"Good luck.", you said as another group of enforcers showed up in front of your cell.

With a grim look on her face Vi gave you a quick nod before she was shackled again. At this point you felt like you could feel the weight of cold iron press against your own skin.

It was something so familiar your body reacted to it even though it wasn't affected. A strange kind of feeling. One that you wanted to get rid of for good.

She threw one last glance back over her shoulder to gift you a reassuring smile before being taken. You were left all alone in the cell.

And somehow it worried you. As her figure started to fade into the shadows you wondered how her hands looked like. You hadn't checked on them in a few hours.

All of a sudden you felt a cold shiver crawl down your spine.

Why did you worry about her all of a sudden?

It wasn't like she was close to you. At least that's what you told yourself. You kept her close because she would make a good ally. That was also something you told yourself.

But deep down in your chest you knew that this was only half the truth. Secretly she had grown on you and you didn't wish to see her harmed.

Although Vi was definitely a though cookie she'd shed blood in the arena. And it worried you to know that there was no backup to help her in desperate situations.

The hairs in the back of your neck stood up straight as goosebumps grew all over your arms, crawled up to your head and made it feel like your hair was about to fall out.

With a low sound stuck in your throat you retreated from the bars of the cell, warning the remaining enforcer with a glare to keep his mouth shut. Shadows welcomed you as you plunged down on your bed and pretended not to pay any care to Vi and what was waiting for her.

In the end you had a reputation to loose. One you had worked so hard for.

How come it was that easy to shatter? All it had needed was one woman with an attitude and scarlet hair.

"You're not going to tell me who I'll be fighting?", Vi asked with a charming smile.

The enforcer to get right let out a low grunt and pushed her into the metal elevator.

Heavy gates rolled shut, locking her in with another enforcer. She recognised her as the woman names Eloise.

"So what do they pay you?", Vi asked, unmoved, while the elevator lowered into the cage. "Who's paying you?"

A flinch chased through the eyes that lay hidden behind the tinted blue glasses of the enforcer helmet. Vi could hear heavy breaths through the mask.

While she was a kid of the Undercity, born and raised to breathe polluted air, the Topside residents had sensitive lungs. They could barely survive a few hours down in the filth without coughing.

To fix that issue they had created masks with air filters inside. Thanks to them being made of brass they also served as a kind of protection. It wasn't uncommon for criminals to try and break the jaws of unwanted visitors.

Even though the Undercity was one of a kind of a hellhole people had a certain pride down there. They saw the place as something entirely different from the Topside, not as two parts of the same city.

They did not take kindly to the attempts of Piltover to civilise the lanes. And they also did not appreciate to see the blue uniforms roam around.

Violence was a good solution against almost anything so it wasn't uncommon for fights to occur. Or massacres. Which both ended in just more violence since no side wanted to admit that they were in the wrong.

Vi had always seen enforcers as enemies. But now that she had spent a few years in prison she also had come to the understanding that they were simply people who followed orders.

If she wanted to break the cycle she needed to punch up instead of down. And maybe this was a good chance to find out who she was supposed to punch.

However, even though Eloise seemed upset that she had been found out so easily, she wouldn't budge. Her lips remained sealed while her breathing gave away how nervous she was.

With a slim smirk on her lips and satisfaction glimmering in the blue of her eyes, Vi turned away again to examine her hands.

Flakey skin and dark spots met her gaze. Sometimes she believed to still be able to feel the electricity roam through her veins.

It had been an experience she did not want to repeat but at least it had saved her life. The healing process was going well, at least as far as she felt. Perhaps there was more damage hidden underneath the messed up surface but she wouldn't worry unless there was no other option.

The bandages you had put on her were dirty, but had done a great job in keeping her together. As long as nothing was infected she would manage.

But still, Vi couldn't help and wish for a shower. She couldn't remember the last time she had properly cleaned herself.

Back in the upper levels of Stillwater Hold the prisoners were allowed to shower every second day. Down here everything was treated like a reward.

She wondered if it was possible to ask for a shower if she won when the elevator suddenly came to a stop and the metal gate swung open.

"Go on.", Eloise said and gave her a firm push.

Grunting in annoyance, Vi shook off her hand. Sand pressed into the worn down soles of her shoes as she approached the middle of the cage, only to see a pair of new shoes.

"You can have them.", Eloise said with a strange look in her eyes. "If you wear the gloves."

Confused, Vi eyed the two leather gloves the enforcer was holding.

"If that's all.", she shrugged.