked at her curious counterpart, and after hearing all about Jinx’s past, decided to take a risk. “I’ll tell you a secret if you promise you can keep it.”

Without words, Jinx held up her right pinky and raised an eyebrow. Lux curled her finger gently around Jinx’s, and held on to the tiny embrace for a few extra beats. 

“Okay, here it is: I’ve known I was magic since I was a little kid.”

“Wait, what?” Jinx nearly yelled. “But this happened, like, yesterday ! Okay maybe not yesterday, but you know what I mean. Are you a fortune teller? Oh, or are you like Bethesda and you have like, memories from a past life? No wait, I got it, your family is a secret coven of witches!”

Jinx’s unhinged guesses made Lux laugh, but she could tell that Jinx was actually being serious in her own weird way. It was a comforting dichotomy. “No, no, and definitely no. The truth is… Okay, you gotta double promise not to say anything.”

Jinx retook Lux’s pinky, and this time didn’t let go.

“Okay, so it’s like this: magic is very real, and it sprouts in cities once enough significant memories and history have piled up. It’s probably the world’s most well-kept secret, and my family has known for generations. They… Well, I assume you know that Vanguard Security is the company that Mayor Lightshield uses. Our families actually have a pretty storied history when it comes to suppressing magical artifacts and rogue mages that appear without the influence of a great city’s power.”

“Holy shit, Princess. But you’re not a rogue one, right? The city activated your powers or something?”

“Uh huh. I could sorta feel it before that, though. And when I was really young, there was an event in the city that triggered something, and I started emitting light for some reason. My aunt looked into it, and I don’t really know how, but she basically sussed out that if the city ever woke up, I’d be chosen as one of its mages. The Mage of Light, obviously.”

“When did that happen? Like, how many years ago?” Jinx asked.

“Sixteen, I think. Yeah, that would make sense, since I was five at the time.”

Jinx did some mental math in her head, and cursed under her breath when the timing lined up for the second time that day.

“It didn’t make sense to me when I was a kid, and it still doesn’t now,” Lux continued. “My parents despised this part of me… And I had no control over it! It’s crazy. My aunt was even worse, I think she would’ve cut off my arm if she thought all the magic was stored inside it. She basically indoctrinated my brother Garen into thinking the same way, too.”

“That’s… so dumb!” Jinx empathized. “It’s not even like your magic is dangerous! You just make things more pretty!”

“Exactly what I thought. Plus, I didn’t even really understand how to use any magic until that strange blonde boy showed up, the day it all got weird.”

“Blonde boy?”

“He forgot to tell me his name,” Lux laughed. “I think he got nervous when he saw who I was. He just said he was looking for the mages, but since I didn’t seem phased by the whole ‘being magic’ thing, he left to look for others. I’m guessing your friends met him?”

Jinx thought back to all of her previous conversations with Vi and Caitlyn about exactly what happened at Belvedere that day. “It was probably Ezreal, he was the one that put on the weird glove that started all this. I think he can smell magic or something. But if he was looking for mages, he sure as hell didn’t come looking for Zeri and Bethesda. I’ve been watching them like a hawk since it all went down.” Lux smiled. “Do you think something happened to him then? Or maybe he just didn’t care to find them all. Oh, how many mages are there supposed to be, anyways?”

Lux wasn’t sure which question to answer first. “I hope nothing happened to him… He seemed distracted when I talked to him. I don’t think he would’ve had trouble finding your friends, though. He literally teleported into my room, set off a bunch of alarms, and left when he saw I was okay and knew what was happening. As for how many mages there are… I learned a bit about it from Tianna one time — that’s my aunt. Apparently when cities awaken, the magic most potently manifests in seven to thirteen individuals, and those are the mages. There’s always  fire, earth, water, and air mages, and the others normally reflect whatever the given group of people values, or is surrounded by. So I don’t know exactly how many there are, but it’s at least four that we don’t know about. Three, if that big ass tree is one of them.”

The information flooded Jinx’s senses like a hurricane. “Okay Princess, that’s a shit-ton of info for a girl to handle at once… I know I pinky-promised, and I’m literally never going to break that unless you tell me I can, I would sooner die, but are you sure I can’t tell Vi?”

Lux began to think about it, but before she could come to a conclusion, her phone rang. When she took it out and read the Caller ID, she audibly groaned. “God dammit, leave me alone! It’s my brother, I should take this.”

As soon as Lux put the phone to her ear, his voice came through like booming thunder. “Oh Luxanna, hi.” Like you weren’t the one that called me! “I am calling on Cithria’s behalf, since she is too polite to bother you herself. How much longer do you expect to spend time with Mr. Talis?”

“His name’s Jayce, Garen, you can call him that.” Lux looked at Jinx, who gave a reassuring smile. You know what… fuck it. “I’m actually going to stay with him overnight, we’re making very good progress on this.”

“Lux… You know Tianna doesn’t like this. I was barely able to convince her to allow you to meet with the young scientist at all.”

Oh, like you wanted to help me! Yeah right! “You can tell Auntie that I’m going to use this additional time to impress upon Mr. Talis and his associates that this is worth investigating as slowly as possible. I can buy you all precious time to come up with whatever sort of scheme you want to keep the city from shaking. Besides, why don’t you take the time to take Cithria out on a date? You know she’s obsessed with you, and she hardly gets any time to herself, given how much Tianna has her at my side.”

“I- I don’t think it’s like that,” Garen stuttered. “Whatever, sister. I’ll consider it. As for staying tonight… You’ll get me an address within the hour, and we’ll have someone pick you up before noon. And don’t ever say I never did anything for you, Lux.”

Lux rolled her eyes. “Ugh, I am not a child on a playdate… But thank you, Gar. Talk to you soon.”

As Lux hung up the phone, Jinx looked at her and wiggled her eyebrows. “Staying overnight, Princess? What exactly is the plan here?”

“Oh, I’ll get a hotel room, don’t worry about it! I have a secret debit they can’t track, so they’ll never know. I just need a fucking night to myself…” Lux sighed, and leaned back against the air. The sky above them had darkened, just the faintest slivers of light shining down from the dwindling sunset. “Would you still like to get dinner, Jinx? I’m more than happy to pay.”

“Your treat, Princess, really?” Jinx laughed. “Sign me up.”

Lux laughed as she stood. “On that subject, I think I’m going to need a nickname for you!”

“Oh, I’m sure you’ll think of somethin’ sooner or later,” Jinx said, springing to her feet. “So where to? Still wanna go to Chelsea Market? It’s only seven hops, thirteen skips, and two jumps away!”

Lux thought about it. “You know, I actually don’t. I think I would like you to take me to the best burger joint you know so that I can indulge in the shittiest, best-tasting thing I can imagine.”

Jinx grinned. “As you wish, Princess. Follow me!”

Under the calm and grace of twilight, the new friends followed the grassy High Line north until they reached 30th Street. When Jinx stepped towards the metal stairs that led back down to the reality and the concrete, Lux looped her arm through Jinx’s and silently compelled her to continue following the path of the park. Whatever restaurant you’re taking us to, it can wait twenty more minutes. Not one to disappoint the princess, Jinx continued without fuss, tracing the elevated path around Hudson Yards as the sky further darkened, until they stood just over the West Side Train Yard.

“I just wanted a good view to watch the light leave the city,” Lux explained as they sat on another bench, gazing across the Hudson to the distant shores of Weehawken. “I think that darkness is just as beautiful as light, honestly. There’s a place for both, probably.”

While Lux stared across the river, fingers tucked underneath her legs as she sat, Jinx only looked at her; she had a hard time believing that anything could be as beautiful as the light she saw. Jesus Hernadez Christ, when did I get sappier than Vi? “Whatever you say, Princess.”

Lux’s head suddenly swiveled to look at Jinx, and their noses nearly touched; Lux seemed unphased. “Thinking about something, Jinx? J?”

“Yep, thinkin’ about how our noses are really close right now, and that if I was startled, I could’a bitten yours clean off and completely ruined your public image.” Lux giggled, so Jinx continued. “This just in, crazy girl from the Kitchen bites off Luxanna Crownguard’s nose in what onlookers described as something between feral rage and sapphic passion!”

The sky was a deep navy which made it difficult for Jinx to read Lux’s eyes, but still the weak flood lights above them played off a slight sparkle. “Oh, I don’t think I could admit that to anyone! I’d have to say it was an incredibly lucky encounter with a shark.”

“I like sharks,” Jinx said, baring her teeth. “Sometimes I think about filing these bad boys down. Never know when I might need to defend myself!”

Lux smiled wide, still just inches away from Jinx. “That’s it!”

“Huh?”

“Blue! I’ve decided your new nickname is Blue. You know, because of the hair, and…” Lux paused, and in a flash, lifted up her head and opened her mouth to softly bite the tip of Jinx’s nose. “It’s a type of shark.”

As the feeling of Lux’s teeth on her nose made its mark, Jinx’s heart rate exploded, and her face burned with a heat on par with the sunny girl’s own radiance. As Jinx’s brain briefly short-circuited, she thought her eyes must be going crazy like a slot machine. After a few moments, when she was able to calm down, she managed to eke out a few words. “Wow, Princess, is that really how they raised you?”

Seemingly realizing exactly what she did, Lux backed off from Jinx and blushed. “Uh… indirectly, I guess so… Sorry.”

“Hey, I was the one who threatened it!” Jinx said with a laugh, picking herself up and extending a hand to Lux. “All’s fair. Anyways, burger time?”

Lux’s usual, infallible smile returned to her lips. “Sure, Blue. I sorta forgot how fucking starving I am.”

“Wow, curses like a sailor, bites like a shark… You rich people are weirder than I am!”

Twenty minutes later, when the city basked more in shadow than light, Jinx tossed Lux her hoodie and commanded her to put the hood up in case anyone might recognize her. As Lux fiddled with the drawstrings, Jinx grinned toothily and pushed open the door to The Last Drop. 

Like nearly all of the best decisions of her life, Jinx’s choice of burger joint was made on the spot. While guiding them towards an entirely different spot closer to Midtown, Jinx kept glancing at Lux, and knew with a strange certainty that was entirely foreign to her that Lux was the coolest, weirdest, sweetest person she had ever met. Even if it was only for one night, Jinx wanted Lux in her life as solidly as she could be. So of course, consciously or not, they ended up at Vander’s. 

The Saturday night crowd was raucous and festive, and countless servers and patrons alike waved to Jinx as she strolled through the door. Not wanting to draw too much attention, she nodded casually to each in turn as she glanced around the room to get a lay of who was there for the night. Making a show of every drink he mixed was Mylo; he flipped shakers and juggled shot glasses with far more swagger and bravado than he actually had, but still seemed to be entertaining a gaggle of locals that Jinx recognized. Through the entryway to the kitchen behind him, Jinx saw Claggor at his stove, seemingly filling in for Jeri for the night. Lastly, at the far end of the dining room was Vander, chatting with an old friend of his. 

As Jinx guided them to the bar, she sidled up closer to Lux. “Whaddya think, Princess? You comfortable eating here, or do you wanna grab and go?”

“I think… I don’t want to be shackled by my identity. So screw leaving just because it might be a little smarter. Besides, it seems like more people know you here than me.”

Jinx sighed. “Not wrong. Hey, what do you want to drink?”

“Uh…” Lux continued to fiddle with her hoodie’s drawstrings, and leaned in close to Jinx to whisper. “I don’t drink much, so I don’t know what I want.”

“Oh, easy fix, I know everything this guy’s good and bad at. Do you wanna be able to tell how strong it is, or do you want something sweeter?”

“Sweet, I think?”

“Perfect,” Jinx said, and began waving to get the bartender’s attention. “Hey, howdy, My! Hello, your favorite adoptive sister’s right here!” 

Mylo smirked without looking, and took a moment to finish whatever he was working on before approaching. “Vi, good to see- oh, I’m sorry, the other sister! My bad.”

“I will literally end you. Listen, I’m gonna need a Cosmo and a Paloma, stat, and then you need to take two orders to Claggor, capiche?”

“And what sort of scheme are you up to that you can’t sit down at a booth and be waited on like a normal human? Or God forbid, the stool that’s right in front of you, so we can have a conversation.” As Mylo grilled Jinx, he noticed the timid woman standing beside her. “Oh, I’m so sorry, forgive me for being rude! I’m Mylo, can I get you anything?”

“Just the drinks,” Jinx interrupted. “Seriously, My.”

Mylo raised an eyebrow. “Suuure, J… But I’m still gonna have to card you two. Can’t have Vander biting my head off.”

Jinx looked to get Lux’s confirmation that she was okay, and saw that while she wasn’t shining so brightly in the dimly-lit interior of the pub, Lux still wore a confident smile. “Does biting run in the family, Blue?”

Lux calmly pulled out her card to give to Mylo. Jinx smiled for a moment at Lux’s joke, and then took a deep breath when Mylo took the card. “Just don’t be loud about it, dude.”

As Mylo checked the ID, his eyes went wide for a moment before putting on a shockingly effective poker face. “Alright, you’re all set, ma’am. Jinx, why don’t you go steal the corner booth from Van and Benzo?”

“Great idea! Also here, get Claggor to shove this somewhere,” Jinx said, taking Lux’s grocery bag and slinging it over the counter. She rapped her palms on the sticky counter as Mylo made the drinks as swiftly as possible. The second he finished pouring, a different shaker in each hand, Jinx scooped up the glasses. “Great, thanks My! We’ll send orders over to you one way or another, come swing by if you can!”

With no time wasted, Jinx ushered Lux deeper into the pub. Even if she wanted to be here, Jinx had no intention of letting someone notice Lux, and having the news get out about where she was. Now that they were in the thick of the restaurant, Jinx felt like an idiot for offering to bring her to such a public place. But as she looked back at Lux — whose eyes were wide, blue saucers and whose lips were stretched into a beautiful, stupid grin — she knew so long as the Crownguards didn’t find out, it would be more than worth it for both of them.

As the pair approached the corner booth, Vander sat facing away from where they approached, so only Benzo raised a hand in greeting. 

“Benzo, what’s up? Not often we see you here, man. What’d ya have from Claggor tonight? Listen Van, you mind if we sit?”

Vander slowly turned to face his daughter, with the same soft-but-grizzled expression he always wore. Before noticing her companion, the man reached up to the top of Jinx’s head and messed with her hair lovingly. “‘Evening, Jinx. Benzo was actually just heading out, so feel free to take his seat.”

Benzo nodded and stood, reaching to pinch Jinx on the cheek, a slow assault she deftly avoided. “Good to see you, kid. Tell you what, I’ll swing by soon so we can catch up.” With an easy wave, Benzo left the bar.

“So, how went the thing today?” Vander asked, gesturing to the almost entirely empty booth. “Any discoveries?”

Jinx looked over her shoulder at Lux, who appeared to be looking for the right moment to introduce herself. “Say Van, mind scooting over a bit? Your seat’s kinda the best one for hiding from the rest of the bar.” Without question, Vander nodded and moved to the middle of the bench, and Jinx set the drinks down on the table. “Thanks, you’re a doll. Okay, I’m gonna sit here, and Princess, why don’t you introduce yourself and sit where Vander was. Don’t worry, he won’t actually bite, he’s as soft as they come.”

Finally able to relax, Lux smiled wider and pulled down her hood as she sat. “Hi. Jinx told me a lot about you, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Luxanna Crownguard, but please, call me Lux.”

For once in his life, Vander seemed somewhat shocked, but still shook Lux’s hand like it was any other. “Nice to meet you. May I ask how you met my daughter, and how you managed to get her to talk about me? Not an easy feat, from what I understand.”

“I was invited to the, uh… meeting we had earlier by the organizer. As for how we got on the subject of you, we were just talking about our lives, so of course you would come up, given the influence you’ve had in her life.”

“I see,” Vander said. “Well, it’s nice to have you here. All are welcome in The Last Drop, and don’t hesitate to let me know if you need anything. So… may I ask how it went?”

Jinx pushed the drinks to Lux before addressing Vander. “Here, try both of these, keep whichever one you like better. So. Crazy stuff, Van, straight outta Sanderson, or Rothfuss. So Bethesda and Zeri are both Mages, capital M, and apparently there’re these particle things called Metros that sorta float around the city, and that makes magic? Anyways, we were testing out Z and B’s powers, and Z sucked up all the energy from a car battery! Then B purified this pond, and we went to go visit the big tree in Morningside, which spoke to Vi. Like, in her head . Real crazy shit, I’m tellin’ ya. Oh yeah, and the Metro guy, Vincent-”

“Viktor,” Lux casually corrected as she pushed the cosmopolitan back towards Jinx.

“Right. Anyways, Viktor was apparently at the Williamsburg Bridge all those years ago, and that’s when he first discovered magic or whatever. It really freaked Vi out. I’d call to see how she’s doin’ now, but I don’t want to catch her mid-canoodling.”

Vander nodded, trying desperately to understand everything Jinx was saying. He was quite proficient at this point in deciphering her hyperbole, but when everything she’d said had really happened, it was harder to read her. Vi’s trauma, on the other hand, was something Vander was intimately familiar with, and had too easy a time understanding. “I see… That is a lot. Well, I’m glad you two are okay, at the very least. I’ll give Vi a call later tonight, Jinx, so don’t you worry about it. Just enjoy the night.”

Jinx let out an exasperated sigh, and grinned at Lux. “I think that’s doable. Say old man, wanna run Lux here through the menu?”

After going through the options and texting Claggor for the burgers they wanted — and a half dozen different sides between them — Jinx took the time to more properly introduce Lux and Vander to each other. It wasn’t difficult; in their own ways, they were the two sunniest people Jinx knew, and they naturally came to understand each other very quickly. Vander came to know that beneath the noble status and pristine exterior, Lux was just an enthusiastic girl who was ecstatic for any opportunity she might get that didn’t involve her family or her dutiful bodyguard Cithria. And Lux, for her part, had a special appreciation for Vander’s stories about his kids, which he regaled her with despite Jinx’s chagrin. Throughout her life, Lux had found that people without her luxuries and opportunities tended to have much richer ties to their cultures, and that fact shone brightly in Vander Lane. 

After nearly half an hour of chatting had passed, Jinx saw Mylo weaving his way through the restaurant, balancing eight or nine plates as he maneuvered around untucked chairs and loose limbs. Lux helped him set down each of the plates once he made it to them, surprisingly unscathed. “Sorry about the wait, and that we couldn’t get anything to you early!”

“Isshfine,” Jinx said, already digging in.

“So Luxanna Crownguard, huh?” Mylo whispered as he leaned in closer. “Wild. Listen, I don’t mean to put a damper on the mood, but I think I spotted someone at that table over there snap a photo of you. Would you like us to do anything specific about it?”

“Oh god… Well, thanks for letting me know, Mylo. I don’t know if there’s much that you can do about it, though.”

Vander squeezed between Jinx and the table to exit the booth; Lux hadn’t even noticed that he’d stood up. “My, how long ago was it?”

“Literally just when I was walking over here,” he replied, a grin growing on his face.

“Okay.” Vander turned to Lux. “Lux, I don’t mean to presume, but I assume you’re here tonight on your own business, and not anyone else’s?” Lux nodded. “If they haven’t posted it, I can handle things. How loud would you like me to be?”

Lux looked up in wonder at the man; sitting down, he had seemed so unassuming. Strong, sure, but quiet and level-headed. He still was all of those things, but… There was an air of power and control surrounding him that Lux was surprised by. “Um… If you’re confident, then as loud as you need to be to make sure it doesn’t happen for the rest of the night? Is that possible?”

Vander only smiled, and stepped away from the table. 

“Ohhh shit, you’re in for a real show, Crownguard,” Mylo laughed. “Consider yourself lucky.”

When Lux appeared nervous, Vi reached her pinky across the table. Lux smiled and took it in hers.

Vander calmly approached the person Mylo had pointed to, carrying himself as largely as possible without putting any real effort into it. The table of four noticed him immediately, and stopped talking amongst themselves before he even said anything. The quiet they exuded began to ripple throughout the bar until the only sound present in the space was the quiet background music. Vander raised an eyebrow at the person, who already looked like a guilty puppy; their eyes were wide and their frame looked tiny compared to Vander’s.

“You know where you are, friend?” Vander asked.

“T- The Last Drop,” they replied.

“That’s right. Now, I’m only gonna ask this once. Did you take a photo of the young woman I was sitting with just a moment ago?”

They nodded.

“Okay. I understand the urge. Did you post it online?”

They shook their head. 

“Great. I’m going to watch you delete it, then.”

The person frantically nodded again, showed the blurry photo to Vander, and deleted it from their phone without hesitation. 

“Perfect. Wasn’t so hard, now was it?” Still commanding the space, Vander turned around to the rest of the bar. “Alright! To anyone else who may have noticed her, the nice lady in the corner is having a lovely night here with us, and wouldn’t like to deal with people questioning her as to why. So! Because we respect each other here, and all are welcome, I won’t be seeing any of you documenting her without her permission. You break that rule, and you’re not a member of this community. Plain and simple.” Vander took a deep breath, and seemed to almost shrink in size ever-so-slightly. “Alright, back to it. Enjoy your nights, folks, let me know if you need anything.” The owner of the building gave Lux a soft wink before returning to his post at the bar, and life returned to the momentarily-silent crowd.

“How was that, huh?” Mylo asked, cramming himself into the booth next to Jinx. “He’s like an alpha wolf! He doesn’t even need to do anything, but everyone shuts up and listens. It’s incredible.”

“Mylo, you know that’s not a real thing, right?”

“What do you mean?”

“Alpha mentality. It’s a complete myth; untrue; doesn’t exist in nature. Anyone who claims anything about being an alpha is speaking on a basis of falsehood. It’s bullshit that dumb men made up to validate being terrible to people.”

As Jinx and Mylo continue to bicker, Lux couldn’t help but laugh. Looking around The Last Drop, at least a dozen people caught her gaze and waved shyly, but she could sense that whatever mysticism normally followed her presence had dissipated. The pub was returning to its normal energy as its most frequent patrons and usual suspects resumed their conversations and enjoyed each other’s company. There was a sense of camaraderie that was entirely absent from every dinner or gala Lux had ever attended. Lux looked out to the restaurant and smiled back at everyone who smiled at her. This was a community, where the people actually cared about each other and — if Vander had anything to say about it — would fight tooth and nail on their neighbor’s behalf. It was a collective born out of duress in a place where inequity was a given and gentrification was rampant, but even so, it all came together. Lux felt honored to have been given the chance to see this place with such clarity, and couldn’t thank Jinx enough for bringing her. For asking to tag along for the night in the first place.

“Princess? Ya’ good?”

Lux shook herself out of her stupor and nodded to Jinx. “I’ve decided you can tell Cait and your sister.”

“Buh? What’s up?”

“I trust Cait, and you guys seem like better people than any I was ever allowed to meet. I dunno, I guess your dad made a good impression.” Lux grinned at Jinx’s bewildered expression, and took another sip of her drink. The tequila came through strongly, but was washed away in every sip by the refreshing grapefruit. “Thanks for the drink, by the way, Mylo. It’s very good.”

Mylo clicked his tongue and smirked. “Good to know I’ve still got it. I don’t make that often.”

Once Lux put her glass down, Jinx’s hand snaked across the table to take Lux’s pinky once again. “I won’t fuck this up, I promise. I’m gonna ask them if they wanna meet up for coffee or something tomorrow, you wanna tag along?”

Lux shook her head, an action she immediately regretted when she saw a quick pang of sadness cross Jinx’s face. “Can’t, Blue. Family duties call. But here, give me your number, and you can tell me how it goes. And… we’ll make plans for another time?”

Jinx smiled. “Hell yeah, Princess. Sounds great.”

After inputting Lux’s contact info, Jinx happily started texting to see if her sister was available to meet up.

J!nx:

vi Vi vI VI!

if you arent *busy*, i got somethin to tell you

and HOO BOY is it a doozy

Vi:

never too busy for you jinx, what’s up?

J!nx:

ew, so sappy all the time!!!

also, way to take what was clearly an innuendo and make it wholesome

Vi:

oh, you have innuendos on the mind? how’s lux doing?

/j

you know i’m not gonna badger you about her

J!nx:

WHO THE HELL TAUGHT YOU /J

who are you and what have you done with my sister?!?!

Vi:

well i need to be literate when i text with you, don’t i?

anyways, what’s up?

J!nx:

ok so dont get on my case but i AM with lux and shes lovely and she bit my nose but *anyways* that is NOT the point, FORGET I TYPED IT EVEN THOUGH I’M NOT DELETING IT 

Vi:

you are so weird <3

J!nx:

so she actually knows way more about this magic stuff than even james or vincent do. we cant tell them for some reason, but she said i can tell you, so im gonna

also i am NOT weird, im crazy. theres a difference

anyways this is probably all easier in person, you wanna get coffee tomorrow or something? bring cupcait

Vi:

wow, that is crazy

i’ll ask cait what her schedule looks like tomorrow

do i have permission to tell her that you have no nose? gotta give fair warning

J!nx:

WHY DO I TELL YOU *ANYTHING*?!

ig if you tell her, cait could put in a good word with lux about me tho, so i will allow it

Vi:

lol okay sis, i’ll let you know then

Vi set her phone on the bedside table, and turned over to look at her partner, who similarly set her phone to the side. They smiled at each other. God, my girlfriend is beautiful. Vi only just managed to not reach for Cait under the sheets again.

“Hello darling,” Cait said. “Who were you texting? You were giggling like a madwoman.”

“Jinx,” Vi said, brushing a strand of hair from Cait’s face. “She is with Lux, by the way. I think she’s smitten.”

“Oh my god, so cute! I will have to message Lux, then. Anything else up with her?”

“Big time. Apparently Lux knows more than she let on, and doesn’t want Jayce and Vik knowing. You free to grab coffee with me and J tomorrow to talk about it?”

Cait grinned and leaned forward for a prolonged kiss. “If I can tear myself off of you, absolutely. All my work should be easily done from home tomorrow.” Before Vi could try anything, Caitlyn gently took hold of her wrist. “We can worry about it when tomorrow comes, darling, but I also just got a text.”

Vi read the messages that Caitlyn held up to her.

Sarah Fortune:

Have you noticed things getting darker, Caitlyn Kiramman? All over the city, I swear the shadows seem more… shadowy. Probably crazy, but I think something is lurking, and we aren’t prepared at all for it.

Graves is getting antsy, Tobias claims a succubus is invading his dreams, and that Ezreal kid still hasn’t contacted me. It’s been two weeks. Hope he’s not dead.

Caitlyn:

I haven’t noticed any shadows myself… But truthfully, I have read similar sentiments online.

Have you had any luck with your mother’s journal? Maybe it’s time I take a crack at it.

Let’s link up soon.

Sarah Fortune:

That’s what the kid said, too.

Stay safe out there, Kiramman.

“What the hell?” Vi asked, scratching her head. “Was she always that cryptic?”

“I barely know her, but I didn’t get the sense that she was easily spooked… Or would be keen on hyperbole.”

Vi sighed, took Caitlyn’s phone and placed it on top of hers, and then pulled Cait in to be her little spoon. “And here I was thinking all the crazy shit was over, Cupcake…”

“Same… I suppose this city isn’t big on giving its people respite, huh?”

Vi shrugged, and held out her right hand in front of them, the foreign, inky fist looking ever-stalwart. “It is what it is. We just push through it , right?”

Caitlyn nodded and pulled Vi’s hand forward to kiss it. “The grind’s easier with you, Violet. Putting fist to concrete is nothing. We just push through it. ”

Vi grinned ear to ear, loving the way their little mantra sounded coming out of Cait’s lips. One of them had come up with it when theorizing about her tattoos, but Vi couldn’t remember exactly which one of them had the idea. It didn’t really matter, it belonged to them equally. And when they both said it, it just made it doubly true. She pressed her smile into the nape of Caitlyn’s neck, and twisted her around to kiss across her jaw and cheekbones until their mouths collided.

“One step at a time.”

“One step at a time.”

Chapter Text

A bitter gale of wind tore up the East River from the Upper Bay and met Caitlyn sweetly, highlighting the stark beauty of where she found herself despite the reality of it. She sat on a bench in Domino Park in Williamsburg, Brooklyn with Vi, who had become lost in thought as soon as they sat down. Early November was chilly and breathtaking, and as if fighting back against the Gray Days of mid-October, the scene that unfolded around them was rich with vibrant color. The sky was an azure backdrop to the slate skyscrapers and Lower East Side tenements across a deep navy river. The sidewalk Cait pressed the balls of her feet against was a crisp and uncharacteristically clean white stone, and behind them the park’s grass was vibrant and full of artificial life. It would have been a perfect view, she thought, if not for the fact that it was bounded to the south by the Williamsburg Bridge, surely the object of Violet’s cognition.

“How are you, darling?” Caitlyn asked, taking her girlfriend’s hand. 

“I’m okay,” she said. “I didn’t think it would affect me this much, all these years later. I mean, it’s just a fucking bridge, right?”

Caitlyn smirked and tapped Vi’s temple twice with an index finger. “Maybe, but your memory is more significant than just a bridge. Even if it is a feat of engineering that gets many thousands of people to work and back every day.”

Vi simply shrugged, and continued staring at the bridge. Far past it on the horizon, the Freedom Tower was in clear view, standing tall and defiant in the heart of the FD. Caitlyn clutched to Vi’s left hand, where the Freedom Tower also stood defiantly, only a lot smaller. “God, your hands are freezing, Violet, I can feel them through my gloves. Here, take one of mine.”

“I’m fine, Cupcake, leave me alone!” Vi laughed, trying to leverage her body away from Cait’s while still refusing to let go of her hand.

Behind the couple, Sarah Fortune looked on with impatience. She and Rafen had been working in conjunction with Caitlyn and her employer for the past two weeks to locate anyone who might have encountered Ezreal before he disappeared, which they eventually determined must have been the same day everything went down. She had readily agreed to Caitlyn’s offer of tagging along with them to Brooklyn in order to meet another supposed Mage that Grayson had put them in contact with, but she was starting to worry that watching the women flirt was all she would be doing that day. Sarah had been on edge for all those weeks, but even still she tried to interject herself into the woman’s flirtations, to no avail. Winks and honeyed words came to Sarah even easier in times of stress, and while Graves and Felix had been occasionally receptive for the past few weeks, Cait and Vi never budged. Every time Sarah would meet up with Caitlyn to confirm that nothing new was happening, it was like she was speaking to a wall. Jesus of Nazareth, this dude had better get his ass here soon… It’s like I can feel the shadows clawing at my back.

It was not long after when the wind picked up around the women once again, and their attention was brought to a group of three people that caught their attention, looking quite like a family unit. At the head of the family was a tall East Asian man with long dark hair pulled into a high ponytail, who wore baggy pants, a tight long-sleeve shirt, and a billowing blue scarf with intricate cloud patterns. At his side, a wooden katana was affixed loosely, the pommel of which the man kept his hand on. Just behind him was a tan-skinned woman with a strong nose and piercing brown eyes who dutifully held the hand of the little girl that walked between them. The little girl looked like neither of them, with red hair and bright green eyes.

As they approached, the man nodded to Caitlyn. “Oy. You the detective?”

“Caitlyn Kiramman, yes,” Cait responded with a smile, standing to greet them. “And I take it you are…”

“Yasuo from Flushing. Honored to meet you, ma’am.”

They shook hands, and Caitlyn flashed a quick smile to the little girl who stared up at her from Yasuo’s feet. “I wasn’t aware you were bringing guests.”

“Spur of the moment thing, I was gonna scope you out first to see if it was a good idea… But it’s a nice day, and the little bugger wanted to see the city. Would you like to introduce yourself?”

“Annie! And this is my friend Taliyah.” The young girl smiled toothily, clearly proud of her pronunciation skills.

“Well, it is lovely to meet you, Annie. My friends here are named Vi and Sarah. Taliyah, nice to meet you as well.”

As Vi got up to meet Yasuo, her eyes caught for a moment on the little girl, Annie, and she gasped. That’s the little girl… from Forest Hills. For the first week or so after Ezreal put on the glove, Vi’s eyes had been glued to articles about all the strange events that had reacted to him. Of all the events, all the faces of potential figures she had seen, it was that girl’s that had been burned into her mind. She can’t be more than five…

Over the past month, Vi had begun the slow process of reclaiming her old self, the woman she remembered before the magic, before those seven years of cement and discomfort. The work wasn’t hard, but she had to be extremely patient with herself. There was no simple switch she could flip in the back of her mind to lower the labyrinth of walls that she’d accumulated through all the years of self-sacrifice. She had to just work, keep her head to the pavement, and be honest with Caitlyn, Jinx, and Vander when she felt like shit. The process was certainly foreign, but over time, it worked. Vi started running deliveries throughout the entire city, food and otherwise, in order to reforge the love she knew she had for New York. Beyond the borders of her childhood stomping grounds, and even the rivers that surrounded Manhattan, Vi scoured all five boroughs for the answers she sought within herself. 

It didn’t take Vi long to remember just how much she adored this concrete jungle, with all its muck and grime, its dreams and magic. She loved the chill air that curled around the buildings like fingers around a blue-and-white paper coffee cup. She loved the simplicity of walking down the street bleary-eyed at five o’clock in the morning to get a bagel and schmear from her local bodega. And most of all, she loved the people; and just like her Cupcake, and the message on her coffee cups, she was happy to serve them. Vi hadn’t said it yet, but at some point during her runs, it occurred to her that the reason she loved Caitlyn so much was that despite all their superficial differences, they both loved being of service to the people of their home. When Caitlyn asked if she would be her “bodyguard” on a few recent, lesser investigations, Vi always accepted in a heartbeat. I only hope I can do half the good you do for these people, Cupcake.

As she approached, Vi saw every one of those people in Annie’s wide eyes. The eyes of a little girl who despite her stature, stood tall and defiant in the face of adversity. In the face of the death of her parents…

“Vi, darling?”

Vi shook away the fog. “Huh? Sorry, zoned out for a second there. Hi, I’m Vi Lane.”

“Hi,” Yasuo said simply, before turning back to the girl who tugged on his fingers. “Annie, would you like to go play on the playground with Tali? We won’t be here too long, then we can go explore somewhere else, okay? Plenty of places left to check out.” Then, skewing his voice to the side: “Hope you don’t mind, Tal.”

“Are you kidding? With this little one?” Taliyah smiled wide and scooped Annie up into her arms. Annie giggled all the way up, and squirmed in the woman’s arm to whisper something in her ear. Taliyah raised her eyebrows, and spared a glance at Vi.

“What’s up?” Vi asked. 

“Go on, you can ask,” Taliyah said. “No promises, though.”

Annie turned her bright green eyes to face Vi, and once again Vi was met with the shadow of a violent memory. “You look strong. Me and Tali are gonna play with Tibbers on the playground. You wanna play too? It’ll be fun!”

Vi smiled a little. Caitlyn gave her a curious glance, which Vi responded to by firmly and quickly squeezing her hand. “Hmm… That depends. Who’s Tibbers?”

Yasuo sighed and shook his head. “Miss, eh… Are you all up to speed on what exactly I am?” The man received a round of nods. “Meet Earth and Fire, respectively. I didn’t want to do this here, but I figured if you were enemies, we probably wouldn’t be speaking in broad daylight. So if I think for even a second that you aren’t who you say you are, we’re gone like the wind.” The stalwart man waited for a response, but got nothing. “Sorry, anyways. Tibbers is…”

“The bestest, cuddliest bear in New York?” Annie interrupted.

“That works, sweet. I was gonna say a conduit for her power, but cuddly bear works too… Most of the time.”

“Ah. Understood,” Caitlyn said, giving the girl a cautious eye. Seeing a tinge of distrust in Yasuo’s eyes, she figured it was likely best to just get right to work. Cait reached into her handbag and clicked open her ballpoint pen. “Vi, you may do as you like, but if you’d like to take a seat, Yasuo, we can be out of your hair in no time. And thank you again, for agreeing to this on such short notice. We very much appreciate it.”

After letting out another breath, Yasuo nodded. “Yeah, let’s do it. Annie, be nice to our new friends, okay? Careful with Tibbers.”

“I will be. Strong lady, you comin’?”

Vi laughed. “I absolutely am, I wanna meet this bear of yours.”

As Vi was ushered off by the excited girl, Caitlyn settled at a nearby table with Sarah and Yasuo and took out her notepad. “Okay, Yasuo from Flushing. Can you tell us how much you know about the arcane?”

Yasuo narrowed his eyes. “For what it’s worth — and I don’t mean to insult you — it would likely be easier for you to tell me what you know, and I can fill in.”

“I assume you know quite a bit, then?” Caitlyn asked. Yasuo was as still as a statue. “Understood. Well, the three of us were present when Ezreal put on the glove, and the city was… awoken. Since then, we’ve met at least three separate mages, as well as a possible fourth. I have also been made aware of the fact that when things like this happen, the power is manifested in at least seven individuals. I also know that this Ezreal figure was looking to identify each of you, and that he has some supernatural way of doing so. However, he never arrived to speak with two of the mages we’re close with so far, which is why we’re looking for him now. That’s the extent of it in broad strokes.”

“Hmph, I see. How long-winded am I allowed to be while you’re taking notes?”

Cait grinned. “I can manage whatever you’re comfortable telling me.”

Yasuo nodded, leaned back in his chair, and let out a long breath of air. “Alright, then. I shall paint a picture for you.

“As I stated earlier, I am from Flushing. I imagine you know half of this, but it’s an extremely multicultural community that’s emblematic of New York as a whole, and as such, the people of my village are heavily in tune with the Spirits of this city, and always have been.”

“Spirits?” Sarah said incredulously. “So what, is this like a dead people thing?”

“While magic is mutable by its very nature, it is the belief of our people, as well as our predecessors in cities which have gone through similar processes, that magic is a direct result of the people themselves. Memory is perhaps the most potent aspect of the individual, and similarly, shared memory is what dictates the very nature of a given civilization; that is to say, history. These traits of memory are more important than the average person puts stock into, and as such, the physical and spiritual manifestations of memory remain unknown to the vast majority of people. In the physical sense, acts of magic are easily written off by people who are more apt to not believe what they see; and in the spiritual sense, those who do not listen will never hear the Spirits of their ancestors calling to them. 

“The latter of those two truths is a core tenet around which Flushing exists. We listen. Not all of us, but enough. Many years ago, as New York and its surrounding culture were first blooming, it so happened that as people of varying cultures landed in our community, similar stories and myths about long-lost civilizations reoccurred over and over, until these stories and coincidences became truths. After a long enough time, and after enough people quietly accepted these truths, listening to the spirits of the city became easier for many. We call people who are proficient in speaking with the city Lotus Speakers, as the Spirits are said to manifest in patterns that overlap like the petals of a lotus flower. And as the Spirits are given manifestation through the shared memory of all of us who live here now, and have lived here before, they are able to tell us a great deal about the ripples in the water of New York. Like echoes, because we have knowledge of what has happened in this city, by listening to the Spirits, we can understand what is currently happening, and what shall happen in the future.”

“Wait,” Sarah interrupted again. “So can we just talk to one of these Lotus Speakers and ask what happened to Ez? Or like, what all this magic shit means for the future?”

Yasuo shook his head. “It is not so specific as that. As you can imagine, the logic of reality as we perceive it rarely applies to works of magic, and much the same is true for Spirits. Without bodies or minds to be bound by, collective memory is esoteric and nonspecific, and it takes years of practice for a Lotus Speaker to become adept at interpreting what they hear. It is not so simple as asking questions and receiving answers, but learning to understand truth based on what is given, and what is heard. If I’m being honest, it is frustrating even to me, and that’s likely why I’ve never been able to hear the voices myself.”

Sarah shook her head. “If this has happened to cities before, how come it’s still some big secret? There’s no way this sort of thing gets covered up.”

Yasuo shrugged. “Some Lotus Speakers believe previous iterations of this process were heralded by people who believed the power of these truths would be too much for people to bear. My sect believes that people are stronger than that, and with the right guidance, the magic of memory could be known by all, if not accessible by all. That being said, it is unknown what calculus goes into a city becoming ready to awaken — it is not simply about population size — but the last to reach this point and do so successfully was London, many hundreds of years ago.”

After she had a moment to wrap up her most recent note, Caitlyn clicked her pen twice against the glass table. “Would you mind telling us your experience in becoming the Wind Mage, Yasuo? We’ve been told by the Mage of Light that she knew about her position long before it was granted to her last month. Is the same true for you, or is this recent?”

“It’s new to those two over there,” Yasuo said, sparing a glance at Taliyah and Annie, who were in the middle of sending a plush bear with a lot of stitches and a single button eye down a slide. “But I have known since I was very young, like your Light Mage. As a boy, I had much less conviction than… those around me. The wind swayed me easily, and although I was raised in a household which celebrated the Spirits, I had little patience to learn of our history. I would not say I held disdain for the culture, but I spent no energy trying to learn it. The first thing to really grasp my attention was the sword, when my brother and I were given these wooden blades to practice with. We both took to it quickly, and suddenly, it was like I had a way to point myself in my own direction, rather than being taken by a stray zephyr.

“It was a chilly, windy day in autumn when I truly felt it for the first time. After an accident which took my brother’s life, but before I had even registered the finality of his short life, I felt a gale twist around me and my blade. As I swung in frustration, in anger and guilt, the wind followed my instruction. It’s hard to explain, but… I knew in that moment that my brother was guiding me. It was like he had already been absorbed into the amalgam of New York City, or at least of Queens. I don’t think any spirit had been keen on listening to me before, but he was. And I was keen on listening to him. I must have cut down a dozen trees with this blade that day, without once touching bark. But soon after, the power faded, and it was not so windy the next day. I never totally lost affinity, but the magic subsided and danced just out of my view for many, many years. Until Ezreal, of course.

“I remember echoing his chorus while doing some business in Manhattan Chinatown, and not half an hour later, he found me. The boy was frantic, and said he could tell there were two more mages across the East River, but that he didn’t have the time to reach them. Knowing my ability, and what Mage I was, he asked if I could make sure they were okay. Unfortunately, that was the extent of our interaction.”

Yasuo gave Caitlyn and Sarah a moment to catch up to where he was, and when they eventually did, Caitlyn skipped past Yasuo’s statement of grief to address the issue at hand. “Do you happen to remember anything about him other than just being frantic? Did it seem like he was in danger, or perhaps that he was just unused to his new powers?”

“The glove had been with my mother for years,” Sarah filled in. “He basically came running for it as soon as it was taken out of hiding, with seemingly no knowledge of how it worked. I mean, he knew better than us, but still.”

“It’s blurry. I rushed across the river to get to Taliyah so fast, I hardly registered that kid. Don’t count on this as fact, but if I had to guess, it seemed like he had more plates spinning than just finding Mages.”

“Understood,” Caitlyn nodded. “You said you rushed to Taliyah specifically, did you know her before all this?”

“I did. I don’t actually live in Flushing anymore, I’m up in Astoria, and she’s a close neighbor. One evening when I invited her to Flushing for dinner, a friend of mine who’s an incredibly good Lotus Speaker told me that she believed Tali was… special. The Spirits echoed around her like they do around me.”

“How about the little girl?”

“Poor thing…” Yasuo said, a darkness coming across his face suddenly. “Taliyah and I showed up to her home in Forest Hills shortly after the NYFD. The house had been burnt to the ground, and her parents were unable to escape. She sat outside the home practically catatonic, clutching the bear and muttering about how ‘he protected her’. I managed to take her in after that, and though no one else believed the story, I got it out of her. There was… some sort of abuse happening there, but I’m in no way qualified to delve into that. Either way, she started screaming along with Ezreal and the rest of us, and when her parents freaked out, she lashed out through the bear. Tibbers. It grew into a massive ball of flame, and sundered the home.”

“Fuck…” Sarah and Caitlyn said simultaneously.

“Yeah. As I said, Tibbers acts as a conduit for her. She’s just a kid, so it’s easy for her to accept that magic exists, but she still doesn’t really understand that it’s her power. So Tibbers helps her. Taliyah does too, honestly… I don’t think I could take care of a kid without the help.”

As Sarah asked Yasuo another question, Caitlyn got distracted looking at the three of them on the playground equipment. Annie sat on a swing, dangling her legs down towards the turf below while Taliyah gently pushed her backward and forward. The girl was giggling profusely as Violet held Tibbers the Bear and spoke in a silly, gruff voice. She tossed Tibbers in the air, flying him around the swingset like a superhero before having him barrel into Annie, smothering her in a warm hug. Cait’s cheeks reddened at the sight, and her heart ached. It was the kind of ache you get when you love someone so much, you fear that you’ll never be able to properly express it. Oh my god… I love her.

Sarah snapped her fingers in front of Caitlyn. “Kiramman? Stop ogling the babysitter, please. Doesn’t that sound a lot like her?”

“Huh? What sounds like who?” Caitlyn made no attempt to hide her adoration.

Sarah rolled her eyes. “Please repeat, Yasuo. Sorry about her.”

Yasuo chuckled. “It’s fine. Sarah asked me if there were any other big pieces of info you were all missing about how magical awakenings work. I don’t know how you know this, but you’re on the money about there being at least seven mages every time a city is chosen. Additionally, it is said that four of those mages are always attuned to the four elements. In our case, that’s myself, Taliyah, Annie, and I would presume one of your associates. But above that, in addition to whatever mages are summoned, there are two additional figures who manifest, called the Phantasma and the Populi. The Phantasma is normally who triggers the awakening; while not a Mage themself, they’re intrinsically linked with the magic of the given civilization itself, rather than its source. It’s safe to assume that that is Ezreal, which makes it even more pressing that we locate him.”

Caitlyn’s brain sped along the train of thought faster than Yasuo could speak. “And what is the Populi’s position?”

“The Populi is the opposite of the Phantasma. They’re mostly separated from any physical feats of magic, but they are connected to the people that magic affects, both in the present, and in the form of the Spirits. The Populi is essentially a people’s champion, and it is said that their voice is one which calms, and their grounded nature can stabilize the worst situations. If those of us involved wanted to go this route, the Populi would be the most instrumental figure in shepherding the non-magic world into the knowledge of what is true.”

“Uh… Yasuo…” Caitlyn shook. “If they aren’t magic themself, what are the signifiers of a Populi?”

“I asked that of Karma recently, my Lotus Speaker friend. I don’t know much about their history, no one really does, but Karma has heard from the Spirits that the current Populi was born of strife, and that their lineage is steeped in New York’s layered history. Additionally, both the Phantasma and the Populi are supposed to have a marking appear somewhere on their body that reflects their connection to the city.”

When Yasuo spoke, tears began to silently fall down Caitlyn’s face. “It’s… It’s her…”

Yasuo cocked his head. “Are you okay? Do… Do you two know the Populi?”

As if an alarm went off in her head, Vi suddenly twisted her head from Annie to look at Caitlyn. The second she saw tears pouring down Cait’s face, she wasted no time in rushing over. “Cupcake! Are you okay? What’s wrong?” As Vi pressed soft kisses into Cait’s forehead, not worried about people’s reaction to the affection, she wrapped her arms around Cait’s form; her ungloved hand landed squarely on her Cait’s shoulder, perfectly facing Yasuo.

“You…” Yasuo said, bewildered. His eyes were laser-focused on the tattoo. “You’re the Populi🙺”

“The what?”

“Violet…” Caitlyn said with a smile, wiping away her tears. “You were chosen by the city for something very important… You’re a protector of the people!”

“No,” Yasuo said, sporting his own wide smile. “Just as the Phantasma chooses themself when they activate a potent artifact, the Populi chooses themself as well. Whether they are conscious of it or not, they get to choose, not the spirits. ‘There is nothing more in the spirit of this place than to rely on nobody else but yourself to decide that you will be chosen.’”

Vi stared blankly at the two of them and laughed awkwardly. “I… still don’t know what it was I chose?”

“That’s totally fair,” Yasuo said. As Sarah moved her gaze back and forth between each of the people present, she noticed that Yasuo seemed far less on edge than he had just a moment earlier. “We will likely need to fill you in, and even I’m not too knowledgeable. I figured whenever I found the Populi, I’d take them to Karma to have her actually explain the importance. Never would I have thought I’d happen upon you so easily!”

Vi shrugged. “I’m not that hard to find.”

After letting go of Caitlyn, Vi felt a tug on her right index finger, and saw Annie pulling on it and staring at the tattoo. She and Taliyah had followed her back to the table. “Cool hand.”

“Thanks, kid,” Vi chuckled. “So what, can we talk to this Karma person today?”

Yasuo shook his head. “She has other duties today. I trust your partner will tell you about what I’ve told her, but for now, I offer this: I have heard on the wind that your past is one of great turmoil. Mine is too, and I suspect the same is the case for everyone who echoed that chorus. I know it will be difficult, but you must reckon with that past, and identify what makes you special. What caused your soul to reach out that day.”

Vi still felt lost, but nodded her head nonetheless. Caitlyn curled her fingers around Vi’s bicep. “I… Okay. I’ll try, I guess. Cupcake, are you understanding all of this?”

“At least more than you,” she joked. “Are you comfortable with this, darling?”

Vi thought for a moment and looked out over the East River, that sprawling field of perfectly blue water. She thought of Bethesda, who was both a manifestation of the city’s waterways and collective memory, and a fully realized person in their own right. She thought of her relationship with Caitlyn, a person she truly loved and could imagine fighting beside for the rest of her life. And she thought of Jinx, who ever since the age of five, had taken what the city threw at her and reacted to it. Their conversations over the past month had revealed that Jinx was once caged within the walls of her own mind, but even when she couldn’t see the people around her praying for her freedom, she survived, and broke out. She knew how to break down concrete; her sister had shown her how. Now standing in Domino Park, if Vi angled her line of sight just right, the Freedom Tower stood perfectly between the towers of the Williamsburg Bridge, imprisoned by suspension cables. But she too could put fist to concrete.

Was she comfortable with this? It felt as if the whole city was waiting for her answer.

“When I met Ezreal, I was two days fresh out of a seven-year prison sentence, so if I chose something, it wasn’t intentionally… But I can choose again now. To protect the people of this city, you said?” Vi paused as if to think more, but for her, there was only one possible answer. The last month had been filled with running from place to place, serving communities, and in one way or another, the seven years before that were the result of protecting the people she cared about most. “Easiest choice of my life.”

“Glad to hear it, sib,” Yasuo said. “I don’t know exactly how this all works, but if you need me for anything, I’m at your beck and call. Detective, you have my number, right?”

“Absolutely,” Cait said. “And you may just call me Cait, as I’m technically not a licensed detective.”

“Noted,” Yasuo laughed. “Well, distribute it as you see fit. At some point in the coming days, let me know of a time you can visit us in Flushing. I’d neglected to mention it earlier, but the Spirits are becoming uneasy, tempestuous. The awakening of New York may be quite different than the process has ever been before.” 

Spirits? Vi thought. 

“That being said, Little One, would you like to go for a ride? I’m feeling up for it.”

Annie’s eyes lit up. “Really? We can fly today?”

“So long as Taliyah is okay taking the train,” the man said with a genuine smile.

“Go on,” Taliyah said. “I’ll wrap up here, you have fun.” Yasuo nodded, and quickly lifted Annie and told her to latch tightly onto his back.

“Really, I must thank you again for your time,” Caitlyn insisted, understanding that the man was leaving, but she wasn’t quite sure how.

“It was my pleasure. May the wind bring us together again soon. Hasagi!”

Maneuvering the hand that always rested on his wooden katana’s pommel, Yasuo gripped the handle tight, and unleashed a strike out at nothing. Aimed towards the East River and Manhattan beyond it, a diagonal slash of solid air ripped out from the sword. Behind the gust of wind, the blade dutifully followed, and so too did the man who clutched to it with an iron fist. Yasuo soared through the air, and once above the water, the group on the ground could hear Annie hollering with glee. With total calm and grace, Yasuo maneuvered his form in midair, and made another similar cut that sent them flying further across the water. Vi, Caitlyn, and Sarah watched in disbelief as they continued like that until the travelers were pinpricks against the distant skyline.

Sarah pointed to the far-off pair as they rode the wind. “Is this the kind of thing we’re just supposed to get used to?”

Taliyah laughed. “I think so. It never gets any less strange, but it does start to feel more normal eventually, if that makes sense.”

“It absolutely doesn’t,” Sarah said matter-of-factly. After taking a moment to look at a text that came in on her phone, Sarah looked north up the river, towards Queens and the Bronx. While Vi, Caitlyn, and Taliyah’s expressions were bathed in the light of the day, her face was still wreathed in shadow. Sarah could swear that there was an air of doom on the air that only she could sense. Or perhaps they all could see it too, and simply chose to ignore it. Fools, all of them. That Mage’s “spirits” have a right to be tempestuous, she thought. Their city is being besieged by an army of shadows, and no one wants to do anything about it.

“-fine to see my own way across the river. Sarah, would you like to accompany me?”

Sarah didn’t bother asking what they had been talking about. “No, Miss Taliyah, I think I’ll be just fine. I’m going to call a ride up to Morrisania. My friend needs me back there for… something.”

Sensing the gloom that surrounded the woman, Caitlyn frowned. “Do let us know if you need anything, alright Sarah? You have my number.”

“Sure, Caitlyn,” Sarah sighed. “Whatever you say.” Without another word, Miss Fortune strutted off into the urban expanse of trendy Williamsburg.

Taliyah looked worriedly at Vi and Caitlyn. “Will she be okay? She seemed inconvenienced by all this.”

“I don’t know, honestly,” Caitlyn replied. “I hope she’ll be alright. I know she’s been through the ringer… Like everyone here other than me, it seems like.”

“We all have our demons,” Taliyah agreed. “Well, it was nice to meet you both. And thank you for the help with the kid, Vi. She really seems to like you.”

“It was nothing! I had just as much fun, honest.”

Taliyah smiled. “Glad to hear it. Listen, about where you’re heading now… I’ve been down that path, Vi. You have my number now, so if you ever wanna talk to someone about it, genuinely, give me a call. I’m only across the river.”

Vi smiled back. “Thanks, Tali. I… very well may do that. See ya.”

“Deuces,” Taliyah grinned, throwing up a peace sign before departing.

They waited to leave for another moment, but once Caitlyn and Vi made their own way away from Domino Park, the latter spoke up. “I’m not cool with that, by the way.”

“Huh? What do you mean, darling?” Caitlyn asked.

“You said to Taliyah that everyone other than you had been through the ringer. Don’t downplay your own baggage, Cupcake.”

Caitlyn bristled, and attempted to shrug it off. “It’s really fine, Violet. My parents were surprisingly understanding about the whole ordeal, and they paid exorbitant amounts of money for whatever I needed because they could. Honestly, it was about as easy as transitions can go, and I’m not so self-centered to imagine that other people wish they’d had it the way I did.”

“Caity… No privilege negates needless hate from people. You can’t tell me that there were no asshole politicians at your fancy galas who ridiculed you, or glared at you when they thought you weren’t looking, or, or just made you feel like you didn’t even deserve to live!”

“Babe…”

“You shouldn’t have to convince yourself that everything you’ve been through is somehow lesser than other people’s trauma. That’s not how it works. Trauma is trauma and shit is shit, it doesn’t matter how much you’ve been through, or how much it hurt.”

Caitlyn was quiet for several moments. “You’re right. I’m sorry…” She took Vi’s hand in hers as they walked to the foot of the bridge. “Thank you for advocating for me, I suppose… May I hold you to the same standard though, Violet?”

“Huh?”

Cait stood still and looked at the path in front of them; the couple stood at the foot of the Williamsburg Bridge Walk, the ramp and bright-red guard rails stretching out and up in front of them towards Manhattan. “I’m not saying you’re deflecting, love, but we are about to walk across this bridge for the next half an hour. I’d understand if you were keen on attempting to ignore how significant that must feel for you.”

“ Love? ” Vi asked with a shit-eating grin.

“Okay, now you’re definitely deflecting,” Cait chuckled. “But yes, love . Oh, to hell with it. Violet Lane, I love you, and just like how you’re my fierce protector — which I also love — I will be the same for you whether you like it or not.”

A single tear came to Vi’s eye, and she pulled Caitlyn into a long, deep hug, not caring in the slightest if they congested foot traffic. “Cupcake… No, Caitlyn Kiramman. I love you too. Holy shit do I love you, Cait… How about we hold each other accountable for caring about ourselves, and addressing the past properly?”

“Well that’s what I just suggested, isn’t it?” Caitlyn said with a wink, and a kiss on Violet’s cheek. “Joking, love. That sounds perfect to me.”

“Great. So… this bridge, huh?”

“Yup. Just one step at a time, love. One step at a time…”

Elsewhere, Tobias Felix flipped open the latch to a window that acted as the second-story apartment’s fire escape access. Sealing the glass quietly behind him, Tobias sighed. He and Graves had been staying with Sarah at one of her friend’s places — the friend was a kind but quiet man named Rafen that Tobias remembered from high school. It was nice to have a place they could quantifiably trust, but no matter how friendly the environment, Tobias Felix was not the sort of man who could stay still. And for a whole month! Honestly, it’s a miracle this didn’t happen sooner.

Toby slinked down the razor-thin metal staircase to the sidewalk below. Ray lived in a neighborhood in the Bronx that Tobias was not at all familiar with, but he knew he had to get out, and do so alone and unnoticed. He’d only be gone for an hour or two, tops! Graves wouldn’t even be up from his nap. What was the worst that could happen?

The card shark whistled as he strolled down 3rd Ave, tapping listlessly at the Queen of Hearts in his pocket. He had no goal in mind, but the day was too beautiful not to be enjoyed. The sun shone down easily on Morrisania, painting a breathtaking mirage of shadows on the brick and pavement expanse, and a chilly breeze curled between graffitied walls and street-parked cars. Even as Tobias walked past a mountainous pile of black trash bags, their smell didn’t reach his nose as it was overpowered by the sweeter scent of the bakery down the street. As he continued to walk, Toby even found a crisp one hundred dollar bill on the ground that looked legit. Lady Luck is smiling! What a nice day for a walk, huh?

“Tobias! So glad to see you’ve finally poked your head out, my love…”

Felix stopped dead in his tracks next to a cramped alleyway between a car wash and a deli. It was one of the alleys that the sun ignored; the endless, comforting shadows seemed to lure Tobias in like a black hole.

“Lady Luck?” he called out trepidatiously.

“Ooh, now that’s a name I haven’t heard before, but I do like it. Is that what you’d like to call me, handsome?”

A cold sweat came over Toby, but his stomach flipped like he was speaking with Graves, or someone else he found too attractive. “Wait, I know your voice… Succubus?”

A sweet, enchanting laugh emanated from the dark, crypt-like alley. The woman’s voice was clearly coming from the far end of it, and try as he might, the thief couldn’t see her. “The woman of your dreams, hmm? You wanna come find out if it’s really me? Come closer.”

Tobias knit his brow at nothing and guffawed. “Yeah, right! Like I’m that stupid. I don’t know if I’m going crazy, or this is some prank by Sarah to get back at me for breaking into her place, but you can’t fool me that easy. I’ve done my fair share of duping over the years, I know how this goes.”

“Oh, I imagine you do, Tobias,” the voice said. “You’re a real shifty guy, I’m sure a sweet little thing like me couldn’t twist your wrist, Toby. Or would you prefer that I call you Twisted Fate? That’s the little stage name in your head, right?”

Now TF frowned. “Did Graves set you up to this?”

The demon ignored the question. “Which card is that in your hand, handsome? The Queen of Hearts? Why do you think it is you got it in your head to hold that one today?”

The card shark scowled, and took three steps into the alley. “Okay, lady, whatever you’re doing, I ain’t here for it. Who the hell are you?”

“Not quite close enough, darling. The Hearts are the suit of power in that deck, aren’t they? Why don’t you just flick that thing here and be done with me? Send me flying?”

“You know what, I will!” Tobias shouted, angrily shooting the card in his pocket into the unknown. The Queen of Hearts soared down the alley and disappeared, wreathed in shadow. Before Tobias could even question why he didn’t hear the telltale concussive blast, an explosion rocked him from behind and sent him flying into the alleyway, and into the dark.

“Shit!” Tobias let out, scrambling to pick up the Queen from the ground. “That was a neat trick, flipping the card on me like that. How’d you manage that?”

Against the far wall of the area, before TF’s very eyes, the shadows coalesced into the shape of a woman, her back against the brick and her torso arched forward to peer at him on the ground. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, Tobias could see that she looked just like she had in his dreams; a dangerously attractive woman with long silver hair, and golden eyes like a snake’s. If she wore clothing, it was scant, and covered by a sheen of black and purple ichor that clung to her body like tar.

“A lady never tells, my love. Tell me, would you like to come? With me, I mean. I have a lovely spot picked out just for you.”

The succubus reached her index finger out towards Twisted Fate and dug it softly, sensuously into his beard and chin; on each finger, the woman wore a silver piece of jewelry fashioned to act as a claw.

“The name’s Evelynn, love… Come with me, won’t you?”

When Tobias opened his mouth to speak, he found that he couldn’t, as euphoria flooded his veins. Even if he’d been able to say no, he wouldn’t have wanted to.

Elsewhere again, Malcolm Graves angrily tossed apart the apartment as he waited for Sarah to answer his call. “Jesus Christ, Tobias, how hard is it to stay still for two seconds🙺”

“Malcolm? What the hell are you on about?”

“Sarah!” Malcolm answered, shocked at the voice coming through his voice, despite having called her himself. “Did Toby call you🙺”

In the back of her rideshare that was making its way up FDR far too slowly, Miss Fortune could already sense by the slight waiver in Graves’ voice that she’d been right, and something was wrong. “What do you mean, did he call me? Ask him yourself…”

“He’s fucking gone, Sarah! I was taking a nap like an idiot, and now he’s not in the apartment! Jesus, what the hell was I thinking, taking my eye off him! I swear, you can’t take your eye off Tobias Felix for a second without him disappearing, even before he found that damn deck of cards!”

“My god, you’re like an old married couple, I swear,” Sarah sighed, making a poor attempt at sounding less worried than she was. “Do you have any idea where he could have gone?”

Graves nearly growled. “Knowing him, he probably just felt like taking an afternoon stroll, and it’s nothing. But he’s still gone!” The gruff man was quiet for a moment. “Fuck it, if he’s gonna risk moving, so am I. I’ll just go out and ask around for him, he can’t have gone far. Looks like he went out the fire escape, so someone definitely would have seen that shit.”

Sarah did a double-take that only her driver saw. “Absolutely not! Idiot! Do you not remember who’s after us? Why we’ve stayed holed up for the past month🙺”

“Yeah, fucking duh, dude. I don’t care, I’m going. And hell, if there really are people after us, wouldn’t it behoove us not to let Toby get snatched up?”

As Miss Fortune rolled her eyes, she tried to calm herself down by looking at all the street art that graced the tenements she passed along her drive. She found most of it defiantly beautiful, but as she heard Graves unlock a door on the other side of the phone call, her eyes caught on one particular piece of graffiti: a hyper-simplistic drawing of a cutlass and flintlock, crossed in an X over the words ‘The Tides Are Rising’. Oh no. Oh no oh fuck.

“Graves! Graves, do you hear me? Do NOT step out of that apartment!”

“Calm the hell down, Fortune!” Graves yelled, letting the door to the apartment building close behind him. “You sound more paranoid than me . I’m sure he’s fine! It’s fine! I’m just gonna go look for a little bit.”

“STAY THE HELL INSIDE, MALCOLM. I’ll be there in 15, tops.”

Graves sighed. “See you at home, Sarah,” he said, and hung up. Stay here, yeah right.

As Malcolm wandered down 3rd Ave, he rubbed his eyes to ease himself out of his anger and grogginess. How could Tobias be so selfish, and stupid? He hated bringing more attention to the situation, but Graves was quickly forced to ask people on the street if they’d seen Tobias. It was a necessary sacrifice though, and much to his relief, Graves didn’t have to ask many people before he got some half-decent answers. 

Graves followed the whispered trail of his partner down 3rd Ave for several minutes before he was told to head West on 165th. He was surprised at how many people were happy to help, even if they hadn’t seen Tobias wandering around. The day that was once bright was growing darker, it seemed, but the people of New York were generally more kind that day than Graves had ever known them to be. Maybe they can tell how desperate this is…

Twenty minutes into his search, Graves got a call from Sarah, but didn’t feel like answering. What are you going to do, yell at me again? Truthfully, he wasn’t making any real headway at that point, just aimlessly wandering around the same half dozen blocks, but Graves was not about to head back to Rafen’s place. Every minute wasted was a minute Tobias could be jumped, and as resourceful as that man was, his partner was not about to risk losing him to who knows who or what.

What Graves didn’t account for, of course, was the possibility that he was just as much a target.

Somewhere between Morrisania and Concourse, just about when he was starting to lose hope, Graves heard the telltale sound of a pistol being cocked. Before he could react, he felt a blunt object jab into the small of his back. Fuck. How the hell’d someone get behind me without me noticing?

“You’re quick, whoever you are,” Graves muttered, not daring to turn around to face his assailant.

“ I won’t say this twice,” the person whispered; their voice sounded masculine. When he spoke, he sounded like he was constantly being tortured, as if his words were breaking the surface of a deep, dark ocean, and he had no hope of surfacing himself. “Where’s Sarah Fortune?”

The man shoved the pistol into Graves, and angled him towards a nearby alleyway. Graves obeyed and started walking, his feet sending ripples through the dark, shallow puddle that stretched along the entire alley. It hasn’t rained in days.

“You ask Felix that, too? I know he didn’t talk. Take me to him, and maybe we’ll remember.”

The figure let out a strained sigh that came out more like he was choking. “Not my job to take people captive… Where’s Fortune?”

Before Graves could answer, the gun was pulled away from his back, and a hand shoved him hard down to the ground. When Graves finally got a good look at the person standing over him, he saw a man with dark skin, several scars raked across his face, and a shaved head. He wore all black and deep, pale greens, with a bright red cloth mask that obscured the bottom half of his face. The man’s eyes glowed with intense, green fury, almost minty in shade. When he flipped the pistol in his hand, it transformed into a nasty-looking dagger with a jagged blade the same color as his eyes.

“What the hell…” Graves muttered. “You were just a f-fucking myth! Why the hell would you work for the Reaver?”

“No questions about Her motives, Maalcolm Graaves… She has commanded I do as the false King says, and so I search for Sarah Fortune. Now I have asked thrice… Tell me where, or I will commit you to Her hungry maw.”

Graves narrowed his eyes at the assassin. “Fuck off, Pyke.”

In an instant, the killer sank into the watery asphalt as if breaking the surface tension of a lake. I guess he is real. Before Pyke had the chance to strike, Graves flipped himself off the ground and pulled out his own gun — an old silenced pistol that he didn’t prefer, but dealt with — and fired three shots in quick succession at the pavement. Graves acutely remembered the stories of the Bloodharbor Ripper from when he was in school, and knew what it would take to best him.

Just as Graves had predicted, the man rose up from the puddle with his gleaming blade just where Graves had been lying. Instead of stabbing Malcolm and dragging him to an incorporeal, watery grave, Pyke found himself pierced by two of his target’s bullets. Pyke made no noise, as he was strong enough to feel no pain from such paltry shots, and lashed out at Graves, who was still half-lying on the ground.

In a fit of panic, Malcolm blocked the blow with the first thing he could think of: his arm. As Pyke sliced the blade up Graves’ forearm, leaving a deep and grievous wound, Graves shot Pyke in the head, and used his good arm to wrest the blade from the assassin’s grasp. He chucked the blade high on one of the alley’s rooftops, and trying not to scream out in pain, ran as fast as he could back towards Morrisania. He didn’t look back, but he knew that far behind him, the bullet would soon delodge from Pyke’s skull. If he wasn’t long gone by the time the killer got the blade back, he was as good as fish food.

So, Graves ran as fast as he could, taking off his jacket and wrapping it tightly around his arm to keep from leaving a trail of blood behind him, and as he ran, a single thought flooded every corner of his mind: Find Tobias, and get him and Sarah out of the city alive.

Chapter Text

One step at a time, Violet. One step at a time.

It was with a vice grip that Violet Lane held Caitlyn Kiramman’s hand as they began the long walk across the Williamsburg Bridge; Vi’s right in Cait’s left. Adorning Caitlyn’s right hand was a sleek black glove, the pair of which was held tight by Vi’s left hand, just too small for her to wear. It was a picture-perfect November afternoon, the sky bright and blue, the wind cold and cutting, but even with her love’s hand intertwined with her own, Vi could not bring herself to enjoy the day. She was straddling a line, a strange limbo, between bliss and torturous trauma. A bridge — a line to separate two areas on a map, and to unite two others.

“What are you thinking about, love?” Caitlyn asked, ten minutes into the trek. Between bars and cords and towers of steel, she could peer over the East River at Alphabet City and the Lower East Side.

Vi thought for a moment. “Our synagogue was somewhere down there,” she finally said, vaguely pointing a little south of where the bridge met the pavement to the west. “But I don’t remember exactly where anymore. Even before Stillwater, it had been a couple years since J and I swung by.”

“Would you like to try and find it?” Cait asked.

“Not yet. Not in person, I think. Maybe we can look for ones in the neighborhood online, and go there someday? Van should know the name of it.”

“I would love that, Violet,” Caitlyn smiled, squeezing her lover’s hand. She felt the inky fist warm slightly.

“He wasn’t the most spiritual person, you know,” Vi continued. “My dad, I mean. At least, I don’t think so. He was real big on the traditions. I think for him, his culture and history were a lot more important than the thing itself. He prayed, I remember him praying three times a day, but that just seemed like something he did just to do it, you know? What he really instilled in me was the importance of community. The time you spend with them, the shared background… Powder- I mean Jinx was too young to get a lot of that before he… well, you know. I tried to teach those things to her, no matter what houses we got thrown to and from.”

Caitlyn nodded thoughtfully, trying to absorb every word without rushing Vi. “I bet Vander helped with that too, though. Eventually. It’s not the same community, of course, but I see the same pattern at The Last Drop.”

Vi smiled. “Yeah, you’re right. He was good friends with both of my folks, so he was pretty good at talking to us about who they were, and what they believed. In those early days, we obviously didn’t see him too much, not until he was able to adopt. So, he was around, which meant tradition was too, but it never seemed that important in the face of survival…” As Vi spoke, Caitlyn allowed her to move through her own thoughts at as slow a pace as she liked, as it was apparent to the detective that she was still working through things, clearly mired by the sea of iron around her. “Sometimes, I feel like this city chews up culture, and spits it out not quite the same. Still important, still vital, but… I guess sometimes things get a bit homogenized? Does that make sense?”

“Absolutely.”

“Isn’t that bad?”

Caitlyn thought about that for a long time. “I think it can be. I think in a place with so much going on, especially when people have origins from all over, it becomes up to the individual to parse it all out — to celebrate their history without compromising any of its elements. But I think if you have good people around you, and you’re able to fully recognize where you came from… It’s also a beautiful thing to live in a place like this. With all the shit going on, we get to experience and participate in so much that most people don’t. Everything is here, to some extent. That’s a luxury, I think.”

“Yeah, I guess…” Vi mused. “It is a pretty small place space-wise for how much shit is constantly going on.”

“And smaller still, depending on who you talk to,” Cait agreed.

“What do you mean?”

“Just my parents, mostly, but all of their circles, too.” Cait sighed, and regretted it as soon as she did. “Sorry, I don’t mean to crowd your time. We can talk about my shit some other time.”

“Babe,” Vi said seriously, distracting herself from the slowly-approaching cityscape if only for a moment. “If it’s on your mind, I wanna talk about it. I mean hell, if my past is an ocean we’re wading through, and this bridge is the ship, you’re my anchor.”

Vi blushed, and Caitlyn laughed heartily at her, filling them both with light and life. “You’re adorable, love, but perhaps not your smoothest metaphor.”

“Whatever,” Vi smirked. “You get the point: you anchor me. So what’s up?”

“Right… Well, I mean to say that for most of my lifetime, I’ve known New York to be an incredibly large and obviously diverse place. But growing up, I was taught through subtext that all the different people were spread out. Far flung and not so connected to communities outside their own.”

Vi huffed. “That’s so obviously bullshit.”

“You’d think I would have noticed sooner,” Cait said, clearly disappointed in herself. “But no, it took until my late teenage years, and completely randomly, too! That fateful day my mother pissed me off so much I decided to make a go at running away. I can’t even remember what made me so mad.”

Vi squeezed her girlfriend’s hand at the mention of their mutual origin; they both smiled.

“Anyways, it’s beneficial for people with lots of power and money to believe that everyone who isn’t them isn’t nearly as friendly or intermingled with each other as they really are. Which isn’t to say rich people aren’t connected in their own ways, they certainly are… But it’s obviously different. Cold connections, instead of warm ones.”

“Like touching someone’s hand through a pane of glass,” Vi suggested.

“Exactly like that, love. Except even that may honestly be too romantic.”

“Fair.”

For another few minutes, the women walked silently again, but not for lack of that warmth. Their pasts and memories and temperaments were happily muddled, at once distinct and inseparable.

“Feeling anything more?” Caitlyn tried.

“Feeling better,” Vi confirmed. She thought to stay quiet, but another more potent metaphor, or analogy, or whatever crawled to the forefront of her mind from some dusty, long-forgotten or entirely unanalyzed corner of it. “Thinking about warm connections. Day probably wasn’t that different from this one, sixteen years ago, but there’s like this red haze over my memory of it. Like whatever the opposite of rose-tinted glasses is. Anyways, I remember seeing a fire. No clue who lit it, but it’s like a fucking beacon in my mind. Don’t look at the crowd, Powder, look at the fire. So big, and bright, and beautiful, just don’t look at the crowd. The bodies…

“I guess it’s just always been like this. The bridge. Warm connections, passion spilling out. ‘Cept now it’s not just angry passion, and the fire from a molotov. It’s a warm sky on a peaceful day, when the only monster out to get me is the quiet one in my own head. It’s my girlfriend’s hand in mind, and the sweat and soft heat that keeps the nip in the air at bay. It’s loving passion.”

Cait leaned into Vi, slowing down their walk even more. “You sure that’s it? You flipped trauma on its head pretty quick there, love.”

“Oh, the shit’s still there. I mean, we’re talking about it now, so the imagery is still stuck in my head. Always will be. The fire’s bad, and the blood in the air worse, but… there’s that blue sky way up above, and if I think hard enough, even with all that fear back then, I can still feel your hand in mine if I want to. Sort of like it’s all there… Homogenized. As New York has a tendency to do, if our conversation so far is to be believed.”

Caitlyn smiled, and nuzzled her cranium into her partner’s, eliciting a goofy laugh. “I love you, Vi,” she said. “You’re so fucking strong.”

“If I’m strong, it’s ‘cuz the city forced me to be, and the people around me encouraged me to be. Needed me to be. Maybe that’s what this Populi shit is about.”

“I’m sure it is, Vi… You know, you’re so poetic, too.”

Vi laughed hard. “And if I’m a poet, Cupcake, it’s because there’s a tall, hot lady next to me who I’m trying to seduce. Is it working?”

“Vi! Is this not supposed to be your healing time?”

The Populi smirked. “All at once, right? I can be traumatized as fuck, therapized as fuck, and ogling the fuck out of you all at once. Multitasking pro right here.”

Vi’s tall and hot lady rolled her eyes and smirked. “Well, I’m glad you’re making new memories on this bridge, at least. As for whether or not it’s working, why don’t you buy me dinner first, and then we can see how well you seduce me?”

Her heart did a somersault. “Do we have to wait for dinner? How ‘bout lunch?”

Cait laughed at her girlfriend’s eagerness. “Sounds even better. Have a place in mind?”

“I will eat literally anything, you know this.”

“In no way is that what I asked,” Cait laughed, pressing a kiss into Vi’s cheek. “I will say it this way, so that we don’t continue with this song and dance until the end of time: pick where we’re going to eat. Or at least what you want, and I’ll find a place.”

“Fair,” Vi said, her cheek reddening and a sly grin curling at the sides of her lips. “Deli?”

“Sure. Katz’s is just two blocks north of the end of the bridge, right? Would that environment be too busy for today’s mood?”

“Three blocks. But nah, I’ll be good, Cupcake, that sounds great. You ever been? Seems like the kind of place Cassandra wouldn’t step near.”

Caitlyn rolled her eyes. “Yes, I’ve been to the most famous delicatessen in New York, Violet. Though you certainly aren’t wrong about my mother. In the meantime… any final thoughts on the Bridge?”

“Final thoughts? Not really. I reckon it’s just… I dunno, a place in a city. Places are always gonna be significant to people, right? I think I’ve decided I’m not gonna be mad at myself for feeling a certain way about it, but I’m also not going to let it keep me from functioning, you know? Like I said, even when I’m thinking about that day, the smoke and the fire and the blood…”

“I’ll still be holding your hand,” Cait declared happily. “I’ll travel back in time if I have to.”

Vi laughed warmly at Caitlyn. “Crazy thing is, I believe you, Cupcake. It’s just trauma, right? It stays, and it always sucks, but that doesn’t make it unmanageable. Especially you by my side, and the rest of New York for that matter.”

Cait finally halted their walk completely, pulling Vi in for a tight hug before kissing her deeply. She pressed their foreheads together and grinned insane and happy into the kiss. When a jogger ran around them, flipping the pair a drive-by bird, the happy couple laughed hysterically; Vi finally relished in the cold, stark beauty of the day.

“Come on, Cupcake,” Vi said finally, stealing one last kiss from her lover. “Pastrami’s calling my name.”

“My god, Vi, there is so much meat in this.”

“That’s what she said,” Vi said, eliciting an eye roll from her partner as they sat down in a corner of the deli. It was as hectic as always in Katz’s, with people dotting crowded tables at the same rate as family photos lined the warm wooden walls. You could barely see the paneling past the history adorning it, and you could barely make out the restaurant past the people who inhabited and loved it.

“You’re a child,” Cait huffed, taking a bite of her tall brisket sandwich.

“Oh, come on, it’s Katz’s!” Vi laughed, digging into the latkes she’d splurged on. “Mmf, hell yes. Missed these. Anyways, you’re lucky I haven’t started moaning; horny jokes are just as much the history of this place as any one of those photos is.”

“How do you figure?”

“When Harry Met Sally?” Vi burst out incredulously.

“I’m afraid I haven’t seen it.”

Vi gasped, the telltale curves of a grin forming at the sides of her lips. “Cupcake! It’s a classic! You do like romcoms, don’t you?” Cait shrugged. “What do you mean you don’t know? You love stories! You’re a total literature buff, and you actually had the time and money to read and watch shit growing up. You have to have an opinion on, like, one of the biggest movie genres.”

“I suppose it depends on the execution. I can be romantic when I want to be. Would you like to watch it when we get home?”

“But-”

“Violet. Yes, after. Don’t think I forgot about our arrangement.”

Vi nearly choked on her pastrami. “Arrangement makes it sound so dorky, Cait.”

“Shut up,” the detective giggled. She couldn’t help but smile at her love. “I do love this place though, Vi. It’s cozy in the same way Vander’s place is. I am sure this wasn’t your specific spot as a kid, but… I don’t know, being in this part of town makes me feel like I’m getting a glimpse of it.” Caitlyn happily dunked a latke into the tub of applesauce they shared with reckless abandon, and Vi noticed how Cait didn’t seem to notice or care when some of it dripped down onto her shirt. She just squinted her eyes shut and smiled as she relished its taste. “I’m glad we came here.”

“Cute,” Vi muttered.

“What’s that?”

“I said it was a mutual decision, Cupcake,” Vi lied as her face reddened. “You’ve got some schmutz on your shirt. Here.” Vi leaned over the tiny tabletop to dab Cait’s chest with a napkin as subtly as possible. “And… yeah, I am too. I don’t think I’ve had a good pastrami since I got back.”

“We’ll have to come down here more often, then. Deli tour?”

“Fuck yeah.”

“Sounds amazing. In that case, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to hurry up eating, if we’ll be back? It’s going to take quite a while just to get back north, and I figure it’s about time for you to get unmired from your past again and… destress.”

Vi’s face steadily turned the same color pink as her hair as she scarfed down the rest of her massive sandwich, and Caitlyn continued to make innuendo after innuendo. Vi chastised her slower-eating partner for not ordering a half sandwich, but after the two resolved to take the rest to go, they wasted no time ordering a rideshare. They were in and out of Katz’s in no more than fifteen minutes; long before Vi’d normally have been wont to leave, but there was an eager grin covering her face all the way until they reached the coach house in Lenox Hill, where Cait promptly and exquisitely kissed it off of her.

It was far from their first time, the past few weeks had been electrifying in just about every sense and understanding of the word, but there was something about that afternoon’s activities that were particularly magical to Vi. Her past loomed heavy over her head, heavier than the massive weight of the pastrami in her stomach, and telling Cait about it had made it seem even closer and realer than it already felt. Furthermore, it acted as the catalyst for her future — as pasts tend to do — as now the weight of all New Yorkers rested in her mind, more than they already had. She was the Populi; a mythic, bullshit title for an insane person, and she’d have to swallow whatever pills and hard truths came with that.

And yet. She was here. Completely present, without worry for previously on or coming soon . Caitlyn knew exactly which spots to touch, what things to say to make all of that anxiety melt away. She could think about her parents, about the bridge and the fire and the countless foster homes, and she could think about all the people screaming her name, about the titles and the tattoos and the lives. But it wasn’t real weight. It was just context to the current moment, which was dominated by nothing and no one but Caitlyn Kiramman, and everything about her; her eyes, her smile, her lips, her fingers, God her fingers.

It was true, proper magic, what Caitlyn did for Vi, and Vi hoped she did well enough to return the favor. And for what it’s worth, the detective seemed pretty damn pleased.

As promised, after several hours of mind-numbingly exquisite sex and a beautiful pink and purple sunset, Vi curled up into her partner’s lap on her partner’s couch, and watched ‘the seminal romcom’, 1989 classic When Harry Met Sally… A perfect end to an exhausting day, and a movie that Cait thankfully ended up loving.

When the one scene came up, Vi craned her neck up to look at Cait’s reaction, and smiled at the face Cait made.

“Meg Ryan is so hot,” Cait said after all the moaning had ceased, looking at Sally in much the same way that Harry did. “She’s incredible.”

“I know, right?” Vi mused happily. “Smart, cute as hell, doesn’t take shit from people… Just like you, Cupcake.”

“Careful…” Cait said, knowing the joke before Vi said it.

“Moans like you too.”

“Shut up!” Cait cackled, slapping Vi lightly on the shoulder.

They watched the rest of the movie in peace, hand in hand and head on lap. They didn’t need to say it aloud, but both of them felt the vague similarity between the fictional couple’s history and their own. Seeing each other only briefly, before departing for far too many years as life swept them away. Having the circumstances never work out, until it all comes crashing in all at once, and suddenly you realize they were the only person you could ever be with. As the movie reached its final throes, and Vi focused intensely on the couple on screen, Cait took a moment to step back from the movie and think about Vi — who she adored thinking about more than any story. She could predict the ending anyways, it’d be fine if she tuned out a couple lines.

Caitlyn looked down at the Populi’s head resting in her lap and smiled wistfully. Her love deserved the world, deserved peace and happy silence after the life of torment she’d been through; instead, she was given another huge dose of responsibility. No longer was she just worrying about Jinx’s security in addition to her own, but in fact the life of the entire city seemed to have landed on Vi’s shoulders, at least spiritually. There wasn’t a single doubt in Caitlyn’s mind that Vi would absolutely crush in the coming months, during whatever magical maelstrom occurred, but she hated that Vi had to do it. As Cait admired and mourned for her girlfriend, caught up in those silver eyes, she thought that if the woman was going to be saddled with responsibility, she should at least be happy while doing it. If you’re to have the world’s back, my love, you ought to know that we have yours too.

Cait squirmed to get her phone from its position, pinned underneath both of their tangled bodies. She smiled briefly at the wallpaper — Vi posing cutely with her in a selfie with Jinx making a gross face behind them — before opening up her messaging app. She casually typed nearly a dozen numbers into a group chat, and drafted a message.

Caitlyn:

Hello all! I know not all of you know each other, but to encourage open lines of communication, I’ve created this group chat for the newly magical residents of New York and their closest friends. I believe we’re all allies in whatever this new age is, and should be working as closely together as possible.

That being said, my reason for messaging today is not at all work-related. I just want to host a movie night, and think it would be fun to invite all of you. Hosting in Lenox Hill tomorrow evening, I know it’s short notice, but honestly I’d be happy to do this as many times a week as people want to swing by. Come with snacks and movie recs!

As soon as the message was sent, Vi’s phone vibrated across the room, which she would have been loath to retrieve had it not been for her girlfriend’s furious typing and subsequent haughty giggle, as if she had done something bad and was waiting for Vi to notice. Vi touched the pads of two fingers to the nape of Cait’s neck, signaling her down for a kiss, before standing, stretching, and walking across the room.

“What is this?” Vi asked once she’d read the endearing wall of text on her phone.

“Movie night!” Cait replied simply. “I can call it off, if you want, but I figured you’d like it. You also can conveniently be busy if you don’t want to, I really don’t mind hosting alone.”

Vi chuckled. “Well aren’t we a couple of regular housewives, huh, Cupcake?” Her girlfriend blushed. “Kidding. Nah, I think it’s a great idea. Just… here?”

“Well there’s far more space here than at your place, and you’re here more often anyways. If you’re worried about my parents, they can suck it up. It would do the house some good to see more social events again, anyways.”

Two buzzing phones halted their conversation:

Yasuo from Flushing:

Sounds great. Should Tali and I bring the kid?

Wouldn’t normally ask, but. You know.

Zeri:

dope! looking forward to meeting more weird magic goons

Caitlyn:

Absolutely, if she’d like to come! We can adjust what we watch accordingly.

 

Jinx renamed the group to Weird Magic Goons.

 

Viktor:

Shockingly, both Jayce and I (Viktor) are free tomorrow night. I’ll make sure he gets out the door.

Sarah Fortune:

Rain check, Detective. Probably no M or T either, shit came up.

Jinx:

letsfuckinggoooooooooooooo

can we watch die hard? gotta get in the holiday spirit

Caitlyn:

I’m sorry to hear that, Sarah. We’ll just have to do it again.

Sarah Fortune:

While I’m at it: hey, I’m Sarah. If literally anyone sees Ezreal, kid with the golden glove, you got my number. Let me know where he is.

Jinx:

better question: has somebody made die hard for Hanukkah yet?

Jayce:

Can’t wait!

Ekko:

better better question: it’s literally november, J, who’s watching christmas movies?

oh I’m free btw, so I’m in. we want snacks? Drinks?

Jinx:

what can i say i like to start early

Taliyah:

I love Die Hard! Maybe not if Annie’s coming though

 

Vi renamed the group to Mages and Associates.

 

Vi:

y’all are wild lol

Jinx:

aww come on, i liked weird magic goons

Vi:

yeah well we aren’t all magic

and neither are you sis

Jinx:

whatev

Lux:

I’d love to come! Jinx and I shall change our plans happily

Jinx:

bro you didnt have to tell on me like that

maybe i wasnt gonna hang out with you, theyd never know

Lux:

Are you ashamed to be spending time with me? :( 

Ekko:

uh oh, domestic dispute, everyone scatter!

Vi was laughing hysterically as she put her phone on silent. “This group chat is going to be absolute chaos, Cupcake. Hope you know what you’re getting yourself into.”

“I have some kind of an idea,” Cait said with a smirk, walking to where Vi was in the kitchen. “For what it’s worth, everyone got along swimmingly during the last big get-together.”

Vi thought for a moment. “You already trust Yasuo and Tali that well?”

“When you want someone to trust you,” Cait responded easily, “It pays to trust them first.”

“Cassandra teach you that?” Vi asked rhetorically, already laughing at her joke.

“Believe it or not, no. That one was Grayson. So a wiser woman, perhaps. Anyways, he did quite endear himself to me, what with adopting Annie, and that story about his brother. I suppose they could be sob stories, but-”

“No, they aren’t,” Vi interrupted. “They definitely seemed like good people, I guess I’m just being overly cautious. Anyways… Did you catch the end of the movie?”

“Yes, mostly,” Cait said. “Harry confesses, Sally refutes, he gives all these reasons, they kiss at midnight on New Years again, married and quite effectively U-Hauled three months later.”

“I mean bluntly, sure.”

“Sorry I got caught up in the text, love. Would you like me to rewatch the last few minutes with you?” Vi shook her head, and a coy grin snaked along Cait’s lips. “Would you like me to make it up to you some other way?”

For what felt like the dozenth time that day, Vi grew pink, and she allowed herself to be ushered up to the second floor.

The following night, the detective and the Populi hosted their first movie night, which was by all accounts a rousing success. Caitlyn was more than happy to make her mother more and more perplexed each time she ran to the front door of the main house and smuggled someone through the Secret Tunnel to her coach house. All told, Caitlyn had eleven guests over. “Far more than can fit in that little thing!” Cassandra had insisted, which Caitlyn knew very well was untrue; her little coach house was more space than most New Yorkers could dream of one day owning, especially in Manhattan. “We’ll be quite fine, Mother.”

First to arrive was Lux, who arrived nearly an hour early and chipper as ever. “Is Jinx here yet?” she made the mistake of asking, resulting in a barrage of questions from her old friend. Vi was out on runs, so Caitlyn and Luxanna had most of that hour-long buffer to themselves, and used it to fill each other in on their respective love lives with the Lanes. 

“Potential sisters-in-law, huh?” Cait found herself joking. “Who would have thought?”

“Ithinkit’salittleearlyforthat!” Lux squealed.

“Oh, so you’re considering it!” Cait cackled.

“Maybe? Oh, whatever! And how about you, huh? You’re the one that suggested it!”

“Oh I know,” Caitlyn admitted gleefully. “I fully intend to marry that woman.”

Right on the dot of 7:00, the pair’s catch-up period concluded, as Yasuo arrived perfectly on time with a giggly kid tucked under an arm, and the wind at his back. From the view of the front door camera on her phone, Cait saw the man from Flushing tuck his wooden blade into its invisible scabbard. She smiled, and left Lux in the coach house while she played hostess.

Cassandra managed to make it to the door before Cait, but by the time either of them answered, Taliyah had caught up with her people, and the crew from Harlem — Ekko, Zeri, Jinx, and Bethesda — followed closely behind. While everyone filed into the house and through the secret tunnel, Yasuo managed to see Tobias over the kitchen counter, and struck up a conversation with both of Cait’s parents, seeming eager to get to know his hosts. The detective also would not have been surprised if the swordsman recognized her father from his philanthropic endeavors, which ever-so-occasionally reached across the East River.

In no time at all, nearly everyone piled into the Kiramman residence, with Jayce and Viktor arriving shortly after the call time. Jayce said his hellos to his former sponsors before ushering his partner across the lawn to the coach house, and by the time they got there it was already alive with the raucous chorus of the party. Ekko unloaded two massive paper bags of snacks and supplies onto counters, Zeri rifled through the fridge — with Cait’s permission — to find a particular mixer, and Jinx had bombarded Luxanna on the loveseat. Viktor wasted no time assisting Ekko, and Jayce only laughed at the commotion.

“Welcome sight, huh Cait? Been a long time since you threw one like this.”

“Indeed. Almost complete.” 

All that’s left is you, Caitlyn thought to herself, smiling at the spread of her friends in the living room and kitchen.

It was another half hour of chaos and commotion before Vi arrived, hands tucked behind her back as she ascended the stairs into the coach house. A plethora of voices abstracted from their source shouted their greetings, to which she nodded without much affect. When her gaze met Cait’s in a corner of the kitchen — in mid-conversation with Taliyah — Vi smiled nervously, heat swelled in her cheeks, and her stomach knotted ever so slightly.

“Hey Tali! How’s it going? Uh… do you mind if I steal Cait for a sec?”

“Sure!” Taliyah easily slid away, taking note of what Vi hid behind her back with a smile.

“Hello, love,” Cait said easily, leaning back against the wall. She set down her drink and crossed her arms in front of her. “About time you arrived, darling, you’ve kept all our guests waiting… Vi, is something wrong?”

“No, uh… not at all. I just got you this.”

From behind her back, with one hand, Vi produced a bottle of wine that was very clearly stolen from the Kirammans’ basement.

Cait had to laugh. “Is that all, Violet?”

“No, that’s the joke to make this part easier.”

Vi put forward her other hand and opened it for Cait to look at. Curled in her fingers was a rose, which Caitlyn took more quickly than the other small object. Sitting plainly on Vi’s palm, right over the picture of the curled fist, was a simple, sterling silver Claddagh ring: the band turned into two hands grasping a simple heart and crown at its front. It was vintage, the slightest bit tarnished, and absolutely well-used and well-loved. Caitlyn touched one hand to her mouth, left slightly agape, and used the other to pick up the gift.

“Violet… is this for me?” The Populi nodded. “Thank you, love… May I ask if there’s any reason why? And why the gift today? It’s just movie night.”

Vi blushed profusely. “I, uh… I spent pretty much the whole day rooting around Vander’s old storage unit until I found this. He told me it’d be there, but wasn’t sure where, and the whole time we were watching the movie last night, I was thinking God, I should really dig this up eventually, huh. And then I was thinking about how I told you all about my dad yesterday, like all his traditions and stuff but not about Mom. And I guess that’s because she didn’t really keep many of her traditions, I mean she was so many generations removed from immigration, so that makes sense, but… Anyways, she had this. The ring she got for Dad.”

“Vi…”

“Wait, no, shit! I’m not like, proposing or anything, it hasn’t even been three months yet! But… I dunno, Mom showed me this when I was a real little kid, and told me she’d give it to me when I was older, only that couldn’t happen, so Vander ended up with it at one point. Anyways, she said that I should wear this one, and buy an identical one to give to someone. All this when I’ve met someone nice, that I want to be with for a very long time. And I have. And I do. And I don’t really fuck with rings, so it isn’t the letter of the law, exactly, but… will you wear it?”

Cait thought to stop her tears, but was far too late. “Oh, Violet…” She took the ring, and slid it onto her right ring finger with the orientation she knew was correct. “I love it. I was just telling Luxanna earlier tonight about how I intend to marry you.”

“You HUH?”

Caitlyn laughed heartily, and pulled Vi into her to kiss her tenderly, as if no one but them existed. “I love you, darling. Thank you. You let me know the second you’d like me to move this ring to my left hand, alright?”

Vi’s mind short-circuited; her face felt like it was boiling. “Uh, yeah, Cupcake. Will do.”

Her lover giggled happily, and kissed her again, more chastely. “Alright, movie time. Am I allowed to show this ring off?”

The pink-haired woman attempted to wipe off the pink in her cheeks. “Sure, if you want to.”

Cait grinned, and dashed over to the living room to brag to her best friend. “Luuuux! Look at what Vi got me! Isn’t she just the best Lane sister?”

“Rude!” Luxanna protested. “That’s an unfair question that you know my answer to.”

Lux’s supposed answer grinned devilishly at the set up Cupcait had granted her, and snaked her way into Lux’s arms. “Aww, come on, Princess! You can be honest, just how much do you like me?”

The noblewoman sighed. “Caitlyn, I swear, you never used to team up with people against me like this! Are you so sure these people are good influences?” Before anyone in the room could take her words seriously, Lux added: “Kidding, of course. Cait and I primarily bond over our agreement that the people we’re forced to mingle with are generally crusty fucks who don’t know how the world actually works. Anyways, Miss Kiramman… that is quite the pick. It’s called a…”

“Claddagh,” Jinx interrupted, getting her first good look at the ring as Cait twisted her hand. “Is that my mom’s?”

Cait nodded a little uneasily. “Is that okay, Jinx?”

Jinx made a pensive face, which lasted as long as she could manage to keep up the ruse. She burst out with laughter. “ Doi , Caity. So what, you already getting married? I’ve heard of U-Hauling, but sheesh!”

“Give us at least another half a year,” Cait laughed, relieved. Looking at Vi, it seemed like even she was still fooled by Jinx, who was easily more enigmatic than any mystery Cait had cracked in her life.

As the conversation shifted, Cait took a moment to take in her life happily: her lovely home, her many friends, and her beautiful partner. It’s all yours, too. She reached out for Vi with her ringed hand, and looked around to the rest of the party. “Alright, everyone settled? Who’s picking the movie?”

When no one immediately threw out any suggestions, it was Yasuo that analyzed the rest of the room, and held his hand in the air to give one: Your Name. No one in the group opposed, and only he, Jinx, and Viktor had seen it before, so Caitlyn pulled it up, and the party simmered down to a comfortable, familial quiet. After Annie’s insistence that she could read subtitles at the same time as watching the movie — and in truth she was quite a gifted reader — they watched it in Japanese, its original language. Yasuo would occasionally provide context for the specific meaning of words that even the subtitles didn’t catch the nuances of, which in turn encouraged everyone else to occasionally talk about what was happening.

Watching Caitlyn watch the movie, Vi could not have asked for a better night. Everyone who hadn’t met before got along, people would occasionally get up to grab food and chat somewhere else, and it never felt like the situation was forced. In many ways, Vi felt as if this group had been doing this for years.

As she thought about her relationship to time and memory, Yasuo looked at her kindly. On the widescreen, Taki as Mitsuha was carrying his/her grandmother up the mountain, and the grandmother spoke to them of musubi ; a concept in the movie, essentially the strings that bind everyone and everything across time and space, and the spirits that fuel those connections. Taking the moment in, Vi returned Yasuo’s look with a smile of her own, and tapped her finger against her nose twice. I catch your meaning. Vi had the distinct feeling that Yasuo had picked the movie very purposefully, and appreciated him for it.

An hour later, there was not a dry eye in the coach house as Mitsuha opened her hand to show what Taki had written on it, and an hour after that, people were saying their goodbyes, thanking Caitlyn for the invitation, and making suggestions for what to eat and what to watch next time.

When all but Jinx were gone, Vi’s sister having declared she would crash on Cait’s couch so it would be quicker to go see Lux the next day, the hostess found her lover getting ready for bed in the master bath, and curled into her.

“Good idea, love?” Caitlyn asked.

“Great idea, Cupcake.”

In the two months that followed, Cait and Vi hosted nearly a dozen movie nights for themselves and their friends. Normally only a few people would show up, but it was always great fun. They’d order take-out, play board games, roll dice to determine who got to pick the movie — or, depending on how indecisive people were present, who was forced to pick the movie. Over the weeks, the couple made an effort to really get to know the pair from Queens better; and for their part, Earth, Wind, and Fire took the time to really integrate themselves into this large, burgeoning friend group. The air may grow chiller, and the days may turn darker quicker, but things were good. The people they surrounded themselves with all loved each other, and really, what more could you ask for? Cait even only rarely thought about the fact that she hadn’t heard from Sarah since that day in November.

On a particularly wet and shadowy day in December, Violet Lane was shaken from her month-and-a-half-long reverie. It was gloomy and happy inside Vi’s small apartment in Hell’s Kitchen. She had relinquished Cait to her work for the day, knowing that her detective was immensely behind on her regular work, so at home she was, feeling lonely even with company, and a bit down even in happiness.

Vi was stuck staring out at the rainy early evening, listening to the giggling of Jinx and Lux on her couch. They were having a smaller night in just for the three of them, with Cait to join as soon as she got off work. There was a calm, complacent smile on Vi’s face, listening to her sister’s joy. Everything was just… off, a little. She sighed for maybe the dozenth time, and placed the fifth candle into her hanukkiah. 

Not a second after Vi had lit and picked up her shamash, it was extinguished by a sudden gust of wind that blew in from the unopened window.

“The fuck?” Vi said.

The three of them heard the bathroom door slam shut, and a loud crash followed from within.

“Vi?” Jinx asked, taking up a defensive position in front of Lux on the couch. “Expecting company?”

Vi groaned. “Beth?” Nothing. “If there’s someone in that goddamn bathroom, step the fuck out!”

Footsteps crept their way across the floor of the bathroom over to the door; Vi held up her fists in a fighting stance that, no matter how foreign it had started to feel, came to her naturally. She was ready to deck who or whatever opened that door. Much to her chagrin, when she saw the flash of blonde hair, the sapphire eyes, and the glint of gold on the man’s glove as he pushed into the living room, Vi had to hold herself back.

“You gotta be fucking kidding me…” the Populi muttered to herself. Without a moment’s hesitation, she divided up what needed to be done. “Lux, can you call Cait please? J, you wanna find the girl named Sarah in the group chat and tell her who just showed up?”

Having fully entered the room, Ezreal looked over nervously between Vi and the girls on the couch. “What? Not even a hello?”

“Hi.” Vi said ineffectually. “What the hell are you doing here? Where the fuck have you been?”

“Hey!” Lux screamed. “You’re the one who broke into my house!”

“Sorry, that one was- OW!” A fidget toy Jinx had been messing with collided solidly with the man’s forehead.

As he reeled, Vi leapt forward and wrenched his gloveless arm. “Good, you’re real this time. I’ll say it again: what the hell are you doing here, and where the fuck have you been? Also, don’t fucking interrupt someone when they’re lighting a fucking hanukkiah, asshole!”

“I- I didn’t know, dude, sorry! Also let me go! I’m not here to mess with you!”

Vi thought about it for a second, and tossed Ezreal’s hand to the side dismissively. She held up her own to him, showing him the tattoo of the Freedom Tower. “Why didn’t you tell me I was the Populi?”

“I didn’t know at the time… Also can you stop asking questions before I even have the chance to answer one?”

“... Fair.”

“Okay. So yeah, I didn’t know at the time. My head was real fucking foggy when I put this on, and then all the magic just started yelling at me all at once. It was honestly a bit of a relief that I got knocked out when I did.”

“Knocked out?” Vi asked.

“Yeah,” Ezreal said. “It’s a bit of a long story.”

“Alright. Why don’t you tell it?”

Before he could say anything else, Lux sidled up to Vi, giving Ezreal a side-eye the whole time. “Cait’s on the phone, Vi. Do you want to talk to her?”

“Put me on speaker!” Vi could hear Cait softly yell through Lux’s phone, and took a moment to smile when she heard her voice. Lux tapped the phone. “Vi, I’m taking off from work early, I’m listening. You got him there?”

“Yup, fucking teleported in out of nowhere. He’s gonna tell us his life story.”

“Okay, why do I feel like a mouse in a trap here?” the man complained. “We’re on the same side!”

“You literally invaded my home.”

“Fair.”

“So speak up, and make sure the lovely lady on the phone hears you.”

“Alright,” Ezreal started. “So… Like I said, when I put the glove on, I felt fucking crazy. Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve been able to detect and locate sources of magic, like a sixth sense. I had a feeling this is what would happen, but when I put this on, that sense basically exploded in my head. I was having trouble sensing anything with any of my, like, actual senses, but I also wasn’t even really able to properly intake any of the information I was being fed all at once. I was basically learning everything there was to know about all the magic in New York at the same moment.

“So I ran. The first thing that was clear to me was to reach out to all nine Mages, but I was having trouble figuring out which ones I should go to first. Two of them were still in the middle of manifesting, so the closest one was… You, Lux. Luxanna Crownguard. Lemme tell you, bouncing all around that building to find your penthouse was a trip .” Lux squinted at him. “Guess I should have figured you’d already know what was happening to you. Anyways… Once I left your place Lux, I could feel you, Vi, walking up north with Memory to Lightning, and in the vague direction of Dreams. So I figured I should head south next, which led me to Wind. Have you met Yasuo yet?”

“Yes, we know Yasuo,” Caitlyn said through the phone speaker. “Back up a second, Ezreal. You mentioned Dreams, is that the tree in Morningside?”

“Yep.”

“And you said Vi was walking with Memory? What does that mean?”

“The Mage of Memory,” Ezreal said. “I don’t actually know what they call themself.”

“Wait… you mean Bethesda?” Vi asked. “They’re not Water?”

Ezreal made a funny face and shook his head. “I haven’t felt the presence of the Mage of Water in Manhattan this whole time. At least, not when I’ve been sound of mind, so I guess it’s possible she dipped in when I wouldn’t notice. From what I can tell though, she spends most of her time in Staten Island.”

Vi took a second to rewire her brain to make sense of the sudden shift in intel. “Okay, that’s fine, we’ll deal with that later. So what happened after you talked to Yasuo?”

“Well, even as I was going to Chinatown, I started feeling really weird. Like, if my sixth sense was screaming at me this whole time, I started hearing this second, whispering voice in the back of my mind. I thought it was just my brain’s interpretation of the magic at first, but then… it started to feel more real. Yasuo has a good head on his shoulders, and he seemed to know what had happened to him, so I asked him to look for Earth and Fire. Then I… I think I went up north to try to see Lightning?”

“But you didn’t,” Jinx declared. “I was with her that whole day, no weird kid showed up. Oh, and her name’s Zeri.”

“Yeah, yeah. Zeri… You’re right, I never got there. I went up Bowery from Chinatown, but around Union Square the real noise around me was getting too loud… I thought to myself that I should try to escape it in the subway.” Vi laughed openly at Ezreal. “I know, stupid fucking thought. It made more sense that the idea was so stupid once I figured out I wasn’t the one who had thought it. But by then it was too late.”

“What do you mean, ‘you weren’t the one who thought it?’” Lux asked.

“I was walking down the steps to the subway platform… and it felt like every step I took, it was getting darker.”

“Darker?” Caitlyn asked. Vi could hear her putting pieces together through the phone.

“So I was walking, and all of a sudden I was on the platform, but there were no people around, except this one woman, sitting on a bench. She was creepy as hell, but at the same time… I felt like I had to talk to her. So I sat down.”

“What did this woman look like?” the detective on the phone interjected.

“‘Bout my height. Curvy. Super pale, like grayish-white skin tone, with the same color hair. Had this seductive sort of smile that never went away. And she was wearing this really dark outfit that made it look like she was actually being wrapped in shadows. I didn’t realize until I’d sat down that that’s literally what was happening. And by then I was too close to her, and I couldn’t stand.”

“Did she say anything to you?”

“'Why don’t you come with me, handsome?’”

“Ew!” Jinx protested. “Absolutely never do that voice again!”

“Yeah, fair. But I’m not fucking around, that’s how she talked.”

“And I’m guessing you were compelled to comply?” Caitlyn asked.

“Big time. Everything gets fuzzy after that. There’s a span of a few weeks where I’m not really sure of what happened to me.”

“A few weeks ?” Vi asked incredulously. “Do you remember eating, sleeping? Shitting? Getting thrown in a cage or something? You can’t just lose time like that.”

The man shrugged. “Listen, I don’t know what to tell you. Magic’s weird like that.”

Vi hadn’t moved more than an arm’s length from him this whole time, but knowing well enough that he wouldn’t try to run, and feeling an old, seething anger rise in her, she opted to finally take a seat next to her sister. Lux was still standing near Ezreal, holding the phone up so Cait could ask the right questions even in her absence.

“So you lost a few weeks. What happened when you woke up? Do you have any idea what was different?”

“It’s like I was fully under her control, but then all of a sudden, I wasn’t. The first thing I really distinctly remember was this bright purple, sort of retro date marker on the wall, and it said 11/5/22…”

As the Phantasma began rattling off a description of the room for Cait in excruciating detail, Vi couldn’t help but dissociate a little. She knew it wasn’t the healthiest feeling in the world, especially since she should be able to empathize with him, but the thought of having no memory of imprisonment ate through Vi’s mind like a plague. She lost seven whole years of her life to a terrible sentence. The potential for more years with Caitlyn; the chance to see her sister grow into the woman she’d already become; the ability to live, for at least a little while, without the burden of responsibility. It was all never to be. And what’s more, she was forced to remember every excruciating minute of that hell. The worst part about Stillwater, Vi would always contend, wasn’t even the danger of living there — she could deal with beatings and shit conditions. No, it was the incessant, inescapable sameness. Over two thousand and five hundred days of the exact same pain, and the exact same hurt. Mind-numbing, inexorable time, stretched out until Vi was aware of naught but mild concrete.

In Vi’s mind, that was the cost of being the Populi. That incredible loss. And the Phantasma only had to bear it for a couple weeks, and wasn’t even cursed with the memory? The only thing she could do was be quiet and silently seethe as everyone else talked.

“Hellooooo? Earth to Vi!”

Jinx was shaking Vi back to her senses. “Oh, shit. Sorry, just a lot happening. What’s up?”

“Did you hear that? Blondie-boy said he got out that one day that the Fortune lady disappeared, and then there was the bit about the… uh… the purple…”

“The tanks of purple liquid?” Ezreal asked. “I didn’t think it was that important, it just seemed like some weird magic-science shit.”

Vi felt the world warp around her like she was the focus of a fish-eye lens. Purple liquid, in a facility under the city.

“Vi?” Jinx called again, now holding Vi’s hand in a vice grip. “You don’t think it’s him… do you?”

She thought about it reasonably for a moment. It had been seven years since the drug’s boom, and while Vi and Vander had done their best to keep it out of the Kitchen, and law enforcement had busted around a dozen small facilities buried beneath the city’s infrastructure, she had always known it hadn’t been enough. The cops and feds didn’t break down nearly enough doors for how much was on the streets, and they never cornered the man she and Jinx both knew was culpable. And more importantly… she hadn’t been able to protect every neighborhood in the city back then. The scars were lasting. It was only a matter of time before they split back open.

“I’m so sorry, sis’... I do.”

Jinx blinked at her slowly. “Welp, ain’t that just a bitch and three quarters?

Vi’s sister stood, and walked out the door of her apartment. Lux glanced sympathetically at Vi, handed her the phone with Caitlyn on the line, and followed Jinx quickly out the door without having to ask.

“Did I… say something wrong?” Ezreal asked.

Vi sighed, trying hard to not get angry at him. “No… Better we know now, so we can deal with it later. Listen, that purple shit is just… Well, we’ve been there before. And the dick who’s fucking with it is no joke. Is it safe to assume this shadow lady is the Mage of Shadow?” Ezreal nodded. “Alright. Well if she’s working with him, then… Well, fuck. Just another layer of shit to push through.”

There was a thick stagnance in the air that prevented either of them from talking, and it was strong enough for even Caitlyn to feel, miles away in a car she was begging could drive faster.

“Do you want me to stay? Leave? I don’t wanna make things worse than I already have.”

“Listen… I’m glad you got out of that place. Better late than never, right? But…” Vi could feel Caitlyn staring at her through the phone. “I need a minute to process all this. We all do. Could you… I dunno, teleport or do whatever to get to The Last Drop? It’s an Irish pub on 10th Ave, real close by. Ask for Vander, he runs it. And then just… get something to eat. Sit there, talk with Van, or the bartender, or the cook, or whoever. Just tell them you’re Vi’s friend, and I’ll meet you back there with Caity as soon as I can. Can you do that?”

Ezreal nodded violently. “Absolutely. It’s an important place to you, right? I should be able to get there in one jump, then. I’ll stay until closing, later if I have to.”

Vi actually smiled a little. “Thanks, dude. I’ll be there when I can be.”

In a flash of blue and gold light, Ezreal disappeared from the room with another gust of wind. Vi sunk deeper into her couch.

“I’ll be there in twenty-five minutes, darling. Lux is with your sister, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay. Wait for me, we’ll sort it all out together.”

“Okay.”

Twenty-three minutes later, the door to Violet’s apartment swung open, and Caitlyn rushed into her arms. For minutes, they stood in silence, lit but not warmed by the four candles in Vi’s hanukkiah. Vi felt its protection, but only a little, and she felt Caitlyn’s protection, but only a little. “I’m so sorry,” Caitlyn said, over and over until Vi started shaking; Cait knew Vi’d be okay once she started responding to stimulus again.

Arms still wrapped around her, Caitlyn maneuvered Vi to be in between her and the window. She nuzzled her head into the crook of Vi’s neck and sighed, trying her hardest not to sound too weary herself, or to be too overbearing. “May I ask which aspect of this is foremost on your mind, darling?”

“Thinking back to the bridge,” Vi sighed. “And the past. Everything stays… you know?”

“Of course… Would you like to take another trip down to the East Village soon, darling? We can go to a deli… Maybe find your synagogue?”

Vi considered it for a moment, and finally lit the fifth candle. “Yeah… If we have time before the week’s over. I’d love that, Cupcake.”

In the frame of a dark, rain-soaked window, the two women took solace in each other’s embrace. And in the soft orange glow of the sacred light, if only for a moment, shadows abated.

Chapter Text

“Miss Luxanna? … Luxanna?”

“Mmfwha?”

“Your brother wishes to speak with you. Not to mention, it’s already 10 o’clock, and the Mayor’s address is in two hours.”

Lux sat up groggily from her nest of quilts and pillows and made a show of rolling her eyes at her bodyguard, servant, and friend. Standing over Lux next to the bed, the young woman was about half a foot taller than Lux, with soft brown hair shorn tight on the sides, and pulled back into a long, tight braid, and eyes the color of a cloudy, silver sky. On that morning, she wore a bespoke, slate suit and a bolo tie with the Vanguard Security logo: a circle forming an eagle’s head and wings, surrounding a smaller circle.

“You can send him in, Cith. Thank you.”

Cithria smiled a little at her patron. “Would you like me to make him wait a bit, Luxanna? I could easily give you another ten minutes to sleep.”

“No, you can send him in. But if the conversation lasts more than five minutes, feel free to usher him out.”

Cithria’s smile widened. “Of course, ma’am.”

As her attendant left the room, Lux let out a long, exaggerated yawn. Gazing out the door of her balcony, she could see the ever-present ray of sun that shone down on her Juliet balcony, but beyond it New York was gloomy and gray, damp and frigid. Some morning.

She heard the door to her room open, but didn’t turn to see her brother enter. “Hey.”

Lux rolled her eyes. “Merry Christmas, brother.”

Garen cleared his throat. “Merry Christmas, Lux.”

“I’m well aware of what day it is, and at what time we are to be at the Civic Center,” Lux huffed.

Garen sighed. “That’s not why I’m here, Luxanna. I… I’m sorry we weren’t able to celebrate this morning. I know it’s happened a few times before, but this time felt especially… unfortunate. So I brought you this.”

Lux finally averted her gaze from the window, and saw the strange, long parcel her brother was holding. It was wrapped in simple, brown paper that clung to the artifact neatly, with perfect creases and complicated folds at either end of a sleek pole. Tied to the top was a set of lengthy blue and silver ribbons that tumbled to the ground.

Lux smiled. “You softie! Did you have Cithria wrap this for you?”

“I can withhold it if you like,” her brother said with a gruff smile.

“No no, it’s fine!” The woman wrapped a blanket around her, like a cape to trail behind her silk pajamas, and stepped out of bed to take the gift. “Thank you, Gar.”

“Go ahead, open it.”

Lux did so, and stared wide-eyed at what she held. Her slender fingers curled tightly around an ornate silver staff, perfectly symmetrical on each side from its wide grip in the middle. On each end, the metal curled and zagged around itself intricately, securing two blue crystals in place that she couldn’t identify for the life of her. It looked like something out of a video game.

“What is this, brother?”

“Do you remember what you got me for Christmas ten years ago, sister? You were barely ten years old-”

“Eleven,” she interrupted, a smile growing on her face.

“Yes, yes, eleven. Anyways, you managed to go around Mom and Dad, and everyone else to get me Judgement? I swear, I’ll never forget their faces when I unwrapped that massive sword, they looked like you’d bought me a gun.”

Lux laughed. “It was quite funny. I was shocked they let you keep it.”

“Oh, they couldn’t have taken it from me even if they’d wanted to. Anyways… I figured that after all these years, I ought to get you a cool fantasy weapon to match the one you got me.”

“But… isn’t this the kind of thing that mages wield? Isn’t that sort of-”

“Well, I don’t exactly go around slashing people with Judgement, do I?” Garen asked rhetorically, an answer which Lux frowned at. “Sorry, that was a bit aggressive. What I really mean to say, I guess, is… Look, your magic is real. Whether we like it or not, the fact of the matter is that magic is real, and you’re one of the city’s Mages. And sure, this is just a replica, but… if you think about it as something real to channel your power through… you can at least put all of your energy into it. Like a stress ball.”

“Garen…”

“I’m not going to make any decision for you, Lux. But I want you to know that even if you make one I don’t agree with… you have my support.”

“Do I?” Lux wanted to say. “Do I really have your support? After all these years, are you finally giving it to me? Or is it the same shit as always? Is this just the twenty-third time Tianna’s sent you to come talk me down because she was either too busy or too cowardly to come say something to my face? And what’s even so dangerous about Light, anyways?”

“Thank you, Gar. Really.”

The massive man leant forward to embrace his sister, a gesture which she returned with a smile painted on her face. “I know it’s silly, but I hope you like it.”

“I do,” Lux said, and meant it. “It’s… a beautiful thing, isn’t it?”

“It is. Well, I won’t keep you from getting ready, sister. If you’re ready in the next half hour, you can come down with J4, Xin and me.”

“I would love that, brother. Can you send Cithria in?”

Garen nodded, smiled, and walked to the door, where he stood stagnant for a moment before speaking one last time. “I’m glad you like it, Lux. Merry Christmas.”

The mage considered her next words carefully. “Merry Christmas, Gar… And maybe you should swing Judgement around some time. Go LARPing or something.”

The meaning didn’t escape him. “And perhaps I shall have to, sister.”

In less than a moment, the massive, overbearing presence of Lux’s brother was replaced with the much warmer, more forgiving aura of her dutiful servant. “That’s quite pretty, ma’am.”

“Oh, shut up,” Lux said with a grin. “Lux. L, U, X. Three letters! I couldn’t have been born into an easier name.”

This was a game they played frequently, and one the young attendant delighted in. “But I’m your obedient servant, ma’am. It wouldn’t be becoming of a member of Vanguard Security to refer to their client so familiarly.”

“Eugh, client. Gross. For the last three years, you have been more a sister to me than Garen has been a brother, and it’s Christmas. You will call me Lux, or Luxanna if you must.”

When Cithria cocked an eyebrow, Lux cracked. She could barely keep the scowl on her face long enough to see the bit to its end, and burst out into happy laughter as soon as she had.

“I’m happy to see you in better spirits, Lux. I take it that the conversation with him didn’t go well?”

“He’s just… A lot.”

“Oh trust me, I know. He’s just… passionate. And while he may be very wrong about you and your magic, at least for the moment, I believe he’s well-intentioned. If a little dense, and uninformed on how to be a good brother.”

“Yeah…”

“I couldn’t help but overhear him ask if you’d drive down with them. Are you considering it?”

Lux shrugged. “Depends: do you think you could come up with a plan to magically separate me from them once we’re down there?”

“You are the magician, ma’am.” She received a well-meaning scowl. “But yes, I can do that. Is Jinx going to be there?”

“Mhm,” Lux hummed happily. “I should text her, actually. She’s coming down with her sister, and Cait. I think the other Mages are going to be there, too. And if that’s the case… Well not that anyone will recognize them, but I want to show where my allegiances lie, anyways.

Cithria frowned. “You speak as if you’re anticipating something bad.”

Lux shrugged again. “I’m not, it’s just… I dunno, it feels dark out today. I mean, it’s fucking raining on Christmas. Not a flake of snow in sight. Who ever heard of that?”

Gazing at her friend, Cithria made a weird face that was at once sorrowful and amused.

“What?”

“I’m sorry to hear you’re feeling that way, Lux… But I have to say, I’ve never heard you swear so much as you have the past month. I like it. I think Jinx is a good influence.”

Lux managed to laugh a little, and strode over to her Juliet balcony, clutching her new staff close to her chest. “She is a doll, isn’t she? Very cute, too… I’m going to take a moment to send a couple texts, would you mind making a couple mugs of tea for us? It won’t take me more than fifteen to get ready.”

“Which kind would you like?”

“Hm… The one Caitlyn got me last year, the Earl Gray.”

“Do you want it as a latte?”

“If it’s not too much trouble, Cith, that sounds great for today.”

Cith nodded. “Trust me, of all my daily duties, tea-making is perhaps my favorite.”

When Cithria was gone, Luxanna huffed, and threw open the doors to her tiny balcony. Leaning over the edge, the young Mage of Light swung her staff lackadaisically back and forth, and without even trying to attune to her power, she could feel the ray of light that always shone on her townhouse emanating around her. Where she held the staff, just below one of its two identical ends, she felt a soft, comforting warmth move throughout the metal. But even with that ray of sun, all the rest of New York was bathed in a gloomy expanse of thick, dark clouds and rain.

“Well, Gar… I don’t know why in the hell you got me this, but… I hope you don’t come to regret it.”

Just under half an hour later, Lux descended the stairs with Cithria to the second floor entertaining room, already bundled up and ready to brave the cold. With her scarf, hat, gloves, tight warm jacket, and heavy overcoat, she felt a bit overprepared, especially with her half a mug of tea latte in one hand, and glorified warming stick that she refused to let go of in the other. But she liked the fit, and knew if she needed to discard articles, Cithria would happily take them for her.

“Wow,” Garen’s friend and co-worker Xin Zhao said, the first to hear the pair of women coming down the stairs. “Not looking to stay and chat, I’m guessing?”

“It’s my house, I can leave it when I please,” Lux grinned. “And how about you? I don’t suppose you’re all keen on being late?”

In the reflection of a wide, ornate mirror, Lux saw Jarvan Lightshield the Fourth nervously adjusting his tie. “Absolutely not. Garen, I told you we should have spent the night at my place.”

“At Gracie?” Garen boomed. “No way, bro. It’s further away from the Civic Center.”

“We both know my father’s entourage could get us there sooner even so.”

Garen chuckled. “Your father’s entourage is my family’s security detail, I know precisely how fast we would get there. But whatever. We’re going?”

J4 looked around the room at the other four people. “Yes, we are. Ah. Luxanna, Lady Cithria. Happy to see you’ll be joining us. Excited for the Mayor’s address?”

“Wouldn’t miss it,” Lux smiled kindly.

“Are you aware of what he’ll be speaking about today, Jarvan?” Cithria politely asked, slipping on a pair of leather gloves as they all began to walk out of the house. “I heard from Tianna at one point that she didn’t think he’d go through with the address. Not to mention, Christmas Day seems like an odd time for it.”

J4 took a careful glance at Cithria, which did not go unnoticed by either her or Lux. “I have some idea, yes. Truthfully, I think he could have waited at least a few days, but he seemed insistent on handling things today.”

“I understand,” Cith responded. “And he’s handling… what, exactly?”

The son of the Mayor opened his mouth to speak, but hesitated as he saw the tall, elegant woman standing at the door of the Crownguard estate. When he eventually did speak, after nodding to the woman with the crimson highlights in her dark hair, and crisp suit tailored to accept movement, it was clear to Cithria that he had reconsidered his statement. “It will make more sense once you hear him speak, I’m sure.”

Lux carefully looked over the woman at the door, and offered the same, placating smile she’d given to Xin Zhao. “Hey Fi. Didn’t think you’d be here.”

“Came with the driver,” she said. Fiora Laurent offered a smile back to her longtime friend, and a knowing and measured nod to each of her fellow Vanguard officers in turn. She opened the door for the group. “Shall we be off, then? I imagine Tianna will have our head if we’re any later than we already are.”

As the three men each exited the house in turn, Luxanna Crownguard shared a careful look with her most trusted confidant. When Cithria placed her hand over one of the gemstones in Lux’s staff, she felt her attendants wordless affirmations as if she’d actually spoken them: “Whatever comes to pass, and whatever you think will come to pass today, I will be there. I’ll see you to your friends, and should you need me, you need only think of me, and I will be there.”

No longer afraid, Luxanna smiled, downed the rest of her tea, and exited her home to get in the car heading downtown, away from her little beacon of light, and into indeterminate future.

The sky hung heavy over the Civic Center, where dense gray clouds threatened to burst at any moment, and the unique, electric smell of the petrichor that comes from wet cement infested every block within a mile radius. Half of her friends held umbrellas ready, and her sister and sister’s partner stood looking over their dark reflections in the water of the artificial Collect Pond. She wasn’t super familiar with this area of town, and after only a few minutes of being here, was not keen on learning about it. Even the detective seemed on edge, despite her position as a politician’s daughter. Probably some trauma or some shit, and honestly, that’s why she liked her so much.

“Jinx?” Zeri asked. “You’re fidgeting. Everything okay?”

Jinx sighed. “Dude, it is literally Christmas morning and it isn’t even snowing and we’re going to City Hall to watch the boring Mayor give a boring speech. I’ve never been better!”

“And you’re literally Jewish,” Ekko retorted. “You don’t celebrate Christmas normally, do you?”

“Okay, so forget that, and remember that literally all the other shit I just named exists!”

Her friend laughed with her. “Heard. She should be here any second though, right?”

“Yeah,” Jinx replied, openly pouting and not needing him to clarify. “She said she’d gotten away from her fake crew, but I’m not sure how deep in the crowd of people she was. She coulda been stopped by someone!”

“Ye of little faith,” Jayce said from a few yards away, comically holding his hand upon his brow as if it might help him parse through the gray.

Jinx was loath to listen to most of what that man said, but followed his gaze anyways. Lo and behold, several hundred feet away, she saw her friend, and smiled wide. “Alright guys she’s here let’s go!”

After she took off towards their friend, eleven more people filed behind the excitable girl with the turquoise braids. The whole group chat — plus Ezreal and minus Sarah — decided to get together to attend the Mayor’s speech. Each of them had separately reached the conclusion that for some reason, the city was rapidly approaching some vast and incalculable calamity; a fever pitch that no one could hear, but they all could feel.

“Princess! You escaped!”

Luxanna smiled at the woman who had swiftly become one of her staunchest friends. “Glad to see you too, Blue. Cith did a hell of a job getting me out of there, it was like a whole operation. Better to be with you guys for this, right?”

“What exactly are you expecting, Lux?” Taliyah asked kindly. “You’re easily the closest to the high life, right?”

“Do you suspect the Mayor is aware of the things we are?” Yasuo added, perhaps not so kindly. “I cannot imagine many earthly reasons to call a press conference at noon on Christmas Day.”

“Neither can I,” Lux responded earnestly. “And I couldn’t get any straight fucking answers from people. It’s infuriating. My aunt is Mayor Lightshield’s most trusted advisor, and my brother his son’s best friend, and yet I can rely on neither of them for actual information. What’s even the point of being highborn if I can’t collect insider information and leak it to the masses?”

Half the group laughed, and the other half glanced at Lux uncertainly.

“You know they hate you, right?” Jinx said, not really much of a question. “You are literally the most sunshiney person in all five boroughs, but you’re like their black sheep.”

Lux shrugged.

“We don’t hate you, though!” Ezreal added, his face a little flushed. He gave Lux a well-meaning smile, but didn’t receive one back.

“I know. That’s why I’m with you instead of them, right? Let’s just hope we’re all vastly wrong about whatever the hell he’s gonna say.”

Federal Plaza was packed as the crew made their way south. People lined streets, sidewalks, and bike lanes alike without worry of traffic, as there was none. The lack of cars reminded Vi distinctly of the lack of people at Bethesda on the day of Awakening, only now instead of the strange, arcane energy that pervaded the sky that day, there were just people. Thick, congested, and scary, the Populi and her little family of magicians and investigators and warriors waded through the crowd. Yasuo lifted Annie onto his shoulders, Bethesda took on the job of keeping their head on a swivel to maintain view of everyone, and Jayce elected to lag behind most of the group to make sure he could stay right by Vitkor’s side as he prodded his way slowly with his cane. And as always, behind all of them by at least fifteen feet was Vi, her left hand holding Caitlyn’s in a vice grip. She kept a dutiful eye on everyone around who wasn’t family, trying her hardest to ascertain the group mentality of these people.

Congested. Lonely. Cold. Hardy. Ready.

“Vi?” her love asked. “How are you?”

“Ready,” Vi said back, and gave Cait a chaste kiss on the cheek.

Caitlyn sighed. “This never happens, but I’m itching for my rifle.”

“Rifle?” Vi asked incredulously.

“My skeet shooter. No, that’s untrue… I want the actual gun my mother had commissioned to feel just like it. Not exactly something you can get a license to carry, though. Or should, for that matter.”

“Cassandra got you that? That’s the craziest fucking thing I’ve heard all day, Cupcake.”

Cait laughed, eyeing City Hall as they finally began to approach it. “I know, I was beside myself when I unwrapped that box. Besotted immediately. And then I was immediately forced to send it off to storage.”

“Damn, what’s even the point of them getting it, then?”

“That’s what I said. Not that I’d ever convince my mother of anything regarding my own property.”

Vi glanced at her partner. “Caity… Are you carrying now?”

The detective stiffened just slightly. “... Yes, love.”

She only nodded. “Good.”

By the time the group managed to make their way through the crowds and within close sight of the steps of City Hall, it was three minutes after noon, and Tianna Crownguard was addressing the public. The sleek, blue and silver and gold suit she wore shone dully in the little light of the rainy day, her platinum blonde hair fell rigid along her back, and her stern face dressed down the people beneath her even if her words didn’t.

“Just in time,” Caitlyn whispered, paying half-attention to what Tianna was saying.

“Yes, just in time to listen to the dullest woman on planet Earth,” Lux retorted, her intonation flat and uncaring for what Vi suspected was the first time in her life.

From the speakers on high, the steely woman’s voice rained down, drowning out the din of her audience’s bored conversations. “Now of course, we understand that it is Christmas Day, and quite an unfortunate day to be outside at that, so I shall endeavor to keep our esteemed speaker on schedule.” Strained laughter echoed from a few odd corners of City Hall Park. Then, the man opened the doors of City Hall, and placed himself in front of his people.

Behind the pedestal, Jarvan Lightshield the Third stood like a wall at the top step of City Hall. The definition of being built like a brick house, J3 was a towering man with an imposing stature and the bespoke suit to match. A simple, giant man with paper-pale skin, a bald head, and a short, prim white beard. Regal and refined, but more in the way of an old city stock broker than an elegant, 21st century oligarch, a bill which everyone around him fit better. Upon first inspection, the man looked so rigid that Vi might have believed him to be made of marble, more a statue than a man, had he not just moved into place. In every sense, Vi could feel the legacy of this man’s family, and New York as a whole, surrounding him like a palpable aura. Under the radiance of his crafted smile, and the baleful gaze of his entourage, Vi felt scrutinized and seen, even in the sea of people around her.

In that world of real people, Jarvan Lightshield felt like the Platonic ideal of the type of man you knew existed, but never wanted to meet.

“Merry Christmas, everyone!” the stony man bellowed. “I am both shocked and humbled to see so many of you leaving your morning celebrations, even if only temporarily, to humor and honor me and my team with your presence here today. As Tianna said, the weather was not quite cooperative today, so I’ll be as brief as possible, and I won’t mince words.”

To either side of her, Vi saw both Lux and Bethesda furrow their brows at the mention of weather; nothing changed.

“There’s been much talk about why exactly I called for this event, rather than waiting until our annual State of the City address late next month. Baseless claims of my incoming resignation, which I can assure you will not be anytime soon. Rumors regarding an incoming danger that the city must be made aware of, which we would of course alert you to if such a danger existed. And even gossip surrounding some restrictions over New Years at Times Square, which I assure all of you shall not be altered. None are accurate.

“The truth is that our great city will be seeing quite a bit of change next year, but none of it unexpected, or unaccounted for by many of the great keepers of peace we call our own. And you can trust me when I say that every one of these changes to come is solely and wholly for the benefit of you, the fine citizens of New York City. All eight and a half million of you, hard to believe there’s so many.

“Now, I hear you all asking, over the din of the rain on distant buildings: ‘What exactly does changes mean?’ I understand how vague this already must seem, and while it is impossible at this moment to describe these changes in totality, you likely already understand the nature of what I’m speaking. The tree in Morningside Park. The seemingly sourceless gale force winds that make their way through Queens and Brooklyn on a daily basis. The abnormal patch of sun which never seems to fade over the Upper East Side. The low earthquake some time ago in the Bronx. And of course, the many other seemingly natural events that have taken place within our city in recent history.

“Ever since the day in October when all this started, the city has been working hand-in-hand with a team of expert researchers from across the globe in an effort to present some explanation as to why all of this is going on. It feels like nearly a year that we’ve been working on this, truthfully, and it is high time that the public be alerted to our investigations. The truth is…”

As the Mayor paused, Vi thought the only sound in the world was that aforementioned din of rain on distant buildings. It had been building for so long. It needed to be released.

“We have no reasonable explanation as of yet.” There was an explosion of groans and gasps from the crowd, but before it could get truly out of hand, he pushed forward. “BUT. We are continuing to work on it, and we do anticipate that these events will continue throughout the coming months, and in all likelihood become more frequent as time passes. The evidence shows us that abnormal events have been increasing in frequency over the past two months, despite showing no clear scientific evidence as to their reason. Nevertheless, we will continue working through this, and I will personally alert the city in another address like this as soon as we do have answers.”

From some far corner of the square, an audience member shouted: “So what the fuck are you gonna do about it?”

The Mayor cleared his throat, and identified the speaker. “I understand your concerns. You are, of course, free to voice them, and that is why I insisted to my team that this be the nature of our announcement. However, we do have a robust plan for addressing the times ahead.”

In the corner of her eye, Vi caught Bethesda fidgeting. She placed a hand on her friend’s shoulder, but before she moved her attention back to the Mayor’s speech, she was stricken by a potent memory, a single moment in time that consumed all of her cognitive function: Bethesda mimicking Zeri’s sickness on the car ride to Caitlyn’s, the day they met. Then, just as quickly as the thought appeared, it vanished. Mimicking… The people. Of course. Through her hand on their shoulder, Vi gave a wordless thanks to Beth. It was not simply that Bethesda was fidgeting; the entire crowd was. Nervous. Itching. Ready to move if they had to.

Violet continued to clutch Caitlyn’s hand, and the rain continued to fall.

“As you all likely know, my family — and by association the city at large — works closely with Vanguard Security, a prominent company in the business of security and public safety. Throughout the last two months, I have cooperated at length with Tianna Crownguard, the leader of this organization, who you heard from just a moment ago. At my behest, and with full cooperation from the Commissioner of the NYPD, Vanguard Security has expanded and created a new branch of its operations, specifically tailored for the current needs of the people of New York City. This branch shall be known as the Petricite Guard, and they will be introduced in the city in the coming days and weeks.”

Mayor Jarvan gave a nod to someone off stage, and suddenly, the doors to City Hall opened once again. Out the doors, and onto the steps several yards to the Mayor’s side, walked five tall, resolute figures. Lux gasped; lined up on the platform was Garen, Jarvan the Fourth, and their three closest friends — Xin Zhao, Fiora Laurent, and Quinn Uwendale. On their chests, each one wore a matching, white stone disk in the shape of the Vanguard Security logo, which Lux recognized to be made out of petricite — the ancient stone that the Crownguards and Lightshields had once forged their alliance on, hundreds of years ago, in an oath against magic and awakenings.

“Watch it, dude,” Jinx said as a large man pushed past her, closer to the podium. Shaking it off, she pulled at Lux’s sleeve. “Who are they, Princess?”

“The Mayor’s son, my brother, and their closest friends and coworkers,” Lux stated, her mouth pressed into a firm, irritated line.

“So they’re just a bunch of fucking nepo babies,” Ekko sighed behind them.

Somewhere miles away, a flash of lightning and thunder boomed.

“These are the first five members of the Petricite Guard,” J3 continued, his voice echoing across the square. “Quinn Uwendale. Xin Zhao. Fiora Laurent. Garen Crownguard. And my own son, Jarvan the Fourth. Each one is an accomplished member of Vanguard Security, and they have been thoroughly vetted by myself and the NYPD. These are people you can trust, and as their ranks grow, that will not cease to be true. The Guard is overseen by Eldred Crownguard, a founding member of Vanguard Security.” Far away from the action, the man everyone assumed to be Eldred raised a hand and waved ineffectually. “The goal of the Petricite Guard is to move around the city, seeking out the oddities we have all been noticing, and making sure that no one is hurt. They will be traveling with scientists and law enforcement alike, so you can trust them not to overstep. I cannot overstate that their foremost and only purpose is to keep you safe.

“Admittedly, there aren’t going to be eighty precincts of Petricite Guards, so many of you may never see them before the Guard is disassembled. But if you do, you will recognize them by the stone, Vanguard logo on their uniforms. Our hope is that in several months, we’ll be able to sort out the mystery of the Morningside Behemoth, along with everything else going on.”

Far above the Mayor and his audience, the rolling fields of tumultuous clouds coalesced, and a gentle, foreboding shadow moved over City Hall Park. Soft droplets of cold, wet rain began to fall on the crowd, the temperature just warm enough to keep the precipitation liquified, and just frigid enough to keep everyone well and properly freezing. People threw up umbrellas, raised hoods, and hunched shoulders.

After a moment’s hesitation, the Mayor added: “If I may be candid with you all… I personally believe there is something of great import happening to our city. And I believe that whatever it is, it is good. I only hope that we can move solely in the direction of peace, as New York is always at its best when we have each other’s backs, rather than being at each other’s throats.”

As she was prone to do, Vi glanced around to all of her friends; all of her people. Taliyah shielded little Annie from the rain. Yasuo from Flushing looked back at Vi with a pensive and calculated stare, as if waiting for her word to act. Ezreal stood close to the Mage of Wind, similarly confused about whether he should do or say something. Bethesda and Luxanna both appeared ready to break the clouds above, but they either couldn’t manage it, or anxiety kept them hesitant. Jinx was antsy as ever, but her gaze was locked on a strange man in front of her who was removing his hood, rather than putting it up. And Caitlyn squeezed Vi’s hand one last time before retracting it and moving her own hand to gently caress the gun in her purse.

A frail hand tapped Vi’s shoulder. “It… feels like the Bridge today,” Viktor said sullenly.

Vi whispered a silent curse that only Caity could hear. Lost in the wind.

If you don’t speak up now, Vi, someone else is going to.

“Forgive a wolf for going for the throat, but I don’t think you’re all that concerned with peace!”

At the front of the crowd, a pale and bedraggled man stood alone, having managed to intimidate the press into letting him step past them. His hair was slick and black like oil, and fell naturally backwards into an early widow’s peak. His beard was thick and trimmed, a bastion of measure against the rest of his attire. He wore a thick, wrinkled henley under a thicker, fur-lined coat which he had ripped the sleeves off of. His wide hood was lowered to his back so the man in front of him could see his crystal-blue irises, glowing and hungry. And while he hunched over, it was not as the elderly hunches, but as the wolf does; the man was massive and built, nearly as large as the Mayor himself.

Nearly two dozen officers and guards readied weapons at the man, but when Mayor Lightshield raised his hand, none took aim. “I’ll accept the criticism. What is it I’ve done to lead you to this conclusion?”

“No reasonable explanation? Bullshit, Mister Mayor. And your Mageseekers didn’t work seven years ago, what makes you think they’ll work now?”

On the steps near the Mayor, Garen narrowed his eyes. Lux caught it, and Vi did too. Gauging the vibe of the crowd, Vi knew in an instant that her time had passed, but she could at least attempt to calm this man. She attempted to push through to the man at the bottom of the steps, but could no longer make her way through the crowd; she wasn’t the only one aching to hear this man’s words.

The Mayor remained stoic against it all, but made a gesture to someone offstage. From a distance, Vanguard officers started approaching the man. Yet the Mayor still spoke: “Listen, I don’t know anything about Mageseekers. Once I know what’s happening, so will the people. That’s all.”

From where she was, Vi wouldn’t make it there first, and Cait couldn’t hold her hand anymore. Paying no mind to the security guards quickly approaching him, the wolfish man continued to yell. “You can’t hide it forever, Third!”

“THAT’S ENOUGH, SYLAS!” Garen shouted from his position. He dared to take a step down towards the man, with enough gravitas to keep the other guards from moving on him. “You, who was Bourne of Dregs… It was your choice to stray.” Then, to the rest of the crowd: “This man was not accepted into our ranks, and is now a public nuisance. That is all.”

“Peaceful, Garen Crownguard,” the Mayor pleaded.

“‘Scuse me, comin’ through,” Vi eked out as she clawed her way closer to the action. Just fifteen more steps, Lane. Gotta get there.

“You’re a fucking nuisance,” Sylas spat. 

Garen got there first. He grabbed at Sylas’ wrists as if the man was already chained, and forced him lower to the ground, but not quite onto his knees. Over the shoulder of a reporter, no more than five feet away from the man now, Vi peered at the pair. Nah, it ain’t worth it. You aren’t needed here, Vi. Who the fuck even knows if this Populi shit is even real, much less if you should act on Yasuo’s ideas?

Vi turned to go, but froze dead in her tracks. In the tiny, infinitesimal corner of her eye, at the very last moment she could have noticed, she saw the knife above his head.

“Hey, Princess? Who the hell is that?”

Behind Luxanna, there was a vast, incalculable shadow, surrounding and dwarfing City Hall Park. And in front of her, there was him. She didn’t know what the hell she was supposed to focus on. Vi had left them all standing there, and was now wading through the crowd to reach him. Him and her stupid, bull-headed brother. Why did he get off the steps? Why couldn’t he have just let the others handle Sylas?

“Princess? ” Jinx repeated. “Yo, are you okay? Lux?”

There was panic in Jinx’s voice. Only tangentially aware of it, Lux heard her calling out to Caitlyn to help. Cait took her hand, but she remained despondent. She didn’t know what to listen to. She didn’t know what to look at. Audience and Vanguard and Mayor alike, no one could take their eyes off Sylas, especially when Garen got his hands on the escapee. But Lux couldn’t bear to look at either of them. But she couldn’t look behind her. Behind her was the Shadow, and the damn Phantasma who started all this. Behind her was grief and trauma and darkness. To her side was her oldest best friend, and her newest best friend, but she couldn’t hear or see either of them either. There was only what was in front of her, and just barely at that.

In front of her was Jarvan the Third, high up on the steps, behind his podium, and below his dangling knife.

“Oh Jesus, what is that🙺” Lux screamed, too late for Cait or Jinx to clock it.

Hanging above Mayor Lightshield’s head, like a stocking on the mantle, was a nasty-looking dagger with a jagged blade, its ghastly metal the color of a toxic sea. The rain had kicked up, falling like sheets on the powder-keg crowd, and doing nothing to put any fires out. For an instant, all seemed to stop; the droplets in the air, Garen throwing Sylas down to the ground, Jinx and Caitlyn shaking her, all of it good and dead. The world was frozen. Lux was frozen. Manhattan was frozen.

And then the dagger sunk into the top of Jarvan the Third’s skull, and the world and its rain came crashing down.

All over the Civic Center, people screamed; an unholy chorus, perfectly opposite to when New York was awakened. The crowd went insane, the Mages and Associates were instantly thrown into chaos and separation, and two dozen guns were pointed at Sylas, the sky, and anywhere that made even a little sense. Garen shoved Sylas into the pavement just as Vi burst out of the crowd.

“BASTARD!” Garen bellowed.

“Fuck! I didn’t do it! I wasn’t gonna fucking kill him!” Sylas yelled back.

Putting her shoulder behind the shove, Vi tossed Garen off the man like it was nothing. “Get the hell off him! Look around!”

Before any of them could look, Vi felt an acute sense of danger in her mind, and rolled out of the way of a mighty blow before she’d even told herself to. From on high, Jarvan the Fourth leapt at her, lifting his hand in the sky and summoning a spectral lance made of golden light, which he thrust into the cement as he landed. The earth almost seemed to form into a ring around the strike, keeping Vi away from the group.

“Step back!” J4 screamed, his throat reddened and strained. “This man is dangerous!”

“Fucking look up there, assholes!”

At the top of the steps, Tianna had rushed over to J3, the dagger having disappeared from the corpse, and the other three Petricite Guard took up positions around them. Far above City Hall, a perched eagle eyed the crowd, its gaze finally landing on a puddle near Tianna. The rain had started to pool on the concrete steps, and from it, two ethereal, watery figures rose, fully apparating as they stood. One a lean, dark figure clutching an identical dagger to the spectral one, the other a lithe woman with a dancer’s body who sucked up the pool of water into her hand and held it aloft like a whip.

Garen looked up in horror, and failing to think of what he could possibly do, defaulted back to Sylas. “What the fuck did you do, mongrel?”

“NOTHING!”

“STAND DOWN!” Tianna Crownguard commanded the two figures on the stage.

“Hmm… No, I don’t think we will,” the woman with the whip responded. “You know, no one else has to die, but you might want to get that crowd in order. They seem… scared. Certainly not joyous. And what’s that, your own men keeping them in place?”

Tianna looked around in disbelief, but sure enough, every member of Vanguard Security other than the Petricites had formed a loose ring around the audience, a purple haze forming over each pair of eyes.

“Be not alarmed!” Tianna tried desperately. If she wasn’t so horrified, Vi would have laughed at the useless attempt to speak to the crowd. “Petricites, now. They’ve taken our ranks hostage!”

“Ooh, not us, I’m afraid!” the woman cooed. “Must be… Oh shit. This is about to get wild .”

The leader of Vanguard Security swiveled again to look out at the crowd, and finally lost her composure. In a far corner of the square, a civilian attempted to make a break for it, past the ring of Security officers; Tianna watched as the closest officer — a haze over their eyes and with zero hesitation — raised their rifle and shot the civilian in the back. The man fell to the ground, dead before he hit the cement, and was then immediately swallowed by a vast, real darkness.

There was another chorus of screams, as what Lux had believed was a figment of her own mind was proven beyond a shadow of a doubt to be real. The shadow surrounding this place was no fiction. Magic, sure, but a tangible one, and one that every citizen of New York could see. One they couldn’t deny any longer. In an instant, Tianna knew that any chance of hiding the truth was ruined, and all there was to be done was to clean up after the mess.

Her most stalwart Petricite Guard looked to her, and seeing her shaken for the first time, spoke up. “Orders, Tianna!”

“Fiora… Disarm your fellows… Quinn, the same. Xin… Stand with me.”

The three soldiers wordlessly obeyed, as the pair of women dashed off in opposite directions to run through the ring of Vanguards, and the stocky man called on his new power to summon a spectral spear to his side. Taking up a stance beside Tianna, the pair faced down the watery duo, who remained observing on the steps of City Hall, waiting for a fight to come to them.

At the bottom of the steps, Garen lifted Sylas back onto his feet, a strange and shimmering golden chain wrapped around his wrists. Vi watched the actions of the broad man carefully, but failing to identify the nature of the chain, she turned back to the crowd and her people.

“Vi!” Yasuo shouted, suddenly right in front of her. “With me, please. I think you’re needed.”

“Jarvan, up the stairs,” Garen said to his friend, his voice stern and official. “Put down those things. I’ll take Sylas.”

Vi tried to tear her perception away from the mage cops. “I’m here. What’s up?”

Yasuo turned on his heels and began to wade through the crowd, trusting Vi was behind him; his hand was tight on the pommel of his wooden blade. “Luxanna is having an issue. She won’t respond to anyone, but I believe she’ll respond to you.”

Vi furrowed her brow. She could barely hear Yasuo’s quiet, gruff, serene voice over the din of chaos and volume around them. Following the paths of Fiora and Quinn, Vi saw some of her friends joining in the growing fight against the members of the Vanguard. Ekko was swinging a baton he’d stolen from some officer; Zeri was zipping back and forth with her lightning, wresting rifles from officers hands; Bethesda, still failing to channel the falling rain, instead was attempting to calm civilians down one by one; and Ezreal, never one for staying still, was occupying as many officers as he could at once, popping in and out of existence at a whim, and generally being a magical nuisance. In another far corner of the Park, she also saw Jayce leading Viktor to safety, the former minding the latter’s cane as they both kept eyes out for everything magical that was happening around them. Towering above them all, forming a ring around the park, the walls of Shadow surrounding the place continued to grow taller, slowly forming a dome that wasn’t far from closing.

“You’re real fucking calm for everything that’s going on,” Vi finally commented after taking in the chaos.

“And you’re shockingly sarcastic still. Listen, I have a child to take care of, and a city to protect. The only choice other than calm is death.”

In the thick of the crowd, Yasuo and Vi found their friends all clutched to each other, everyone focused on Lux, who knelt practically catatonic on the ground. She was white-knuckle gripping a hand each from Caitlyn and Jinx, but otherwise she was unresponsive. Behind them, Taliyah held tightly to little Annie, who in turn hugged her stuffed bear with a cold fear in her eyes.

Vi rushed to their sides. “What happened?”

“Other than everything?” Jinx said.

“Lux won’t respond to us,” Caitlyn added, almost having to shout over the noise of the rumbling audience. “She called attention to the stage, but has been paralyzed since. Can you talk to her?”

“You two are her people,” Vi said. “I don’t know what more I can say that you can’t!” As she spoke, Vi felt extra-conscious of talking about Lux as if she wasn’t right there in front of them.

“Vi,” Yasuo spoke up. “I got you for a reason. Take my hands?”

She did so.

“Vi Lane. You are a daughter of New York City. They have chosen you as their speaker, and you have chosen to honor them in return. This binding contract is not merely symbolic. If there is any wisdom that Karma has imparted on me over the years, it is that the Spirits and people are just the same; speakers talk to those who would listen, and listeners hear those who would speak.”

“I’m not Karma,” Vi insisted. “I haven’t even met her! We can’t fucking waste time interpreting shit like this in the middle of a fucking crisis.”

“No, you aren’t Karma… But you do know this city, and its people. Just speak to her. Do you trust me?”

Vi wavered for a moment. Glancing at Cait and Jinx beside her, she saw their desperate eyes pleading with her to do something. To say something. To try anything.

She sighed. She knelt down on the ground in front of Lux. She parted her lips to speak.

Who are you to say something to this girl? This person you barely know? The girl in the tower with the fancy staff and the dedicated attendants? You’re not of her New York, if you’re even a part of any New York. What could you possibly say to her that would reach her? What do you have in common? And who the hell is Yasuo to try and convince you you’re special? You’re not. You’re just a kid with trauma. A kid who lost seven years of her life and still hasn’t picked up the pieces. Just a kid. Just a weak, thick-headed, emotionally stunted kid.

A tear formed in Vi’s eye. Over Lux’s quivering shoulder, Vi saw a pair of purple, catlike eyes form in the distant wall of shadow. A dark, bitchy laugh echoed softly in her mind.

That’s not you, Vi. If they know you’ve got this… then you’ve got this.

Vi held up her hand with the fist tattoo, extended her middle finger, and sent a silent prayer of malice to whatever tried to beat down her wall. With her other hand, Vi simply caressed Lux’s cheek, and pulled her forehead in to bump together with her own. No more than five blocks away, she felt the massive figure of the Freedom Tower looming over them all, and used its presence to calm and center herself.

“Lux… I don’t know what you’re feeling right now, but… at the end of the day, you’re just a kid with trauma. And I know that’s scary, and you probably think I’m shitty for saying it, but… it’s not a bad thing. To have trauma. To be scared. It’s empowering. It makes you just like everyone else in this city, because we all have trauma. We’re all scared. And that doesn’t make you not special, and it sure as hell doesn’t make you weak. You’re stronger for what you’ve been through, and you’ll be stronger for what you’re going through. It is so fucking normal to be scared. But we push through it. And you’ll probably need to hold someone’s hand when you do it, but you can push through. And we really want you to. Because we care about you, and because we need you.”

For just a moment, the din appeared to fade as the group waited for Lux’s reaction. And it took that moment, and another one after that, but the glaze did fade from Lux’s eyes. She still felt a little detached, but Vi’s words had rung clearer in her mind than anything else had amidst the chaos. The kind woman’s silver eyes shone despite the terrible gray all around them, like beacons to remind Lux of what they were all stuck in. Her eyes were kind, her jaw was set, and her voice was sure. Vi almost reminded Lux of her mother at the best of times.

“Thank you, Vi,” Lux said, the faintest smile finally returning to her sunny face. “For what it’s worth, I think you’re a fine Populi.”

To her sides, Caitlyn and Jinx both crashed into her.

“Lux! Oh thank God you’re alright!”

“Princess! Do that again and I swear I will never let you bite my nose!”

As Lux laughed and reunited with her friends, Yasuo clapped the Populi on the shoulder. “Nice work. Like I said, you know the people of this city. Whatever the hell comes next, you’re gonna do great.” Without another word, he moved around them to check up on Annie.

Vi returned her attention to the dark world around them. “What next?”

Departing from the embrace of her friends, Lux looked up to the sky; the shadow dome around them was close to closing, but she could see the sky beyond it beginning to show some sun, just a tiny sliver. But it was enough.

“Next… You brought me hope, Vi. So I’m gonna pass it on.” Then, under her breath: “Hope you see this, Gar.”

The bright girl picked up her fallen staff from the ground, and clutched it tight in both hands. Holding it perpendicular to the cement, Lux gazed into one of the blue crystals. When she closed her eyes, she couldn’t see it, but she could sense the crystals taking on the same sky blue tone of her irises, brightening from their normal lapis color. At the Mage of Light’s command, her staff began to attune with the most potent light in the sky; Lux had never felt that her power came directly from the sun, but with the assistance of her staff, she felt truly connected to it like she never had before. The artifact was a tether, an instrument with which Lux might shine hope not just on the people here, but on the entire city. Perhaps even everywhere the sun touched.

As Lux’s eyes and family crest burned as bright as the sun, a hauntingly beautiful sound pierced the vale of the Park, something between a holy chorus and Godzilla’s mighty roar. A massive beam of pure, prismatic light burst through the dome of shadow just before it closed, illuminating the Mage and her friends. Light refracted off invisible panes where the beam struck, sending reflections of her hope all over the square, sundering the dome of shadow in a single moment.

Before she knew what had happened, Lux came to her senses ten feet in the air; her staff spinning in a circle in front of her, and her eyes flickering with the remaining radiance. Before she began falling, time appeared to slow for a moment as Lux gazed upon the crowd surrounding her; the chaos had abated, and people all looked to her, silent as church mice. She even caught a glimpse of Lady Cithria, peering out at and admiring her from the doors of City Hall.

For the first time that Christmas, and perhaps the first time in months, simple, glorious hope shone down upon the people. No longer a faltering one, Lux’s trademark smile returned to her face. When she fell to the ground, Vi caught her, and Jinx caught her staff.

“Princess! Holy shit!”

Smushing the staff between them, Jinx crashed into Lux and kissed her. 

“Hey, hey! I’d never be able to do that without you. But… maybe we can get back to that later?”

Before Jinx could blush, a voice echoed from the side of the park opposite City Hall, ethereal and seductive: “No, please, loves! Don’t halt your celebrations on my account!”

A woman, sultry and svelte, stood far away from most of the action. She appeared to wear no clothing, her voluptuous body being wrapped only in the shadows at her beck and call. She had a short head of silver hair, catlike eyes that were at once like amethyst and topaz, forever scintillating in color, and a devilish grin that acted as a perfect reflection of Lux’s smile, though neither appeared less genuine in that moment. At the woman’s fingertips were violet claws that were more liquid than solid, yet had left terrible marks on many of the nearby walls. At her feet, the purple haze curled and festered.

Without meaning to, Luxanna channeled her brother with her response: “Mage of Shadow! Give me your name, so that I might defeat you properly and with respect. You won’t lay a single finger on another citizen of our city!”

The woman laughed heartily. “It’s Evelynn, dear. And while I don’t particularly want to harm anyone else, either… It seems like you have the whole city’s attention, don’t you? I’d hate not to put on a good show for them!”

Lux separated herself from her partner, standing stalwart in front of each of her friends, staff extended and emanating with blinding light. “I don’t know what your goal is, or where you came from… but the world has seen enough darkness. I won’t allow you to show it any more.”

When the brave young woman began walking towards her new enemy, Violet Lane looked on with astonishment and a not small amount of pride. Her sister seemed keen on following her friend, but ended up racing off to help the rest of the gang in taking care of the civilians. For another moment, time and space seemed to slow once more. Light and Shadow danced around the area. Water, Earth, Wind, and Fire all prepared to erupt; the energy of the place crackled like Lightning; and as people began standing up and fully reckoning with what was in front of them, it felt to Vi as if all the city’s Memory led to this single point.

She took the spare moment to fold into Caitlyn. Her girlfriend silently accepted, and if only for a second, they took the time to recharge, because who the hell knew when they’d next get the chance.

In the middle of the bustling, New York City crowd, the pair of women held close to each other. The holy light of Lux’s Spark shone down upon them, and the creeping darkness of the Mage of Shadow clawed at their feet. North of the embrace, Caitlyn’s gaze was firmly stuck on the killer, a clear symbol of the Reaver King and his Dead Pool in Staten Island. South of them, Vi’s mind was locked on the Mage of Shadow and the purple haze surrounding her, who without doubt heeded the man who tormented her sister so terribly seven years ago.

Caitlyn let out a heavy sigh, and unburrowed her head from the crook of Vi’s neck. “You ready, love?”

Vi kissed her one last time. “Yep. We just push through it.”

“We just push through it.”