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Overview

"The Message Hidden Within the Pattern" is the sixth episode of the second season of Arcane, and the 15th overall.

Synopsis[]

Healing comes from a familiar face in an unfamiliar place. A stunning betrayal threatens to change countless lives.

Plot[]

Vi, Jinx, Isha, and Warwick travel to Viktor's commune, hoping he can cure Warwick. They encounter Huck at the commune entrance, whereupon Vi accuses him of being a traitor due to him previously selling out her and Caitlyn to Silco. Huck admits that Vi saw him at his worst back then, before claiming that Viktor has cured him of his past self. He then insists that Vi's group turn over their weapons, claiming the commune to be a place of peace; Jinx responds by drawing her pistol on him, but relents after Vi drops her Hextech gauntlets. As the group heads into the commune, Isha pockets the Hextech Gemstones used to power the gauntlets.

When presented with Warwick, Viktor attempts to delve into his mind, finding Vander enshrined within Warwick's feral nature. Despite an initial lack of success and a warning from Sky that his power may not be enough to save Vander, Viktor agrees to see what he can do, on the condition that Warwick be restrained at night. Over the next few days, he and Sky gradually begin to unravel Vander from Warwick, awakening more of Vander's memories of Vi and his other loved ones.

Around the same time that Viktor finds success with Warwick, Ambessa, Rictus, Singed, Caitlyn, and Ambessa's soldiers arrive at the commune. Huck's attempts to deny the armed group entry are met with Ambessa silently ordering Rictus to advance on him, before Singed deescalates the situation by offering to head into the commune and speak with Viktor, having deduced him to be the true identity of the commune's Herald. Ambessa agrees to let him go, but has her troops prepare to move on the commune that night.

Singed finds Viktor within Warwick's quarters of the commune, where Viktor is unsuccessfully attempting to heal Warwick further. The older man remarks that Viktor's power is not unlimited, but nevertheless marvels at his former pupil's transformation. Referring to Viktor and Warwick as the apexes of Hextech and Shimmer, the doctor proposes that Viktor use Warwick's blood to save himself, adding that such a thing would bring humanity closer to being free of death. While sympathetic to his goal, Viktor notes that such a thing would kill Vander, whom he sees as a man instead of a mere specimen. Unwilling to forsake a man who needs his help, Viktor declines the doctor's proposition and dismisses him. Singed agrees to leave, but warns Viktor that if he dies, his commune will likely perish with him.

As Singed departs, Vi spots him leaving and tails him into the rock formations surrounding the commune. As she does so, Caitlyn - who initially does not recognize her - ambushes and takes her down before identifying her as her former comrade. Both women exchange barbs, before Vi notices Noxian soldiers in the surrounding area. She asks Caitlyn about them, to which Caitlyn explains her and Ambessa's mission to capture Warwick before asking Vi why she came to the formations. Vi tells her of her attempt to save Vander, which causes Caitlyn to realize he and Warwick are the same individual.

Within the Noxian camp, Singed tells Ambessa about Viktor's intention of saving Vander, and warns her that such a thing would render them unable to make use of Warwick. Ambessa states they will have to force Viktor's hand, and Singed offers to use a concoction of his to inhibit Viktor's efforts. Their conversation is then interrupted when Caitlyn enters the tent with a handcuffed Vi, now sporting a bruise on her left cheek. Elsewhere, Jayce approaches the commune from a nearby canyon.

Vi is chained to a post within Ambessa's tent; she snarls and spits at Caitlyn, who silently wipes the spittle off her face while giving her former comrade a cold look. Ambessa then dispatches her and Singed into the commune to attend to Warwick, Caitlyn leaving her rifle in the tent as she departs. As this happens, Jinx observes Warwick's quarters from the roof of a nearby building, before spotting Isha sneaking into the commune. The younger girl joins Jinx on the roof and hands over her shock pistol, having smuggled it past Viktor's followers; taking the pistol back, Jinx admits that taking care of Isha has given her a new perspective on life. She then spots Singed and Caitlyn approaching Warwick, and levels her pistol at them.

In her camp, Ambessa talks to the restrained Vi about Caitlyn's past feelings for her, before thanking her for creating a vulnerability in Caitlyn's heart that Ambessa was able to exploit. She admits that she would have considered recruiting Vi to work for her under different circumstances, before picking up a dagger and indicating that she sees the other woman as a potential distraction for Caitlyn. Vi replies that Caitlyn is not distracted, and tells Ambessa of three things Vander told her to do to win a person's trust. The first was to be honest, which she uses as an excuse to insult the Noxian. The second was to be patient; she admits to having trouble with this but notes that being tied up helps with it. Ambessa then asks what the third thing is, to which Vi replies, "Just shut... the fuck... up."

Looking over at Caitlyn's discarded rifle, Ambessa notices that it is missing its net projectile. Recalling that it was also gone when Caitlyn left the rifle in the tent earlier, she realizes that Caitlyn has tricked and betrayed her just as Vi finishes picking the lock to her cuffs. Furious, the general throws her dagger at Vi, who dodges the blade before pulling out the missing net projectile and throwing it into the air. As it descends, a flashback reveals that Caitlyn had agreed to help Vi rescue Vander soon after subduing her, providing information about Ambessa's patrols within the area to allow Vander to be smuggled out of the commune. Vi's supposed capture and handover was done to have her serve as a distraction to Ambessa and the other Noxians; to that end, Caitlyn gave her the net projectile from her rifle, and Vi had Caitlyn hit her on her left cheek to sell the ruse that she had been taken captive, before allowing Caitlyn to cuff her and bring her to Ambessa.

As the flashback finishes, Vi punches the net projectile at Ambessa, setting it off and causing it to restrain her against a table before electrocuting her into unconsciousness. Within the commune, Jinx - whom Vi had informed of her plan beforehand - watches as Caitlyn puts Singed into a stranglehold and chokes him out before he can inject Warwick with his serum. As this happens, Vi mockingly expresses hope that she was worth Ambessa's time, before taking Caitlyn's rifle as the general passes out.

With Singed subdued, Caitlyn kneels next to Warwick and tells him she has come to help him. Before he can respond, Rictus suddenly appears and grabs Caitlyn by the neck, intending to strangle her to death for her betrayal of Ambessa. Jinx however comes to Caitlyn's rescue and briefly fights Rictus; he proves too much to handle for her though, using magic-absorbing runes on his glaive to counter her Hextech-powered shock pistol before grabbing one of her braids and pinning her to the ground. He raises his glaive to finish her, but Warwick dashes in front of him and blocks the blow with his body. Speaking in Vander's voice, he coldly tells the comparatively smaller Rictus not to touch his daughter before bodily throwing him through a window of the building.

As Caitlyn recovers, she sees Jinx embracing Warwick and angrily calls out to her. Jinx pays her little mind however, and Vi and Isha enter the room moments later, allowing Caitlyn to see the two sisters have reconciled. Vi gives Caitlyn an apologetic look, before she, Jinx, Warwick and Isha enjoy a happy reunion, Vander seemingly saved.

Elsewhere in the commune, Jayce is bought to Viktor's quarters by one of the residents, whereupon he uses his Mercury Hammer to blast his former partner in the chest, seemingly killing him. As a result of this, Viktor's followers let out screams before collapsing dead, the noise causing Vi, Caitlyn, Jinx and Isha to emerge from Warwick's quarters to investigate the disturbance. Moments after they leave, Warwick reverts back to his feral personality, implied to be the result of losing Viktor's calming influence/Singed managing to inject him with his serum while the others were distracted. With Vander once again lost, Warwick bursts out of the building while crying tears of lava, before spotting the recovering Rictus and mauling him to death. Immediately after this, the rest of Vi and Caitlyn's group spot Ambessa watching them from nearby; enraged at both Rictus's death and Caitlyn's betrayal, the Noxian has her soldiers charge at them.

As the Noxians begin their attack, Viktor delivers a monologue about humanity being a weakness, seeing it as a supposed "message hidden within the pattern". Within the commune, Vi is wounded by a Noxian glaive while trying to stop Ambessa's soldiers from slaying Warwick, prompting Caitlyn to come to her aid. Jinx meanwhile attempts to calm Warwick, but he knocks her down with a powerful backhand. Seeing Jinx on the ground and Vi injured, Isha picks up Jinx's dropped shock pistol and loads the two Hextech Gemstones she pocketed earlier into it, before running towards Warwick, recalling memories of the time she and Jinx spent together as she does so. Jinx realizes that Isha intends to sacrifice herself to save the others, and desperately calls out to her in an attempt to stop her, before Vi restrains her to keep her from getting close to the girl. Taking up a position next to Warwick, Isha smiles and makes a gunshot gesture at Jinx as a farewell, before aiming the shock pistol into the sky and pulling the trigger, setting off a devastating explosion.

Following this, Viktor concludes that humanity can inspire people to do both great good and great evil.

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