𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝟏
𝐨𝐢𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫

𝐌𝐀𝐈 gently lowered Caitlyn to the ground as they hid behind a side road for cover. Vi was desperate to know what happened to her sister and Ekko, "I'll be back in a minute." Mai payed her no mind as she held her hand against Cautlyn's wound to try and stop the bleeding.

Gabby grabbed Vi's arm signalling for her to wait, "Mai, hold him." She looked up to see Link cowering with a damp patch on his back that made her shake her head softly as she held him in her one hand.

"Is he alright?" Caitlyn managed to ask whilst the pain her leg slowly subsided from Mai's hand holding it.

Mai furrowed her brows as he whined loudly in her hand, "can you hold him?" She felt her throat clogging up at the sound of his cries and Caitlyn gently took him out of her hands whilst soothingly rubbing the top of his head.

Link was now hurt, the small stray shed picked up from the dumpsters had gotten hurt because she was around Mai. Even now, as she pressed a hand to Caitlyn's leg she too had lost blood from being near her.

Her hands reached for the belt on Caitlyn's waist and the enforcer's eyes widened dramatically, "erm- what-"

She met Mai's eye to see her staring at her with a small glint of mischief as she unbuckled it, "don't make it dirty." She mumbled before wrapping the leather around Caitlyn's leg securely. "Is that okay," she patted her knee gently and the enforcer was going to nod when she yelled loudly, "look out!"

A heavy hand crashed down on the back of Mai's head and she felt as though she were going to be sick. The man's large hand grabbed the back of her collar before kneeing her heavily in the face, she caught a glimpse of a face and did not recognise it but she spotted the purple veins travelling up his neck and illuminating his eyes.

He growled loudly in her face with spit flying from his mouth almost anomalistically before throwing her into the bricks.

"Mai!" Caitlyn shouted desperately and tried to stand herself up but had to cower as the pain too great and Link's cries became louder.

Mai felt her vision fading from colour to black with the yells of Caitlyn falling deafer on her ears as she backed her arm into the corner with Link and the orb behind her back. A sharp pain in Mai's side made her look down to see the purple vial she had taken when Silco rolled it to her back down in the edges.

She tried to stand but the man was already snarling viciously at Caitlyn whilst stalking towards her with his hands in the form of a claw.

Caitlyn moved the kitten behind her back whilst imprinting her face into the bricks to get further away from the mutation. A loud shout made her open her eyes as Mai now stood in front of her instead, she lifted the creature in the air before slamming him into the ground. She stood atop him and ferociously barred her teeth before punching him relentlessly with a speed like no other. Mai hit him so hard until his face was disfigured and the fight in his body relented.

Only when she stared down at her hands did she stand with her gaze locked on her now bloodied hands. She panted heavily trying to control herself as she felt the Shimmer exhilarating every artery in her body.

"Mai?" Caitlyn called out wearily after unfreezing from her shock at watching how easily Mai had torn him apart.

The girl slowly looked over her shoulder, the sight making Caitlyn gasp slightly as she was met with the sight of Mai's eyes a burning lilac. The scars in her neck pulsing up and down with purple undertones as the liquid pumped around her blood.

Vi and Gabby were heaving heavily as they ran back to Caitlyn and Mai, "she has the- Mai?" Vi's voice sounded behind them and Mai shook from where she stood.

Gabby's eyes widened and she looked down to Caitlyn who was openly staring at Mai in disbelief. She spotted the purple and ran to Mai, pulling her away from the body on the floor but quickly putting her hood up to stop Vi or Caitlyn from catching a glimpse of the shimmer in her.

"Oh, Mai," she soothed gently as she noticed the water pooling in Mai's lilac eyes that were fading from brown to purple as she fought the substance. Gabby wiped her hands with her shirt and saw Vi stepping forwards but she jumped in front of the girl, "she's alright, just a little shook up."

Vi narrowed her gaze but Caitlyn had opened the bow that Ekko had given them and gasped softly, "it's gone." She desperately looked round, "it was all for nothing." Her gaze landed on Mai whose chest still heaved as she heard the news and she clenched her fists, that was for nothing.

𝐂𝐀𝐈𝐓𝐋𝐘𝐍 lead them down the quiet streets to the backyard of her house where her window was a few climbs above. She had expected Mai to help her to her feet but it was Vi who was rather ordered by Gabby to do so whilst the girl lingered behind with Mai, whispering softly to her.

Vi pushed the window open and they crept in, she looked round in astonishment at the size of the room. Gabby too felt her mouth slack open whereas Mai didn't trust herself to look up yet.

They all got a fright when the door was kicked down and a shotgun was pointed at them, Gabby held Mai's hand as she jumped at the sound.

"Caitlyn!" Sounded a posh voice.

"We were so worried," a manly version of the woman before voice and embraced Caitlyn.

"You found strays," her mother arched a brow at the kitten poking its head out from underneath Mai's shoulder. She scanned over the girls tall frame though it was futile trying to search for her eyes as she hung her head low.

"This is Vi, Mai and Gabby," Caitlyn had an edge to her words as she became easily defensive over them. "They are from the Undercity."

"So I see," she drawled out, "could we have a word, Caitlyn?"

The girl huffed at her mother's stuck up attitude before turning to Gabby and Vi, "there is a spare room across." Cassandra arched a brow as her daughter offered a room but said nothing and instead kept her judgemental gaze directed to the others.

Vi looked over to Mai, "hey- "

Gabby grabbed Vi's and practically dragged her out the room, "come on you," she awkwardly laughed and grabbed the handles to the doors. She casted one more worried glance at the girl who stayed as rigid as she stood before shutting it behind her.

When Gabby turned round she jumped slightly to see Vi looming over her with a pointed look, her hand coming to rest by her face as she leant on the door.

"Okay, what's going on?"

Gabby tried to ignore how close Vi's face was from hers and the fact that she could see the veins in her forearms. "What? Nothings going on," she snapped her eyes down to the corridor and Vi puffed out a breath of air.

She felt her head being tilted back as fingers rested on her chin, Vi said nothing but stared at her with big, begging, grey eyes. Gabby covered her face before slipping under and escaping Vi's grasp as she retreated in the guest room.

Violet followed after her, "look it's not my place to say so all I'll say is," Gabby turned to face her whilst biting at her lip. "She'll come to you when she's ready." Vi decided that was the best answer she was going to get before collapsing on the king sized bed with her eyes closed.

Gabby did the same next to her and when the silence felt right she broke it, "she loves you, you know."Vi opened her eyes and looked over whilst Gabby was speaking, she heard her shuffle but kept her eyes closed. "She bent over backwards when she found out you were alive."

Vi let a small smile work its way onto her mouth, "we're family, I never stopped thinking about her, all of them really." She muttered into the soft quiet as their breaths mingled in the air, "I just want to help her like she's always done for me," a scoff left her lips, "like she still does for me." Vi felt bitterness creeping up her throat as she still failed to realise that Mai had lost so much blood. When they were children Mai almost had a sixth sense of awareness about her and she just knew when you hurt yourself .

Gabby turned over on her side so she could look at Vi, "it's hard to help someone who doesn't say much." Vi copied her actions as she rested her head on her arm, "what was she like, before that night?"

A far away look shone in Vi's eyes that made her pull a smile so wide the corners of her eyes crinkled, "she laughed, a lot." Gabby couldn't imagine Mai laughing on her own accord, her eye brows raised dramatically. "She had one of those laughs that could light up the room, you know, make everyone else laugh to," the grin slowly slipped from Vi's lips. "But I haven't even seen her crack a smile let alone even laugh."

Gabby nodded slightly, "she was alone for a lot of years before I met her," she murmured, "though some take loneliness differently to others."

Vi perched her head on her hand now, "how did you two meet?"

The girl replayed the memory with fondness, "we were fighting at the pits at the time, I'd heard of her, this badass cut throat girl who never lost a fight." The two chuckled as it sounded like Mai, "except one night I was alone and these punks," she scoffed dryly, "tried to jump me and I definitely thought I was gonna die but this girl showed up and ran at them without a second thought, she risked her life for a complete stranger and I knew I was gonna be her friend. Granted I knew before she did," a soft laugh left Vi, "she didn't wanna let anyone in."

Violet looked to the closed doors to Caitlyn's room, "yeah, some things never change."

𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆 her hands over her eyes, Mai shrugged the cloak off of her before sitting on the edge of the bed. Link tested the bed out before spreading himself flat against the soft comforter, his back still sore from his fall.

Mai looked up into her reflection in the window and cringed as she saw the purple veins still creeping up her face and the lilac in her eyes. The man's blood was lingering on her clothes as well as in the follicles of her nails.

She shut her eyes tightly and dug her nails into her palms whilst putting her firsts over her eyelids. Mai hadn't let a drop of shimmer touch her lips for six years but at the fear of Caitlyn being harmed she threw it all away. The visions of Vander and Mylo, Claggor and Powder appearing no matter if she closed her eyes or not, she saw their disappointed gazes etched with deep frowns.

Mai tapped her foot anxiously on the floor the taps becoming a coping mechanism though her breaths were still short and her eyes still watered.

She tensed when she felt a hand slide from across her shoulders, one side to the other before settling on the outside of her arm.

"It's okay," Caitlyn's velvety accent fluttered about the room as she soothed Mai. It pained her to see the woman in such disarray but it struck at her heart when she made the realisation that Mia was crying to her before she'd even openly smiled to her. Now, as she wrapped an arm around her shoulders she would not reflect the same woman as only hours before who was poised and somber. Mai was distraught, burying her face in her hands whilst her body shook.

Mai opposed herself and she turned in her seat before diving into Caitlyn's embrace, she tucked her face into her stomach to hide her features. Caitlyn wasted no moments and held Mai whilst gently stroking her curls as she felt her own eyes pricking with tears at the sight of Mai like this.

"It's okay, love," Caitlyn hushed her as soft spoken as she could till her voice was just above a whisper. "I'm here," her honeyed words spoken so faintly into Mai's ear had the girl clutching the back of Caitlyn's uniform with her fingers barred as to make sure that she wouldn't slip away. "I'm not going anywhere, I promise."

Mai had discarded her shoes and curled up on the bed so she now lay curling into her stomach like a newborn babe. Caitlyn stayed sitting straight whilst holding Mai as best as she could in her arms trying to provide her the most comfort possible. Her heart leered at Mai's despondent state though a selfish piece of her was ecstatic because Mai had finally showed true emotion and poured it at Caitlyn's feet.

"You were just doing what you've always done," Caitlyn cupped Mai's cheek and tilted her head back so she lay in her lap whilst looking up to her. Her eyes still shut though she saw the shimmer gently fading away becoming paler in colour. "Surviving."

Mai was afraid to open her eyes dealing the sight to agonising for even herself to look at but as Caitlyn looked down at her and caressed her cheek with the tip of her thumb she fluttered her eyes open.

Purple scarcely met a warm blue and Caitlyn smiled down at her, not an ounce of discontent in her face. "There she is," she cooed quietly whilst still continuing to brush Mia's cheek delicately as she watched the purple slowly fade back into perma-tan.

Mai felt the flush leaving her face though the warmth around her did not teeter given the double glazed windows and closeness the two girls shared. Mai slowly sat up and Caitlyn allowed her too though kept her hands hovering, ready to grasp the girl at any time. She was mindful of Link, who was sat ahead at the top of the bed by the pillows, whilst she lay sideways across the large bed, her body sinking into the mattress. She did not want to dirty Caitlyn's pillows but above all else Mai was afraid she would

Caitlyn offered her a an odd look but nonetheless same to lay down in front of Mai with half an arms reach separating them.

"Are you alright?"

Concern laced within her voice and Mai looked to the ground as she sat up next to Caitlyn whilst wiping her eyes quickly. She nodded and the Kiramman gave her a consoling look, she was already reverting back to the nonchalant manner that Mai had first greeted her with.

Mai's heart still raced though it was not from the drug that was slowly subsiding in her but rather how she had behaved moments before. The embarrassment and admission of what she had displayed but also what she was made her now unable to meet Caitlyn's eye.

"My mother has offered us a chance to speak to the councillors," Caitlyn said breezily like it was something uncanny. Mai craned her neck in her direction with confusion written all over her face, "my mother's a councillor."

A look of reconciliation passed Mai's face as she let out a quiet ah, the similarities between her and her mother were evident.

"Someone should tell the others," Mai stood from her seat but Caitlyn tugged at her wrist.

"I already have, the meetings not until later tonight so right now you should rest." She didn't look down at the girl but instead faced forwards yet Mai made no move to take another step. Caitlyn let her hand slip down until she clasped Mai's hand and gently pulled her back down onto the bed. Mai gingerly sat on the edge once more, she was careful of Link who had settled himself near the pillows, though she lay herself across the bed. She did not want to dirty Caitlyn's pillows as she felt the mattress encasing her form that she all but melted into.

Mai had never felt such a cushion impede all of her weight whilst the foam swaddled her aching body. Caitlyn offered her an odd look as she wondered why she didn't rest her head upon the pillows but followed in suit, lying sideways so she could face Mai.

Amidst the ambient lighting the atmosphere in the room flourished with serene energy though, even though Mai had her eyes shut she felt Caitlyn's hard stare, that penetrated even the quiet around them.

Caitlyn's eyes danced around Mai's features with a pain behind them as they trailed across her body. Her skin had marks of gunpowder and her lower lip had a slight scar that created a slit and indentation, Mai's high cheekbones were visible along with the hollowness in her cheeks. Jaw still strong although her sights began to settle on the burns once more, Caitlyn's fingers flexed as she wanted to reach out and trace them. She bit her lip as she empathetically thought of the pain it must have cause Mai, at such a young age she had been exposed to so much hatred and it made Caitlyn's heart clench that she couldn't protect her.

They followed down until she memorised where the burns ended and trailed back up until she reached her bloodied jacket that had dried. The memories from where she had stitched her shoulder caused a flutter in her chest.

"You stare," Caitlyn let out a sharp breath at Mai's sudden voice and looked up to see her dark eyes peering down at her. "A lot."

Caitlyn felt her cheeks heating up, "I thought you had drifted off." She saw Mai's gaze hanging low highlighting her long eyelashes, "you look tired."

Mai looked down at the uncreased bed sheets and traced them with the tip of her finger, "I don't sleep well anymore."

"You're safe here," Caitlyn chimed as she shuffled her body slightly closer to the woman with rich, black skin.

She shook her head gently, "I'm not safe anywhere." Though, Mai stopped her movements when she saw Caitlyn's hand cautiously reaching out, her breath halted as it moved closer to her face. Caitlyn hovered her hand gently over Mai's scarred neck but looked to the girl for confirmation before she touched her, Mai gulped slightly before nodding timidly as her eyes closed once more.

A long exhale came from Mai as Caitlyn's cold fingers trailed across her scars, the furore comforting her in the oddest of ways.

"You are now," Caitlyn murmured, "with me."

Their eyes met once more in an intense, prolonging stare that enveloped their two souls to connect in more depth than simply contact.

For the first time in eleven years Mai felt herself believing the words that sounded almost foreign to her. The idea of a safe heaven that was supposedly in enemy territory was offering her sanctuary for her broken heart, bones and all. Her pupils dilated filling her iris and her lips uplifted in a shape that made Caitlyn's face light up entirely.

Mai was giving her a smile, not a half hearted one, a genuine, compassion filled smile that made the corner of her eyes crinkle.

Caitlyn felt the imbalance within herself grow more and more as she felt as if she wasn't on her comforter to begin with but rather floating. The sight was enough to fill her heart to the brim and she found herself beaming at the girl.

"You're a good person, sweetheart," even Mai's voice seemed to blend together differently in a silky insouciance. The melody rhythmically sounding softly against Caitlyn's ear drums as she stared at Mai with a dorky expression.

"I never thought I'd meet someone quite like you," Caitlyn all but whispered and it prompted Mai to lean in a little closer.

"What am I like?" There was something unfamiliar in Mai's tone, a teasing ness that suited her.

Caitlyn's hand drifted up from her neck to cup her cheek whilst her fingers gently rubbed her jaw. "Kind."

At first hand the enforcer thought she had overstepped as she saw the corners of her mouth falling and she felt her still in her hold. Though, Mai reached for her hand that had caressed her jaw and held it in her own, tightly, as if she were a child clutching onto her mothers. Caitlyn squeezed her hand just as tight before Mai pulled the back of her hand up to her lips and pressed it onto the softness.

If it were possible the beating of Caitlyn's heart pounded loudly in her ears whilst Mai was irrevocably calm. She was at peace.

Mai tucked the kissed hand under her chin along with her own, "promise you won't be like them?" They both knew what them was to stand for and Caitlyn tilted her head slightly to one side before looking her in the eyes with a formidable yet adorning gaze.

"I promise."

𝐓𝐇𝐄 four women entered the councillors quarters sticking out like sore thumbs, though all with the same purpose. Mai lingered close to Caitlyn with only a footsteps distance parting them whilst Vi and Gabby's shoulders brushed as they stared the councillors down. Link had been left in Caitlyn's residence, she did not want to risk him getting hurt again.

It was obvious the atmosphere was tense as each person scanned over the other whilst Caitlyn spoke up to announce them.

"It's not what they offered him, it's what he had to lose." Her voice brought the room to a stilling quiet.

"Councillors, my daughter has a unique insight into our situation."

"These three women here before me were all born in the Undercity and eventhough we failed them in countless ways," Mai felt eyes darting towards the scars on her neck. "They risked everything to show me what life was like down there." Caitlyn threw a glance to Mai who took it greedily as she focused on the Kiramman's words and suddenly felt as if she were only talking to her.

She arched her gaze to the councillors trying to convince each one, "people are starving, sick, over un by shimmer." Mel clenched her fist on the table with disappointment, "they live in constant fear of the coordinated efforts of violent crime lords," Cassandra stared at her daughter with surprise, she spoke with such authority and passion it commanded the room to listen.

"One man leads these efforts, Silco," Mai bit the inside of her cheek at the mention of his name.

"We've done investigations of Silco, they yielded no such level of organisation."

"And who led these investigations?" Caitlyn shrugged and Mai looked to the floor for a moment to conceal the smallest of smirks.

"What does Silco want from us?"

"He believes the Undercity should be independent, he calls it the Nation of Zaun." A ruckus broke out between the councillors.

"What about these?" Jayce pulled a grenade that had the colours and sketching of a crazed animal. "Do you know who made them?"

"No, Well..." Caitlyn felt her hand being tugged backwards, clasped by a calloused and slender one. 

"Her name is Jinx," Vi stepped forwards

Caitlyn took a small step back until her back subtly collided with Mai's front. Cassandra narrowed her eyes before she arched a brow when she saw her daughter's pinky slightly rewatch out to brush against Mai's knuckles.

Mai felt a gaze on her and looked up to lock eyes with one of the women who sat at the table, Mel Medarda. She seemed almost surprised that the tall girl had not backed off when she met her eye and that only peaked her curiosity further. Mai narrowed her gaze as she watched Mel's eyes seemingly scan over her form as if recognition was evident to find.

A bubbling feeling in Mai's wrist made her eyes snap down to where the birthmark lay but when she pulled up her sleeve she found it to be ordinary. When she looked back up she saw the councillor now staring at her almost fearfully with her eyes blown wide and mouth slowly parting.

"Councillor Medarda," Jayce suddenly said amidst the tension as he looked to her with worry. She quickly looked to him, "are you alright?"

Mel cleared her throat, composing herself and wiping the inexistent creases on her gown, "yes, my apologies." He lingered his gaze on her before looking away once more.

Caitlyn used the corner of her eye to catch a glimpse of Mai behind her and her brows started to scrunch, she appeared so defeated.

"Jayce you don't know war," Mai's ears twitched at councillor Medarda's voice, it was forceful yet she was more soft spoken than any there. "It must be our last resort, there may be a diplomatic solution."

"You can't reason with a man like him," Vi urged to those around the room in desperation, "he hates you! Everything you stand for."

"Enforcers, please escort them out."

"Forget it, we know where your fancy damn door is!" Vi gritted out whilst storming out, Gabby hot on her heels.

Mai halted in her footing as she neared the exit whilst her voice echoed off the walls monotonously. "You know when he comes for you and he will, half of you will die, maybe then you'll start to worry."

She tracked down the stairs with heavy footsteps, "wait! Mai, wait!"

The girl stopped, waving her hand to rid Vi and Gabby who nodded before they continued walking at a slow pace.

"Go home, Caitlyn." The first thing that came out of Mai's mouth as she had her back to the enforcer who stopped at the sound of her name coming from her so rigidly.

"I can fix this!"

Mai shook her head as she turned round, the rain dousing them with buckets and their clothes quickly dampened. "You can't," she stated simply, "I was a fool to think that things could be any different than how they are." She cursed herself for allowing her to believe in an anchorage that didn't exist, that never would exist.

Caitlyn became desperate, "there must be something else we can do," she teetered her steps closer to Mai though the taller shuffled back into the dark. "We have to try."

A deep sigh left her and Mai turned her body sideways till only her scars remain for Caitlyn to see. "We did try, we failed," she pulled her hood up, the hole in her walls of solidarity being heavily reinforced. "Topside and bottom, oil and water, that's all there is."

Caitlyn felt herself tearing up as she desperately searched to meet Mai's eye but she refused, "what about us?"

Mai clenched her jaw, "oil and water, never meant to be. "It was a nice dream but it doesn't exist," Mai looked over her shoulder with her heart weighing heavily in her chest, "goodbye, sweetheart."

𝐌𝐀𝐈 made it certain that she didn't want to be home anytime soon as she cut through alleys and rooftop stairways before she sunk her back against cold metal. Vander's statue, even though the warmth to his touch was gone the weight of his presence never left the air.

"I'm so tired," the rain pelted seemingly harder, the streets near empty as people retreated to shelter. Her lip quivered and she bit it harshly to stop the tears from falling, "I miss you, dad," she whispered into the quiet, nearly inaudible as the rain was unrelenting. She felt her neck and the guilt of her taking Shimmer rushed back all the same, "but you'd be ashamed of me."

Mai didn't know what she expected when coming by his statue, a sign of sorts, a feeling of relief but it only made her grief hit harder. She sighed harshly before putting her face in her hands and digging her nails in her hair, gripping the strands tightly.

Instead of the versions of her family now all she saw was her, Caitlyn. She appeared ever so soft, she even made naivety appear believable with her cunning words and selfless gestures. The way she was so gentle and not afraid of having indifferent views to others around her, not afraid of Mai.

A sense of calm washed over Mai and she leant her head back against the statue, the warmth that ensued her body had not yet left even as the bitter cold nipped at her.

The tingling in her arm returned and her brows furrowed, she looked down and pulled her sleeve up only to stare down wildly at the line glowing a hue of gold and white. "What the-"

Her words were cut short when something heavy hit her over the back of the head and her body fell to the floor, wrist no longer illuminating.

𝐌𝐄𝐋 marched down to her mothers boat with a hastiness, she passed the guards who parted ways to let her in. Her mother lay in her seat lounging with a easiness that heightened when she saw her daughter,  "Mel," she sighed.

Her daughter snapped her eyes to the man who was knelt down the side of the cushion with a jug of wine in his hand.

"Leave," she sneered to him, an anger so intense it made Ambessa sit up straighter in her seat. He looked between the two before standing and quickly zipping out the room.

"What is it?" She hadn't seen her daughter so distraught since the day she left on the ship to Piltover. Mel clenched her fists by her side and her eyes started to brim with tears, hot and angry as she stared down her mother. "Mel?" Her tone stretched to that of worried ness.

"She's alive." The emotion in her tone was that of heartache as she looked to Ambessa who frowned to her.