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“-fucking touch her!”
Caitlyn can hear through the ringing in her ears as she comes to consciousness. Caitlyn can feel the pounding pain in her skull as she is thrown to the ground. She barely manages to catch herself on her arms as the ground rushes up towards her. Her mind recalls waiting for the bomb to go off as she used the dead Noxian soldier as cover for the explosion. Looking towards the mutated Noxian dragging the orb with Viktor before a blow just above her ear sending her mask to the ground. Then, she remembers the first lungful of the Grey then everything went dark.
The feeling of dried blood on the back of her neck and that turned the fabric of her shirt stiff gives her a clue that the blow that knocked her out was delivered to the back of her head. The feeling of glass in her lungs and sand in her eyes lets her know the effects of the Grey are still running through her. She coughs to try to expel the Grey and takes several deep breaths to get fresh air in her lungs.
‘Gods, that hurts.’
“You fucking traitor,” Caitlyn’s heart sinks as she recognizes the pained voice.
‘No, no, no. You’re not supposed to be here.’
As her eyes continue to burn, Caitlyn looks up and feels sick. Her eyes land on Steb and the other fighters that we on her strike team kneeling with hands interlaced behind their heads as Noxians standing behind them, spears at the ready. But off to the side she sees Vi, face bruised to hell and bleeding from several slashes to her arms and torso. Caitlyn watches as three Noxians hold Vi still as the woman’s face is the image of rage incarnate.
Her vision of Vi is brought to an abrupt end as she feels a boot drive into her ribs sending her into the dirt. Another kick to her abdomen forces the air out of her lungs with a second kick to her sternum as a follow-up.
“FUCKING BIT-” Vi’s response is cut off as the sounds of several blows fills the air. Wheezing a pained breath, Caitlyn sees one of the Noxians that was holding Vi in place pulling his arm back to deliver another punch to Vi. Dark blue pants cut off her view of Vi and the sound of another blow landing can be heard. One of the legs slams into her chest as the Noxian soldier continues to beat the restrained Vi.
“You had the chance for greatness, Commander,” Maddie’s voice is laced with vitriol as Caitlyn looks up to see her once companion’s face. No longer covered by the enforcer mask but under the mask like the Noxian soldiers around them. The redhead’s rifle slung over her shoulder. The sounds of Vi’s beating abruptly end as Caitlyn hears heavy footfalls.
“I warned you of the hazards of professional entanglements,” Ambessa’s voice comes from the side. Caitlyn doesn’t get a chance to look towards the warlord before a hand is fisted in her hair, pulling her to a kneeling position. The hand in her hair remains as she is forced to look at Ambessa. The general looks every bit of a war goddess as she approaches in her golden mask.
“No” Cait can hear Vi utter as the warlord approaches Caitlyn and Maddie.
“General,” Caitlyn hears the sound of fist slamming into an armored chest as the traitor behind her salutes Ambessa. The hand in her hair is gone and Caitlyn is a second too slow as Ambessa’s clawed boot smashes into her stomach. The wind is forced out of her and she feels the blood flowing from the three gouges in her stomach.
“You threw away a chance to avenge your mother. And for what?” Ambessa’s hand grabs the shoulder strap of her armor before sending a hammer like punch to her face. Caitlyn sees stars as she is shoved to the ground. As the stars dissipates Caitlyn can see drops of blood hitting the ground from her nose and mouth as well as from the bloody gouges on her stomach.
“Your flunky is dead because of me. Take it out on me, you warpig!” Vi’s voice sounds scared and enraged. Caitlyn hears Ambessa’s heavy footfall step away from her and Caitlyn uses all her strength to grab one of the red ropes on the warrior’s boot. The sudden resistance is enough to make Ambessa’s steps falter. As Caitlyn looks up at Ambessa there is a report of a gunshot –instantly she feels a lance of fire in her abdomen. The sickening sound and sight of a waterfall of blood and viscera hitting the ground follows.
“CAIT! FUCK! STOP! CAIT!!!!” any rage in Vi’s voice is gone and Caitlyn feels her heart break at fear in Vi’s voice.
“Don’t worry, Vi. Gut shot - excruciating but not immediately fatal,” Maddie’s voice sounds miles away and Cait can see Ambessa’s boots disappear from her view.
“Sit her up. She gets to watch.” If Caitlyn was in pain before it is sheer agony as Maddie’s drags Caitlyn across the ground for several feet before pulling her up to a kneeling position. Maddie’s grip on the back of her neck is like iron. A wet cough is ripped from her throat and the copper taste of blood floods Cait’s mouth. Her eyes lock on to Vi and the terror in those grey eyes is palpable – but Cait knows that it isn’t terror for Vi’s own fate but for her own.
“Kill the enforcers. Make it hurt,” Ambessa bares her teeth like a wolf as she gives the command.
“Cait, just look at me. Don’t watch. Just look at me,” Vi pleads with her as the first sounds of torment fills the air. Caitlyn’s eyes remain fixed on the grey of Vi’s as her allies are massacred around her.
“Just like, Mel. Unable to watch as blood is spilled,” Ambessa’s taunting voice cuts through the final death throes of the defenders. Caitlyn’s vision swims with black dots as the warlord approaches Vi. The Noxian soldiers pull Vi up to her feet and one holds her up with his arms hooked under her armpits.
“Please,” Caitlyn’s voice sounds weak even to her, “this can stop with my death. Please, stop.”
“Don’t worry, Commander. It will stop with you,” Ambessa calls out to Caitlyn as she holds her arms to the side. Two soldiers approach and Caitlyn’s stomach – what’s left of it from the massive hole in her gut – drops as the Atlas gauntlets are brought to the warlord. Ambessa places her hands inside the gauntlets and their whirl to life.
“But your betrayal must be addressed.” There is a gruesome sound as the Atlas gauntlet slams in Vi’s side before the other annihilates the brawler’s knee.
“PLEASE STOP!” Caitlyn fights through her agony to pull against Maddie and is rewarded with a punch to her wound. Caitlyn and Vi fall to the ground at the same time. Her attempt to crawl towards Vi is cut short as Maddie stomps on the entry wound before pressing all of her weight on the wound.
She watches Ambessa deliver several more blows to Vi before the darkness thankfully overtakes her.