Chance

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Jinx pressed a certain emotion deep into her heart and looked at Vi, standing resolutely in front of her.

"A chance to rehabilitate," Vi said firmly.

"You're in a very dangerous situation right now. You'll be executed tomorrow. At the very least, you have to protect yourself first."

"It sounds like you have a plan," Jinx replied, her tone indifferent.

"You've got to do something for Piltover to show them your resolve—to prove you're willing to change. That might earn you a reduced sentence. A life sentence is better than a firing squad." Vi's voice softened slightly.

"I've been working hard with Caitlyn. It won't be long before we can get you out. I was sentenced to life in prison, too, but look at me now. Things can change."

"You want me to give up Zaun and join Piltover with you?" Jinx asked, her voice steady, her expression unreadable.

Her eyes lowered, and for a moment, her thoughts seemed distant.

"Zaun isn't the same anymore—not the one we grew up in. I can't even find the shadow of what it once was. The day Vander and our friends died... Zaun lost all the good memories it held for us," Vi said, her voice trembling with pain, though her determination remained unwavering.

Vi didn't want to return to Zaun, the place that had changed so drastically.

Since she was a child, she'd dreamed of a better life like the people in Piltover lived—a life filled with opportunity, not despair.

Now that the chance had come, Vi was willing to do whatever it took to see it through. If Jinx cooperated, they could stay together in Piltover, not as enemies but as sisters, leading a life they'd never dared imagine before.

For that dream, Vi was even willing to let go of her resentment toward Jinx—if only Jinx would do the same.

"Good memories?" Jinx murmured, her mind flashing to fleeting images of a past long gone.

The corners of her mouth twitched into a faint smile, but it quickly disappeared, swallowed by her usual cynicism.

"Tell me, Vi—what's the catch? Piltover's not known for its kindness."

Vi hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"Tomorrow's the day of your execution, and Silco will come for you. The council's terms are simple: if you shoot him in the forehead when he arrives, they'll consider it an act of redemption. From there, I'll handle the rest. I'll pull some strings, and you'll be free before long."

Jinx's eyes narrowed as she studied Vi's expression.

"You think I'm the type to betray someone who comes to save me? To shoot him just because someone else asked me to?"

Vi didn't flinch. She held Jinx's gaze with unyielding resolve.

"He's Silco—our father's murderer. Without him, Vander wouldn't have died. Neither would Mylo or Claggor."

"Yeah... if it weren't for Silco..." Jinx whispered bitterly, a hollow laugh escaping her lips.

"...they wouldn't have died."

Vi's face hardened.

"And do you really believe he's coming to save you out of love? You know as well as I do—he doesn't care about anyone but himself."

"Oh? And what's his plan, then?" Jinx asked, her tone mocking as she tilted her head.

"Silco's playing his own game. He's not coming for you, Jinx—he's coming for power. Two days ago, he blew up Viktor's Warehouse and stole a cache of hextech droids. If he breaks you out, it's not to rescue you. It's to start a war in Zaun."

Jinx smirked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"And you think Silco's worse than Viktor? That's a bold take, Vi."

"It's the truth," Vi snapped.

"Warehouse 2 is in the industrial district, close to where... everything happened that night. It's one of Silco's old hideouts. He knows the place better than anyone."

"That name... Warehouse 2," Jinx murmured, her eyes unfocused.

Memories rose unbidden, flooding her mind.

"I know where it is."

Vi frowned, uncertain of Jinx's reaction.

"It's probably still near that rundown factory. The one where... where they stored the Shimmer formula."

"Yes," Jinx said quietly, her voice tinged with something unreadable.

"Silco would've taken the droids there. It's the perfect spot."

She paused, her thoughts racing.

'Not that it matters much. They probably don't even realize Viktor built in a failsafe—every hextech droid is keyed to his control. Without him, no one can activate them. Not even Silco.'

Jinx's voice trailed off, and she stared into the distance, lost in thought. Whether she trusted Vi—or herself—remained unclear.

This truth was clear not only to her but also to Silco.

Viktor could render all of Silco's efforts meaningless with just a single word.

But… why hadn't he?

What Vi was doing now moved her, but so did the things Silco had done.

Jinx turned her gaze to Vi's hopeful face. Instead of outright rejecting her sister, she posed a question, her tone tinged with curiosity:

"This plan doesn't sound like it came from Camille. Can I ask who came up with it?"

After spending time around Viktor, Jinx started thinking things through more critically.

A plan like this—an assassination plot—didn't seem like the kind of thing a simple Piltover enforcer would devise.

At best, someone like that would propose a crude scheme involving a direct confrontation with Silco, but nothing so meticulous.

"It's Mrs. Kiramman," Vi admitted.

"Even though she's still recovering, she's still pulling the strings behind the scenes. The Kiramman family hasn't lost its influence."

"Let me guess—this is a plan her family came up with privately. Are you sure you can secure my commutation?" Jinx laughed, a touch of madness creeping into her voice.

"We have to try," Vi said, her voice laced with frustration.

"Besides, Jayce promised me that as long as you perform well tomorrow, they won't execute you."

Vi sighed. The irony wasn't lost on her—this entire situation had spiraled from Jinx's reckless actions.

Yet now, it was Vi who had to clean up the mess. What a cruel twist of fate.

"When did Piltover's laws start applying to the people of Zaun?" Jinx raised an eyebrow, her words dripping with disdain.

But in the dim light, she made a subtle gesture, signaling Vi in the secret code they had shared as children. The message was clear:

On the day of the execution, let's have some fun. Would you leave with me? To Noxus, to Demacia, to Ionia—anywhere but here.

Vi hesitated as she caught the signal. Her eyes flickered with uncertainty before she responded aloud:

"Piltover won't fail that day. They're prepared."

Hearing this, Jinx didn't press further. She simply smiled, her tone deceptively light:

"Well then. What can I say? You're my sister."

"You agree?" Vi's face lit up with hope. She had feared Jinx's rejection but still believed tomorrow wasn't the perfect time to act.

Jayce and Heimerdinger had their own agendas.

Tomorrow would be a test for Piltover's defenses; a move against them now would be reckless.

Still, if she could get Jinx out of prison, Vi was ready to follow her sister wherever she wanted.

"I agree," Jinx said, her voice measured.

"Thinking about it… Silco's always treated me like… like a tool."

She paused, searching for the right words.

"Yeah, that's it—a tool. I don't need to protect him anymore."

Jinx hesitated for a moment before finishing. Her mind flickered with memories of Vi from years past. Vi's thoughts hadn't changed much—it was almost easy to predict what her sister would say or do.

'Yes, they could go anywhere after all this. But then…'

'Why won't you just trust me, Vi? Why can't we take this risk together? Are you afraid of failing? Of me? Even if it all goes wrong, does it really matter? If we die, we die together.'

Knock!

A loud knock echoed from the iron door at the top of the stairs.

"Powder," Vi said softly, smiling.

"Don't forget who you are, Jinx. Get some rest tonight. I'll take the bandages off before morning—I'll carry some of the burden tomorrow if I have to."

Knowing she'd lingered too long, Vi stood and offered a few final words of encouragement before leaving.

Jinx nodded and smiled, waving her sister off. But as the heavy door clanged shut and the flickering candlelight disappeared, plunging the dungeon back into darkness, her expression changed.

Sitting up on the cold stone bed, her luminous blue eyes glinted in the shadows. She muttered to herself, her voice filled with a chaotic mix of bitterness and defiance:

"Jinx? Powder? Powder's long gone. Jinx is Jinx. Stupid!"