Chapter Text
Her mask made every breath seem heavy, she wished she didn’t need it. The air thick with smog and pollution. Caitlyn couldn’t understand how people lived like this, lived in it everyday of their lives.
She’d deceived a letter not too long ago, discreetly packaged and arriving in her windowsill one afternoon. She recognised the seal easily enough.
An hourglass etched into the wax.
A call to action, beckoning her down with directions into the Undercity, citing information she’d need. It wasn’t a tough choice. And so, she put on her more undercity-esk clothes and ventured down. Of course, she didn’t go alone. Vi was at her side: she still felt Caitlyn wasn’t prepared to go alone even after all her trips down since…since the attack.
The building was a wreck, the steps leading to the broken-in door giving way beneath her boot. Lucky for her, Vi was right behind her: catching and righting her with a grunt of effort, the fall having equally surprised her.
“You sure this is the place Cait? It looks like it’s about to collapse any second. Can’t we just, I don’t know… reschedule and meet at the tree?”
Ever since their chance encounter, Caitlyn had made the effort to stay in contact with the firelights. They had a shared goal after all: detaining and bringing Jinx to justice. It felt only right to relay information between them, sightings and rumours. Any clue that’d bring them closer to her.
She was slippery however. Rarely seen, a blip lost to the maze of the Undercity.
Caitlyn scoffed, glaring disappointedly over her shoulder. “This is where he said to meet him. I’m not going back on something this integral. He said he-“
“Yeah, yeah,” Vi sighed, following in through the doorway, wafting dust away from her face. The place was overly dilapidated, the upper floors could all be seen with the holes littered through them. Moss and cracks covered every wall, the scurry of rats filling the air. “He had information on her. I know. Just saying, he could’ve picked a better spot.”
“He obviously picked this spot for a reason. Now-“ A creak nearby silenced the both of them, they fell still, though a protective arm was thrown in front of Caitlyn. She had half a mind to not fawn over it and sigh adoringly.
“…you hear that?” “Vi! Hush!”
“Yeah, I did.”
The two practically jumped out of their skins as they turned to face the deep, haunting voice that came from the darkness that was the doorway leading further into the building. A man stepped out, a white owlish mask concealing his face. The two sighed in relief.
“I picked this place for how dilapidated it is. Nobody would think to come in here. I can’t believe you two blabbermouths get anything done, but I’m glad to see you’re here safe.”
Ekko promptly removed his mask as he spoke, voice growing familiar once more.
Caitlyn grimaced and flicked her eyes away, fixing her posture and steeling herself accordingly. “Uhm, anyways. Jinx. What information did you receive on her?” She pulled a notepad and pencil from her pocket, Vi gawked at the sight of it: who the hell just carries around a notepad?
Ekko tilted his head at the sight, shaking it minutely in tandem. “Well, a few of my guys spotted her running about the lanes a few days ago. They followed her and had her cornered but the herald intercepted it and forced them away.”
Caitlyn’s quick writing paused, “The… sorry what?”
“The machine herald. Herald of the machine. Whatever way people say it, he just showed up one day and started offering aid to people. Prosthetics, medicine, illegal augments, you name it. We think he took her in.”
“Great!” Vi clapped her hands together, waltzing over and wrapping an arm around Caitlyn “So, we can just head on over to Mr. Machine’s house and get it all over with.”
“Not that simple.”
Vi deflated, brows drawn tight and frowning under her respirator.
“He’s got some sort of field around his alley. It blocks signals, it sent my friends flying off their boards. It was like they’d short-circuited out of nowhere. We don’t know what it is or where it’s coming from, plus, the herald’s… he’s threatening, and we don’t know what he’s capable of.”
“Where can we find them?” Caitlyn demanded, resolve ringing heavy in her chest. Ekko sighed, pulling a piece of paper from his jacket pocket.
“…Just be careful.”
She unfolded the sheet, dirtied around the edges and slightly torn in others: an ode to its use. It was a map of the Lanes, carefully drawn and marked with what Caitlyn assumed to be key locations to the firelights. It reached all the way to the fissures, it was impressive: to fit so much on so little space.
Caitlyn swiped away to floor and laid the sheet down, Ekko followed her and sat, cross-legged, on the opposite side.
“They saw her running through here,” Ekko pointed, trailing his finger across the page as he spoke. “She didn’t get very far once she noticed she was being followed, she had a kid with her-“
“A child? Why would she have a child with her?” Caitlyn looked up at Vi, who’d chosen to stay standing, both exchanged worried glances.
“-we don’t know. Just that they were walking and talking like they knew each other. Either way, the kid was slowing her down. She turned and cornered herself off here.”
“..Emberflit Alley?”
“It’s where the herald lives. Used to be a street nobody owned, sometimes people would squat inside the buildings but that was it. He bought up two buildings on the far side towards the back of the alley and now nobody dares to go inside unless they’re there for him.”
“And you believe Jinx is now residing with him?”
“The herald refused to hand her over, so we believe so, yes.
“Sounds to me like another person taking advantage of a desperate situation.” Vi scoffed, jaw tight as eyes unfocused.
“Vi…” “I know. I know, ignore me.”
Caitlyn took a deep breath, looking back to Ekko. “So, what do we do now?”
The following conversation was short, a plan set in motion, with a map to Piltover’s most wanted treasure. Caitlyn had all the information she needed.
Now she just needed Hextech.
“Well,” Caitlyn mumbled as they stepped out of the building, back into daylight and on the streets. “I just hope that oaf has finished creating our tools. We can’t begin our mission without them.”
Vi shrugged, kicking away a stone with her boot. “Well, of course it’d take a while. He’s making them from scratch, no? And remember, It’s not an if: it’s a when. Keep your head high.”
Caitlyn couldn’t help the sigh that roused from her, her finger picking away at her thumb, eyes to her feet as they go one, two, one, two on the floor. “I know. I just can’t help but feel idle in all this. Just waiting and waiting and never doing. I hate it.”
“Cait, you’ve been coming down here at least once a week since the hospital let you out after she’d abducted you. You’ve been scouting, collecting information, making connections. That doesn’t sound idle to me.”
An arm was thrown over her shoulder, shaking her up a bit before quickening her steps: keeping pace. “I say, we get a bite to eat. Then, you can head upstairs and pester your councillor friend over your stuff. How’s that sound, cupcake?”
“You’re just suggesting that because you’re hungry.”Caitlyn huffed, taking Vi’s arm off of her and smirking quietly. “And I’m not a cupcake.”
“But you’re so sweet, like a cupcake. Or would you prefer blueberry?”
“I’d prefer Caitlyn.”
“Cait it is then.”
Caitlyn scoffed and shoved her away, and Vi could only laugh: wondering through the streets for something to eat before heading back to the bridge.