"𝓑𝓪𝓷𝓭-𝓪𝓲𝓭 𝓱𝓮𝓪𝓻𝓽𝓼. 𝓟𝓾𝓵𝓵 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮 𝓪𝓵𝓪𝓻𝓶. 𝓦𝓮'𝓵𝓵 𝓫𝓾𝓻𝓷 𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓼𝓱𝓲𝓽 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓭𝓸 𝓲𝓽 𝓸𝓾𝓽 𝓸𝓯 𝓼𝓹𝓲𝓽𝓮."

***

To say that Jinx was upset about Silco's dismissal of her would be an understatement. Jinx had practically been pouting the whole way back to her base. Thorn originally thought it was something she would get over quickly. She realized she was entirely wrong when the girl only spiraled. Jinx sat on the edge of one of the fan blades as she pulled the pins from bombs and threw them over the side of the fan blade. Thorn let the girl do whatever she needed to get her feelings out. Everyone needed a good outlet.

The perfect outlet for Thorn was gardening. She loved plants and loved growing them even more. It was a hobby she had since she was a child. As she grew older, she started planting more dangerous plants. She loved the fact that something with so much beauty could kill. It reminded her much of her best friend if she thought about it. Jinx had to be one of the most beautiful people Thorn had ever seen and her deadly tendencies only made her more attractive.

Back to gardening. Thorn had a greenhouse that was not far from where Jinx's base was. If they went further through the pipes, they would reach it eventually. There was an untouched path of earth where things grew and flourished. She chose that place to be where she grew most of her plants. Thorn had a few plants scattered in other areas as well. She had some in Silco's office and Jinx's base. Plants produce clean air, something they didn't have much of in the undercity. In a way, it was Thorn's way of looking out for the people she loved.

Flower pots sat near the tent where she and Jinx usually slept. That's where Thorn hung out. She was tending to the plants while giving Jinx a moment to herself. Speaking of Jinx, the girl started talking to herself, "It wasn't her," A habit Jinx had. Thorn had gotten used to it at this point. The sound of something metal hitting one of the fan blades made Thorn look over for a moment. She caught a glimpse of a bomb between Jinx's legs. She didn't step in right away. She just watched to see what would happen first. Finally, Jinx kicked it off the fan, "It wasn't," The bomb exploded below her. Jinx turned to her right, "I know. Just... Just some wannabe street trash. I got confused, that's all."

Once she was sure Jinx was safe, Thorn returned to her plants. That didn't stop her from speaking, "The pink hair is enough to throw anyone off," She narrowed her eyes at one of the plants. The leaves were dry. She grabbed a squirt bottle of water she always kept on her and spritzed some water on the leaves. "It's an honest mistake."

"Exactly!" Jinx exclaimed. You understand." There was a moment of silence. Thorn took it as the girl pondering something. What she said next was a bit of a shock: "Now, he thinks I'm weak."

"Of course he doesn't, Jinx." Thorn turned to her with a confused expression.

The blue-haired girl didn't look back at her. Her form was rigid like she was waiting for a threat to attack. "Yes, he does, Ander. How could he not?" Ander, Jinx's nickname for her. One time, Jinx was hanging out with her at her greenhouse. She was Oleander flowers and said they looked like Thorn. Thorn was confused but Jinx didn't elaborate. She only asked its name and started calling her a shortened version of it. Jinx laid back on the fan blade, letting her feet dangle over the edge, ""Sevika will clean it up." Sevika's a regular Johnny-on-the-spot," Her voice was a growl. She banged two bombs together. Sparks flew between them. She glanced to her side, "I'm not weak." She rolled over onto her side, facing the opposite way now.

An inaudible sigh came from Thorn. She watched the girl momentarily. She put down the squirt bottle and walked over to Jinx. Upon hearing the footsteps, Jinx looked up. Thorn was already standing above her. Jinx moved her gaze away. Thorn bent down and pushed the bangs out of Jinx's face, "You're the farthest thing from weak."

The insecurity seemed to fade away, "You're right. I'm strong," She held one bomb in her hand tightly. She was silent for a moment, lost in thought. She then stared at the bomb with a focus she certainly didn't have before. She grinned, "And I'm gonna show him. Oh," She used the bomb in her hand to grab a belt of bombs. Thorn stepped out of the way, already sensing where this was going. "I'm gonna show him," She threw the bomb in her hand and the bomb belt off the side of the fan blade, "You'll see." Multiple explosions went off beneath them.

"You need a little help?" Thorn inquired.

A smirk appeared on Jinx's face, "Always, sweetheart."

***

When the two girls started heading toward Piltover, Thorn knew the girls were about to have some fun. Fun that Silco would definitely lecture them about later. He never knew how to have fun. Jinx held back on all the details, saying she would tell the girl when they hit the road. Jinx did fill her in on the way there and Thorn was more than happy to help with the plan. They made it to topside without any problems and headed toward a certain building. Thorn didn't get the significance but Jinx headed straight there.

Getting out her stuff, Jinx started to prepare everything. She looked at Thorn as she got out bombs, "]I'll stay here for the distraction and you will get the crystal."

"Won't let you down." Thorn winked.

Thankfully, Jinx was able to point her in the direction of where the crystal would be. It was pretty easy to find it, especially with how many people were around the building. Thorn snuck inside without being spotted and found it with no problem. Once she pocketed the crystal, she looked around the room with a smirk. She bent down and got out some spray paint. Jinx gave it to her before she left.

Once Thorn was satisfied with her work, she left the same way she came. No one noticed the girl with bits of spray paint on her fingers and a ball in her pocket. The sound of panic and fire let her know that Jinx had done her part of the job. She met back up with the girl who looked ecstatic. There was a light in her eyes that made Thorn's heart melt.

It didn't take long for Jinx to notice her. She smiled at the sight of Thorn, "Did you get it?" Thorn reached into her pocket and held it up for Jinx to see. Jinx was quick to grab it from her. She studied it, "You are a pretty little thing, aren't you?" She had the crystal held up in front of Thorn's face. She then lowered the crystal and stared at Thorn. Thorn raised an eyebrow at her. Jinx suddenly took Thorn's face into her hands, bringing it closer. She kissed the girl's cheek before rushing away while snickering to herself. Thorn shook her head with an amused smile. She followed right after the girl.

***

The mood was much different after the girls' night routine. Thorn was back to tending to her plants. One plant wasn't growing and she felt it was the soil. She stole it from a gardening store in Piltover. They said it was the best soil you could get. Bunch of liars if you ask her. She was in the process of repotting the plant, using different soil than before. This one was actually good. She used it for some of the plants in her greenhouse. She ran out previously and was only just able to get more.

Meanwhile, Jinx was working on her own projects. She blasted rock music through the music player. The song currently playing was one called Get Jinxed. Thorn had to admit that it wasn't that bad. Something moving behind her caught Thorn's attention. She looked over her shoulder and saw Jinx using her wrench as a microphone. Thorn shook her head with a grin before focusing on her plants again.

Suddenly, a bang sounded. The rock music stopped playing. Thorn looked over to see what happened. Silco was standing beside the music player. The look on his face was anything but happy, "Jinx!"

"That's me." Jinx turned with a grin.

"When did you get here?" Thorn inquired. She moved to stand behind Jinx now. She was hoping the question would temporarily distract Silco from whatever he was upset about.

Much to her dismay, he was not one to be swayed easily, "Half a dozen enforcers, dead," He moved to stand in front of the girls. Jinx lifted her goggles to look at him better. "Enforcers. Dead." The way he said it made it sound bad. Thorn didn't get the big deal. That was just less enforcers they had to deal with.

Jinx nodded with a smile, "Yeah..."

"A building blown to pieces."

"Oh," Jinx laughed. "Yeah." She laid her head on her workstation.

Nothing was able to stop Thorn from bouncing on her heels in glee, "It's amazing, right?"

Again, Silco was still not happy, "It's not," Thorn's smile turned into a wince. Yeah, she didn't think that he would change his mind. Silco had a deal with the sheriff if she was remembering correctly. He was probably upset that he had to deal with the sheriff breathing down his neck. Once again, Thorn couldn't bring herself to care that much. Silco took what Jinx was working on away from the blue-haired girl, "Do you have any idea what you two have done?"

Well, time to make him happy. "Something that would help all of us, obviously," The words confused Silco. Thorn looked over at Jinx. Jinx was already looking at her. Thorn gestured toward Jinx, "Show him."

Sitting up in her chair, Jinx took something out. She rolled the crystal in her fingers for him to see. The crystal was glowing blue. She handed it to him. She giggled as she stood. Thorn watched as Jinx went over to the bathtub and stood on the edge of it. She pulled on a mechanism that made fireworks go off behind her. She yelled, "Happy Progress Day!"

"It's the best present ever, right?" Thorn's smile was back on her face as she looked at Silco.

Slowly, Jinx made her way back over to the two. Sparks fell from the sky and bounced off her skin. She had no reaction. Once she was close enough, she wrapped her arms around Silco in a hug. She pulled Thorn into it and the girl returned the embrace. Thorn could feel Silco wrap his arms around the two of them. She smiled even wider. She knew that he would be happy.

***

The work was quickly thrust upon Jinx after they stole the crystal. Something with that much power must be put to use. That's what Silco told them. He immediately got Jinx to start making a weapon with the crystal. There was only one problem. Jinx, and even Thorn, didn't know how to use the crystal. They barely knew anything about it. They had to go as far as getting books to read up on magic.

One of these books rested in Jinx's hands, "Boring..." She hung upside down from one of the fan blades. It was a habit she had that scared Thorn to death sometimes. Jinx used this to her full advantage. There were times when she would pretend to almost fall to make Thorn have a heart attack. She hasn't had one yet, but she's been close. A pen was in Jinx's mouth as she read the words on the page. She didn't look interested in anything the book was saying. "Boring. Wow," Thorn was just barely able to see Jinx roll her eyes. "Super boring..."

"Find anything to crack the code yet?" Thorn decided to ask. She knew the answer. She just hadn't spoken in a while. It felt right to throw in something every once in a while. There wasn't much for Thorn to do. She had already tended to her plants and Silco had nothing for her to do. She was mostly standing around, giving moral support to Jinx while she cracked the code of the crystal.

"Nope," Jinx replied to her question. "I'm starting to think I grabbed the wrong book or something," A sigh came from Thorn. She grabbed all the ones she could find. She couldn't go to Piltover since Silco wanted them to keep a low profile after stealing the crystal. She had to make do with what Zaun had to offer. Jinx lifted herself back up onto the fan. She sat with her legs crossed as she read. Suddenly, her eyes lit up, "Here we go!"

That was much better to hear. "Now that sounds like a breakthrough." Thorn grinned.

The grin was shared by Jinx, "Absolutely," She closed the book and turned. Behind her was a contraption that Thorn helped her make. Thorn didn't know entirely what she was doing. She mostly just let Jinx tell her what to do. There was a machine that Jinx would sit the crystal inside. Knives surrounded it with chains hanging from them, creating a perimeter. Jinx took the pen out of her mouth, "It's all about these runes," She flipped a page. "They form some kind of math-y, magic-y gateway," She held up the book for Thorn to see. Thorn came over and looked at the demonstrations. She didn't understand a bit of it. "To the realm of heebie-jeebies," Jinx tossed the book to the side. "And this..." The crystal was in her hand. "Turns it on."

As the crystal neared the contraption, Thorn felt the anticipation rising. She bit her lip as she waited for something to happen. Jinx suddenly stopped. She turned to Thorn. There was a question in her eyes. She was asking for reassurance. Thorn nodded with enthusiasm, "Do it."

The words made Jinx much more confident, "Well, if you say so," She put the crystal inside of the holder, pressing it down with her index finger. The wires connected to it started to light up along with the crystal. "So..." She clapped. "Here goes," Jinx let out a breath as she turned the dial. The dial had wires that connected to the contraption holding the crystal. Thorn watched with wide eyes. The light got brighter and some kind of energy was generated from the crystal and the runes around it. A bright light shot into the air. Both Jinx and Thorn were pushed back by the power of the blast. Thorn landed on her butt while Jinx landed on her stomach. Thorn turned her gaze back to the crystal and machine. The energy was electrifying everything around her. Suddenly, the beam dispersed. Blue lights flickered in the air. Thorn looked at Jinx. Jinx was on her knees. Her head almost touched the ground and her arms were guarding her head. She panted as she slowly looked up at the machine in front of her. She let out a sob, "No! No!"

"Jinx."

The blue-haired girl moved backward, "It was a mistake! It was a mistake." She stood and ran from the scene.

"Jinx, wait!" Thorn ran after her.

***

At one point, Thorn lost Jinx. Thorn wanted to comfort her but if Jinx was running from her, she didn't want her around. She could understand that. She knew what Jinx was thinking about when the crystal reacted the way it did. She decided to give the girl her space. She would let Jinx come to her. This left her with some time to herself. She decided to go to her greenhouse. She hadn't been in a while. It had been longer than she cared to admit. Thankfully, everything was exactly how it should've been. She did the usual maintenance and found things to keep her busy.

Eventually, Jinx did show up. She didn't say anything and Thorn didn't force her. They just sat in a comfortable silence. That was until Thorn asked if the girl wanted to see Silco with her. There was an immediate agreement from Jinx. That led them to now. Both girls sat up in their hiding spot. Unlike usual, they weren't hugged up together. Jinx sat on one side of the space while Thorn sat on the other. They gave each other the appropriate amount of space, not crossing over until the other gave some kind of gesture indicating they wanted it crossed.

Now, Thorn was worried about Jinx but she was also curious. The sheriff of Piltover was in Silco's office. She knew that Silco had done some damage control on behalf of the girls. This left her curious as to why he would suddenly be here again. What did Silco want from him? Did Silco even call for him? Speaking of Silco, he wasn't even here yet. The sheriff was led here and he waited, not noticing either girl's presence.

A door opening caught Thorn's attention. She glanced over and saw Silco walking into the office. Papers were in his hands. He noticed the sheriff waiting for him, "Sheriff, what a lovely surprise." That was one question answered. Silco looked at him before walking past, glancing down at the papers in his hands.

The sheriff didn't look bothered by the lack of attention. He only turned his body to face Silco as he walked past, "The Hextech wonder boy is on the Council now," That made Thorn's brow furrow. Hextech wonder boy? The guy on all the airships and billboards in Piltover? She wasn't well versed in the happenings up there. Silco tossed the papers down on his desk as he sat down. "And he's asking questions. It's only a matter of time before he finds the truth."

Putting his elbow on his desk, Silco leaned forward, "What is truth, but a survivor's story?" He reached for something below his desk. The sheriff couldn't see it but Thorn could from her angle. It was one of Jinx's bombs.

"If I'm discovered," The sheriff started. Silco looked at him. "We're both finished."

Not wanting to give herself away, Thorn forced herself to keep quiet. If she could, she would've laughed in his face. She doubted that Silco would let himself go down that easily. Silco already had a plan anyway. He set Jinx's bomb onto his desk, "Good thing you've located proof of the Firelights' involvement."

There was silence. The sheriff walked forward and grabbed the bomb. He stared at it, "This has gone too far." He examined the bomb further. There was something in his eye. Thorn wasn't sure what he was thinking about.

There was a hum from Silco, "Imagining yourself a hero? One final act to make you the martyr you've always seen yourself as?" No response was given by the sheriff. He was lost in thought. From the way he was thumbing the bomb pin, Thorn was able to guess what he was thinking about. He was thinking about what would happen if he set it off right now. Thorn watched with calculating eyes. What would he do? "Then what are you waiting for?" The sheriff sighed. He decided not to. Boring. Silco narrowed his eyes at him. The sheriff turned and left with the bomb. Silco turned from the door as it closed. He placed a hand to his face, "Ah, he's faltering. You need to weaponize the Hextech soon. Once we've cracked their prize topside will have no power over us."

"You see, about that-" Thorn started.

"I can't do it," Jinx stated. "Just... Give it to the doctor."

"You're the only ones I trust with this, Jinx, Thorn," Silco told them. Thorn wasn't so sure why he mentioned her. She wasn't even doing anything. Most of the work was being done by Jinx. She was there in case Jinx needed anything. Thorn didn't say that out loud.

It was clear that Jinx was still a little out of it after her episode. She had her eyes closed. There was a pained expression on her face, "I keep... seeing them. That day."

Standing, Silco turned to her, "Fear haunts us all, child."

***

Thorn wasn't sure what to think. Silco had brought her and Jinx out to a lake. This wasn't just any lake. This was the lake where Vander had tried to kill Silco. He told the story multiple times. Thorn could probably recite it word for word. The three of them waded through the water. None of them said anything. Thorn was waiting for an explanation as to why they were here. He didn't just bring them here to remind them of his past. What use would he have for that?

Though, it was strating to seem that was exactly what he was doing as he said, "I almost drowned in these waters."

Nothing could stop the groan that came from Thorn, "This again, seriously?"

"You told us a million times." Jinx threw her head back.

Despite both girls' annoyance, he continued, "Vander wasn't the man you thought he was."

And that was something they heard multiple times as well. Jinx proved this to be the case when she rattled on, "Right, he was like a brother to you, and he turned his back and," She started musing in a whiny voice. "Blah, blah, blah," A small smile took over Thorn's features. She wasn't wrong. She got the voice down perfectly too. Jinx threw her head back once more before looking back at him, "Did I miss anything?" A laugh escaped from Thorn which made Jinx crack a smile.

"Sounds about right to me," Thorn responded.

The words were enough for even Silco to let out a snicker, "I've got a new one for you," He looked away from the girls. He dipped one hand in the water before he pulled it back out, "That day," He clenched his hand into a fist. "I let a weak man die," Silco dunked himself into the water. Thorn raised an eyebrow at this. He pulled himself back out only a moment later. He slicked his hair out of his face, "And another was reborn," His hand ran down the deformed part of his face. He turned back to the girls, "Betrayal, that pain that feels like it'll eat you from the inside out, can either break you or forge you into something greater. You need to let Powder and Briar die," Thorn's eyebrows darted up. She hadn't heard her real name in forever. It sounded almost foreign to her. Silco turned to fully face them, "So the fear of pain will no longer control you," He held out a hand to them. Thunder rumbled in the sky. Jinx waded toward him. "You're strong now," She put her hand in his. "Just like you were always meant to be. Jinx and Thorn are perfect."

Meeting his eyes, Jinx moved closer. Silco put a hand on the back of her head and guided her to lie in the water. Thorn could only watch in fascination. Jinx let out an exhale. Silco pushed her deeper into the water. Jinx closed her eyes and mouth as she let the water engulf her. Bubbles rose to the surface before disappearing. Jinx was back up in a matter of moments. Silco turned to Thorn. Thorn was hesitant.

Did she want Briar to die? It was still her. Was it? No, she wasn't. She was different. She couldn't be that version of her again. She may as well already consider her dead without doing all of this. But, Thorn was always someone who liked to please people even if it made her uncomfortable. She made her way over to Silco and let her do the same thing he did to Jinx. He was right. Briar needed to die once and for all.

***

To say that Jinx seemed much happier after what happened at the lake wouldn't be too far of a stretch. There was a sudden burst of energy in the girl. She was determined. Ready to do as Silco asked. Music blared loudly as she worked on weaponizing the Hextech. Thorn was nowhere to be seen. Jinx flipped through a book. She flicked the crystal up and caught it without looking. As it landed in her hand, she stared at it for a moment. She ten put the crystal on a holder and bit her lip. She turned the dial, similar to earlier.

Part of the machine she made spun wildly. Runes flew into the air. Jinx was quick to move back. Unlike previously, she didn't seem worried. She embraced it. She lifted her goggles up and spun in her chair. It was like she was floating. Her hair curled around her arm. Eventually, everything calmed down. Jinx, on the other hand, didn't. She was even more excited than before.

She ran to the tent that sat on the edge of one of the fan blades. A huge grin was on her face, "Thorn, wake up! I did it!" Jinx looked inside the tent. Thorn was lying on the bed. She didn't say a word to acknowledge Jinx's presence. There was not even a twitch. Usually, Thorn would look over to smile at her. Maybe she was still asleep? Jinx leaned forward. Thorn's eyes were open. She had that look. There was an emptiness in her eyes. "Hey," Jinx sat down inside the tent. She tapped the girl's thigh, "I figured out how to use the crystal. Isn't it great?" There was still nothing. Jinx stared at Thorn. She never knew what Thorn thought about when she was like this but she knew it wasn't good.

The thing is, Thorn wasn't thinking about anything. She never thought about anything when she lay in bed like this. She was overcome with so many emotions that it felt like they paralyzed her. She couldn't get up because they kept her down. She couldn't breathe because they pressed on her chest. She couldn't speak because they forced her mouth closed. At the same time, she also felt nothing. There was an emptiness caused by so much emotion. She was never sure how such a thing was possible but it was.

There was a shift behind her. Thorn didn't look back. She couldn't. Arms wrapped around her. The warmth took over the chill that seemed to take over her body. As her body slightly warmed at the embrace, her mind functioned just long enough for her to be able to speak again. She teared up as she said, "I don't know what's wrong. I was... I was doing so well," Her voice cracked. Tears fell freely down her face. She brought her hands up to her face and curled herself into a ball. She started to sob, "Why now? I don't-" Not once did Jinx ever let go of her.