Chapter Text
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VI opens her eyes and smiles, enjoying the breeze on her face. She notices how close she is to Piltover. She is finally coming home to Zaun. Ekko interrupts her daydream. "Hey, VI, do you feel weird about coming home too?" Ekko asks with a smile.
"Honestly, a little bit. I haven't been here since... I lost my family," Vi replies.
He nods understandingly. "Well, hopefully, we won't have to stay long. It depends on how quickly we can devise a good plan." Ekko says, sitting down next to VI.
"Do you think we'll be able to do it? I mean, they are a powerful family. Their security must be top-notch. The chances of us finding a way in aren't in our favor." Vi asks, feeling doubt.
"We have to try. The contract is life-changing. It won't be easy, but what do we have to lose?" Ekko says.
"Oh, I don't know. Let's see, our freedom? Maybe our heads? You name it." VI laughs, but fear creeps into her voice. "There's a reason no one takes that stupid contract, Ekko. It's a death sentence." VI crosses her arms.
“Living in poverty is also a death sentence, Vi. We have to try. If we pull it off, we never have to worry about anything ever again.” Ekko tried to encourage her.
“I still think it's a dumb idea,” Vi mutters under her breath.
“All ideas are dumb." Ekko stands up and walks away. Leaving Vi sitting by herself.
Though she had a bad feeling about this contract. She knew Ekko was right. No matter how foolish the idea was, they had nothing to lose. Regardless of how many things could go wrong. They don't have anything here or back home—nothing but poverty.
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The group of seven thieves finally arrived in Piltover after a long journey. They all exchanged glances simultaneously as they could see the large Kiramman Mansion from afar. They nodded in acknowledgment, realizing that there was no turning back now. They had to do whatever it took to complete their mission inside that mansion.
A few days after settling into town, Vi sat calmly at the front bar, sipping a drink while watching Sevika gamble and cheat a few unsuspecting patrons out of their coins. Meanwhile, Mylo, Claggor, Maddie, and Loris enjoyed the company of local Omegas and Alphas.
Vi wasn’t interested in either of those activities. She hadn’t been for a long time. So, drinks and boredom were her only companions. Her thoughts were interrupted by Mylo’s loud voice. “Ekko! Our boy savior is back!”
Ekko rolled his eyes at Mylo's loud voice. He didn't acknowledge him. He kept walking towards Vi. The rest of the group noticed Ekko's serious expression. The lively atmosphere instantly shifted. They stopped their activities and followed him. “We need to talk—in private,” Ekko says.
They all follow him without question down to the basement of the bar they were renting. Once they were all gathered around, Ekko spoke again. “Well, I have either terrible news or excellent news. It depends on how you guys see it.”
They all instinctively knew it was more likely to be bad news. “Spill it, Ekko. What's wrong now?” Vi asked.
“Our plan to get to Cassandra Kiramman is now dead,” Ekko announced.
Sevika hit the table in frustration. “Why?” She asked angrily.
Ekko looked at her, annoyed. “I haven't finished talking. Stop breaking everything down here. You’re paying for it.” He says. The rest of the group laughed while Sevika scoffed, annoyed.
Ekko continued, “She has retired from the council, and in doing so, she passed down the Kiramman key to her only daughter, Caitlyn Kiramman. The new leader of House Kiramman, but that's not even the worst part,” He wiped the sweat from his forehead, looking nervous.
Vi sighed dramatically, preparing for the impending disappointment. “What is it?” Vi asked with annoyance.
“She isn't just some rich girl with mommy issues. She’s also the Sheriff of Piltover.” Ekko finished speaking, then braced himself.
Everyone immediately expressed their anger and disappointment, except for Vi. Ekko noticed Vi's unreadable expression and moved closer to her. “You got nothing to say?” he asked.
“Robbing an old councilor was one thing, but robbing the Sheriff is something else. The plan is dead, Ekko. It's going to be our heads.” Vi sighs.
“You’re probably right. Becoming her friend isn’t likely to happen. She’s a cold-hearted princess, according to anyone who has interacted with her down here. She probably sees us as scum, but hey, maybe you can charm her? She’s an Alpha. If anyone has a chance, it's either you or Maddie.” He joked.
Vi laughed in response, “Yeah, sure. Do you think she prefers orange hair or pink hair?” Vi jokes, which earned an exaggerated laugh from Ekko.
“So what do we do now? The rest of the group asked.
Vi shrugged. “The plan is dead for now. So I’m going to enjoy the New Year’s fireworks show to the fullest tonight.” Vi sounded relaxed about the situation.
“You're thinking about sneaking into the mansion with the big tree, aren’t you? Don’t be dumb, Vi. If you get arrested, we’ll definitely be screwed.” Ekko warns her.
“We are already screwed, Ekko. Besides, that’s only if I get caught, duh. But I won’t, so don’t worry about it. If by any chance I do get caught, maybe I’ll become best friends with the Sheriff while I'm in jail,” Vi joked.
Ekko chuckled. “Well, good luck with that.” He knew he wasn't going to talk Vi out of the idea.
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Once night came, Vi was preparing herself to climb up to Piltover, using parkour. She took a deep breath before starting her ascent. Although she hadn’t done this since she was young, her body was moving like clockwork, not missing a step. "I guess you just don't forget how to do some things," she says aloud to herself.
Vi finally stopped midway through to take a small break. "Damn, I can still do it, but my stamina certainly needs some work." After taking a few deep breaths, she continued her ascent.
When she finally arrived at the top, she snuck into the mansion with the big, she calmly sat beside it to enjoy the fireworks show. They soon started going off, and they did not disappoint. She was in awe of how beautiful the fireworks looked against the night sky. Her mind eventually wandered off, completely immersing herself in the moment.
Unfortunately for Vi, she became so distracted that she didn't notice a figure approaching her until it was already too late. When she finally noticed, panic shot through her body. Vi jumped up and saw the enforcer standing behind her. Vi's heart started racing. Then she noticed something that made her situation even worse. It wasn’t just any enforcer. It was Sheriff Kiramman. Her badge was very clearly visible.
Vi froze, knowing that if she ran, the Sheriff would find her anyway. She fixed her gaze on the woman's face, almost accepting her fate. She was going to jail. The Sheriff looked at her with a curious smile. Vi watched her intently, mirroring the same curiosity, especially since the Sheriff hadn't said a single word or given her any orders. By now, Vi expected to hear her being called a thieving punk and to feel her face being shoved into the cold ground.
The sheriff was a tall and attractive woman with a high ponytail and a warm, charming smile. She looked like a far cry from the infamous so-called cold-hearted princess she had heard about. Vi's body tensed up when the woman took a step towards her, closing the distance between them. She didn’t know what to expect, but what happened next was certainly not at all what she expected. The Sheriff sat down next to her.
Vi just stood there, frozen, still unsure of what to do. "They are beautiful from up here, aren't they?" The sheriff asked, while smiling.
Vi swallowed nervously. She finally sat back down, nodding and smiling. "They are," Vi agreed, clearing her throat.
Vi couldn’t understand why the woman wasn't arresting her for trespassing on this random rich person's property. They both sat there enjoying the rest of the fireworks show in silence.
The Sheriff broke the silence first. "You should head back home and try not to trespass in the future." The Sheriff smiled while looking up at the sky.
Vi got up from her seat. "You’re not going to arrest me?" she questioned, immediately regretting her stupid question. She should have taken the woman's advice and run before she changed her mind.
The Sheriff looked at her, amused, as a small laugh escaped her throat. "Consider this a warning in good spirits of the new year." She smiled at Vi, still seemingly amused by her question.
The sheriff got up and began walking away, leaving Vi behind, stunned. Vi decided to take the Sheriff’s advice and return to Zaun, not wanting to push her luck.
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When Vi returned to Zaun, the first thing she did was find Ekko. "Dude, you won't believe what just happened to me!" She grabbed his shoulders and shook him.
"What?" he asks, annoyed that she was shaking him.
Vi took a few deep breaths. "So it turns out I was wrong. I did get caught when I snuck into the mansion." Vi confessed.
Ekko narrows his eyebrows in confusion. "Then how the hell are you in front of me right now? Did you run? Do we need to get the hell out of here right now!?" His voice sounded panicky.
"No, well, I don't think so," Vi replied with a shrug.
He looked even more confused. "Okay, what the hell?" Ekko was almost speechless.
"The person who caught me was the Sheriff, for whatever reason, she didn’t arrest me." Vi herself couldn't believe her luck.
"WHAT? How are you still breathing, woman? The sheriff just let you go, just like that?" Ekko questioned, stunned.
Vi shrugged. "She just sat beside me, and we watched the fireworks together. Then let me go with a warning." Vi says calmly.
"Dude, you know what this means, right?" He looked excited.
"That I got away with a crime?" Vi questions, raising her eyebrows.
"No, you doofus. You found a way in!" He rubs his hands together, excited.
Vi scoffed at the statement. "Ekko, just because she didn’t arrest me doesn’t mean we are best friends." Vi shakes her head.
"Not yet," Ekko smirked.
"Not yet?" Vi asked, confused.
"You’re going to go back to Piltover and bring her a gift to thank her for being kind to you," he said excitedly.
"You’re losing it, Ekko." Vi couldn't believe the ridiculous idea he had come up with.
"Vi, come on. It’s probably my best idea yet," he said, rubbing his hands together again.
"What if kindness only extended to tonight, and she arrests me for bothering her?" Vi did not like the idea at all.
"Well, my friend, that's just the risk you’ll have to take." He shrugs.
“Easy for you to say,” Vi says sarcastically.
"Relax, this might be our best shot at reaching that computer and copying all the Kiramman secrets." He grabbed Vi's shoulders and hugged her, excited about the new plan. “Alright, go get some rest." Ekko winked at Vi before leaving.
Vi felt uncertain about this new plan. Becoming friends with the Sheriff sounded insane. She thought Ekko had finally lost his mind. "I guess that’s the new stupid plan," She says out loud to herself, coming to terms with the new mission.
Vi didn’t totally mind the idea of seeing the good-looking, tall woman with the sexy accent again. Vi finally decided to get some rest to prepare for the upcoming endeavor.
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