"New clothes and a blanket.", Vi recalled as she put on the last layer of clean clothing before her eyes found you again. "That's not good, is it?"

With a soft huff, you shrugged. Leaning against the concrete wall, arms crossed before your chest you kept everything that happened in front of the cell in sight.

The enforcer had disappeared again, even if very annoyed. In her place now stood three other enforcers. All of them were masked.

"Can you fight?", you asked while examining the tips of your metal claws.

With a low growl, Vi made her knuckles crack. She flinched, obviously still not entirely recovered.

"I'll manage.", she brushed it off. "You?"

Your fingers tensed, then opened to stretch while the nails shimmered in the dull electric light of the prison. A smirk danced around the corners of your lips.

"Don't question me.", you just said and pushed yourself off the wall.

On the other side of the bars, the enforcer got into position. One of them opened the door while the other two took sides.

Your eyes wandered along them.

Unlike the day before they were not armed. Unfortunate, you had played with the thought of maybe stealing one of their pistols.

Just to test the waters.

But after the last battle they seemed to be more careful around you. Smart, considering that not everyone was able to take down a gigantic desert worm and make it out alive.

Granted you still thought that had been more dumb luck than anything else. Both of you were supposed to be dead but you weren't.

Call it a miracle or not but if your speculations were true sheriff Marcus wanted Vi dead. And you would simply end up collateral damage.

And if there was something you weren't thrilled about it was that. You planned on living a long life, in prison or not. Then again, if they wanted to fuck around you would make them find out.

"Hands.", one of the enforcers ordered.

You did as he said and allowed him to put some shackles on you. Vi on the other hand was a little more resistant and tried to throw a fit.

Two of the three enforcers put an end to her little rebelling by crushing her between their armoured shoulders and chest plates.

Gasping, she stumbled and almost fell to the ground but managed to catch her balance. Muttering curses under her breath she allowed them to shackle her as well before the group made you walk down the hallway.

"Keep a low profile for now.", you advised her in a calm manner as you walked along cells that were mostly empty.

Every now and then a single pair of eyes filled you, interested and amused that they weren't the poor ones who had to fight for their lives that day.

Even though the lower levels of Stillwater Hold Prison were rarely at their full capacity it seemed off to you just how few faces could be seen.

Maybe they had died in the arena over the past weeks. Then again, if one died, two new ones would take their place.

If there was one thing that Piltover didn't have too little of it was prisoners. The arena could afford to swallow half of them. Or more.

And the supplies would never run out.

"I just wanna punch someone.", Vi hissed with a glance over her shoulder.

The two of you followed the enforcers into the elevator. So it was true, you'd fight again. It rubbed you the wrong way that there wasn't even a moment to catch your breath.

Then again, if you were exhausted Vi would be even more so. She wasn't as trained as you a new to the game. With every passing day she'd get more and more worn out until there was no other way but to loose.

She was set up for failure and would tear you down with her. If she wanted to or not did not matter.

But you had a plan to prevent that. All you needed was Vi by your side and the possibility to gain some more allies. You didn't need the entire prison for that.

As long as the lower levels were on your side it would suffice.

"You're in luck.", you said as the two of you were kicked out of the elevator into the small cage.

The metal shackles fell to the ground with a thud. Sand twirled around your feet. So they had managed to remodel the arena after the last fight.

"I swear if they make us fight another worm!", Vi kicked the steel gate. "I'm gonna end it."

With a raised hand you managed to nip her anger in the bud. Instead, she frowned in confusion, shrugged with a shake of her head.

"The ground is sand again.", you pointed to her boots which were dusty already. "And it's dry."

She shrugged.

"So?", one of her eyebrows lifted.

"You don't get to fix  everything after it was basically trashed. We even tore down the lamp in the center."

That realisation seemed to throw her off. Her eyes wandered along the edges of the small cage. Then she frowned again.

"Soooo?", she tilted her head, blew a strand of scarlet hair out of her face.

It made your fingers flinch. You wanted to caress it out of her face, tug it behind her ear for it to stay. For a brief second you were confused why that was your first urge.

But instead of acting on it you just shook off these thoughts and curled your fingers instead.

"They must have gotten some donations, large ones, to fix everything in time. How long do you think it has been? A day?"

Vi huffed.

"If we're lucky.", pulling a face she reached into the back of her neck to massage the tense muscles. "I feel like I haven't had a good rest in ages..."

"Hm.", a thin smile tugged at the corners of your lips. "Get used to it. Won't get any better than this down here."

In that moment the gate started to slowly open.

"I really don't want that...", Vi muttered and followed you out into the open.