Luxurious Anarchy (Lux/Jinx)

Chapter 17: Heat Seeker

"Scatter!" screamed Caitlyn, the warning cry echoing up and down the avenue as the Enforcer's dashed for cover, rifles tucked to shoulders and eyes wide behind their goggles.

"I think they saw the sign, my heart," Lux murmured from behind her light-bending glamor on the bridge above the avenue. She frowned, glowing golden eyes following one enforcer running with her respirator hanging off her neck, watching the way she scurried and slid.

It was just her and Jinx up on the bridge. Jinx had been right, some of Wrencher's men had come back with their gangs, ready to offer tribute to the new baroness. But not enough for Plan A, just a few dozen with only six repeater rifles amongst them. So after a quick huddle, Jinx had issued her first orders as chem-baroness, to clear the inner circle of her territory of all souls, and to lie low in the fortress until the shooting stopped. Confused but happy to not be in the line of fire with a literal army, those were orders eagerly followed.

A catnap, two pots of coffee, and a shared sandwich later, Plan B was born.

Which brought Lux back to the now, and she shook her head, touched her own respirator to confirm its placement, and looked away from the smoking Enforcer and back to her beloved heart. Leaning against the railing of the pockmarked scrap iron construct, similarly obscured by Lux's magic, Jinx cackled sullenly, her mood foul ever since locking Vi up in one of the old chem-baron's spare bedrooms. "Yeah, look at the blues and brass run! Ahh, shame that Vi's actually around, or we could get this party started."

Lux arched one eyebrow at her soulmate, the thread of dishonesty begging to be plucked from her soul, "You'd shoot Caitlyn? Vi's soulmate?"

The smaller woman hunched in on herself, ducking her head and snarling, "Yes, the fucking Sheriff of the Enforcers? Fuck yeah I'd shoot her, two for two! Go team not lapdo-"

"Jinx."

One word, half stern, half concerned, and Jinx shook her head, crouching down on the bridge. "No, I- I don't know. She's my sister's soulmate, she's the sheriff, but she makes Vi happy, she's leading a fucking army to our doorstep, but she's to Vi what you're to me, and I'm... I'm a jinx."

Crouching down to sit next to her beloved, Lux threw one arm around Jinx's shoulders, careful to keep her wand spinning to maintain the vision-bending sheet of magic hiding them.

"My love, look at me," Lux whispered, and gently shook Jinx's shoulder when the bluenette tried to turn away from her. Neon pink eyes met radiant gold, and Lux's heart cried out to see the glittering pink tears running down her love's cheeks.

"What, I am Jinx, and it stands for jinx!" she cried, her voice cracking as she fought to keep her sorrow quiet. "I- I- you're still here, and I know in my soul you'll stay. B-but it's gonna hurt you, and I'm sorry, but I'm b-broken and a jinx and-"

Lux grunted, and pushed Jinx down onto the bridge, letting the illusion fall as she draped herself on top of the crying young woman, her soulmate, dropping both of them out of the Enforcer's line of sight. "It's okay babygirl, you're having a rough day. Vi said a lot of mean things when we locked her in, and while it was nice getting Wrencher out of the way I'm sure Mylo's behavior was a shock, but I'm here Sunflower, I'll never go. Just let it out, it's okay, we have a few minutes."

Jinx nodded, and began to cry in earnest, great wails and sobs. As the tears began to fall, Lux stretched her talent as best she could. Tapping her wand against the bridge so that the prismatic tip sang, she crafted panels of hard light, concealing the two of them further and helping project the sound elsewhere.

In short order, the entire fissure rang with the sound of Jinx's sobbing, the echo of heart-wrenching sorrow coming from everywhere and nowhere all at once. Lux kept her head raised just enough to watch the Enforcers below them become more and more unnerved, visibly twitching at each wail and tear-filled cry. Minutes later, as leading elements of the Home Guard marched down the avenue, Lux choked down laughter at the sight. Five men abreast, the first three ranks almost tripped over themselves, seeing Wrencher sway under the bridge, hearing the sobbing coming from nowhere.