Chapter Text
Handcrafted chairs, each with a unique and intricate design, surrounded an ornate table laden with a feast, ready for a family get-together. At least, that’s what anyone might have thought if they happened to be walking by and catch a glimpse. However, a moment more and they would have witnessed the chaotic scene that her younger sister, in her delirious state, imagined was a family gathering.
“No! Stop! Drop the gun!” Vi’s voice cracked as she leaned forward as far as her restraints allowed, the cords biting into her wrists.
“Wait!” Her eyes darted between them, her chest heaving. “She’s my sister.”
“Vi,” Caitlyn rasped, struggling to keep Jinx’s mini-gun steady in her grasp. “She’s too far gone.”
“No, no, no!” Vi pleaded, her heart pounding in her chest.
But it was too late. Jinx’s wild eyes, alight with manic energy, locked onto Caitlyn like a predator sizing up its prey. A crooked smile spread across her face as she moved with shimmer-enhanced speed. She disarmed Caitlyn, causing the minigun to fall from her grasp. With a forceful shove, Caitlyn crumpled to the ground, her head striking the floor with a sickening thud. She lay motionless, her breath shallow.
“You see?” Silco’s voice rang out, sharp and triumphant. “Now finish it.”
Jinx stood over Caitlyn, her chest rising and falling as she gripped her gun. Her finger twitched over the trigger, but hesitation flickered in her eyes. The chaotic storm inside her raged, pulling her in every direction at once.
Silco’s voice, calm and cutting through the tension, declared, “This is who she is now. You can’t change her.”
“Shut up!” Vi snarled, rounding back towards him, her fists clenched. “You don’t know her! You don’t know anything about her!”
“I raised her! I know her better than you ever did,” Silco spat back with narrowed eyes.
“No, you don’t!” Vi roared, her voice cracking as she turned her focus back to Jinx, whose hands trembled. The weapon in her grip wavered. “You filled her head with lies, poisoned her against everything she ever cared about!”
Jinx’s breaths grew shallower. Her finger twitched against the trigger, her body trembling as fragments of her past flickered through her mind like shattered glass. The voices—Mylo, Claggor, Vander, Vi—swirled together, a cacophony she couldn’t escape.
“Damn it! Powder, wake up!” Vi begged, her voice breaking. “Remember who you are! I know you remember!”
“Stop!” Jinx screamed, covering her ears.
“Picture Mylo!” Vi pleaded. She desperately hoped that recalling their family would snap her sister out of whatever was going on with her. “Claggor!” Vi pressed on, leaning forward in her chair, the wooden arms splintering under her weight as she sawed the ropes against them.
“Shut up!” Silco roared in desperation. “Don’t listen to her!”
“Vander!” The name of their surrogate dad hitching Vi’s voice. “Dad!” A man she could scarcely remember thanks to the passage of time, but knew she loved. “Mom!” Her voice cracked. Her wrists burned as the frayed ropes gave way with a sharp snap.
“Me!”
At that moment, Vi lunged forward, breaking free from her restraints. She tackled Jinx, but instead of attacking her, she pulled her sister into a fierce hug, wrapping her arms around her.
Jinx froze, her breath hitching. For the first time in ages, the constant noise in her head stopped.
“It’s okay, Powder,” Vi spoke with a trembled whisper. She buried her nose in the hair atop her sister’s hair, holding her as tightly as she could. Tears streamed down her face as she cradled Jinx’s shaking frame. “I’m here. I’m not letting you go. Not again.”
Jinx’s body was rigid, her eyes wide, darting around the room in panic. The edges of her vision blurred, the echoes of the past crashing into her, louder and louder. The gun slipped from her grasp, hitting the floor with a heavy thud. Her hands hovered in the air, uncertain whether to push Vi away or hold on.
“No… no… no!” Jinx whimpered, her voice cracking. “You… you left me! You left me alone!”
“I know,” Vi choked, tears streaming down her face. “And I’m sorry. I’ve made so many mistakes. I should’ve come back sooner. I should’ve fought harder for you. But I’m here now. I’m here, Powder. Please, come back to me.”
Jinx's ragged breaths echoed within her trembling chest, as her nails clung tightly to Vi's arms. Her touch, though hesitant, carried an unmistakable desperation.
For a moment, time stood still. Her wide, tear-streaked eyes searched Vi’s, a flicker of something—recognition, pain, love—breaking through the chaos.
But then Silco’s voice cut through again, sharp and commanding. “That’s not her name! She’s Jinx! And she’s perfect!”
Jinx flinched at the sound, and the fragile connection between the sisters wavered. Her breathing grew erratic, her fingers digging even further into Vi’s wrists, still unsure whether to push her away or pull her closer.
“It’s your choice,” Vi said softly, refusing to let go. “No one else gets to tell you who you are. Not him… not me. Just you. I don’t care if you want to be called Powder, or J-Jinx, or something else. I just want you to be happy and safe and loved.” Vi sniffled. “And I know it’s selfish. I know I don’t deserve it… but I want to be the one to give that to you.” She whispered.
“You… You don’t mean that,” Jinx whimpered, her voice barely audible. “You don’t know what I’ve done.”
“I don’t care,” Vi whispered fiercely, pulling Jinx closer. “I don’t care about any of it. You’re my sister, and I love you.”
“I want to believe you,” Jinx whispered brokenly. “But I don’t know if I can.”
“You can,” Vi said, her voice steady, her arms unwavering. “You’re my sister. And we’ll figure it out together.”