Olive and Vi were just leaving Olive's old house when they heard running footsteps on the sidewalk, coming closer. Soon, Caitlyn came into view, and gestured for them to hurry up.
"The next council meeting. They moved it up. To tonight," she said, opening the gate for them. "We need to be ready."
Olive's heart felt ready to beat out of her chest. She and Vi were waiting just beyond the doors to the Council's meeting room, waiting for the signal for them to enter. Vi stood beside her, her face unreadable. The only hint Olive had to how she felt was the subtle sign of Vi's clenched jaw that she could see out of her peripheral vision. Before she knew it, Cailtyn was leading them into the room where each council members' eyes instantly latched onto the three of them. Olive could feel their eyes burning through her skin, reopening searing wounds that had barely healed. Vi's hand suddenly clenched around hers for a moment, a reassurance Olive didn't know she needed. Caitlyn introduced Vi but then trailed off as she turned to Olive.
"Olive Whitlock..." Salo murmured. His piercing eyes were slowly looking her and Vi up and down.
"This is ludicrous!" Hoskel suddenly thundered, pounding a fist on the table. "You have some nerve-"
"Excuse me!" Mrs. Kiramman cut him off with a sharp tone. "Calm your temper, Hoskel," she hissed.
"Please, we just need your ears, only for a moment," Caitlyn continued for her mother, stepping forward. She nodded towards Olive to signal that she should speak.
"I'm sure you're all aware of the...events that took place a year ago. Or where I've been since then," Olive began. "I would never believe it if I hadn't experienced it for myself. But, the undercity...it's being ravaged. Its inhabitants, eaten alive by shimmer and fighting for their lives every day. They're being run into the ground by violent crime lords, led by the puppeteer who rules over them all. Silco." A quiet round of gasps left the councilors' mouths.
"Silco? The industrialist? We've conducted investigations of him, there has been no sign of such organization." Bolbok questioned.
"And who led these investigations?" Olive snapped, now glowering. She knew. They all knew. Marcus, the dirty police chief that raided her home and ended her life. Marcus, the one who had held her at gunpoint on the bridge before being blown to bits by firelights. Bolbok sighed.
"What does he even want from us?"
"Power. He believes the undercity should be independent. He calls it the Nation of Zaun." Olive continued, knowing that she had the councilors wrapped in her words now. Jayce Talis suddenly cuts in, lifting a familiar object onto the table. One of Jinx's bombs.
"And who is responsible for this?" He asks, returning Olive's glower. Olive opened her mouth and glanced at Vi, but Vi nodded and stepped forward.
"Her name is Jinx," Vi said, finally speaking.
"And this Jinx has the gemstone?" Jayce asked. Vi nodded. "Then we need to go in by force."
"That could trigger war!" Another councilor protested.
"There are good people down there," Olive joined in, not having expected this sudden turn. A different councilor grunted.
"Yeah, about as good as your mother," The official muttered under his breath. Olive felt her swallowed anger flare inside of her.
"What the fuck did you just say?" She demanded, hurtling forward to where the offender was sitting. Caitlyn hurried forward to hold her back.
"Perhaps there is a diplomatic solution," Mrs. Kiramman interjected, looking desperate to calm the fire that had been started.
YOU ARE READING
In the Darkest Corners (Vi x Reader)
FanfictionVi had spent the last seven years of her life in and out of prison, fighting any and everyone that crossed her without admonition. She eventually became tempted to accept that maybe this was all her life was going to be, and maybe she did lose every...
