"Oh, Powder!"
Vi's voice cracked as she raced across the street. Jinx froze, wide-eyed, her hands twitching toward her belt before she could move. Even as Vi threw her arms around her, Jinx stood stiff and stunned, not recognizing the tears falling until a moment had passed.
Then, slowly, she hugged back and began to cry.
The street didn't stop for them. People walked around like nothing was happening, uncaring, as two sisters clung to each other in the middle of the Undercity.
Vi stepped back, cupping Jinx's face in trembling hands.
"I'm so sorry, Powder," she breathed. "I tried to come back. I promise, I did. But I got arrested and—"
"Marcus?"
"I don't know," Vi whispered. "It doesn't matter now. I thought I'd never see you again."
Tears blurred her eyes again as she pulled Jinx close, holding her tight.
Across them, Jericho's jagged grin was gone, replaced by wariness as his hand gripped a cleaver. When Jinx glanced his way through her tears, he hesitated. That single moment of human emotion made him freeze, uncertain and even hopeful.
"Are you real?" Jinx whispered.
"Yes, it's me, Pow-pow," Vi said softly, voice trembling. "Your sister Vi. I'm here. I'm right here."
Jinx sobbed, her hands shaking as she pressed them together near her chest. "Things changed when you left. I changed."
"I know, Pow-pow. I know." Vi's voice softened, the same gentle tone from long ago. "You did what you had to do to survive. Me too. It's okay. What matters is we're together now."
"This is… unexpected," Caitlyn said quietly.
"Yes. I did not expect this either," Xander replied beside her.
The two of them stood behind their partners, watching the reunion unfold. Caitlyn's gaze was fixed on the sisters, analytical but soft, while Xander's frown shifted toward Caitlyn.
She hasn't recognized Jinx yet.
Then it hit him.
Right. She doesn't know who Jinx really is yet. The Sevika fight hasn't happened. Right now, this just looks like a touching reunion.
But shouldn't she have recognized her from the fairground?
"Who are you?" Vi finally asked, catching sight of Xander waiting patiently a few feet behind her.
At the same time, Jinx's hand shot toward her gun and she took a step back the instant she spotted Caitlyn. Her finger brushed the trigger, eyes wide and angry.
"Who's that?" Jinx snapped. "Wait—"
Her gaze darted between Caitlyn and Vi, who instinctively stepped forward protectively.
"Wait, hold on, Powder," Vi said quickly. "She's a friend."
"Friend?" Powder laughed, her voice warbling between hysterical and hurt. "So you really are friends with a Pilty now? Did you bring her to arrest me? Shoot me?"
Her laughter cracked, twisting into a wounded grin as her eyes landed on Xander. "You really are a fucking monster."
"No, why would I do such a thing pow-pow," Vi's voice cracked emotionally, glaring accusatorily at Xander. "Are you the one putting shit into my sister's head?!"
"I think things are changing," Xander said evenly, warily eyeing Caitlyn and Vi as they glared at him. Vi's arm shifted subtly, shielding Jinx from both of them.
"Lady," he addressed Caitlyn, pointing at Powder. "Do you know who that is?"
Caitlyn's eyes flicked between the two sisters. "No? Vi's sister, Powder, right? Why?" Her voice faltered slightly, unease bleeding through.
Why doesn't she recognize her...?
Xander sighed as people continued shoving past him aggressively, the scenario starting to frustrate him.
"This isn't the place to have a conversation like this. We should get off the street… the arcade?"
Vi's eyes widened faintly. "How do you—"
"Yes," Jinx interjected sharply, already taking a step back. "That place will work."
"Great," Xander muttered, brushing past a crowd of onlookers starting to grow.
Jericho waved, letting out garbled noise like an uncertain farewell.
--------------
Dusty. Dusty and old.
There was so much dust that every stray beam of light sparkled as shattered glass cracked beneath their boots.
"This… is an arcade?" Caitlyn asked skeptically as she stepped inside.
"Was an arcade," Vi snapped. "Before you Enforcers trashed it."
Jinx snorted. "You can say that again."
"We would never do something like this," Caitlyn retorted sharply.
"Oh yeah?" Vi shot back. "Tell that to your precious sheriff. It's Marcus now, right?"
"Yes?"
"Yeah, I know Marcus." Vi sneered. "Same scumbag who ran off after helping Silco kidnap our father. Come to think of it, the old sheriff died back then too. Wonder what happened."
"Sheriff Marcus," Powder giggled darkly. "Now there's a hardass."
"You know him?" Caitlyn's voice faltered, eyes darting toward Jinx.
"Sure do! Comes by every now and then to grovel like a dog for Silco. Never a complaint, never a tear, just takes the money and leaves."
Caitlyn's expression twisted, the revelation striking hard. While she tried to make sense of it, Vi's face hardened while her gaze returned to Powder.
"Wait- you work with Silco?"
"Y-yeah. I mean, I… did what I had to do…"
Powder's tone cracked; her posture shrank, guilt curling her shoulders.
"Why?! He killed Vander and was responsible for—" Vi bit the words off, jaw stiffening. "Look, no more helping Silco. We're taking him down to avenge Vander, avenge everyone."
"Avenge?" Powder laughed nervously, twisting a strand of hair. "He lied, killed people- I killed people- but…"
"If it means we can be together again…" she trailed off, biting her lip. Her voice trembled between hope and fear but her expression screamed internal conflict.
Vi watched silently in stunned confusion before her gaze snapped to Xander.
"You." Vi stepped up, grabbing the front of his clothes aggressively. "What are you doing near my sister and why has she been saying crazy shit?"
Xander slipped free and shoved her back with controlled force, his tone flat. "You really think Cait wouldn't arrest her if she knew everything? She knows now that your sister's tied to Silco, the same man you've been hunting for years. She's an accomplice now. But that's not really why she's here right, Caitlyn Kiramman?"
"What…?" Vi turned toward Caitlyn, who rubbed her arm and looked away before straightening with practiced poise.
"No," Caitlyn said, firm but uneasy. "I'm not here for your sister. I'm honestly not here for Silco right now either, though arresting him is a priority."
"Then what are you—" Vi began, but Xander interrupted.
"The Hextech gem."
Caitlyn blinked. "You know where it is?"
Jinx's eyes flickered and Xander gave a small nod.
"I do. But I'm not telling you where until we handle Silco."
"Wait, what?!" Powder snapped, equally shocked.
Caitlyn exhaled, shoulders loosening a bit.
She's relaxing too fast and too much, Xander thought.
"Arresting Silco will have to wait," he continued firmly.
"What? Why? If you know what the gem is, then you know we have to recover it now!"
"No."
"Why not?!" Caitlyn shouted, voice rising as Vi stepped between them.
"Whoa, everyone calm down! What's this gem you're talking about and why didn't I hear about it, Cait?"
"Because you didn't need to know!" Caitlyn snapped back, then hesitated when she saw Vi's hurt expression and her tone softened again. "I could've gotten the gem. We could've arrested Silco and—"
"So you were just gonna use me and lie to me the whole time?" Vi whispered, hurt in her voice.
"Well you didn't tell me your sister was working for Silco! That's kind of important!"
"Enough," Xander cut back in. The word hit well enough, drawing their focus back to him. "We can still make this work. Caitlyn, you need evidence the same way we need manpower."
"For what?" Caitlyn asked, eyes narrowing.
"Powder knows where the doctor's lab is. She's just been too scared to go near it. Vander's there."
"Bullshit!" Vi shouted. "I saw him die! This is the kind of crap you've been feeding my sister, isn't it?!"
"Vi—" Powder raised her hands, panicked. "It's not like that!"
But Vi ignored her, getting right back up in Xander's face. "You think you can use her? Feed her stories just to get close? I'll cut your dick off and make you eat it!"
"Stop- STOP!" Powder shoved her sister back, planting herself between them. Her voice cracked. "He's the one who told me you were in Stillwater! That note- that was because of him! Meeting you here- him!"
Vi's glare didn't ease. Neither did Xander's.
"Sis, we need him," Powder begged, voice breaking. "If Vander's really alive, we can save him. Please, Vi… please!"
"Ugh!" Vi threw her hands up, storming off toward a broken pinball machine to cool down. "You two are unbelievable."
Caitlyn's voice came quieter, but becoming dangerously suspicious as her hand slowly fell to her holster. "But… how did you know Vi was in Stillwater? There are no records of her being imprisoned. Not a single one."
Xander's head tilted slightly, but he didn't answer.
"This whole situation," Caitlyn continued, taking a step back, "means only Marcus, Silco, and a handful of council-appointed wardens would've known. And you'd need her inmate number to send mail directly to her."
The air in the room froze.
Even Powder blinked, her eyes darting between Caitlyn Vi, slowly returned to Xander.
"You were part of it, weren't you?" Caitlyn asked softly, her voice like a tightening noose.