Chapter Text
Vi watched on in absolute horror as a massive beast rose before her. The creature, its fur growing thick right before her eyes, newfound claws sparking with what seemed like lightning, was a sight she truly didn't expect in the wilds of Valoran, let alone in the middle of Piltover...and yet it stood before her, rage evident in its glowing blue eyes.
Immediately, she countered its massive paw with her gauntlets, just enough to block a swipe, but not enough to keep it there for long, and so, with her other gauntlet, she aimed for the heart and prayed to Janna.
And somehow, it worked. The beast was sent tumbling back, but before long it managed to stabilize itself by digging its claw into the ground, leaving behind a massive scar in the pavement.
With its newfound second wind, it lurched forward at a speed not obvious for a creature its size, ready to lash out at Vi for the transgression against it. Now spiked with adrenaline, Vi noticed an opening, and hurried to strike it before-
The sky, which before that fateful encounter had been merely cloudy, was now thundering and billowing with a wrath unseen for millennia. And so, when Vi went to strike her target, she was blinded by a light so bright you
could see it from the Sump. It was in that light, that deafening silence that followed, that she heard a voice:
"Good. It would appear not all humans lost their fangs. I will grant you the Storm's benediction, and you will reborn....Ursine"
-------
Caitlyn looked towards the massive corpse before her. Despite the bestial appearance it had, there was something...strange about it, as though it had the anatomy of a...No, that couldn't be. Last Caitlyn checked, humans couldn't suddenly shapeshift into...whatever kind of creature this was, let alone this close to Piltover. And regardless of what it had been, that didn't bring her anywhere closer to figuring out what happened to Vi! To think it all started with a noise complaint from some snobbish nobleman, something about "savages" that came from who knows where and were conducting some type of ritual. When she sent Vi to go investigate, she couldn't have predicted...this. Had she know, she would've-
"Caitlyn, is everything alright?", came the familiar voice of the enforcer Zayne, "You don't look too good".
"Ah, detective, you're back", she said, deflecting the question, "Any news from the Undercity?"
"My delegation check every bar in the Entresol and the Lanes. Promises of money, threats of violence, nothing worked. No one had a clue about this...thing. Some even thought we meant the Uncaged Wrath, but that's as far as we got."
"The Uncaged Wrath...Put a reminder in your report for me to look over later"
"I see you're as diligent as ever, Sheriff", he tried to lighten the mood.
"As is my duty, detective. At any rate, you're dismissed", she sighed.
"Understood".
However, as the detective of the Zaun delegation left the scene, Caitlyn heard a certain sound coming from behind her. It was a whistle, one she could tell came from the many piltovans gathered around to gossip about the situation involving Vi, and yet, something sbout it sounded a little too...cocky.
"Well, Sherrif, if you're looking for someone to help you crack this case, I might just have what you need!"
She turned around to see a junior member of the explorer's guild, all goggles, blond hair and enthusiasm.
"Excuse me, but...Who are you, exactly?"
For the briefest of moments, she noticed the face before her scrunch up in pain, before immediately returning to its smug disposition.
"The names Ezreal", he said, extending a gauntlet clad hand towards Caitlyn, "E, Z-"
"Ahem, thank you for your assistance, Mr....Ezreal. What can you tell me about this...being before us?"
The explorer glared at her with eyes full of disappointment, before steping forward and leaning down to expect the body.
"Aha...Hmm...Yeap, just as I thought. We're dealing with an Ursine of the Freljord"
Caitlyn squinted at him.
"Well, it is quite obviously a bear, but I don't see how-"
"Well, that's because this isn't any normal bear", Ezreal interrupted, "This was once a human, a shaman following the god...Velhur? Valir? Something along those lines....I've heard they undergo horrible mutations in the name of their god. Spooky stuff, if you ask me"
"Aha...So, this is all hearsay, I presume?"
"Well, I wouldn't say hearsay exactly, but- Okay, I've only really heard stories about these guys from a few shaman pals from the Freljord. They kept mentioning something about me being "more Voli than the bear
spirit itself", whatever that means...But yea, these guys, not to be messed with, nah-ah!"
"Okay...So, can you tell me what one of these...'people' was doing all the way out here in Piltover. And why Vi seemingly disappeared in a flash of light according to eyewitness reports?"
Ezreal thought for a moment.
"If I had to guess...Which, I am, obviously, not, because awesome explorers don't guess....Something to do with the fact that Vilheim really doesn't like us humans building cities that much. But if you ask me, I
wouldn't trust a god who made the first river by p-"
"So, what you mean to say is...A god from the Freljord noticed us and wants to in some way destroy Piltover?"
"Well, when you say it like that....Huh, I guess that is exactly what I meant!
Guess that's why you're the Sheriff! And gotta say, a good looking one at that...Say, have you ever wanted to-"
Caitlyn rolled her eyes.
"That is quite enough. Thank you, Ezreal. You're free to go..."
"Wait, wait, wait! If you're planning to go to the Freljord, don't you need a guide? I'm an- *excellent* -guide. There was once this girl, can't really remember her name, who sailed allll the way to Bilgewater from the, uh...
east? And of course I showed her around and-"
"That won't be necessary", Caitlyn said, before turning to a fellow enforcer, "Please contact detective Zayne's investigation team, I have one more thing to ask of him"
----
Jinx woke up to the sound of boots hitting metal, a sound which came closer and closer to her fan-home.
'Ah, great', she thought, for it seemed the time had finally come. Without the energy to even move, Jinx pondered what exactly life in the slammer would be like. Eh, guess she would figure it out soon enough regardless...
"...Jinx?", came the snobby, posh voice she knew all too well.
"Let me guess...", jinx sighed, "You finally came to take me in?"
the sheriff stopped in her tracks within the second, looking at Jinx with a face as stern as ever, and yet at her words, she noticed one of sheriff's
eyebrows lift.
"Why do you say that like you'd be okay with it?"
"Look, just get it over with, we both know I'll come up with some wacky escape plan you won't crack for months. Besides, a couple more minutes of shut eye doesn't seem that bad...", she responded, before letting out a yawn.
Despite her eyes now being firmly closed, Jinx could still feel a slight...insecurity in Caitlyn's stance, something which seemed rather odd given how composed she usually was.
"Well...I suppose we can discuss that later, but right now....Ahem...I...need your help..."
Immediately, Jinx's eyes shot wide open.
"Help? From little old me? Tophat, don't you have like...dozens of Piltover's finest or whatever you call them at your beck and call? Why could you possibly need-"
"It's about Vi.", Caitlyn let out.
Without a second to spare, a smile crept up on Jinx's face.
"Well, why didn't you say so earlier?! If you need any secrets, I'm more than willing to make Fat Hands blush for you and-"
"Jinx, you don't get it. Vi's gone!"
"Huh?"
"Long story short...It would appear Piltover has attracted the attention of a...Freljordian demigod, I suppose? And while Vi's disappearance left no
trace, I'm fairly certain she has been-"
"Kidnapped by a god?!", Jinx blurted out, "Caitlyn, Tophat, sister-in-law, I don't know how to tell you this, but...You may be going insane".
At that, Caitlyn let out a long sigh.
"Thankfully, I always come prepared...", she muttered, before reaching into one of her many pockets and pulling out a small photograph, then
handing it to Jinx.
The second she took a look, it became Jinx's turn to raise her eyebrow.
"Isn't that just a regular-"
"Ursine. Apparently, some humans who follow this, apparently, bear god in the Freljord, can transform into...that".
"And you're saying this thing..."
"Took Vi? Indeed. So, are you ready to-"
"Alright, let's go!", Jinx said, propping up both Fishbones and Pow-Pow on a nearby table with blinding speed, "If some bear freak thinks it can take
Vi, it's gonna another thing coming!"
"Wait- Dressed like that?", Caitlyn interrupted, pointing a Jinx's quite revealing ensemble.
"Yea, what about it?"
Caitlyn smiled. She knew buying two 100% poro fluff coats made sustainably with no-cruelty guaranteed she saw on sale the other day
was the right call. Jinx, however, was not so happy, as evidenced by her near-constant pout. Regardless, the duo made their way onto a small
fishing boat, as Ciatlyn approached the rather rotund and mustached man to whom the vessel belonged.
"Thank you once again, Mr...Pesh, was it?"
"Oh, don't thank me! It's an honor helping the sheriff of Piltover. Besides, me and my buddies were just heading up North anyway!"
"Speaking of your friends, where are they, exactly?", Caitlyn asked.
"Oh, they're down under probably playing some tellstones. What, did you wanna join?"
"Hm...We'll have to pass. Me and my associate...Powder are om our way to...official business. We can't spend our time playing games, we still
have a plan to formulate and- Jinx?"
But despite looking everywhere around herself, Caitlyn found that Jinx was nowhere to be found. Well, aside from the slightly ajar door leading
down into the ship's hull. Caitlyn sighed. This was going to be a long journey...