Dancing on her toes, Vi was the first of you two to leave the cage as the door fell into the sand. A small cloud of dirt twirled up, forcing you to narrow your eyes for protection.

A cough got stuck in her throat as she made her way across your side of the arena to reach the middle. It was a rather unwise move since she put herself out into the open and the enemy wasn't even visible yet.

"Vi.", you called out for her, annoyed that this was even necessary and not a given.

Every smart person would have stood back and examined the situation. She, however, was about to throw herself head first through a wall.

The air was raging with cheers and people shouting names. Blue uniforms sat next to blue uniforms, creating a sea of white, blue and gold.

This was the ultimate show off of Piltover's power. Enforcers wherever you looked, enjoying the evening with an illegal prison fight while the people of the Undercity had to defend their lives.

All just for their amusement.

With two quick steps you made it across your side of the arena as well, reached out and pulled Vi back by her shoulder. Perhaps it was a little too harsh because the tips of your nails scratched across her pale skin, leaving deep red marks.

Flinching, Vi turned around, teeth bared.

"The hell?!", she asked. "We fight or not?"

You cut her off right away with a shake of your head. Strands of your (H/C) hair caressed your cheeks. The touch felt so soft it was almost irritating.

Adrenaline boiled in your veins.

"Stay back.", you ordered her in a tone that could have come from Grayson herself if she had still been alive. "We don't know what we're facing."

Her eyes jumped across the sea of sand that cornered the ground. The roaring and excitement of the audience made the air vibrate.

All of a sudden a shiver chased up your spine. Small hairs in the back of your neck stood up straight.

"Something's here.", you pushed her to turn her back towards you and then pressed yours against hers. "Keep your eyes on the target."

Vi's shoulders tensed. You could feel how muscles pressed into you, athletic and ready to punch someone which all she got.

There were no weapons available. At least not yet. Sometimes the people watching from the Jaw had money to spare and wanted to spice things up.

But this fight had just started and you were pretty sure that there was no one watching from above. The tinted glass windows seemed dark and foggy.

Then again, it was probably early night. There was still plenty of time for changes.

"How the hell am I supposed to keep my eyes on the target if I can't see it?!", she hissed through her teeth, her hands clenched into fists.

You let out a deep breath. It made your lungs pull together, sharpened your sense. The noise died down as you narrowed your eyes.

She was right, there was no enemy to be seen. But the fight had already begun, you could tell by how ecstatic the crowd was.

If they were up on their feet, shouting and celebrating it must have had a reason.

Again, the ground trembled below your feet. However, this time it send a shiver down your spine. Even though the arena was overflowing with people it couldn't have been enough to make the entire earth shake.

So it must have been something else.

"Hey, kid.", you grabbed Vi by the arm and threw a glance over your shoulder to meet her eyes. "You feel this?"

As soon as you said it the ground trembled once more. It was like the roar of an ancient beast. Something much more powerful than you wanted to imagine.

Vi frowned.

"Yeah?", with clenched teeth she fought back a groan. "It's gonna eat us, isn't it?"

Your eyes scanned the ground. Unlike the many fights before this wasn't solid concrete or dirt. It was sand. That must have meant the enemy was naturally coming from a more deserted place.

"You gotta follow my lead.", your grip on her tightened.

She stiffened under the touch, either from fear or resistance. You couldn't blame her, you would trust her just as little. Then again, only one of you had fought many battles in this arena.

She just had to trust on experience.

"What's the plan?", Vi asked as the ground began to shake with such violence that she almost lost her stance.

Small pearls of sand started to dance with vibration. They formed a pit, almost like quicksand, and started to sink deeper into the ground.

Quickly, you pulled her back a few steps as the space below your feet gave in and crumbled, almost as if the space under it was hollow.

All of a sudden you could feel it. Movements. They were heavy, sluggish but of such force that one could have been enough to crush the both of you.

Frowning, you wondered where the enforcers had managed to get something so enormous without causing a ruckus to shake the entire Topside.

But there was no time to waste anymore. Cracks appeared in the sand around you. The hairs in the back of your neck stood up straight as another movement closed in on the two of you.

"Heads up!", you yelled in warning. "When you fall back down, keep your legs close to your chest. And protect your head!"

Vi sucked in a sharp breath.

"Got it!", she stopped. "Wait what?!"

Not a second later you had her tossed up into the air. Screaming, she struggled, waved her arms and legs in attempt to catch her balance.

Your joints made an uncomfortable popping sound as you bend down and put all your strength into your legs. The ground gave in underneath the strength as you catapulted yourself into the air with one mighty jump.

Just in time.

Suddenly, the entire floor of the arena gave in. What emerged from the sand falls was a gigantic mouth filled with razor sharp rows of crooked teeth.

"A sand worm?!", Vi yelled while clinging to the metal chains of the dome that kept the arena shut off from the audience. "Come on!"