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skvaderarts · 8 days ago

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Dinner and Diatribes

Chapter 5: The Fourth Principle

Summary: Word Count 35K!! AO3 Link

Jayce returns from the ruined future to fulfill his promise to Viktor, only to find him inconspicuously missing and his commune in shambles. As it turns out, his disappearance is the work of none other than Ambessa, twink hunter extraordinaire and connoisseur of only the finest local cuisine. And what cuisine could be more exquisite than the Herald of Zaun himself?

She isn't in the business of asking nicely, but perhaps a bribe is in order? After all, why ask when the stakes are this high, and you hold all the cards? A spicy meal just means more flavor, right? Jayce better hurry and find Viktor before she decides to have a taste and find out...

Chapter 4 Summary: With everything now taken care of and Jayce and Vi working together, it's time to set a particularly risky plan into motion. Meanwhile, Ambessa finally makes a move on Viktor and makes him an offer that might just be tempting enough to consider...

Chapters: (1) (2) (3) (4) Masterlist 5/5 Sequel Pending

Chapter 5: The Fourth Principle

Notes: I didn’t mean for there to be two weeks between chapters. Gah! I’ll explain why in the end-of-chapter notes, though. And something tells me you are REALLY going to enjoy what I have to say. So please, for all our sakes, READ THEM. Just this once, especially if you usually don’t. I’ll make it worth your time this go around. I promise. Thanks, and enjoy the chapter! I think I caught a cold writing this lol. Gonna go rest. 35k words will do that to you...

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His breath caught in his lungs, nearly choking him as she lingered there, her face mere inches from his own.

All at once, Viktor’s face fell. His bottom lip pouted slightly, showing just the slightest bit of his teeth as his pupils dilated noticeably. His eyelashes fluttered as he spiraled through multiple overwhelming emotions all at once, his color-shifting eyes darting through various shades of reddish pinks and browns in rapid succession, unable to find a balance. He was panicked, his nerves prickling like a frightened, cornered creature. And a small one at that, under the shadow of such a mighty opponent. Like a fox cornered against the edge of a cliff, throat bare to the teeth of the prowling wolf that had led it astray. And the wolf smirked.

Ambessa Medarda enjoyed many positions, but being in command was her favorite by far.

Hextech. So she knew, then?

Swallowing, he regarded her in silence, using every atom of his being to force himself into something resembling a composed state. His breath was heavy, and his eyes were intense, filled with unspoken fervor as he mentally disavowed the very notion of his own intuition. He remained the master of his own emotions as things stood. Or so he liked to believe. In truth, there was still that itch in the back of his skull, that gnawing ache that told him otherwise, as was its prerogative to disseminate fact from fiction. How much had the Hexcore changed about him, tweaked for its benefit?

He forced his mind back to the task at hand. Back to what Ambessa had said to him and to a reality that he had to confront.

She’d ruffled his feathers and gotten well and truly under his skin for a moment in time. That would not go unnoticed by her, of that he was certain. But it was a challenge that he could not afford to rise to a second time. Not to that extent. He would have to find a way through gritted teeth and clenched jaws not to say something that he would live to regret.

But then there was the reality of it, again.

Viktor searched the recesses of his turbulent mind, recalling a commonality. A recursive impulse. A thread that connected every time that he’d ever become angry on Jayce’s behalf like that. And there certainly was one to take note of. Every sneer of disbelief and uncertainty as investors and professional rivals alike snickered at the most minute of his shortcomings. At every little insignificant stumble and stutter that those around them attempted to use to dismantle him. As Jayce tried his very best to be the consummate professional that he was expected to be. Ever pleasant and composed, never flinching under the lash of expectation.

Viktor, perhaps better than anyone, beheld the weight of Jayce’s silent anxiety. The gnawing sense that perhaps he was in over his head and wasn’t cut out for all of this, despite his best efforts to be precisely what everyone else needed him to be. Viktor’s lack of knowledge as to what he could do to alleviate it always cut him deeply. All the little, minuscule things that it changed about Jayce bit by bit over time, ebbing away at him like the eroded banks of a stone riverbed, washing up too much sediment for the waters to ever truly be clean and clear again. Jayce was Piltover’s Golden Boy, the Man of Progress. The face of Hextech. A visage of Piltover’s ardent vanity to be paraded and plastered about with no heed as to what that kind of pressure did to someone, because that consideration was never made. He was simply expected to step up and be the living embodiment of excellence and perfection, something he’d tried so very hard to be. And yet, he would forever be all of those things to the world before he could simply be allowed to be Jayce Talis. Scientist. Friend.

Truthfully, Viktor had known that he should inquire as to what Jayce needed from him to help alleviate his burdens and take that weight off of his weary shoulders. But he also knew that Jayce would smile at him warmly, place his hand upon his shoulder with all the gentleness inherent in his soul, and that he would tell him nothing. Not to lose sleep over it. Ask him to let him worry about that. For to have Viktor agonize about him was a different kind of failure entirely. One he would not tolerate. So he’d never asked. And now he wished that he had.

For every time Jayce had offered him aid or attempted to comfort him in his most vulnerable moments, Viktor wished that he’d known more about what to do for him during his. That he’d taken a leap of faith and simply placed his hand on his shoulder, attempted to initiate touch when he’d known that he needed it. Been that reassuring presence that he’d known that Jayce craved and appreciated instead of hovering just far enough away to be untouchable for fear that he’d hurt him worse. That he’d risked doing something potentially meaningful and just apologized for it later, should it have been the wrong thing to do at the time.

They’d both been so much happier when Jayce had just been… Jayce.

When the two of them had been wide-eyed fledglings, eager to jump from the nest together and glide out over the bright, beautiful world on their own two wings. Before the damage had been done.

It was an unspoken fact that he’d never liked seeing people view Jayce as anything but the intelligent, loving person that he was. Jayce was not perfect and never would be, but there was no doubt in his heart that he always tried. His good nature was infallible. It was simply the type of man that he was. Something Viktor had always admired about him.

Viktor took a breath and composed himself. Then he looked up at Ambessa.

"Jayce is many things, General Medarda, but he is not a fool. And I will not see him maligned." Viktor’s tone was firm and commanding, unyielding in its magnitude. He did not raise his voice, but he was sure that he’d spoken with no prevarication, his sentiments now crystal clear. On this, he would not budge. Jayce was not there to defend his own honor, so he would do it for him. Gladly.

Ambessa leaned back, folding her arms loosely across her chest as she took in the sight of him. There was something unreadable in her eyes as she processed the remark, making note of something he couldn’t fathom. Her eyes drifted out over the terrace to her right, and to the night sky beyond. And then she turned her attention back to him, something subtle in her eyes that Viktor couldn’t place but also couldn’t help but glimpse. She didn’t seem upset by the assertion. Far from it. She almost seemed impressed that he’s been so firm with her.

Perhaps a different approach was in order…

Ambessa relaxed her shoulders ever so slightly, her demeanor taking on a more casual air as she beheld him. He was getting defensive, building fortified walls with the intention of keeping her out. She would get nowhere meaningful with him at arm's length. Cornered as her quarry was, he was still willing to mark the threshold of his territory, make the line that she was not to cross abundantly clear. And that was something she could begrudgingly respect. But bold and emotional as the little fox was, he was still a logical creature, as was she. Maybe it was time to appeal to other aspects of his sensibilities.

"And yet, I would assert that he has no issue seeing your contributions to his enterprise overlooked." She spoke with the assurance of a person who wholly assumed herself to be correct, regardless of the validity of the statement. Her tone was cool and calm. It carried a tinge of truth, even if the whole of her statement was flawed. "It took quite a lot of digging to find any record of you. And even then, I'm only just now learning your name."

Viktor balked at the notion instinctively, unwilling to humor it on principle, but equally disinclined to reveal his distaste in its full glory. His response needed to be measured and calculated, even if it did wholeheartedly unsettle him. How fascinating it was to feel such vibrant emotions again. He was rapidly starting to understand why the Hexcore had dampened them to the degree that it had. He was far more predictable and level-headed without them, even if he didn’t allow them to rule him by any notable measure. Far easier to influence and control.

"I was not fond of signing documentation." He said simply, his eyes drifting downward slightly. It was the truth, if not a simplified one devoid of any meaningful details. Stripped down to its barest elements like over-filed metal. He had his own reasons for not signing the majority of Hextech’s documentation, a lack of desire to do so among them. But so was a desire to stand out on his own accord. His own merit as a scientist was notable, too. Viktor was content to allow the publicity and fame to fall to Jayce for their shared efforts. He did not envy him or his fame. The Hexgates were glorious, but they were not the sort of thing he’d been passionate about creating, even if he was proud of what they’d accomplished together. When something positive and truly meaningful to the day-to-day lives of the common people came to fruition, when something he genuinely wanted to be remembered for came about, then he would bother.

He imagined that it would be a complicated notion to explain to General Medarda. And so he didn’t. They simply shared a difference in perspective as to what was considered notable and important to them. One too wide to bridge. Another means to fattening the wallets of the trade guilds wasn’t something he cared all that much about in the grand scheme of things. It had been an important learning opportunity, a chance to refine their shared skills. Now they could do something better.

Or they could have…

The dull ache returned to his chest as he pushed down the feeling that he felt well up inside of him again. He recognized it this time. Despair. How had he ever forgotten it?

His pause didn’t go unnoticed by Ambessa the same way that it went unnoticed by Viktor. It was evident that he was thinking, contemplating something deeply and methodically. But she had more questions. And she did not possess an abundance of patience when it came to receiving answers. She never had.

"Content to fade into obscurity?" The question was genuine, even if her tone was ever so slightly sardonic. Of course he wasn’t. How could he be? Ambessa had never known a great mind that didn’t wish to be known for something. That was content with mediocrity.

Viktor shook his head, his voice unwavering. "I did not do this for glory."

She huffed. She was willing to believe that. His choice of location when it came to the amassing of his following made that sentiment more believable at face value. The commune, for all of its glittering splendor and radiance, was hidden away from the outside world, unknown to those it was not meant for. It was about the work. About the security required to carry out the task at hand. And yet, there was more to it than that, wasn’t there?

"Yet, I gather recognition of your contributions is still important to you? No one is that altruistic." Ambessa studied him cautiously, taking note of the conflicted look in his eyes. It was subtle. He did a good job of concealing it, but it was still noticeable if one knew what to look for. And the longer that the two of them spent speaking to one another, the more she was learning to pick up on the subtle tells and cues of his body language. She was willing to take a stab in the dark and assume that perhaps, just this once, that someone was being fully transparent with her. That his naivete was that severe. That his heart was truly so filled with compassion that it stood in opposition to every cruelty that had been hammered into him by life.

"You want to be known for something. Remembered by the populace at large, even if you do not wish to bask in the publicity. Every great mind does." Her tone softened gradually as she spoke, but her conviction did not. It was a core part of the indomitable human spirit to want to leave a lasting imprint on the world. To do something that reminded people that you had lived long after your demise. To be known and recollected. Remembered. Why would he be any different? "I could give you that."

Viktor’s head tilted to the side as he beheld her, his brow creasing just a bit. And what would that legacy be, exactly? He was in no doubt as to the truthfulness of that statement. He imagined that Ambessa herself was already a woman of great renown back in her home province of Noxis. She was a General and the matriarch of a noble house. Her family name was held in great regard. But much of that reputation and prestige went against his principles. He’d heard whispers of her when she’d first arrived in town. Of her escapades and the destruction that followed. Whispers that only reinforced the notion that nothing peaceful could be accomplished through cooperation with her. And he would not betray the people of Zaun. He would not be an instrument of war. Viktor could not betray himself.

His eyes locked with her own, just as sincere and unfaltering. Filled with righteous conviction. And for the first time since their evening rendezvous had begun, they shifted fully brown again and stayed that way. "I will leave a lasting positive impact on this world, or I will leave no impact at all."

The pair stared one another down in silence for a minute, neither backing down. It appeared that their battle of wills had reached a stalemate. And although she didn’t display even the slightest glimpse of it, Ambessa was more enamored than ever. His defiance was unwelcome, yes, but his resolve was staggering, far beyond what she’d thought someone so small and unimposing could invoke. He was a force of nature. Truly a wolf wearing the skin of a fox. Why hadn’t Mel picked this one?

"Your intentions are admirable, but your energy is misplaced." She continued almost too gently. She allowed her arms to relax at her sides, her eyes never leaving his. Her gaze eased. "You have merit. Do not squander it."

Viktor sighed softly, his anger fully leaving him. It was a compliment, one that felt genuine and almost imploring in its rare, unguarded sincerity. He didn’t get the impression that Ambessa Medarda was well known for giving those out. He was almost flattered. Almost. "I will not be your weapon."

It was her turn to look perplexed as her brow creased and the bottom corner of her lip quirked up just enough to be noticeable. She quite literally gave him a sideways look, a sound somewhere between a scoff and a chuckle escaping her chest through closed lips. Suddenly, she seemed as surprised as he did, entertained by the very notion.

"And why do you think I want you to be?" Something about the way she spoke, the gentle humor of it, the way that she glanced at him as though she were assessing something about him. How completely comical she seemed to find the very notion to be. It was utterly disarming. It was the most genuine question she’d asked him thus far. "I've seen your little community, you’re "commune" as you call it. I do not get the impression that it was built on the back of magic alone."

Viktor remained silent and let his guard fall just a little more. Was it conceivable that he’d grossly misread her intentions? He would not pretend to know everything, but… she now had his full attention. He needed to reassess. It was possible that he had not fully given her the benefit of the doubt, and understandably so. She had kidnapped him, after all. He didn’t owe her the benefit of the doubt by any means. But he would hear her out.

Realizing that he was genuinely listening, the corner of her mouth pulled up into something resembling a smirk, but there was no air of mockery to it. The gesture was meant to be approving; that was clear as day. “Perhaps now we can attempt to get on the same page, then?” She seemed to be asking him without speaking the words.

"You inspire loyalty. Fealty. And you possess the leadership and administrative skills required to lay the groundwork for visible, meaningful change. Qualities that the right people see as a challenge." This time, Viktor allowed himself to be slightly flattered by her words. He didn’t need to ask if giving empty commendations was beneath her dignity. He knew it to be. Ambessa seemed to weigh something in her mind, assessing the pros and cons of what she wanted to say next before landing on an acceptable outcome. Her tone was firm when she next spoke, neutral. But her statement was far less so. Clearly, she knew she was peeling the scab off of an old wound. "No wonder Mr Talis was keen to keep you hidden behind closed doors. Your ambitions could easily have overshadowed his own."

Viktor did a double-take, intaking a sharp breath as though he’d just been spat at. Scoffing. What precisely was she getting at? He felt the faintest vestiges of the bitterness he’d previously felt return, but he expunged them. He disagreed on principle, but if she was truly this determined to have this conversation, then he would humor her, even if he had to do it through clenched teeth. Maybe she thought she knew something that he didn’t.

"We were partners. I chose to stay in the lab because it was where I was most needed, and he took on the responsibilities that came with maintaining Hextech's public image." He resisted the urge to raise his voice even a little, speaking evenly and calmly despite the distaste that his eyes betrayed. He could not be convinced of anything negative about Jayce. What was there to be convinced of that he didn’t already know? "But we made our decisions together. We worked together."

"And yet, the most important decisions he made without your input, I take it." Her rebuttal was as swift as it was exacting. Despite the unpleasant nature of the conversation, it was evident that Viktor was not the one she was levying accusations against. But she did intend to get to the heart of the matter one way or another. She turned towards the terrace, glancing down at him out of the corner of her left eye. "He came to see me once. Right before the attack on the council. Did he tell you as much?"

Clenching his jaw, Viktor worried the inside of his cheek with the side of his tongue, pressing so hard against his teeth that it stung slightly. Viktor studied every centimeter of her face, but search as he might, he didn’t detect the slightest hint that she was deceiving him. His eyes softened just a bit as his mind wandered to the possible reasons Jayce might have for doing so. Some were innocent, and others were… less so. What had Jayce been doing with her? Had it been a simple meeting to greet her under the reasoning that he would have to meet Mel’s mother eventually? Had she summoned him there? Had it simply slipped his mind that the meeting had occurred amidst everything else that had no doubt been going on at the time? The uncertainty suddenly gnawed at him. He wished he could ask.

"He did… not."

It was not the first time that he’d been informed about something important that Jayce had failed to speak to him about until after it was already over. Viktor’s mind wandered back to the circumstances surrounding Heimerdinger’s dismissal as a member of the council. He’d found out completely by happenstance after the fact, and it had come as a complete shock to him. At the time, it had been one of many factors that had weakened his trust in him during an already trying time between the two of them. Viktor hadn’t felt comfortable pressing the issue at the time, not after their disagreement on the bridge. Just thinking back to that day left a bitter taste in his mouth, one that he’d long since thought he’d shaken. Had this happened during the same time frame? Surely it had… They’d made all of their worst decisions at the same time, hadn’t they?

What else did Ambessa know that he didn’t?

Ambessa allowed him time to simmer on the topic, seeing the conflict in his eyes. Those hue-shifting irises were a terrible tell to have, indeed. Not that his ability to suppress his gut reaction when he found something she said distasteful was much better. He wore his emotions on his sleeve. Perhaps with time, it was something she could teach him to suppress.

"Did you approve of his creation of those Hextech weapons he made for Caitlyn Kirraman's little strike team?" She inquired nonchalantly, still not fully facing him. The sun had finally fully set over the horizon, a haze settling over the harbor that threatened fog. It was going to be one of those hazy, chilly nights, then. "A staunch pacifist such as yourself would no doubt be at odds with your research being used to take lives. To aid the deeds of the very individuals filling the lungs of your people with toxic gas."

Viktor wanted to be angry. To coat his lips with venomous spittle and say something in defense of Jayce’s actions. But he couldn’t. In truth, he remembered the blueprints that General Medarda spoke of. He’d seen them with his own eyes sitting just to the side of Sky’s notebook. A messily compiled stack of potential atrocities waiting to be crafted if they already hadn’t been by the time he’d seen them. His fingertips had brushed against them when he’d reached down to pick up her notes. The one for the rifle had been especially troubling to him at the time; the implications of what ranged artillery could do to the people of Zaun were not lost on him. The gauntlets were far from harmless in capable hands, sure… but the gun…

"No. I did not. I objected. Vocally." Viktor confessed, weary of the topic already. To think that Jayce had sat by his side and crafted them, literally right under his nose… He liked to think that Jayce had enough of a conscience to feel conflicted about doing such a thing, especially knowing how he felt about the concept, but perhaps not. Viktor had never asked him why he’d created those weapons because no answer that Jayce could give him would’ve satiated the bottomless well of disappointed anguish that the knowledge of their existence put in him. The existential dread he now felt just knowing that someone aligned with Ambessa possessed them. And that they were being used against those most ill-equipped to stand against them. It was precisely what he didn’t want to come to fruition. His worst nightmare was now a reality.

Why Jayce… Why…

Ambessa took note of his silence, his almost defeated demeanor undeniable. The way his shoulders slouched ever so slightly under the crushing weight of reality. She’d touched on the right catalyst, hadn’t she? Though unintentional as it had been, she’d struck gold by pushing the topic. She’d assumed the conversation would lead somewhere worthwhile, but never to a result this favorable.

"And yet he did it anyway. How thoughtful of him. It seems he only listens to you if your input does not impact what he's already set his mind to doing." Ambessa’s voice was soft, almost hushed, with a tinge of sympathy. She had no intention of coaxing him through this revelatory moment, but she did know the sting of betrayal in all its many forms. And if she was willing to take a guess, Viktor was not someone who trusted deeply without ample cause. The gutted, forlorn look on his face spoke volumes to that truth. And then it occurred to her. "Ah. Is that what caused your separation?"

He spoke not a single word in response. Instead, his gaze drifted out over the terrace as hers had a short while ago, a flicker of disturbance in his face as his brow knotted for an instant before relaxing again. Be things as they might, he almost thought he felt something. Sensed the presence of something noteworthy, regardless of how distant it might be. Viktor stepped away from her absent-mindedly, making his way out onto the balcony. Investigating. Grasping the railing in front of him as he looked far out over the city that he’d never seen from this high up before. But despite his enhanced vision, he saw nothing. Perhaps it had been wishful thinking.

He wished that he could feel it in its entirety. The crisp kiss of air from the bay on his exposed skin. The way the gentle salty breeze jostled the loose fabric that covered his skin. The misty night’s condensation in his hair, dampening it ever so slightly. To feel it across the length and breadth of himself instead of only his face and the uppermost part of his neck.

He’d noticed it after the fact. The gradual encroachment of his augmented skin as it crept ever higher, devouring more of his being as he continued to use his gifts. It had been a slight, subtle thing until he’d caught wind of it one day with a passing glance at his reflection. Viktor remembered it well. The slight tingle that had crawled up his spine before being summarily expunged by the Hexcore’s efforts to keep him in perfect homeostasis. He remembered how it slipped away. Just like everything else had. Almost everything.

A moment later, Ambessa joined him, planting herself just behind him, off to his right side. Her eyes followed his gaze out across the city, but it was clear that her focus was on him and him alone.

"Look at all you've accomplished without him. You don't need him. But I could make great use of your talents. Talents that have been sorely underutilized and underappreciated." She crept closer, resting her arm just close enough for them to not quite touch as she looked over at him, her gaze soft, almost affectionate. A flicker of something unspeakable in her warm eyes as she looked him slowly up and down before settling on his face again. Had that mole always been there? How darling. "Your insight is valuable. It would not be squandered under my banner. I do not make such mistakes with things of value."

Viktor allowed her words to simmer for a moment. He opened his lips a negligible degree to speak before closing them again, noticing out of the corner of his eye that Ambessa had been watching the motion intensely, her irises fixated on his mouth as though she were hanging on his every unspoken word. Suddenly, he wasn’t sure what he wanted to say. But her presence, suffocating as it was becoming, no longer intimidated him. And he didn’t get the impression that it was meant to.

"I could help you accomplish all that you seek. My resources are vast. You need only assist me in finishing the task at hand, and then we will have all the time in the world to speak at length about how I might..." The passion in her gaze was unmistakable as she leaned just a bit closer, near enough to speak directly into his ear. Not quite whispering, but lowering her volume all the same. For the benefit of his hearing, no doubt. Certainly not for subtlety’s sake. That concept was moot to her. "Return the favor."

He suppressed a shudder as a chill ran through his body, fixing him in place. The feeling of her breath against his ear, the closeness of it. How she lingered but didn’t touch him despite how close her lips were to doing just that. It had been a very long time since someone had invaded his personal space so thoroughly, and never with such fearlessness. Such ferocity. There was an undeniable hunger to her words and actions that sent his pulse into a frenzy; the pale purple glow that suffused his body set alight by the sudden prospect of being the focus of such attention. It was startling, to say the least, but surely he was mistaken. Flattering himself unintentionally. After all, what could she possibly…

"General Medarda..." Viktor didn’t know what else to say. There were the obvious options of asking her to back away from him, or pointing out the potentially inappropriate turn that their conversation seemed to be taking, but he didn’t. For reasons that were beyond him, he simply stopped talking.

Ambessa eyed him with all the temptation and voracious appetite of a ravenous predator salivating over its next meal. It seemed that his hesitance to outright reject her advances towards him had emboldened her further. "Ah. So, the undertone of my proposal is not lost on you. Good."

"I would never assume-" Viktor blanched, what little skin on his face that remained untouched by the Arcane depleted of all color as he locked eyes with her. So his assumptions were… Oh.

"You should," Ambessa purred, her eyes soft but no less filled with hunger as she beheld him. She rested her chin on the back of her overturned hand, gazing down at him as though he were a fine treasure she wished to procure. "Follow your instincts. They've not led you astray yet, have they?"

There was a subtle rustle behind them. Heavy footsteps followed by the ringing of metal against stone as the base of a spear clanked against the floor. Ambessa’s bodyguard, no doubt. Making it clear that he was there should she need him, but not asking for their attention.

Viktor didn’t move to acknowledge the man, but he didn’t feel his gaze, either. He was willing to speculate that he was standing off to the side, attempting to provide them with some semblance of privacy. Or waiting to be told that they needed more of it. Either way, he wasn’t going to ask. He had more pressing matters to attend to at present.

He returned his undivided attention to Ambessa. Though he hadn’t moved so much as an inch, his mind had drifted momentarily. And now that she had his full attention again, she intended to keep it. Her eyes scanned the minute details of his face, taking in the asymmetrical lines and swirls that spanned the length of his neck and cheekbones. The golden details that adorned his sternomastoids were like the ornamentation of a noble lord. His body, where she could see it at least, was an artful patchwork of seams of gold, not at all dissimilar to Kintsugi. Fitting for someone once whole who had been broken and then repaired, never again to be quite the same. And yet, his merit remained; his purpose unchanged. He was truly compelling.

"No... they haven't..." Viktor responded, his hesitance to concede unmistakable. It was crystal clear, betrayed by the subtle shakiness of his voice. He didn’t stutter, but he lingered on the words with all the nervousness of a first-year student who had unexpectedly found themselves thrust in front of a large crowd and tasked with briefing them on the night’s events. Truly one of his worst nightmares in another life.

Ambessa smirked, practically purring as she gazed at him. She seemed to consider something for a moment in time before raising her left hand to the height of her shoulder, gesturing nonchalantly as if to shoo something away. That something turned out to be her guard who raised his weapon and summarily retreated from the room without so much as a word.

The door closed with a soft thud. And then silence returned to the space they shared, settling in like a chill in winter. Ambessa seemed to wait to see if Viktor would say anything further before coming to the conclusion that the cat had his tongue and that the capacity to speak had deserted him and fled for the hills. He was timid when it came to receiving compliments? She hadn’t expected him to be as forward as she was, but how quaint. How… amusing? Oh, how delightful it would be to watch him unravel…

"As I said before, I am in the habit of doing what is necessary to obtain what I desire." She lifted her face away from her hand, no longer leaning against the terrace railing. Instead, she extended that same hand outward, gingerly brushing a few stray hairs out of her companion’s face with the back of her fingertips. The heat of her palm ghosted across his face as she narrowly avoided making direct contact with his skin. "And I desire you."

Viktor’s pupils dilated in abject shock at the blatant remark, his face flushing bright red as all the color returned to it at once. His breath caught in his chest as he batted his eyelashes furiously, irises fluctuating between every color in their repertoire as he looked to the left and right of her and then directly into her eyes when he realized that there was nowhere within reason to pretend to look.

He wasn’t innocent by any metric one might use to measure his life’s cumulative ventures. “Puerile” was not a word that came to mind should anyone be aware of his proclivities and inclinations. But he genuinely could not recall a single time at any point in his entire life that someone had ever sauntered up to him, bold as brass, and verbally undressed him in the manner that Ambessa Medarda just had.

And… he didn’t hate it. He didn’t desire it. Didn’t desire her… yet…

Perhaps it was her tone and countenance. Her unwavering confidence juxtaposed with his lack of self-affirmation as of late. The very notion of being wanted by someone of her stature for any reason at all. Or perhaps it had simply been far too long since he’d felt truly wanted by someone, anyone, but he found himself unnaturally flustered. Flattered, even. And he wasn’t sure that he enjoyed it, but he felt it all the same.

She leaned in, planting herself firmly within her personal bubble, nearly trapping him between the railing and her broad stature as she reached out with her right hand, motioning as though she might tenderly grasp his chin. But she did not touch him. Instead, her eyes fell to his neck and the not-so-subtle, profound red tinge of his flushed face. The contrast was breathtaking, even in the low light. What a sight to behold. What a thing to devour. She felt famished, her hunger insatiable.

"Red is a fine color on you. We should do something about that."

"General Medarda I-"

Before Viktor could finish speaking, he rested her hand against the underside of his jaw, stroking a delicate trail with her index finger down the front of his neck. A shiver shot down his spine as his eyes flickered with the vestiges of his suppressed Arcane gifts as his mind was assaulted with a lifetime of memories that were not his to see. He recalled battles fought in bloody mires and battlefields, bitter and bloodsoaked. Triumphs and accolades in the face of grievous losses. Escapades of love and lust in equal measure. Crimes better left undescribed and pains buried so deep that they upheld the very foundation of the structure they were sequestered beneath. Grief, shrewdness, love, and sacrifice. The four principles that best encapsulated the matriarch of the Medarda clan.

Viktor saw it all. And he instantly wished he hadn’t. Not because he found it revolting or abhorrent, but because he couldn’t help but feel sympathetic. Because he couldn’t help but fully comprehend why she might seek solace in the fleeting reassurance of a stranger’s touch. Who else did she have left to turn to? What else did she have to lose? She had nothing but her sorrow and her revenge. And the ever-fleeting hope that perhaps her only family was not beyond saving.

He understood now. That was what she needed him for.

"Please, little one. There's no need for formalities." She said reassuringly as she repeated the gesture. She took note of the vacant look in Viktor’s gaze, his solemn contemplation easily mistaken for silent permission. He raised his hand to hers slowly, resting it against the back of her wrist, clutching but making no move to pull her away or apply force as he toiled fruitlessly, trying to find the right words for what he hoped to express. But try as he might, they would not come. He could not give her what she sought. What she longed for. In that way, she was the first to seek him out whom he could not aid. For nothing he could give her would make her whole again. And for that, he was sorry. "Not under the present circumstances, at least."

"What are you suggesting?" He said softly, his mind still only half on the conversation at hand. His mind still lingered on what he had seen. So much about Mel made more sense to him now. Hindsight truly was a thing of cruel clarity.

"A bit of divertissement, if you'd indulge." Ambessa raised her left hand, uninterested in stopping the ministrations that preoccupied her right. She used it to thumb over the edge of his loosely wrapped, crisscrossed collar, pulling it to the side at the shoulder just enough to see that his body was indeed even more metallic and intricate further down. A glimpse of the gold that encompassed his sternum taunted her. But she knew better than to delve further. Her intention was not to disrobe him. Simply to peek at what might be in store for her should he oblige. Should he take her up on her very generous offer. "Everyone has their preferred methods of winding down after a long day. A bit of pleasure can be quite... restorative."

Viktor caught her meaning, something akin to a knowing smirk materializing on his face as he shook his head subtly. His hair wafted in the breeze, falling back from where she’d placed it.

"I... believe I might have given you the wrong impression..." He glanced down at his hand on hers, noticing for the first time how much larger her’s were than his. He imagined they were calloused, well-worn from a lifetime of battle and hardship. Labor. What little of them he could feel reinforced that assumption. And yet, she was temperate, unnecessarily so. He wasn’t that delicate anymore. Not for a long while, and even then. It almost reminded him of someone. Another who had always been so overly careful with him, despite his protestation to the contrary. His insistence that he was not comprised of sugar glass. "What could you possibly want with me?"

She was the proud matriarch of House Medarda. He was the Herald of Zaun. Their worlds could not be more different or distant. And yet, that didn’t seem to factor into the equation in the slightest. Nor did her apparent distaste for mages, something that she knew him to be. Something that he was now keenly aware of. How perplexing. Did her affinity for him truly supersede such a powerful form of loathing? Did her carnal desires for him extend that far?

It seemed plausible.

"Oh, I think you know. As I said before, you suit my preferences impeccably. Perhaps more than I am comfortable admitting." A chortle escaped her chest as she released his chin and brushed the back of her hand against the left side of his face. Viktor shuddered at the gesture. It had been a long time since someone had touched him in a way that he could truly feel. The exposed skin on his face was one of the few places that remained unadulterated by the Hexcore’s influence. One of the few places where the tenderness of that gesture could be properly perceived. Of course, she had no way of knowing this. It was happenstance. But he felt it all the same. And the conflicted look in his eyes emboldened her. "I get the distinct impression that you are lonely. Not unheard of for one in such a position. It is rare that someone who holds power forms genuine connections. They are a hindrance. Yet, you seem to crave it. That connection with someone."

Viktor sighed slowly and deeply as though he were releasing a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding until then. He blinked slowly. She was correct. He would not attempt to deny that. Ever since the day that he’d abandoned the lab and the life he’d built with Jayce in Piltover and ventured into the depths of the Undercity, there had been a void in him. A hole that he tried to fill with altruism, community, and a burgeoning sense of renewed purpose. With good deeds and a feeling of accomplishment. And he’d found those in the commune. In the good work that he did there. But each day that he awoke, his heart was no less lost to him, still in the possession of another. Cradled gently in the arms of someone who so dearly wished to hold the whole of him instead of the broken fragments of who he used to be. Even within the confines of the Arcane, where he felt the presence of what he perceived to be someone once lost to him, he could not replace what he truly longed for. Who he truly longed for.

And neither could Ambessa.

"Miss Medar-" He carefully raised his free hand to rest against the back of hers, gingerly redirecting it away from the collar of his wrap. She didn’t resist, but if the subtle aura of bewilderment in her eyes was anything to go by, she was surprised by the gesture. "... Ambessa... You are laboring under the impression that I have more to offer you than I frankly do... Quite literally. You would be sorely disappointed. I am flattered but..."

Ambessa blinked. Her stare then traveled lower as her face betrayed her confusion, something about the assertion hitting her in a way wholly unexpected. Her eyes met his again after a moment's pause, and to his surprise, she looked more fascinated and amused than anything else. She certainly wasn’t dismayed or dissuaded. That suggestive gleam returned to her eyes that he was now oh so familiar with as she scoffed playfully, the hand that remained against his cheek overturning to cup the back of the bottom of his jaw, her thumb brushing against the underside of his bottom lip. And then she smiled mischievously.

"You have such a limited imagination, Viktor. And here I thought you were more of an idealist."

It was his turn to be flustered again. So that still wasn’t enough to dissuade her? It was almost reassuring in a way, the fact that something of that magnitude didn’t serve as a dealbreaker for at least one person. But there were frankly far too many factors at play for him to even consider such an offer, least of all the elephant in the room in regards to his personal tastes. Or the fact that he knew her daughter. Ambessa was not unattractive. Far from it, in fact. But she simply wasn’t who he wanted, as strangely flattered by how enamored with him as he had to admit to being. Even as surprised and confused as he was by that revelation. He did not fear that she would react unfavorably to his rejection, but some part of him did feel almost bad about having to decline. She was far more forward than what he was comfortable with, but perhaps some part of him begrudgingly respected a person who knew what they wanted and had the confidence to ask for it. "With respect, Ambessa... I will have to decline. Again, I am flattered, but..."

The disappointment in her demeanor was subtle, but he noticed it all the same. There was no anger, no malice. Only the maturity of someone well aware of how to take no for an answer, despite rarely hearing it given as a response, and clearly nursing an intense dislike for it. With a soft exhale, she flicked his hair as she withdrew her hand. And in turn, he responded with a courteous, self-effacing nod, his eyes betraying his polite remorse, even if he only half meant it. He had no regrets. Only truths that he needed to confront. The simple truth was that he didn’t belong to her. That honor was reserved for another. And it had been set in stone a lifetime ago.

"Well, should the desire to satiate more carnal desires beckon you, find your way to my quarters. I could find it in myself to be quite accommodating..." She said playfully, her pride unblemished. Disappointed as she might be, the door was still open to him should he reconsider. But then her tone turned a touch more dire. "Elsewise, you have until this time tomorrow evening to give me your answer about my other proposal. I trust you shall make the correct decision."

Ah yes. That.

“Goodnight, General Medarda. Thank you for your… hospitality.” Could he earnestly call her attempts to devour him whole that without seeming sarcastic? If the bemused scoff she expunged was anything to go off of, then no. But he was unharmed in the grand scheme of things, a privilege considering the fact that he was still her prisoner. At least physically.

She dismissed him with a casual wave of her hand as the duo returned to the interior of the room, the night air now frigid enough to provoke such a decision. She reclined on the lounge, retrieving her previously abandoned glass of wine as she gestured with a nod for him to take his. A request that he wordlessly reciprocated, taking the glass with him as he headed to the door. It was time that he stopped overstaying his welcome.

He didn’t have to drink it, but he would humor her. Just to remain cordial.

—

Vi genuinely wanted to punch herself in the face for agreeing to go along with this harebrained plan.

“Do you know how to scale a building?” Jayce had asked her. As if it were no great ask. As if they were not discussing clambering all over the Capitol building in full view of any Noxian patrols who just might feel the urge to look up for once in their life. As if the non-zero chance of falling and shattering their spines meant next to nothing to him.

“I’ve climbed higher,” He’d said nonchalantly. Unphased by the prospect.

“Climbed what?” She’d asked at the time only to receive abject silence and a vacant stare as a response. As if something taller existed to even climb. Mount Targon? Jayce Talis was truly a lost cause. And so was she for agreeing to do something so ludicrous.

In truth, there was some logic in his plan, flawed and borderline suicidal as it might be. It was rare for a foot patrol to look up, least of all at a towering building with no clear means of egress. And at night, when there was next to no visibility? They were all but guaranteed to be in the clear attempting something like this. But that was largely because no one in their right mind would ever be that willfully stupid.

It was a good thing they weren’t in their right mind, then. Hell, Vi couldn’t remember the last time she had been.

Vi made an effort to keep her breathing deep and consistent as she watched her footing along the ledge. This was easily the furthest she’d ever been from the ground, and the narrow ledge that she was shimming across didn’t exactly fill her with a warm sense of security and comfort. It was just wide enough for them to fit their feet on two times over, but the bigger problem was that there was nothing to grip. The shingles that covered the roof were slick with moisture and smooth to the touch. That made things slow going.

Opting to slide against the building with her back against it, Vi couldn’t say that she envied the method that Jayce had concocted for getting the Mercury Hammer up the building. When confronted with the reality that they wouldn’t be able to just pass it to one another like they had back at the lab when they were clambering up exposed exhaust pipes and air ducts, Jayce had rigged up some sort of makeshift back holster to carry it with. Heavy side down towards his feet as opposed to right side up, reducing the risk of a tip-over due to being too top-heavy. It worked well enough as a counterbalance, but it was a decision that she couldn’t imagine his bad leg agreed with. And it put him in situations like this.

While Vi had mostly been able to keep her back braced against the building where she was safer from things like sudden gusts of wind, the length of the warped Mercury Hammer’s handle had all but guaranteed that Jayce would have to face towards the building for the majority of the climb, something that wouldn’t be so much of a problem if not for junctures like the one they were currently stuck in where he was shiming with his back over open air, hefting the full weight of the hammer. And to say that he was struggling through gritted teeth and mounting misery to accomplish their goal of breaching the building undetected would be an understatement.

She’d never seen a person look so tired and still push forward. He was going to crash when this all caught up to him. She just knew it. The question was, would he ever get up again? She hoped he would. Jayce was certainly the toughest Pilte she’d ever laid eyes on.

“So… where to from here?”

“Believe it or not, there’s an access hatch above us. Over there.” Jayce responded, clearly winded. He jerked his head over to their left, towards an area just across from them. About two dozen yards away. They would have to navigate a U-shaped bend in the roof, but Vi was almost positive she could see a ladder of some sort built into the metal roof. “Next to that terrace. It’s used by the maintenance team to upkeep the roofs.”

Vi took a deep breath and held it before exhaling slowly. Then she nodded. The corners were always the hardest part of mansard roofs like these. There was always a point where you didn’t feel like you had anything to grip. Anything at your back. But she had his back, and he had hers. This was nothing. They’d made it this far, hadn’t they?

With a pained grunt, Jayce slung himself around the outer corner of the building, scooting over just enough to allow Vi an unobstructed route around behind him. He pressed his head against the cold metal, panting as she came to a stop close to him, nearly bumping him but catching herself at the last second by slamming her shoulder into the roof. They gave one another a look of reassurance before wordlessly opting to continue forward. At least there would be no more outer corners to contend with going forward.

That was the hard part. Two more to go.

The pair slowly made their way along the edge of the roof, rounding the second corner with ease. Vi had never considered herself to be a person who was afraid of heights, but… she was undeniably grateful that the darkness made visibility below her poor. And one look over at Jayce told her that he held a similar sentiment and was repressing it through sheer willpower. There was a wild, disjointed look in his eyes that spoke of adrenaline intoxication and a lack of coherent thought. Only his mission remained. Only his devotion to the task at hand. He was a man possessed.

Reaching the threshold of the final turn, the pair suddenly became aware of something. A noise. The gentle rustling of fabric as it parted, and the clink of something vaguely metallic against stone. It wasn’t loud, just barely enough to be perceptible over their own panting and heaving. But it did grab their attention. And with it came the vague silhouette of someone coming out onto the terrace, accompanied by a second individual. And with them, the sudden realization that they might be visible if their unexpected company only dared look to the left just that little bit too far.

Scrambling in response to their sudden vulnerability, the two raced for some semblance of cover, eager to escape their compromised state. They darted around the final corner, Vi nearly losing her footing as her left foot slipped. Jayce reached back and grabbed her, his eyes wide and petrified with fear as the sudden realization that she could’ve died then and there hit him like a cinder block. He went rigid as she used him as leverage to get both feet back on the ground, his ears ringing from the cacophonous sound of his heart hammering in his chest. His stomach sank in waves that only seemed to abate as she shook off her near-death experience, and he suppressed the chills that seeing it had given him.

Thoroughly shaken to the core but otherwise unharmed, the duo braced themselves against the side of the roof, leaning forward so that they were as flat as possible. The lip of the portion of the roof that overhung the terrace shielded them from view from just about any angle where they now stood, but it was better to be safe than sorry. But then a set of voices spoke up. Their unexpected guests were speaking.

Shimming forward slightly, they ducked back around the side of the building, just close enough to be able to hear their voices and conclude that a conversation was, indeed, taking place, but not close enough to be able to make out the details. But from where they were now, that was enough. And the tone of the conversation seemed to be surprisingly… pleasant? Well, that was unexpected.

“Is that…” Jayce whispered as low as he possibly could, his voice barely more than a distant memory upon his lips. Vi had to lean in to hear him, but once she did, she bent back as far as she could without risking slipping and then turned back to him, nodding as she rested back against the building.

“Ambessa. Yeah… Vi's response was somehow even quieter than his had been. She sounded almost baffled, but that was due to the fact that she could see what was transpiring on the terrace. Vi’s face didn’t give it away, but she saw something taking place that utterly bewildered her. Was Ambessa… flirting? She recognized that look in someone’s eyes anywhere. She’d given a similar look to Caitlyn down in the depths of the Undercity the day they’d first met. In the hallway of a certain brothel, when she’d asked her a particularly important question… “Dressed pretty casual for a warlord, but hey, I guess even dirtbags have to relax sometimes, huh?”

“Uh-huh.” It was all Jayce could muster the energy to say. He was too focused on keeping his breathing inaudible, the pain in his back becoming more and more intolerable with each passing moment. It was bad enough when they were moving. The slight displacement of his body weight as he swayed back and forth along the ledge compensated for it ever so slightly. But standing still? That was another matter entirely. He wished that he could take it off. Lean it against the building for just a moment so that he could bask in the blessed sense of relief that his aching body so desperately craved, but he couldn’t. There was no way to reattach it from their current position. Not without Vi risking another fall. He would have to ride it out and try to ignore it. He just hoped Ambessa was a fast talker.

Vi continued to observe the conversation from where she stood, trying her best to eavesdrop and take in the contents of the conversation. And oh, did she. She couldn’t help but notice the glint in Ambessa’s eyes, even from a distance. The way she reached up to affectionately stroke Viktor’s face. It was enough to make her blush from a mile away. All the while keeping a hand on Jayce’s back, helping to keep him anchored in place.

Jayce looked about ready to crack, his chest heaving from the effort required to stand there and allow the Mercury Hammer to pull down on his damaged back. But he stayed still, knowing that if he made a sound or moved that it would all be for naught. He refused to fail. They were too close. Even if the pain was unbearable and tormented every intake of breath he dared steal, he would not break. He had a promise to keep.

And then Viktor spoke up.

Like he’d been struck by a jolt of electricity, Jayce jerked his head in the direction of the terrace, his ears almost literally perking up. He knew that sound anywhere, even if his tone was softer than he was used to. Jayce couldn’t see anything from where he stood, but the sound of Viktor’s voice, oh, it was like a balm to his wounds. Like the cold water he’d craved every moment he’d been in that cave. As enticing as it was captivating. It was enough. Everything he needed. And at the same time, it was anything but.

Still. Some small, illogical part of his heart perked up at the thought that he was so close to Viktor. He couldn’t look upon him. But he wished so dearly that he could. He wanted to know how he was doing. What he was doing. If he was alright. If Ambessa had harmed him during his captivity. Had he changed? And if so, was he still himself? “Soon,” he reassured himself. Soon.

As swiftly as they had wandered out onto the terrace, they retreated, taking any signs that they had ever been there with them. And despite the temporary nature of it, something about their departure wounded Jayce. He… wanted to hear Viktor speak again. He couldn’t understand a single word that he’d spoken the entire time he’d been out there, but what he did understand was that he needed to hear more of it. Of the rich, almost otherworldly tone of voice he spoke in, his keen intellect, and the dignified manner in which he spoke. Viktor had always been so intelligent, so keen and quick-witted. It had made their fun-natured little verbal sparring matches such an enriching pastime. He missed…

Jayce huffed, more a snarl than anything else. Snapping back to reality as he mentally chastised himself for indulging his wanton nostalgia. There was no time for this kind of weakness. He couldn’t allow it. Not for his sake. Not for anyone else's. They needed to proceed. The coast was clear now. It was time they breached the compound. He had a job to do.

—

The bedroom was quiet, almost resplendent with its comfortably low lighting, and the gentle breeze provided by the rear windows. He imagined he’d find it quite comfortable if he still possessed the capacity to. But he was in no such headspace. This was not the time. And it hadn’t been for a long while.

Still, he ran his fingers down the gently draped fabric that adorned the bed, attempting to appreciate its texture as it beckoned him. Ushering him closer with all the enrapturing beauty of a lure atop the head of an anglerfish.

Getting in bed with Ambessa Medarda was risky. Doing so in a literal sense, even more so.

And yet, despite how unappealing that prospect was, it was a prospect nonetheless. Viktor had seen her mind. Seen the way she formulated plans and went about achieving her goals. Her ambitions went far beyond Piltover and Zaun. A war was coming, one that he had no desire to participate in, and yet one he could no sooner run from than stop altogether.

Or perhaps he could…

Perhaps, if he were to join forces with Ambessa, he could entice her to steer things in an entirely different direction? One filled with peaceful acquisitions of power and far less bloodshed. Perhaps the Undercity could be persuaded to temporarily bend the knee to her if it meant independence? He certainly wouldn’t be the one to ask that of them, and it wasn’t a proposition that he would propose, but he saw no way through this that didn’t end in a massacre. They simply couldn’t stop what was coming. They didn’t have the resources or the numbers that she did. And he didn’t want to see the tidal waves of ashes and blood that would run through the streets of the place he still called home.

… Viktor would consider giving Ambessa what she wanted if it saved the people of Zaun from certain calamity. He could be their martyr and their savior instead of their Herald, her plaything if need be. Anything to stop the senseless waste of life. The suffering of innocents. They deserved better lives. Lives not spent under the heel of oppression and debasement. If there was any chance that joining forces with Ambessa could allow him to give them that…

He needed ample time to think it over, but he only had until tomorrow night.

Hanging his head low, he bent his knees and allowed his body to come to rest on the mattress. It was darkly comedic in a way. How many would willfully stand where he now stood. How many others that would be more than willing to fight and die for what they would consider an honor; so many who already probably had. And she’d simply offered it to him out of what he understood to be a genuine desire for his companionship. She found him desirable. Yet, there was no part of him that wanted this. That wanted anything to do with the very concept of violence and his place in it. He did not despise Ambessa, despite how many reasons he had to. Viktor understood the path that had been carved out before her, and the steps that had led them both here. Fate was a cruel thing. Her’s was a path etched in stone long before she knew she walked it; she only knew one way to be. But he did not desire to be her war trophy any more than he desired her, no matter how captivating he admittedly found her intelligence to be.

Moments later, the door opened, interrupting his self-destructive train of thought. As though some force had seen where his idle mind had wandered to and chosen to take pity on him. A rarity.

“Brooding again, are we?” Came the words of a familiar scientist. He almost appeared to be vaguely amused by the fact that some things never seemed to change, regardless of how long they’d known one another. Viktor remained predictable in some respects, no matter how much his exterior had changed. And his mind was often as much of a boon as it was a curse when it came to agonizing over the finer details of life. “You always did have a habit of getting lost in your mind. Especially when left alone.”

“Doctor Reveck.” Viktor didn’t move from his slouched position on the edge of the bed, but he did lift his head slightly to look at the man who had once been his mentor. “Your research is going well, I assume?”

Singed gave him a thoughtful look. Or as much of one as the exposed upper part of his face could display, at least. It didn’t surprise him that Viktor knew that he had plans for the samples he had taken from him, but it was somewhat unusual for his former pupil to inquire as to the status of his experiments. He’d always made a habit of distancing himself from them after his first experience with the darker side of science. It was easier to sleep at night amidst the lull of blissful ignorance. Or, conceivably, it was more of a salve to treat a wound that never quite mended. Singed had always pondered if ripping off that particular bandage at such a tender age had been a positive or negative formative experience for Viktor. He was willing to take some guesses as to what the younger of the two would say if asked. He’d given it little thought at the time, but… Reality was painful.

“The samples I procured from you have been fascinating to study. Promising, even.” He admitted almost excitedly. Just as he’d expected they would be. Viktor’s physiology was far too complex and captivating for any knowledge derived from his blood to be anything but. Singed wished there was a way to do more invasive studies on him without… undesirable consequences. There was much he could glean from him. “If I might?”

Before the alchemist could produce the small fabric bundle in which he kept his spare vials and syringes, Viktor had already extended his arm. At least Singed was asking this time. He nodded, joining him at his bedside as he grasped his wrist and carefully searched for a place to insert the needle. It seemed that his tests required a bit more research material.

“And what do you hope to achieve, exactly?” Viktor inquired indifferently, searching for something to focus on besides the dull throb that he now felt in his forearm. He risked a glimpse and regretted it almost instantly. Judging by the size of the needle, he suspected that this would be quite uncomfortable if he had a fuller grasp of his senses. Even now, it was worse than the last time, and it had been vaguely unpleasant then, even under partial sedation. The trouble was just how far Doctor Reveck had to insert the needle before he hit his target. It was a wonder that he managed to locate a serviceable vein or artery at all. Viktor had never been an easy mark for blood draws, even before his… modifications.

The alchemist pondered the question momentarily, keenly focused on his task. His tone was distant as he gradually pulled back the plunger. Almost as though he half expected to receive nothing for his efforts. But after his task was complete and the needle was removed, he afforded him a glance and a measured response. “The revival of something that the world is worse off for having lost.”

Viktor recalled the glimpse into Doctor Reveck’s mind that he’d been afforded. The beautifully decorated room of a small child, a young girl. Fresh flowers sat near her bedside, if the ornate, coffin-like glass capsule she inhabited could be considered one. The dutiful way that her father had lingered at her bedside, diligently reading to her as he attended to her needs in whatever way that he could. She’d been unresponsive, as though dreaming. Unchanging. Perpetually enduring. No longer affected by the ravages of time, but robbed of the life she’d never been afforded the opportunity to live. But his former mentor had gazed at her with nothing but love and adoration, his conviction to save her unchanging. No matter what it took. And Viktor truly believed that he would do anything.

… He knew someone else like Doctor Reveck…

“May I ask you something, Doctor Reveck?” Viktor asked almost gently, his tone carrying an air of respect befitting of anyone who knew that they were about to broach upon a delicate topic.

Singed finished placing the vials that he’d filled back into their holster, rolling the bundle back up and tucking it away inside one of the many different pouches that he kept attached to his waist. He then turned his full attention back to Viktor with a subtle sigh, half certain that he knew where he was going with this, but still curious all the same.

“You may.”

Viktor mulled over his next words carefully. He did not think that upsetting his former mentor would be easy, but family was typically a complex and unwelcome topic, and for a man like Doctor Reveck, it had the potential to be very much so. He liked to think that the older man was not quick to take offense, given the many years he’d known him, but he also didn’t possess the foggiest idea as to what he kept in any of those syringes, and the prospect of being drugged a second time was undesirable, to say the least.

“Would your actions sit right with your daughter? Do you not wish for her to look upon you with pride?” It was the most honest way that Viktor could phrase the query. Surely he had considered what her reaction to what he had done to save her would be? Surely he cared a great deal about what she thought of him? Didn’t every parent who was worth knowing?

Singed sighed, exhaling softly as he gave a series of thoughtful nods. It was a good question. And he certainly had an answer: “It is not about whether she agrees with me. It is that she is alive to disagree that matters most.”

He didn’t elaborate further. Instead, he regarded Viktor silently. Contemplatively. As though he were waiting for something from him.

Something about the sincerity of the response struck Viktor, his breath stilling as he assessed the unfamiliar combination of emotions that he now felt. Humans were, by their very nature, contradictory creatures. Filled with defects. And yet, the knowledge, the concrete understanding that Doctor Reveck had just expressed, was something that neither surprised nor consoled him. His love for his daughter superseded his desire for her to accept him. Even after everything that he had done to save her, there was every possibility that she might leave him again for everything that he had done to her, and from the well-founded fear of what he might do next. Logic clashed with reason. A reappearing fallacy that he’d started to notice as of late. But one so inherent to the human condition that he could not reconcile it. Was it an act of bravery to do something that might damn oneself to a lifetime of regret? A selfless act born of the unspeakable depths of love? Or was it covetousness, pure and utter hubris to believe that one could undo the strands of fate and nature and defy death itself? Was it neither here nor there and yet both in equal measure still?

He’d been questioning that himself every day since he’d reawakened, wondering why he had been denied the painless relief that death’s quiet embrace had offered him. Every day since he’d wandered away from his former life in Piltover. Every sleepless night spent within the confines of the greenhouse he’d constructed at the commune wondering where his partner had disappeared to. And he still didn’t have the answer.

Viktor understood enough to know he would never truly comprehend it until he was confronted with that same quandary. He liked to believe that he didn’t have it in him. That he could simply let go and accept that this was the way things were meant to be. And yet, some small voice in the back of his mind whispered those chilling words into his ear from the depths of his subconscious. Possibly. And this time, it wasn’t the Hexcore speaking to him. What if the roles had been reversed that night? What if he had lived, and Jayce had… It was a reality too grave to even ponder.

He hoped that he never needed to find out.

And yet, nothing was more certain to him than the reality that he would offer Jayce his forgiveness if he ever asked it of him. It wasn’t a matter of whether his actions were justifiable or understandable. It was simply something he knew in the very core of his being. An understanding that he’d come to over time as the despair and outrage had subsided and evolved into something more bearable. Peace was just something he wanted Jayce to have. Something he’d once given him. A semblance of serenity only he could grant, and he was waiting with open arms to shelter him in his embrace should the opportunity ever present itself.

“... I think I understand.” He nodded, unsure as to which of them he was even addressing anymore. Who was this meant to be a revelation to? “I may even know someone who shares that sentiment.”

Doctor Reveck scoffed. “I imagine everyone does. They just don’t know it.”

But with that said, Viktor had a follow-up statement to make. Not quite a question, but an admission. Something he needed to get off his chest. It had been bothering him for a while now. Ever since he’d discovered that his former mentor had never told him about his daughter. Had he done something to make himself seem untrustworthy? Unworthy of such knowledge in the eyes of his teacher? “You could’ve just asked me.”

“Asked you?” Singed gave him a curious look. As though he genuinely didn’t understand what he could be going on about.

“For my help. With curing her illness.” Viktor insisted gently, his tone somewhere between supplication and confusion. While it was true that he knew little of biology in comparison to his mentor, he had connections that he didn’t. And if the many years he’d spent working alongside Jayce had taught him anything, it was that collaboration could be a powerful tool when the right individuals were put into contact with one another. A different perspective could’ve made all the difference in his experiments. “I would have told you yes. I do not have to agree with your methods to understand your principles and motivations. I would have assisted your research willingly, to the extent that I could stomach it.”

It was impossible to tell from underneath the linen wrappings that wound around the bottom of his face and the improvised scarf that covered them, but Viktor almost swore that he saw Doctor Reveck crack a smile. “I know.”

“You never told me about her.” He wouldn’t ask why. It wasn’t something he desired to know, frankly. More something that he was surprised by than anything. He would not call himself close with Singed, but he would still assume himself to be closer to the man than perhaps anyone else. Few people called him by his title. Fewer still knew his name. The fact that he had a daughter had never been so much as been mentioned to him in passing, and he found that curious, to say the least. Was the topic simply too painful? Was her existence a closely guarded secret? Was there something more to it than that, and he simply didn’t grasp the notion?

He wished that he could delve further into the topic with him without pouring salt into what was undoubtedly an open wound.

Doctor Reveck gave a subtle shrug, offhandedly acknowledging the truthfulness of that statement. There was much that Singed could say on the topic if he truly wanted to. Not least of all, the irony of another brilliant yet afflicted child the same age as his daughter stumbling into his life. Just as innocent. It was as if Viktor had been presented to him by the universe as a peace offering for what it had already taken from him. A facsimile. And now, potentially the sole person in existence with the capability to provide his daughter with the salvation he’d spent the last few decades seeking. And how little he wanted to make that choice should the need arise. As if it were a choice at all. But, that was a conversation for a different time. Now was not the time or the place, and he wasn’t sure that such an occasion would ever organically present itself. He wasn’t known to be forthcoming.

“The past is a painful place filled with mistakes and regrets that have an unfortunate tendency to always come back to haunt you when you least expect it.” Doctor Reveck said darkly, ostensibly amused by the harsh truth of that reality. It was the story of his life. Of both of their lives, actually.

Viktor regarded him silently for a minute or so, deep in thought. There was something he wanted to add to that sentiment, actually. But as he opened his mouth to speak, he stopped. Viktor felt something. It was subtle, but then it rapidly became less so. The distant, distorted sound of a deep, bellowing boom followed by the aftershock it produced. A powerful vibration that traveled through every structural surface of the room, sending a shudder through the supports. And then, all at once, he realized that it wasn’t quite as far away as he’d first imagined. The sturdy construction of the Capitol building had simply stifled the volume of its reverberance. Whatever was to blame for that tremor was nearby.

Standing cautiously, Viktor gestured for Doctor Reveck to stay where he was, gingerly making his way to the door as if the sound of his footsteps would attract something unwanted. He pulled the door open slowly, taking a breath before hesitantly sticking his head out to behold what lay beyond the threshold of the room he inhabited. And it struck him immediately.

He felt the air shift, crackling with partially spent energy as something discharged. Something powered by the Arcane. The familiar crackle of Hextech. The sound of a weapon. Something charging up, ready to make impact. He stepped back, nearly slamming the door as he made space between himself and the door, unsure as to what was to happen but unwilling to be in the direct blast radius. And not a second too soon. Just as he took his third step away from the door, it suddenly disintegrated in a burst of vibrant blue energy, sending him toppling to the floor and rolling back against the head of the bed he’d been sitting on not a minute before. If he’d remained where he had been, things might’ve been quite different.

Viktor settled onto his haunches, turning his attention to the door. Panting, but otherwise unharmed. He blinked away the dust in his eyes, glancing over to see Doctor Reveck, surprised but likewise unharmed. Viktor then returned his attention to the source of the explosion and studied the remains of the wall where the door had once been with feverish intensity. Waiting. Listening intently. Something was coming.

The plume of smoke gradually settled as a figure stepped through the ruined doorway, crunching shattered pieces of plaster and stone underfoot. And as the air finally cleared and some semblance of visibility returned, a familiar face revealed itself from beyond the dust.

Viktor could hardly believe his eyes.

—

Reclining upon the long lounge that she had retired to at the end of their discussion, Ambessa indulged in another glass of wine. The bottle sat mostly empty, but she was far from inebriated. Years of unconventional eating and drinking habits had made her quite resistant to things like food poisoning and alcohol poisoning. But she’d opened the bottle, so she intended to enjoy it at her leisure. Sipping slowly as she basked in the faint moonlight.

Tonight had been fun.

The little Herald -Viktor- had vacated her quarters not long ago, depriving her of his enchanting presence, and a much-needed source of potential entertainment. He was a surprisingly engaging conversation partner for someone so youthful, so new to the ways of the world. Utterly captivating in a way she couldn’t place, and unlike anyone she’d ever spoken to before.

She absentmindedly hoped that he would take her up on her offer. She wasn’t desperate enough to go and ask a second time. Begging was far beneath her. But her curiosity was thoroughly piqued, and she longed to satiate it. If simple indulgence was what she sought, she had plenty of options. The brothel in Zaun wasn’t closed for business. But that wasn’t the extent of her interest in him.

Truthfully, when she’d captured him, she hadn’t expected to like him this much. Sure, she’d noticed his unconventional appearance, and it had made her curious enough to want to know more, but she’d expected to attempt to recruit him, and then have him dealt with should he oppose her proposal. The dungeons under the Capitol were a great place to house someone unwilling to see reason. A few weeks in the frigid, soundless darkness tended to make people very agreeable or utterly deranged and nothing else in between.

Until she’d heard him speak and had beheld him in his full splendor. Oh, what a mistake that had been.

Now, the prospect of sending him down there was… unappealing. She didn’t particularly relish the concept of seeing him wither away, slowly succumbing to madness and hopelessness as the damp and the silence gnawed away at him like a steady poison. Leaving little trace of the brilliant, if not overly naive, mind she’d started to come to appreciate behind.

She was starting to wonder if she had a secondary preference for beings of unknowable magical potential. For one who lacked arcane gifts, she always seemed to find herself surrounded by those who possessed them.

There was suddenly a knock at the door.

“Enter.” She said almost dismissively, her thoughts still largely preoccupied. The door opened as soon as permission was given, and a familiar figure stepped within, closing the door behind himself. Ambessa sighed.

It was not the late-night visitor that she was hoping to receive.

Ambessa regarded Rictus curiously, instantly taking note of the hint of displeasure in his demeanor. It was subtle, but she’d known the man far longer than most, and she knew what to look for. Whatever he had to say to her wasn’t something she was going to be pleased to hear. As if the hour he was coming to interrupt her at wasn’t evidence enough of that fact.

“What is this about?”

Rictus straightened, nodding in response to the inquiry. “We’ve received notice. Salo has been located.”

Now, that wasn’t what she’d expected him to say at all.

They’d been looking for him for a little while now. After he’d disappeared from one of the establishments that he frequented after she’d nominated Caitlyn to stand in a position of power instead of him. It had almost been funny at the time. How did they manage to lose track of a man in his condition? But they had, nonetheless. Last she’d heard, Viktor had been the last to see him. He’d been accounted for. But she didn’t get the impression that this was good news, regardless. “And I can only surmise by the look on your face that he is no longer breathing?”

Rictus shook his head, confirming her suspicion. “He was found by a maintenance team assessing the condition of the Hexgate. He’d been slain. Butchered. Apparently, with a swift, savage blow to the back of the head.”

So it wasn’t the little wolf, then. I’d scarcely be willing to believe that he could wield a weapon, much less be capable of that. She mused to herself as she considered Rictus’s revelation. She imagined there were plenty of people in the Undercity who might have it out for the former council member, but even still… that was a particularly savage way to go.

“Curious…”

“From what we can tell, it occurred a few days ago, just before we arrived in the Undercity.” He added, giving her what little additional information he had. There wasn’t much to work on just yet. The discovery was far too new for there to be anything concrete to work with just yet.

Ambessa placed her wine glass back on the table in front of her and reclined back against the lounge, considering something. This was a startling and unwelcome turn of events, indeed. Perhaps they should strengthen their guard patrols for the time being. The death of a counselor in Zaun… This could cause quite a stir if the public caught wind of it. She needed to control the narrative around this. Shape it to their advantage instead of allowing it to work against them. Keep things quiet for now.

“Very well. Come morning, we should-”

She didn’t get to finish speaking. Both of them fell silent instantly. It was faint from this distance, but they could still feel the vestiges of it as the building quaked from the aftershock of something powerful. There had just been an explosion on the far side of the Capitol building.

—

Their entry into the building had been smooth. Utterly flawless. Until it wasn’t.

They’d dropped down from the access hatch in the roof and then made their way down into the main building through a maintenance stairwell near the central elevator shafts. Slowly and methodically, they’d checked each floor of the building for signs of Noxian activity until they’d found precisely what they were looking for. The very same floor of the building that they’d seen from the outside as they’d sought a route in. Only this time, they were on the opposite wing of the building. But that hardly mattered. There was no doubt in their mind that this was the right place.

The fact that they were guarding something was obvious. The sheer number of guards stationed on this wing in particular, as opposed to all the others, was a dead giveaway. And one could only hope that they only had one thing worth devoting that much energy towards safekeeping.

It quickly devolved into a game of ducking into various unoccupied rooms that had mostly been repurposed into sleeping quarters to stay out of the line of sight of passing patrols. They would wait nervously for a guard to pass, keeping as still and silent as possible before rounding a corner and checking every available room, only to find them empty. And then they would press on to the next. And the next. And another until they silently started to wonder the same thing.

Was this entire area a diversion?

Jayce glanced back at Vi, clearly disheartened by their lack of progress. He couldn’t recall how long they’d been searching, but it felt like ages. Call it the product of a racing heart and an anxious mind, but he wanted this to be done with. Wanted to find Viktor and finish what he’d come there to do. But then he didn’t, really. Jayce didn’t want this for either of them. He’d always been Viktor’s protector, his unceasing advocate who would happily protect him from anything. And now, he was a destructive force of nature sent to annihilate him. To undo him. It went against everything in him, but he’d seen what would come to pass should he fail. Should he break his promise. Should he make the mistake of buckling under the pressure.

He would make it swift. Painless. Hopefully.

His jaw clenched as Vi closed another door, turning back to him. She shook her head. She didn’t need to speak the words. Nothing. Once again, they would need to proceed further. Empty-handed. They would press on.

And then, as they’d persisted towards the cross section between two halls, it overcame him, slamming into him all at once with utterly overwhelming force. Another attack, much like the others, only this time, it was far worse. The most overwhelming one he’d experienced thus far. Jayce buckled to the ground, crashing to his knees as they gave out underneath him, clutching his head to try and suppress the agonized volleys of largely incomprehensible nonsense by which he was being assaulted. He panted heavily, groaning in pain as he dug his jagged, chipped fingernails into his scalp to try to gain purchase over his fraying sanity, clinging to anything that might anchor him in place amidst the relentless torment inflicted upon him. He wasn’t sure if he was bleeding, and he didn’t care.

His breath came in heavy huffs, forcing air back into him. Gradually, it eased. Torturously, it lessened. Until he could open his eyes again. Though his sight evaded him still until his eyes could fully readjust. His pupils were blown out, allowing far too much light in. He couldn’t see anything. Couldn’t hear. His heart hammered in his chest like it was going to explode. He pressed them closed again, his teeth clenching down on the inside of his cheek as he shuddered and attempted to pull himself back to his feet.

Viktor was close by. He just knew it.

Jayce suddenly felt an enormous hand on his shoulder. It gripped him firmly, steadying him in place as though the individual it belonged to was frightened that he would topple over and perish prematurely without their assistance. Jayce turned his head towards the source of the touch, squinting as he forced his eyes to open just enough to be able to see who was touching him.

It was Vi.

“Hey, are you okay?” She asked, her confusion and worry evident even at a glance. The simple truth of the matter was that she had no clue what was wrong with him. He’d kept her in the dark, unwilling and truthfully unable to bring himself to discuss the circumstances surrounding his disappearance. She had functional eyes. She could tell that nothing good had come of whatever he’d had the misfortune of experiencing. But she’d never seen anyone behave in the way that he just had. And it was clear that his symptoms were not purely psychosomatic. Whatever force tormented him was causing him physical pain, and its presence was wholly unwelcome. Especially under the current circumstances.

Jayce blinked lethargically, shaking his head as he reached up and rubbed his eyes with his free hand. His palm felt rough against his eyelids, but he hardly noticed. The sudden well of nausea settling into his gut served as a formidable distraction.

“Yeah, I’m…” He shuddered as he spoke, forcing himself to shake off the sense of disquietment that came hand in hand with what he’d just experienced. He took note of the mixture of concern and confusion in Vi’s face as she looked at him, almost squinting as though she were examining him. And then her gaze shifted to something behind him.

“Good. Because we have company.”

Turning to follow her gaze, Jayce came face to face with a small group of soldiers garbed in an all too familiar set of red and black attire. The Noxians had found them, more than likely alerted to their presence by Jayce’s sudden bout of anguish. Or perhaps they’d just lingered for too long in one spot. It didn’t matter anymore.

And just like that, the time to be quiet had passed.

The group of guards circled them with all the silent menace of a swarm of bloodthirsty sharks smelling fresh blood in the water, weapons raised. Fangs bared. Poised to attack the moment the opportunity presented itself. Twelve vs two, then? That didn’t seem the least bit unfair, did it? But then again, these were Noxian soldiers, elite career soldiers practically bred for battle. They didn’t care for mundane scruples like the concept of a fair fight. They’d been tasked with guarding this hallway, and that was all they cared to do. By whatever means necessary.

Vi and Jayce came close together, backs touching as they watched their enemies for any signs of an opening. For any indication that they might be about to attack. And then, without warning, one of the guards struck.

Lunging towards Vi with their spear drawn, the soldier only narrowly missed his mark as Jayce swiped his legs from under him with the handle of the Mercury Hammer. He crashed to the ground, his face meeting the toe of Vi’s boot as she kicked him out of the way, shooting a thankful look Jayce’s way before raising her gauntlets to full height and powering them up. Jayce grabbed the handle of the handle and pulled it, revealing the maw of the warped instrument as a sort of warning. Making it clear that this was their last chance. It was a warning none of them heeded.

A second guard came at Vi from the opposite side, attempting to catch her in the side with his spear as she sidestepped him effortlessly and turned 180 degrees to the left, winding back and slamming her gauntlet into his face with expert proficiency. Upon impact, he launched backward across the hall and slammed back-first into the wall, taking himself out of commission with a pained groan as he slid down toward the floor and went limp. He was down for the count.

Taking the hint, the next two guards attacked their target at once, one attempting to catch Jayce from the front while the other pincered him from the side. Jayce slammed the open maw of the hammer into the ground below him, causing the Noxian in front of him to reel back in disorientation as the bright light produced by the Arcane corrupted crystal burned his retinas and caused him to stumble. Jayce swung the handle of the hammer backward, catching the second soldier in the jaw with his shoulder as he wound back and raised the weapon to waist height, the head of it swinging low and wide as he braced himself and slammed the hammer’s head into the man standing in front of him. They flew back, crashing into a potted plant, no longer moving as Jayce suddenly pivoted in the direction of the second soldier and, swinging in a wide waist height arch, crashed the weapon into their left side, shattering their armor with a force so strong that it sent a loud metallic ring through the air from the impact.

As the man was launched backward into the floor, slammed downward by the impact of Jayce’s blow, another soldier launched at Vi. She ducked the head of the spear as it nearly grazed her face, missing her ear by only a handful of millimeters. She reached up and grabbed the spear with her right hand and nailed its owner in the chest with a series of punches with her left, a second soldier taking the opportunity to go for the kill. They rushed towards her, intent on stabbing her in the side, but Jayce intervened at the last moment, swinging the head of the Mercury Hammer downward and through the length of the handle of the spear, shearing it in half at the center point. They stumbled and found their way directly into Vi’s foot as she raised it to kick them in the stomach, knocking the wind out of them. They tumbled forward, directly into her grasp as she closed the gauntlet down around their throat like a vice, gripping them tightly and then moving them out in front of her. She slammed them into the other soldier that still remained in the grasp of her right hand, the two making impact with one another across the length of their sides with enough force to render them both breathless. She then reeled back and slammed them both back-first into the ground with the full force of her gauntlets, sending them down into the ground beneath her as it shattered and sent splinters of pulverized stone flying in every direction.

Steam billowed from the gauntlets as a third soldier went flying into the wall behind her, flying over her crouched back as Jayce sidestepped her from the front and used the maw of the hammer to steer his target into a semi-standing position, slamming them back-first into the wall. The plaster splintered like overly dry firewood in a spiderweb pattern as the weapon fired off a blast of energy at point-blank range, propelling the hammer forward with blinding speed. They managed to choke out a gargled, saliva-drowned cry before slumping over. Motionless. Breathless. And they would stay that way if they had any sense of self-preservation.

Seven down. Five to go.

Jayce panted wildly as his back ached worse than it had in recent memory from his sudden burst of activity, his eyes flashing with an unhinged gleam as he took in the remainder of their opponents. They were flanking them in a wide arch, clearly more cautious than they had been previously. But the Noxians were not backing down, and neither were they.

Rushing them all at once, the soldiers attempted to overtake them, earning one of them an uppercut in the jaw courtesy of Vi as she took the heat off of Jayce momentarily. He stepped away from her, making as much room as he could as he cranked the maw of the warped Mercury Hammer open as far as it would go, pulling the handle and locking it into place with a gruff huff of overexertion. His arm burned around where the rune was embedded into it as he pushed past the searing pain he felt in his flesh and charged the hammer up as far as he could stand before bracing his weak leg as best as he could and shooting Vi a determined look. She was handling all five of the guards herself, but she was nearly cornered.

Shaking his head, Jayce groaned. He had an idea. And he didn’t like it.

“Vi, take cover!” He shouted over to her as she shoved one of the guards back and dodged a strike from another, their spear striking the wall behind her as they attempted to strike her across the neck. It clipped the corner of the wall, gouging the molding as she looked over at him and then down at the weapon. Her eyes sparkled with cold, breathless realization as they went wide with horror, and she shoved the soldier in front of her onto his back, falling into a crouch and narrowly dodging another blow from their weapons as she made herself as low as she could. She shouted as the shield engaged just in time, blasting the soldiers around her back and electrifying the one closest to her as the improved protective barrier blanketed her in a field of blue light.

Jayce slammed the hammer down into the floor with all the force he could muster, the floor shuddering as it shattered from the force of the impact it made with the distorted crystal. Deep rifts scored into it as they snaked out in every direction, marking a cross-shaped imprint into the center of the cross-section of the hallway where he stood. A secondary blast of energy emitted from the hammer’s own built-in protective shield as the energy surged out in a radius around it, shattering the glass in every window attached to the hall and blowing several of the doors off their hinges as the building threatened to come undone at the seams. The structure around them quaked as the radius of the blast made contact with Vi’s shield, seemingly amplifying its reach as the vibration intensified, the supports shuddering ferociously. The air was statically charged, vibrating with arcane energy that made every hair on their bodies stand up on end. And then, it fell silent again. All but for the hum of residual otherworldly energy that caused the remains of several small items within its radius to float lazily just above the ground.

Jayce stood there, ears ringing as his heart pounded in his chest. Everything was too bright and far too quiet. Every muscle in his body was blown out and unsteady, his grip at once too tight but not reassuring. He watched Vi clamber to her feet and stumble, careening into a nearby wall headfirst before she shook it off and sprinted down the hallway past him, checking every destroyed door as she went. He half-registered her blowing the hinges off of one of the few doors that remained standing, seeing it and feeling the residual blast more than hearing anything. And then, as though someone had reached over and turned a switch, his hearing returned to him in full force as his head quivered and his ears ached. A sharp burning sensation accompanied it. He flinched, grinding his teeth together before instantly stopping, the sensation too unpleasant in conjunction with everything else for him to withstand.

And then Vi spoke. Shouted at him, frankly. The only sound he could still clearly make out in his current state.

“Jayce, get the hell over here! I found him!”

He didn’t think. He flew.

—

Viktor stared up at Vi like his brain was failing to process the reality that he had suddenly been faced with. Because it was.

He’d been captured by the Noxians and brought to the capital. There were guards everywhere. His location was a veritable unknown to anyone, least of all anyone who hadn’t been at the commune at the time of his abduction. And yet, here she stood. In the doorway, a wide-eyed, victorious sparkle in her eyes as a pleased look spread across her entire face, and her lips quirked up into something resembling a genuine smile. She was happy to see him. But what in the world was she doing here?

Vi stumbled into the room, slightly winded as she came to a stop and leaned against a damaged support post. It had been nicked by some of the debris from the explosion that he now realized had been caused by her gauntlets. Ah yes, the Atlas Gauntlets. Viktor remembered those. But how had they come to be in her possession? And to that end, he remembered them looking slightly different. Having a different paint job? He couldn’t be sure. A matter for another time.

She took deep, labored breaths as he eyed her with concern. Viktor pulled himself to his feet and extended a hand as if to offer to assist her, only to receive a shake of the head in response. She was fine. She didn’t require assistance. Instead, she leaned her head back and closed her eyes. Tired.

Viktor was going to inquire as to what had possessed her to come here, but then he realized that the answer had to be very clear, didn’t it? There was only one thing she could be looking for in this palace. She’d come for-

“Jayce, get the hell over here! I found him!”

Viktor’s entire demeanor changed the instant he heard her speak that name. His eyes shot towards what remained of the doorway, fixed upon the only entry point that the room possessed. Surely, he’d heard her wrong. There was no way that Vi knew Jayce. That Jayce was here. The last time he’d seen him, he’d barely been able to stand, panting and wild-eyed with all the slavering beastliness of a rabid bloodhound. When he’d shattered Salo’s skull like the remains of a festive fall gourd. He simply couldn't…

Vi’s eyes fell from Viktor to Singed, the bandaged man standing slightly off to the side of the room. He’d migrated there during the explosion, keen to get as far out of the potential blast radius as he could manage. But he’d stopped just short of that goal, evaluating the situation silently from a few feet away, lingering near the foot of Viktor’s makeshift bed. He, too, was watching the doorway intently. So he was finally going to get to see this “Jayce” that Viktor never stopped going on about, was he? Intriguing…

Viktor didn’t realize it, but he was holding his breath. His head was spinning, and his heart pounded from a distinct lack of oxygen, but he barely registered it. He was focused on something else entirely. The sound of footsteps as they grew ever closer. He was enraptured, hanging on every footfall as everything else faded into the foreground. And they came softly. Growing louder. With no discernible rhythm as they drew ever closer still. Until the crunch of marble and plaster that had been reduced to little more than gravel crumpled underfoot, and a figure slipped around the corner.

The man who stood before him was covered head to toe in small nicks and scratches. Bruises and patches of skin rubbed raw from unknown sources of abrasion. His clothes were torn, soiled, and ragged, barely holding together under the wear and tear they’d endured. His body was caked in grime and dirt, sweat clinging to him like a bad memory. His oily, unkempt hair was longer than Viktor had ever seen it, plastered to his face from sweat, streaks of salty moisture carving a path through the soot and grime that covered his face, running from his eyes down to his chin and neck. What had once been part of his shirt had been repurposed to craft much-needed bandages that covered a sizable amount of the skin on his leg, holding together some sort of makeshift brace in lieu of something better. He trembled slightly, beyond exhausted. Barely holding together.

He was battered, bruised, and broken. But it was Jayce nonetheless.

Jayce had always been so particular about his appearance. Not out of vanity or even an abundance of ego or pride, but because he enjoyed being perceived positively. It was a performance that he indulged in partially for himself, but largely for the benefit of others who might judge him should he be anything less. A subconscious act that he’d never put much thought into beyond affirming that this was how he wanted to look. But there was no semblance of that left now. This was not a man who cared even a little for how he was perceived. This was what remained of him, all the indulgence of gold and standing shorn away to reveal the stripped bare bones underneath. All that was left of a person who had been so utterly destroyed by circumstance that to expend the effort necessary to care about indulgences like their appearance seemed so petty that they were deemed utterly unimportant.

Viktor stared at him intently, his eyes softening into something gentle. Something full of fondness as he basked in the sight of him. He took a tentative step towards him, as though he were attempting not to frighten a timid animal. Jayce’s eyes darted towards him, alarmed. Searching for something. And the moment they fell over him, they changed into something he’d never seen before.

Jayce stared in Viktor’s general direction, his pupils wide as his dim, hazel eyes gleamed in the soft evening light. Jayce’s tired mind could barely comprehend the vaguest outline of him, his eyes failing to take in any details as his head suddenly found its way back into his hands. The last thing he saw before he was assaulted by yet another wave of Arcane agony was the subtle look of horror that overtook Viktor’s face.

Gritting his teeth as he flinched in ceaseless, excruciating pain, he grasped the handle of the hammer for dear life, nearly teetering over as his head throbbed. The pain was uniquely unbearable this time, his mind pulling in fragmented directions as the distinct sensation of something white hot peeling back his flesh overcame him. All at once, it felt as though the very tissue and sinew that his brain and skull were composed of were being ripped apart and lit aflame, his vision going white as a kaleidoscope of distorted, otherworldly imagery attacked his vision. He hyperventilated, raking his fingers through his hair and down his face as he released his grip on the hammer, everything spinning around him as it slumped over onto the floor. He whimpered almost pathetically, barely resisting the urge to audibly beg for it to stop. Or so he thought as a single, breathless plea escaped from under his breath, barely perceptible but heard all the same.

Please, just… stop.

Both Vi and Viktor moved to take a step towards him, but as they did so, they were interrupted. The sound of thumping, thundering steps became apparent, something that had gone entirely unnoticed amidst everything else going on. Vi glanced over in the general direction of the ruined doorway, shaking her head. She didn’t like this.

“At the risk of saying something stupidly obvious, we need to get the hell out of here.” She said as she looked between Viktor and Jayce, making a mental note of just how stuck between a rock and a hard place she truly was. Neither of her companions could exactly run, at least to her knowledge. Viktor had been walking with some sort of walking stick back at the commune, and Jayce was… well, Jayce. This wasn’t new information to her, but it did feel especially pertinent given the current, very potentially dire circumstances. How were they going to get out of here before reinforcements arrived?

But it was only after she’d spoken that she realized she should’ve stayed silent. The footsteps stopped. And a moment later, a towering figure stepped through the doorway, ducking as he entered. He straightened, taking in the sight of the intruders with a self-affirming nod as he drew his spear, seemingly unbothered by the prospect of doing battle against them.

It was Rictus.

The large man glanced over at Viktor and Singed, taking note of something that he didn’t verbally elaborate on before his eyes settled on Jayce. But the moment he took a step towards him, the sound of steam being expelled caught his attention. His eyes drifted over to Vi, the messy-haired woman now standing in the center of the room, fists clenched as the gauntlets powered up as high as they would go. A grim, unmistakably serious look on her face. She adjusted her neck, rolling her shoulders as she assumed a fighting stance, uncurling the fingers on her right gauntlet as she curled them in towards herself, beckoning her new opponent to challenge her.

“Come on, big guy. Why don’t you pick on someone more in your weight class, huh?” Her conviction was ironclad, even if her eyes betrayed her fear.

Rictus’s eyes skimmed over Jayce a final time, taking note of the way he continued to labor under the effects of… something before opting to humor her. Now, this would surely be an interesting fight, to say the least.

With a grunt, Rictus charged her. If it was a fight she wanted, he would grant her a warrior’s death.

Jayce stirred from his stupor, the sound of metal clanking against metal pulling him from the haze he’d been rendered catatonic by. He blinked, startled as his heart raced and his breathing remained unsteady. His head throbbed as though he’d been struck in the center of the brain with a blunt object, but he blinked and exhaled regardless, groaning. But the first thing that his eyes settled upon snapped him back to reality almost instantly.

Viktor stood only a meter or so away from him, his eyes fixed upon him in a state of silent, solemn reverie. His right arm slowly extended with the clear intention of touching him. For what purpose didn’t matter to him. All that Jayce knew was that he would not allow him to do so.

Practically jumping away from him, he stumbled backward and nearly into Singed, the older man having made his way around the outer wall of the makeshift bedroom and towards the door. Viktor shot the older man a curious look, his gaze averting from Jayce for but a moment as his pupils dilated, his irises flashing a litany of shades of browns, silvers, and pinks as he stepped past Jayce and stopped the older man in his tracks, communicating something to him with a look that Jayce could not see. Singed sighed softly and lowered his arm, tucking something back into his back pocket. It seemed that he’d intended Jayce harm, even if only out of a misplaced sense of self-preservation.

And then, Viktor turned his attention back to Jayce, his eyes scanning him as though he were evaluating something. His eyes drifted lower, and when they fell upon the sight of his injured leg in particular, his brow furrowed. His eyes then met his again, and Jayce found himself mesmerized. The light in the room was dim, but he noticed it immediately, even if he could not make out the fine details. Viktor looked different. More so than he’d ever imagined he would. His skin was still the same as he recalled it being from their last meeting, still warped by the arcane power of the Hexcore, but… he’d never seen Viktor’s hair quite that long before. It was…

Viktor extended his hand slowly, attempting to touch him again. A softness in his eyes that was undeniable as his gaze lulled him in, wordlessly assuring him that he would find only comfort in his embrace. Inviting him to rest. His lips quirked up in a soft, welcoming smile as Viktor beheld him fondly. He almost seemed to radiate a welcoming presence, bathed in a soft, warm glow. But not in the way that Jayce recalled. Not with the same warmth. Not with the same eyes that he had always been so very fond of.

Suddenly, as if possessed by some otherworldly force, Jayce snarled furiously and gripped the handle of the hammer, watching as Viktor’s hand recoiled sheepishly, his expression asking the wordless question that so clearly lingered on his mind. What did I do wrong? But before he could wonder, Jayce raised the ruined Mercury Hammer and pressed it against Viktor, causing him to stumble backward from the force he applied as he found himself pinned at chest height against the pillar that Vi had been resting against only a few moments prior.

Vi ducked a blow from Rictus’s spear, jumping to the right as he arched the tip towards her head, narrowly missing her face as he sheared a section of the front of her hair off. She blinked in surprise as she retaliated with a punch that she blocked with his weapon, shooting a glance over towards Jayce as if to request backup. But what she saw instead caused her brain to sputter so spectacularly that she was immediately tripped up by Rictus and found herself tumbling back, her opponent grasping her by her coat collar as he headbutted her and she tumbled to the ground with a huff. She rolled, shaking off the blow as she spat blood from her bleeding lip onto the ground next to her, using her shoulder to wipe the blood running from her nose out of her mouth. Now, that was a familiar taste.

“Jayce, what the hell are you doing?!” She yelled, bewildered by the sight before her. She hadn’t the slightest idea what the hell had suddenly gotten into him, but this was most certainly not what she had signed up for. She was under the impression that they were there to save the man responsible for her wayward father’s improvement, not end his life. And for what? Was it even possible that things between the two of them could be that irreparable, especially after everything she’d seen in Jayce’s journal? She knew for a fact that there was still love there, at least on Jayce’s end. How could he even consider…

Vi would’ve been more overtly frustrated by Jayce’s lack of a response if Rictus hadn’t immediately taken the opportunity to retaliate, forcing her to roll out of the way of his next blow as she jumped back to her feet, powering up a blow that sent her launching forward into him. It connected, hitting him in the gut, but he barely budged, shoving her back as he shook off the blow, just barely winded. She’d managed to put a sizable dent in his armor, but little else. It looked like she was going to have to punch him a little harder than that. Good. She intended to.

Amidst all of the commotion, she caught a glimpse of Doctor Reveck slipping out of the room, shooting what appeared to be a troubled look over towards Viktor as he seemingly pondered something before slipping away to alert reinforcements. So that confirmed her suspicions about him back at the commune, then. He was working with the Noxians. That old man was precisely who she thought he might be. That couldn’t be good…

But Jayce paid little mind to any of that, if any at all. He grasped the handle of the warped Mercury Hammer, cranking the maw open as far as it would allow, biting down on the inside of his cheek as that familiar burn returned to his forearm. The feeling of the weapon drawing power from the rune embedded into his very flesh. The searing heat was only barely bearable as he used all of his strength to hold up the weapon, akin to a white hot brand. Proof of the vow he’d made. The one he would not break.

There was a certain cruel irony to it. To the fact that this would be the second time that a Hextech weapon would take his partner’s life. The very thing their research together had culminated in. The very thing Viktor had never wanted Jayce to make. Jayce shook his head, banishing the thought.

Jayce forced himself to recall everything that had led him to his moment. He remembered the ruined state of the world he had dragged himself through on a broken leg and an even more broken spirit. The soul-stifling darkness of that wretched cave and its litany of torments. The silent hell he’d lingered in as hopelessness settled into his very bones like root rot, intensifying a pitiless ache that never truly went away. He recalled the insurmountable heights he’d scaled to reach the top of what remained of the Hexgates. Of the promise to stop Viktor that he’d made to the man who had saved his life and the life of his mother all those years ago. Of the weakness he could not allow to undo his resolve. Jayce summoned all the hatred and vitriol he could muster and pressed the hammer down harder.

And then he met Viktor’s eyes.

They were brown again. That same golden brown that he’d always been so enraptured by. Only this time, they were filled with something he’d never seen in them before. Absolute, undying horror. Mortification at the realization that Jayce had not come there to save him, but to execute him. Viktor’s bottom lip quivered, his breath catching in his chest as he swallowed harshly, choking back a pained sob as he attempted to compose himself and failed, the Hexcore’s hold on him truly broken as he stared the certainty of death in the eyes. As he stared at Jayce. At the man that he cared so deeply for that he would not fight back if this was what he so genuinely desired. He did not understand what he had done to Jayce to make him hate him so, but he would accept it if it might bring him peace.

Jayce had always been such a gentle creature. But now, he was anything but. He was tormented, filled with a ruthless, feral savagery that was as undying as it was undeniable. There was nothing that anyone could say to him that would convince him to stop. Not after he’d crossed the line.

Viktor’s arms went slack at his sides, his hands falling from the handle of the hammer. He could pull the charm off of his body that limited his powers. His mobility was better than Jayce’s. He was certain that he could outmaneuver him in such a sorry state. He could overpower him and will him to stop his assault against him. But he suddenly lacked the will to. The knowledge that Jayce was capable of wishing him harm, of committing violence against him… he didn’t… he couldn’t fathom it. He refused to.

Jayce watched some part of him that he’d never known existed die then and there, wilting like the petals of a delicate flower exposed to pure poison. As the life was stolen from it, snuffed out, and reduced to nothing. Everything that it was and could be now gone from it. Viktor’s eyes welled with unspent tears as his lungs failed to draw breath before a single tear spilled forth and ran down his face, his golden eyes filled with so much pain that Jayce felt his heart clench just looking at him.

He remembered the first time he’d noticed how beautiful they were. The night that Viktor had approached him when Jayce had been abandoned by everyone else. The night in his ruined apartment that Viktor had saved Jayce’s life. They’d ostensibly been strangers with nothing to unite them but their shared dream of how beautiful the future could be if they worked together. For the betterment of all. Viktor had risked everything to save him. He had believed in him and stood by him when no one else had. There was a loyalty in Viktor that was unbreakable and absolute. He had never abandoned their dream until it had been corrupted. Until he had been corrupted by the very thing he’d asked Jayce to destroy.

And in an instant, Jayce had just watched that hope inside of him die.

Jayce’s mouth fell open slightly as words failed him. As Viktor held his gaze, his eyes filled with such pain. Such a sense of betrayal and sorrow as he accepted that the person he loved most would be the thing to destroy him. That he’d disappointed him. Jayce couldn’t bear that look. He simply couldn’t. He closed his eyes. And then he released his hold on the handle, and it fired, blowing a hole through the top of the pillar that tore through the ceiling and through the outside wall of the Capitol building, taking half of the upper floor with it.

Viktor slumped to the floor, his hands clutching his chest as he hyperventilated, unharmed. His eyes were no less filled with tears, but a sense of realization dawned in them as he watched Jayce drop the hammer and look down at him, his face saying more than words ever could.

Vi and Rictus paused, the blast taking them entirely by surprise. Vi gaped at the sight of the blast radius, utterly disquieted by the realization that her companion had been carrying around a weapon capable of doing that to a building. And he’d planned to use that on someone as small as Viktor?

Rictus beheld the damage and nodded a single time to himself, his decision easy. Suddenly, Vi was no longer his top priority.

Jayce closed his eyes and exhaled laboriously, taking in the sight of Viktor before him. He was disheveled, disoriented, and disheartened, his hair strewn about by the static energy released by the blast. His breathing had calmed a bit, but not enough to make much of a difference. He didn’t get to register much else. Almost as though he were being punished for his failure, the pain in his head returned, but this time, he choked as he swallowed, his lungs quivering as his skull slammed like someone had just stoved it in. His ears rang, sending a pain through his head so powerful that he thought his eardrums might explode. It was relentless and utterly disorienting, and no matter how hard he squeezed his head to try and grant himself some semblance of relief, it simply didn’t stop.

And Rictus took note of that fact immediately.

Without warning, he grasped the spear and reared back, launching it towards Jayce with an amount of force that put the Hexgates's gravitational launch calibrations to shame. Viktor didn’t think; he simply scrambled to his feet and, with one fluid motion, grasped Jayce by the shoulders and threw both of them to the ground, the spear missing its intended target, but still hitting something regardless.

But neither Jayce nor Viktor took notice immediately. The moment that Viktor’s fingertips brushed against the skin of Jayce’s neck, he was assaulted by flashes of things he did not understand. Jayce’s mind was a mangled mess of fragmented memories, blurring into something utterly incomprehensible. But what he did register was the feeling of pain. Of a deep, tortured longing for relief and the desperation that only loneliness brought with it. And it crescendoed and and crescendoed until Viktor could no longer bear it, snatching his hand away from his body as though he’d been burned as he caught the faintest glimpse of Jayce laying somewhere dark, sobbing with his whole chest near a fading fire, Viktor’s name upon his lips as he mourned the reality that he might never see him again. Never feel the warmth of his embrace or see the adoration in his smile. The sparkle in his eyes. Never get to tell him how much he-

Viktor gasped, sitting up slightly and leaning over Jayce as reality hit him again. Panting and suddenly sweating as he blinked and took in his surroundings. Jayce was lying on his back, looking up at him, a look of abject horror in his eyes. Viktor’s gaze traveled downward as he registered discomfort in his lower back and abdomen. It radiated across the lower middle section of his back, about halfway towards his spine, and the feeling was… unpleasant, sure, but he got the distinct impression that it should hurt far worse than it did. Yet it simply didn’t.

His eyes drifted towards the left side of the room, following Jayce’s gaze as it left him and traveled towards the spear that now found itself embedded into the wall by the door. To the mixture of purple and red liquid that dripped from its blade. And then the realization finally hit him, along with the requisite pain. He’d been hit.

Jayce regarded him with an almost instinctual level of concern, his eyes darting over him in evaluating waves as Viktor rested on his laurels and allowed Jayce to move away from him. The wound was far more noticeable now, his breath coming in pained hitches as he looked down and noticed the darker section of his garment. It was a good thing that the inside was red and the outside was dark blue, wasn’t it…

For his part, Jayce assessed the extent of the damage, taking note of the slash mark that encompassed about five inches of Viktor’s back and side. He couldn’t tell how deep it was, but it didn’t appear to be life-threatening, and he was certain from the amount of blood that he’d seemingly lost that he probably wasn’t going to bleed to death any time soon.

Jayce sighed in relief, shuddering slightly as he turned his attention back to Vi just in time to watch her clock Rictus across the underside of the Jaw, delivering a devastating blow that sent him careening back onto the floor, stunned but not quite fully unconscious. She then turned back to Jayce and gave him a sideways look, shaking her head in annoyance as she muttered something to herself under her breath, approaching him with a scowl. She was clearly less than pleased with his antics, an assessment that was confirmed when she stopped in front of him, allowing her gloves to slump from her tired grip. She then turned around and punched him in the gut, not pulling her punches nearly as much as he would’ve liked.

Jayce gagged as he slumped over, getting the distinct impression that taking off the gloves had done little to dampen how painful that blow was.

“You are going to explain a couple of things to me once we get out of here!” Vi snarled as she watched Viktor shakily pull himself to his feet, giving her a tired look. He wasn’t going to tell her that she shouldn’t have done that. Honestly, he wanted to smack Jayce himself. Perhaps not that hard, but…

Vi took notice of Viktor’s condition before sparing a glance in Rictus’s direction, putting her gauntlets back on. They needed to get out of there. Fast. If Singed hadn’t managed to alert the guards, then Jayce blowing a gigantic crater into the side of the Capitol building surely had. But Viktor wasn’t exactly in a position to run, was he?

“And you…” It took Vi all of about two seconds to assess her odds of success before deciding that she was willing to just go for it. She’d had worse ideas work out before. She was there with Jayce, after all. “Ah, what the hell. We don’t have time for this. Hold your arms up?”

Viktor obliged with a cautious look, wincing as he recalled how many muscles in his back connected to the wounded segment of his lower abdomen. But before he could ask what she was planning to do, she hunched over, grasped him under the arm, and then hoisted him onto her back over her shoulders the long way. She then tilted her head in the direction of the partially destroyed exit to the room, her eagerness to be done with this particular situation apparent.

“Are you coming or not?” Vi asked curtly, the recipient of her ire evident.

Jayce groaned as he pulled himself to his feet, his abdomen aching as he pressed his hand to it. That was certainly going to leave a bruise. Why did Vi even need the Atlas Gauntlets if her bare hands were already weapons of mass destruction?

“Yeah…” was all he managed to say as he grasped the handle of the distorted Mercury Hammer, looking down at it as the weight of his choice settled over him. He’d come there with a goal. With an obligation. And when he’d been mere milliseconds from accomplishing his goal, no matter how grim it was, he had faltered. He had failed to fulfill his pledge. He had doomed them. Jayce exhaled deeply, closing his eyes as he swallowed, his conscience gnawing at him like a pest with rabies. What had he just done?

Vi made her way towards the door, jogging more than sprinting. For someone so lithe, Viktor was surprisingly heavy, but at least he wasn’t squirming from the discomfort he no doubt felt. Where did all that weight even come from?! “Then grab your silly giant hammer, and let’s go.”

Jayce hoisted the weapon into his grip without another word, reattaching it to his aching back. With any luck, they would get out of there before he needed to hit someone else with it.

—

If one single positive thing could be gleaned from her time as an enforcer, it was the fact that Vi now knew the ventilation shafts that ran through the Undercity like the back of her hand.

Above ground, the entirety of Piltover seemed to be on high alert. A horn blared through the dark city streets, one she hadn’t heard since that fateful night on the bridge when her sister had bombed the enforcers lying in wait, waiting to ambush them and take the gemstone back to Silco. For a passing moment, she wondered if Ekko was doing all right. She hadn’t seen him since that night. Maybe it was time to check in on him again, this time without being kidnapped, preferably.

The three of them had been silent since they’d left the Capital. They’d escaped through the same maintenance stairwell they’d entered from, heading down into the lower levels and breaking a window. From there, they’d retreated into the city's vast botanical gardens where they’d located a damaged air shaft that hadn’t been properly fixed since her sister’s colorful little attack on the city. And from there, it had been a straight shot across the harbor and back to her old stomping grounds. They were in the home stretch. They just needed to avoid detection on the way back and lay low. And Vi certainly had a place in mind.

For a while, Vi and Jayce didn’t so much as exchange a passing glance, Jayce not keen to earn himself another bruised rib. But as they crossed the barrier into the bowels of Zaun, she’d shot him a questioning look, her mind formulating a thousand different questions to ask him. But first, there was something that she needed to take care of. Then they would talk.

“Think you can walk the rest of the way?” In truth, she wasn’t sure if Viktor was still awake. He’d been unnervingly silent during their escape, little more than the faint sound of his breathing alerting her to the fact that he was even still alive. But then again, she imagined that he had a lot on his mind. How did one unpack everything that had happened to him in the past handful of days? It was a wonder he could think at all. If he still could.

“I sure hope so. I doubt you could carry both of us.” Jayce said tiredly. He was dead on his feet, dragging himself along with little more than his resolve, and the ever-growing weight of his decision. If the hammer had borne down on him like the weight of Sisyphus’s boulder, then Jayce’s decision was the far side of the mountain that he’d watched the boulder roll down after he’d reached the summit, knowing full well that all of his work had been for naught.

Vi shook her head, leaning back to indicate towards Viktor. “I was talking to Viktor, Jayce.”

Oh.

“... Yes.” Viktor retorted softly, his tone distant. It seemed that he was still awake, after all. He’d chosen to remain silent. Bitterly, naggingly silent.

“Good, because you are a lot heavier than you look.” She responded with a scoff. It was frankly ridiculous how much strain he was putting on her back, but she wasn’t one to complain. Maybe she should trade with Jayce?

Vi came to a stop immediately, shifting her posture into a crouch so that Viktor could slide off of her back with consummate ease. He slipped off her shoulders and steadied himself, straightening his back as she stood up and did the same. Vi extended her arms above her head until an audible crack was heard, exhaling in satisfaction as some of the tension vacated her weary body. She needed to sleep in a real bed tonight, or someone wasn’t going to make it. And between her sister and Jayce, she wasn’t sure just yet who that someone might be.

It was the first time that he’d heard Viktor speak in person. Thus far, Viktor had spoken to him through using Salo as a facsimile, and outside of that, he hadn’t uttered a single word. And then it hit him. Neither had he. Jayce felt a lump form in his throat as he realized that he’d nearly ended Viktor’s life without so much as speaking to him…

His eyes drifted over towards Viktor, regarding him silently as they hurried along. After a lifetime of walking with a cane and then a crutch, he imagined it must feel strange to be able to go without them now. Even if his balance seemed somewhat tenuous at times and he would probably benefit from something to help him keep his balance, Viktor was able to hold himself up, though he did seem to prefer to keep to the side of the tunnel wall. Though, that decision might be born more of his desire to stay away from Jayce than anything else since Vi was acting as something of an impassable barrier, striding down the center of the tunnel with the two of them flanking her on either side. Just in case Jayce got any bright ideas?

Jayce wished he could see Viktor’s face. He wanted to garner some sort of understanding of what he might be thinking. He needed it. To know who his beloved friend had become in their time apart. It seemed that their separation had changed them both, but Jayce was still in the dark. Still lingering in the shadows of his misdeeds from earlier that evening.

After a quarter mile or so, the tunnels opened up into the streets of Zaun. Into the lanes where the light never quite reached, even during the daylight hours. And it was dark, what few establishments that remained open not being the sort that they were looking for. They’d be in the Rapture Walk if that were the end goal. Instead, they made their way down the central boulevard, past the vendors who sold questionable goods who were locking up their goods for the night. Past Jericho’s stall, Vi shooting him a friendly wave as he tried to beckon her over for a quick bite to eat that she refused, stating that she would be back in the morning. They passed the brothel where Babette was closing up for the night. She offered them a quiet place to rest their heads as thanks for Vi’s sister's efforts in helping her escape from Stillwater after her arrest at the protest. It was an offer that she refused, but one she thanked her for nonetheless.

Jayce watched the casual ease with which Vi interacted with her fellow Zaunites. Even the gruffest of them paid her the respect of a glance or a nod, if nothing else. There was a far greater sense of community in the Undercity than Jayce had ever noticed before, but perhaps that was because he was from Piltover. His visits had been brief and filled with an abundance of caution. He’d never stayed to greet the locals and get to know them. Never made the time to come down here with Viktor despite the reality that he was from Zaun, and often came for provisions they couldn’t get topside. Had that been shortsightedness on Jayce’s part? It seemed so.

But at the same time, he noticed that Viktor remained silent. He didn’t go out of his way to greet his fellow Zaunites or do any more than nod curtly if a set of eyes strayed towards him, but he wasn’t unfriendly, either. Jayce doubted that Viktor was concerned that someone would recognize him and tell the Noxians. If there was one thing that Jayce understood about the Undercity, it was that the locals didn’t talk to enforcers, and if the state of the blockades were anything to go by, then they sure as hell weren’t in friendly relations with the Noxians, either. Not even as a stand-alone entity.

No one would turn on them. They were safe. Jayce could afford to let his guard down a little.

Jayce wondered if anyone down here remembered who Viktor was before his return. It had been years since he’d lived in the Undercity. Everyone seemed to know him as the Herald now. Was there anyone left who remembered him as just Viktor? Surely he’d known someone done here at one time or another. Surely…

… Had his physical impairments ostracized him so severely from his community that he felt like a stranger here?

Jayce remembered Viktor telling him next to nothing about his life there, aside from the fact that he’d been eager to leave and strike out on his own. To help better the lives of those in need. He’d never said as much, but Jayce always got the impression that Viktor was talking about himself, too, when he said things like that. He hadn’t needed to say it. It was a given. But it had motivated Jayce to try and get the ball rolling just that little bit faster, watching the sobering reality of what life in the Undercity could do to someone. Everything that it could take from them.

His mind returned from its rendezvous in the past, to the realities of the present. They’d come to a stop in front of a large building, which appeared to be a bar of some sort. The neon lights that would be on if the building were in operation had been switched off for the time being, but Jayce could still make out the letters if he squinted. Exhaustion was doing a number on his vision.

Vi did something that Jayce couldn’t place with the lock to the front door, and the door eased open, earning them passage inside. Vi gestured toward the two of them with a tilt of her head, inviting them across the threshold. It made more sense than standing on the curb and continuing to draw attention.

“The Last Drop?” Jayce inquired as they ventured inside, Vi closing the door and locking it behind them again as they made their way inside. No one in their right mind slept soundly in the Undercity with the doors unlocked. It wasn’t good for your life expectancy.

Vi took in the sights. It was just as she’d left it the last time she’d been here. The same wrecked pool table she’d tried to kill Sevika with, and the beaten-up bar furniture they’d tossed around like insults. The same indent that her back had made in the bar front when she’d made impact with it. The same Jukebox, although someone had made an effort to repair it… At least someone had cleaned up the bloodstains. That was something.

She turned to face her two guests, noting that Viktor was particularly unfazed by his current environment, and Jayce seemed to be silently assessing the structural integrity of the place. Yep. It was clear which one of them came from topside and which one didn’t. Jayce had some semblance of standards, not that his time away from his cozy home in Piltover hadn’t lowered them significantly. But still. The concept was at least there.

“Yep. Or as my sister and I used to call it: home sweet home,” Vi said, walking around the bar front in search of something edible. To no great surprise, all she found were glasses and mostly empty bottles in various states of disrepair. Excellent. She grabbed a bottle of something and a handful of glasses, spreading them out across the counter before filling one for herself and giving the orange liquid inside a slurp. Club soda. Fantastic. Alcohol tasted like death to her after she’d drunk so much of it during her fall from grace, anyway. She filled the other two glasses.

Jayce approached the bar, leaning his elbows against it as he allowed his face to rest against his right hand. He slumped tiredly, taking the hammer off of his back. He wasn’t even going to ask what she was offering him. No matter how bad it was, he was confident that he’d had worse over the past few months. It was a sentiment they both shared, by the look of it.

He picked up the glass and sloshed the liquid inside of it back and forth, caring little for the scent, even if it looked like he was attempting to savor it. He took a sip and was immediately confronted with an overwhelming amount of sweetness. Flat, orange-flavored club soda. Disgusting. He drank it anyway. He wasn’t picky anymore. It was better than eating Waveriders.

And then it occurred to him. “Wait… you grew up in a bar?”

“What, people don’t live in the basement of bars where you come from, lover boy?” Vi said, barely containing the glee that his perplexed expression brought her. He looked visibly confused at the prospect of children being allowed inside of an establishment that served alcohol. That sort of thing would get them shut down in Piltover. His brow furrowed in consideration as he took a second sip of the liquid, suddenly remembering that it tasted awful. He wouldn’t be surprised if it was expired. He took a third, smaller sip.

The sound of a stool scooting across the damaged bar floors interrupted their conversation as they both spared a glance towards the other end of the bar. Viktor had joined them, even if it was exceedingly obvious that he wasn’t interested in joining the conversation. He’d procured the half-broken stool from the far side of the room, dragging it all the way over to the place where it rightfully belonged. It was missing a leg, but it was still serviceable. Viktor wasn’t even wearing shoes, after all. He couldn’t care less.

Ah yes. Vi remembered how it had gotten over there…

Vi slid the last glass down the well-worn bar top, and Viktor intercepted it, grasping the top of it with his fingertips as he swirled his fingers along the pattern on the rim of the glass. He remained silent, but he still nodded a single time in gratitude, his eyes a thousand miles away. Vi got the distinct impression that he was politely biding his time. The two of them needed to talk. Badly. And the wound on his back could probably use attending to. Too bad there probably weren’t any first aid supplies lying around.

“No… not that I’m aware of. No.” Jayce said almost absentmindedly as he looked down the bar at Viktor. He was finally able to see him under direct light, and he wasn’t sure he knew the words to properly describe how the gold highlights embedded into his skin gleamed under the fluorescent light. He couldn’t see his face from this angle since Viktor insisted on starting in any direction but directly at him, lost in a train of thought Jayce could only vaguely fathom. What was going through that mind of his…

It was suddenly too quiet for Vi’s tastes. Too soon to linger on the gravity of everything they’d just done that evening. Time to pivot the topic slightly.

“Where did you grow up, Viktor? The sump?” Vi said casually before taking another sip of her disappointing drink. She hardly noticed that it was supposed to have a flavor anymore. She was just thirsty, and it was something to drink. Something else to do with her hands now that the gauntlets had served their purpose for the night. She tapped the fingers on her idle hand against the bar top, thinking about nothing in particular.

He didn’t answer immediately, seemingly considering the ramifications of what that might reveal. Viktor could only recall being asked that a handful of times in his life, and it was always a difficult topic to broach. But after an extended period of consideration, Viktor tentatively took a sip of the drink before setting it down almost instantly, finally turning his head towards them slightly. That was… certainly a flavor. He could say that much for certain. But a good one? Eh… not by a long shot. No.

“In and around an alchemist’s Simmer laboratory,” Viktor confessed as if it were no big deal. His feigned nonchalance didn’t go unnoticed by Vi, her eyes widening slightly as she processed the reality of that statement. For a moment there, she’d considered the possibility that he might be bluffing, but there was something about the way he said it, the solemn tone in his voice, perhaps, that made it abundantly clear that he wasn’t. And there was only one person in the Undercity who fit the bill, given Vi and Viktor’s age gap. So that had been why Singed had looked concerned for him earlier…

And just when Vi thought her family was complicated. Singed? She sighed, shaking her head. No one in Zaun was safe. How had she forgotten?

“No kidding.” She downed the last of her drink in one large gulp, slamming the glass back down on the bar top with exaggerated flair in the hopes of prying something resembling a snicker, or at least a smirk, from one of her ill-fated companions. But, alas, her comedic talents were wasted on them. She had done all she could. Now it was time to bow out. They needed time.

Vi stood and stretched again, groaning as she gestured broadly towards the bar. There was no wrong place to sleep. Judging by Jayce’s condition, he wouldn’t complain. He was probably just happy to be indoors and not sleeping wherever he’d been sleeping up until now. And Viktor had evidently grown up in a shimmer lab, so… “Honestly, that explains a lot. Anyway, I’m going to go sleep in my childhood bed for the first time since I got outta Stillwater. You two have… fun. I guess. Just don’t go upstairs.”

Vi turned away from the duo, looking down the hallway that led to what had once been her childhood bedroom. She wondered what had become of it in her absence. What her sister had done with the room after she’d seemingly abandoned her and disappeared. It was about time she found out. She’d found her way home, after all. Maybe she could find her way back to the place where what remained of her innocence might still be lingering about.

But as she started to head in the direction of the hallway, something occurred to her.

“Oh, and um… If Sevika comes back, I’m not here, and you're with Jinx. I’m not in the mood for that rematch tonight. I’ve got knuckles to ice.”

Jayce stared at his glass blankly, not even bothering to look up. It was always something, wasn’t it? “Who’s Sevika?”

“Trust me, you’ll know,” Vi said with a scoff. The mental image of Sevika and Jayce getting into a disagreement was as comical as it was perilous. They would destroy the entire place and each other. It would certainly be entertaining to witness. But why look a gift horse in the mouth, right?

“Um… Vi?” Jayce sighed deeply as he looked up from the glass. His shoulders were slouched, betraying the overwhelming exhaustion that was gradually overtaking him now that the adrenaline he’d been coasting on all day slowly started to drain away. His eyes were tormented, but his voice didn’t waver. “Thank you. I didn’t want you to tag along, but you did, and I… Thank you. For everything.”

Vi gave him a considerate look as she glanced over her shoulder at him. Considering how everything had gone, she wasn’t sure if thanks or apologies were in order. But regardless, she would do it again in a heartbeat. Danger aside, it felt good to do something right for once. To be able to be part of the solution to something and not the problem. Maybe.

“Yeah, that’s great and all, but we can have that conversation tomorrow,” Vi said with a huff, walking away. It was time to see if the old place still had running water. She needed a hot shower. As hot as the boiler would allow the water to get. “See you guys later. Don’t kill each other until then, okay?”

Without another word, Vi disappeared down the hallway. And for the first time in what felt like a lifetime, Jayce and Viktor were alone together again.

There were no council obligations. No trade disputes or petty meetings to attend. No invitations to begrudgingly accept to galas or fancy operas that the council barely cared about. No warmongers or sycophants, politics, or outside distractions. No one to interrupt them as they peeled back the bandages and opened all the wounds that had never quite properly healed. The wounds that life had inflicted on them. That they had inflicted upon one another, intentional or not.

All that was left was time. And what they chose to do with it.

Silence settled over the room like a weighted blanket. Submerging them in a heavy atmosphere of palpable discomfort so heavy that it felt like trying to breathe while submerged on the ocean floor. Where did they even start? The last time Jayce had seen Viktor, he’d been looking at the back of his head as he walked out of the lab, leaving him and their life’s work behind. And the next time Viktor had seen Jayce, their exchange had ended with a weapon to Viktor’s chest and a murderous gleam in Jayce’s eyes. How did they clear the air? Could they even come back from something like this?

Jayce finished the rest of the vile-tasting beverage and pushed the glass away from himself in frustration, nearly causing it to clatter to the floor. He cupped his face with both hands, breathing deeply as he attempted to compose himself. He would get nowhere with him if he snapped that easily. But how did you talk to someone you’d just attempted to kill in cold blood? To eviscerate without so much as a word after they’d known you for nearly a decade? Someone who had given you the best years of their life and had received only suffering in return. For a moment, Jayce wondered if Viktor regretted it all. Regretted knowing him. Saving him that day when he’d stepped towards the edge. It would’ve saved him so much trouble…

And all at once, he felt Viktor’s eyes fall upon him, burrowing into the side of his skull like a chisel being hammered into unyielding stone. That was probably what Jayce’s head was made of, now that he considered it. How appropriate that something that could be molded with a hammer might be the very thing he was made of. Jayce trembled, his bad leg jittering as he gritted his teeth and clenched his eyes shut. He couldn’t focus. Not with Viktor’s gaze on him, pressing down on him like an anchor dragging across the ocean floor, threatening to tear him asunder.

Jayce knew that he needed to face him. It only made sense to meet Viktor’s gaze head-on rather than flee from it in futility. He’d wanted so badly to see his face just a few minutes ago, but now it was different. Now, the constantly fluctuating ebb and flow of his subconscious gnawed at him, feasting on his guilt in much the same way that he’d hungrily slurped up the rancid flesh of those poor creatures in that cave. Devouring him whole and leaving nothing behind but a withering husk. He hadn’t met Viktor’s gaze since their encounter back at the Capitol. Since the moment he’d watched the will to live vanish from them. Since he’d attempted to take his life without so much as a parting goodbye. The cruelty of it all…

But as callous as that had been in hindsight, it hadn’t been from a place of malice. Jayce knew his own heart better than anyone, and he knew what it could and could not endure. He’d know that this experience would break him, one way or another. That looking into Viktor’s eyes as he snuffed the life out of him would be a gargantuan task. And now he realized it was one he simply didn’t have the capacity to complete.

His love for Viktor had doomed them all.

He… he was sorry. He had tried so earnestly to keep his promise. But running away from his problems would get them nowhere. Destroying the person he loved most couldn’t be the only solution, could it? In reality, he refused to believe that he was the only iteration of himself who had thought that very thing, but according to the very individual who had set him down this path, he was also the only person capable of rectifying this.

With a heavy sigh, Jayce opened his eyes and turned to face Viktor. He would face his fate with what little remained of his dignity.

Jayce’s gaze fell upon Viktor, and he seized up instantly.

As he’d suspected, Viktor was staring at him, his gaze practically unblinking under the bar’s fluorescent lighting. But to his surprise, he wasn’t focused on his face. Instead, his gaze had fallen lower, his hue-shifting irises focusing intently on Jayce’s leg. He seemed almost fixated, as though he were assessing something, his breath scant and his face otherwise unreadable. Vacant. It was almost chilling to behold.

Huffing, Jayce pushed himself away from the bar and watched as Viktor’s eyes followed their mark, never deviating. His expression didn’t change, nor did its intensity. He was simply transfixed, his thoughts somewhere so distant that Jayce could only vaguely guess as to their whereabouts. Maybe it was time that he stopped guessing and asked him?

They needed to sit somewhere and talk, and it wasn’t going to be here.

Jayce grumbled to himself under his breath as he assessed the condition of the room they occupied. Everything truly was in a state of disrepair. What had transpired in this establishment? It was as if a whirlwind had whipped through the place, decimating everything in its path with reckless abandon. Dried blood and scorch marks scored several surfaces, and broken glass and wood splinters seemingly covered everything else. Where exactly did Vi even intend for them to sleep? At least they were indoors, and he didn��t have to rough it in a ditch somewhere this time, but…

And then Jayce saw it. A private booth in the far corner of the room tucked off behind the staircase that led to the second story. He’d almost mistaken it for a simple wall decorated with a curtain, such was the thickness of the fabric that encapsulated it. But as he took a closer look, it became readily apparent that it was indeed a booth, sequestered as far away from prying eyes as possible. Good. He could work with that.

With a lethargic groan, Jayce’s eyes darted over to the distorted Mercury Hammer as it leaned against the bar top. Inert and harmless, no indication present of the pure destructive potential that it contained. Even Jayce himself was astonished by just how much power this version of his creation was capable of outputting. It was impressive, yes, but… wholly unnecessary? It had obliterated two floors of a very well-constructed building with consummate ease. What could it have possibly been intended to be used to eradicate? Surely not just Viktor. To use such a weapon against him would be overkill in its purest form. There would be nothing left of him…

Jayce turned away from the hammer, a vague sense of disgust billowing off of him as he limped over towards the booth in question, hoping that Viktor would simply take the hint and follow him. He passed him as he went, feeling his gaze pull away from him for the first time since it had settled there as he passed him by. He still didn’t have the slightest inkling as to what he was supposed to say to Viktor. “Sorry” was wholly insufficient, to a frankly sarcastic degree. You didn’t simply hand-wave attempted murder, especially when it had been undertaken with such a degree of brutality. And that was assuming that Viktor was even willing to speak to him.

But then, there was the other matter, wasn’t there? What Viktor had been doing at the commune… it had to stop. His actions there were wholly unacceptable, and Jayce couldn’t comprehend what had changed inside of Viktor to make him assume that they were. To believe that anything good could come from his actions and conduct, or the false narrative Viktor had concocted for himself and his followers in that place. They were corrupted by the Arcane now. More than likely beyond saving in any way that truly mattered. There were solutions that needed to be found to very real issues, and they had to be dealt with swiftly and, regrettably, perhaps mercilessly.

Just remembering the commune made his blood boil. Those people deserved better. What had Viktor been thinking when he’d done all that?

Flopping down on the cushioned surface of the booth bench, Jayce was pleasantly surprised to find that it was soft. It looked rigid and unyielding, but in truth, years of wear and tear had rendered the now well-worn leather soft and supple, the padding holding up nicely. It seemed like the sort of spot where you could sit and relax for hours if the atmosphere was agreeable. He wondered for a moment if Viktor had ever been there before.

He heard the stool scoot slightly and the sound of a soft thud. Jayce’s eyes darted towards Viktor, noticing that he wasn’t heading towards him. Instead, Viktor took a handful of steps and closed the distance between himself and the warped Mercury Hammer, beholding it in quiet astonishment as he came to a stop in front of it. In front of his would be murder weapon. Viktor’s eyes studied the device intently, taking in the details. The contours of the handle and the uneven weight distribution of the hammer’s striking head. It was truly a thing touched by the awe-inspiring power of the Arcane, as alien and organically inorganic as it was utterly incomprehensible. He raised his hand to touch it, seemingly almost hesitant. Feeling the power that radiated off of it. But as soon as he reached for the weapon, something in the room almost seemed to fluctuate as Viktor recoiled in discomfort, his eyes as intrigued as they were disturbed. The very air around them felt wrong all of a sudden. Whatever had reduced the weapon to such an unusual state was ancient. Powerful. Like what he’d seen the day Jayce had returned from… wherever he’d disappeared to. Perhaps this was but a fragment of something greater.

Jayce considered insisting that Viktor leave the hammer alone, but then decided against it. There was little to be gained from insinuating that he didn’t trust him around it, even if that might truthfully be the case. He wasn’t under the impression that his longtime friend would harm him with it, but something about the way that the ruined Mercury Hammer reacted to Viktor made Jayce uneasy. Could Viktor even lift the thing?

As if sensing his trepidation, Viktor abandoned his pursuit and abruptly changed course, heading over to join him. Jayce held his breath as he watched him approach, the pair still not making direct eye contact or so much as looking at one another, but the closeness alone filling the atmosphere with a palpable sense of tension. There was no running from whatever would come to pass now. Not that he’d ever planned to.

Viktor took a seat across from him, resting his elbows on the table as he allowed his chin and the lower segments of his cheeks to rest against the backs of his fingers, cupping his face in a way that allowed his hair to hang over his wrists. He looked down at the table in front of them, seemingly assessing every crack, gouge, and nick in its surface. There was nothing but the faint sound of their shared breath as time seemed to slow to a crawl around them, the two of them close enough to touch, but neither of them daring to be the first one to attempt to do so.

After several minutes, Viktor raised his eyes to meet his.

Jayce stopped breathing. His brain ceased to function, and his heart nearly failing to properly pump the blood that circulated his veins as it skipped a beat and fell under Viktor’s gaze. Jayce considered himself a resilient person, unafraid of a challenge. But in that moment, he had never felt smaller, more scrutinized. Even the trial that had nearly decided the fate of Hextech didn’t come close to this. The eyes of every member of the council combined had no power over him in comparison to the hold Viktor had on him now.

There was no judgment. No fondness. Only a set of eyes that used to be oh so familiar to Jayce begging him for an answer to a question Viktor didn’t need to ask. Why? Why had any of what had come to pass that day occurred? How had someone who had meant so very much to him concluded that denying him the right to continue drawing breath was an acceptable course of action when speaking to him was still on the table?

Every aspect of his calm, composed demeanor spoke of unspoken pain. Of a person so perplexed and dumbfounded that they could only hope that the source of their anguish could provide them with a satisfactory answer. And Jayce wasn’t sure the truth would give him that. But it was all that he could offer him. Jayce held his gaze, his eyes harsh as he mulled over something in his mind. He didn’t know how to have this conversation because it wasn’t supposed to be happening. Viktor was supposed to be dead, and the safety of the future of Runeterra secured. He wasn’t supposed to be here. But Jayce had failed Viktor again, hadn’t he?

Hadn’t he…?

In all timelines, in all possibilities. Only you can show me this.

The words of the mage who had saved his life as a child echoed in his head as his pupils dilated, those same traces of feral unpredictability rearing their unsightly head again. He was on the precipice of utter madness, teetering dangerously close to the edge. This had been the reason he had been saved from that blizzard? To kill the person who meant the most to him? Why couldn’t it be anyone else? Because Viktor wanted it to be him. It had to be him. He was the only one he wanted to be there when it all ended. But he simply couldn’t do it. They both deserved better. If Jayce had to defy fate and carve a new path through blood, bone, and bedrock with his bare hands, so be it. If the world had to burn for them to both survive, then he would find a way to put the fire out. He would crawl battered and scarred beyond recognition through the void itself if that was what it took. There was no hell too deep in comparison to what he’d already endured. And he would do it all again if it were required of him. But he would not kill Viktor. There simply had to be a better choice. There had to be.

Jayce stood abruptly, using both of his hands to brace himself as he partially leaned over the table, gazing deeply into Viktor’s eyes. Viktor didn’t flinch as Jayce trespassed in his personal space, but the spectre of something unfamiliar flickered in his hue-shifting eyes. He blinked, batting his eyelashes as his eyes almost seemed to soften a bit, losing their edge. And Jayce did the same, his train of thought momentarily interrupted by the revelation that Viktor looked incredibly attractive with longer hair. Admittedly, he’d always found him appealing, but the way it framed his face… The way it accentuated his cheekbones and the smattering of hexcorized swirls that decorated them. The pale blond highlights on the tips of his hair that so beautifully contrasted with his rainbow-hued eyes. The way the Hexcore had inlaid gold into Viktor’s sternomastoids and the slight flex of the muscles in his throat as he swallowed in apparent discomfort at the intensity of Jayce’s wandering gaze…

He was radiant. Utterly arresting. To stand in his presence was akin to basking in the glory of a storied deity. His magnificence was otherworldly and uniquely appealing in a way that Jayce didn’t dare fathom the implications of in relation to his own newfound personal tastes. And yet, Jayce still couldn’t help but fondly remember the way he’d once been. The warmth of his honeyed brown eyes. His gentle, beautiful smile. His messy brown hair that had only grown more unkempt over the many years they’d spent together. Before he’d done all that to him in his quest to defy death itself and keep them together just that little bit longer. It had been selfish to defy his wishes. He would rage against that reality no longer. He’d spent plenty of time dwelling on it during the months he’d spent in purgatory. But he’d do it again if it meant that he didn’t have to say goodbye. He just had.

He’d learned nothing, and he was strangely fine with that.

Jayce let out a sound somewhere between a growl and a huff, his eyes parting from Viktor’s as he searched the room feverishly. There had to be a rag or something akin to it around there somewhere. They were in a bar, after all. He knew that asking for medical supplies of any kind was too much to ask for, but he was resourceful. He’d made do with much less previously, but he held the care he gave to others higher than the standards of what he was personally willing to accept.

His gaze fell upon a sheet that was draped over something in the corner near the ruined jukebox. Limping over to it, he was pleased to discover that it was dusty but otherwise unsoiled. He could work with that. Shaking off his nerves and ripping a portion of it loose from the rest of the fabric, he limped back over to the booth and stood in front of the table, nearly close enough for the hands that braced him against it to touch Viktor’s. The smaller of the two didn’t turn to face him, but he also didn’t make an effort to avoid him, either. Progress was progress…

“... You need to turn around and scoot over,” Jayce said curtly with a grunt. Viktor seemed almost disturbed to hear the sound of his voice, taking note of the potent air of exhaustion it was laced with. But even still, the corner of his mouth upturned in apparent displeasure as his brow creased and he appeared to broil. It seemed he wasn’t in the mood to humor Jayce’s tone or his apparent lack of manners. Jayce exhaled, closing his eyes. When he opened them again, they were softer, but still just as serious. “Please?”

Viktor didn’t respond, but he did oblige after a moment, sliding over with a slight wince as Jayce sat down next to him on the bench. It was the closest they’d been to one another since they’d reunited, a realization that was not lost on Jayce as he reached out to press his hand against the wound on Viktor’s back and hesitated momentarily before gently grasping the fabric around it and pulling it aside. By some miracle, the fabric hadn’t torn. And that was when he realized something. It was the blanket. The very same blanket that he’d gifted to him when he’d emerged from his cocoon, for fear that he might be cold, and to help break the tension of what had otherwise been a remarkably awkward reunion. He hadn’t thought about how he’d practically thrown himself at Viktor at the time, such was his eagerness to cradle him in his embrace. To keep him safe and gently cherish the privilege of still having him in his life. The blanket had completely slipped his mind amidst the pain of Viktor’s sudden departure and subsequent disappearance, but to know that he still had it? That he’d kept it with him after everything that had happened between them? That he’d worn it as though it were the most precious thing that he still had left, a piece of Jayce still bringing Viktor comfort and protection, shielding him from the world? Making him feel safe, as though Jayce were still gently holding him in his embrace in their lab? It was almost too much for him to bear.

It broke something in him.

Even after he’d physically left him behind, abandoned everything they’d built together, he’d still carried a piece of Jayce with him. Still cherished him. Clung to the last vestiges of the kindness he’d shown him. His love. Even when Viktor had forgotten himself, he’d remembered Jayce.

Jayce took a moment to compose himself, breathing deeply as he attempted to not tremble like a leaf in a raging storm. Jayce rested his hand against the back of Viktor’s shoulder, squeezing the torn piece of fabric against his lower back to stanch the bleeding. Unable to help himself as he absent-mindedly kneaded the muscles in Viktor’s shoulder as he’d done so many times before to soothe his pain. To his surprise, Viktor didn’t so much as wince, and the wound barely bled, indicating that the Hexcore had done its job and set to work mending the damage the spear had done to him. Good. At least it could do something right.

But then Jayce observed something. The way Viktor began to relax, leaning into his touch ever so slightly as though he were attempting to seek it out. To feel more of it. Longing for his comfort, but unwilling to ask for it. They both wanted the same thing, but they were at an impasse.

It was strange. Despite the largely inorganic nature of Viktor’s reconstructed body, it almost felt the same. At least with a layer of fabric between them. He was still pliable, malleable under his grip. He could still feel the contours of his shoulder blade and collarbone as his fingers curled over his shoulder and dug into the side of his neck, inching higher. Seeking to provide a sense of comfort that Viktor simply couldn’t detect. Suddenly, Viktor tensed, and Jayce released him, taking his sudden reluctance as a hint. He watched as Viktor turned to him, turning his upper body as far to the left as it would go to look at him over his shoulder. His eyes were calm, with no indication of the dissatisfaction that had lingered in them a few minutes prior. Instead, there was a quiet sense of contemplation. And then his eyes fell lower, pausing on Jayce’s leg. And a completely different emotion made its way onto his face, faint as it might’ve been. Distress.

“... What happened?” Viktor didn’t need to elaborate. He knew that they were on the same page in regards to that particular elephant in the room. It was bound to come up eventually. Viktor bit the top of his bottom lip, a mixture of sympathy, dissatisfaction, and apprehension clouding his features as he looked down at the hastily fashioned leg brace. A thousand different thoughts competed for dominance as his eyes shifted back to their original shade of golden brown. It was as if Viktor physically felt the pain that Jayce was experiencing.

Jayce felt his chest tighten. This was not a conversation he was ready to have. Not yet. Not with Viktor. “I broke it.”

Viktor glanced up at him, his brow raising slightly as if to indicate that he wasn’t amused by the statement in the slightest. A sarcastic “yeah, no kidding” look ghosted across his face for a brief moment before genuine worry replaced it. Viktor wouldn’t attempt to play off his concern for Jayce’s well-being with sardonic cynicism. There was no humor in his face, only the quiet understanding that Jayce was avoiding the topic. Viktor shifted his weight and reached down to tenderly brush his fingertips over the dirty bandages that clung to Jayce’s injured limb, barely grazing them before Jayce lurched away from him, a glimmer of genuine terror in his eyes.

“Don't touch it.” He nearly spat the words as though Viktor’s touch was laced with poison, clenching his teeth as he glared at him. He looked ready to bite. Jayce knew full well what Viktor’s power was capable of, but nothing of how quickly it could be wielded. He would not be brought to heel.

Viktor recoiled his hand, holding it against his chest as his eyes gleamed with trepidation. He looked wounded by the tone Jayce had taken with him, genuinely confused as to why he had reacted the way that he had. He imagined that the injury was sensitive, but he’d been careful not to apply force. What had gotten into him? He looked like a cornered animal…

“I only wish to understand…”

He reached for him again, this time attempting to rest his hand on Jayce’s forearm. The same arm that Jayce had attempted to use to comfort him mere moments ago. Again, Jayce flinched away, though his eyes held far less accusation this time. And then Viktor recalled what he’d seen a glimpse of. Jayce trapped somewhere dark. He’d been freezing, the faint embers of a fire dying out around him as he shivered and quaked from a combination of chills and agony. He’d been afraid and utterly alone. Hopeless. Beset by hunger pangs that he knew all too well. Growing weaker by the hour. And Viktor had been utterly unaware. Unable to help him in what had to be his greatest moment of need. He felt a pang of regret penetrate his very soul as his chest clenched like a vice, his eyes pooling just enough to be seen. He tried a final time to reach out to him, allowing his hand to hover over his chest, but making it clear that he would not do anything he didn’t allow.

“You were in so much pain. And you were alone. Your bitter suffering was unwarranted. Let me help you. You are suffering.” His voice was soft, perhaps more so than Jayce had ever heard before. Filled with a sense of regret and sympathy so palpable that it stole his breath and caused him to tremble slightly. Viktor genuinely wanted to comfort him. To bring an end to his suffering. And he wanted nothing more than to oblige and fall headlong into his waiting embrace, but he knew all too well what that would truly mean for him. He shook his head and watched as Viktor stared at him in incredulity, genuinely hurt by the rejection. It made Jayce’s heart throb.

“You do not... want my help?” He was asking, but they both already knew the answer. Perhaps he was pleading more than confirming. Offering a final time before he was forced to accept the reality that Jayce would rather suffer immense pain than allow him to touch him. Did he truly hate him so?

“No. Just... Leave it.” Jayce said, defeated by the effort that it took for him to force those words past his lips. This was a weight that he had to bear. As soothing as the sweet embrace of Viktor’s touch might prove to be, it was still a trap. A trap that Viktor didn’t even seem to realize he was setting. Jayce’s face crinkled at the sudden, earth-shattering realization that perhaps Viktor truly was that blind to the effects of his own actions. It made more sense to him than the possibility that Viktor might be trying to take advantage of his vulnerability. Not after he’d saved his life earlier that evening, to no clear benefit of his own. It simply wasn’t who he was. Who he’d ever been in the time that he’d known him. Compassion was the core pillar that Viktor’s heart and soul were whittled from. But there was no way.

He simply couldn’t be that oblivious… Could he?

“Do you know what you're doing to these people, Viktor?” Despite everything, it felt good to say his name again. To have hope again, however fleeting and meager it might prove to be. Even the brightest of minds didn’t know everything, and although Viktor had a knack for beating him to the punch, he was willing to hope on hope that this time, just this once, he was ignorant of something. It was a long shot but…

Viktor looked at him as though he’d sprouted a second head, slightly offended by the accusatory tone he’d taken with him. How could he not? “I'm healing them. Helping them live better lives without pain. I would do the same for you if you’d allow it.”

Jayce’s pupils dilated like he’s just been plunged into utter darkness. His face was a transparent testament to the overabundance of disbelief that overtook him like a tidal wave. He began to hyperventilate, grasping at his unkempt, oily hair with his left hand in futility. Dear gods. He didn’t know.

He was about to gamble with his life, but there was something he needed to do. It was the only way.

“You... I need to show you something.” Words would not prove to be enough. Jayce understood this better than anyone. Viktor had always been a man of facts, of curiosity towards the unknown, and a willingness to be proven wrong, but he required proof to truly believe in something. Irrefutable, concrete evidence that it was true. Viktor needed to see it with his own eyes to have faith in it. And Jayce could show him. He knew that Viktor had looked into his mind. He’d felt it during the brief moment they’d touched back in the Capitol building. Felt the Arcane grasp at his subconscious.

This was something that only he could show him.

Viktor regarded him in utter silence, admittedly somewhat put off by his frenzied, manic demeanor. He looked as though he was grasping at the last fleeting strands of his sanity, truly on the brink of irrecuperable madness.

“You can see my thoughts. My memories.” Jayce sounded almost too excited at the prospect, a state of being that only became more unnerving when Viktor nodded in confirmation. He nodded to himself as he tried and failed to calm his trembling heart, not taking notice of the way that Viktor was gradually leaning away from him in a futile effort to reclaim space between them. But it was no use. Viktor was on the back side of the booth. There was nowhere that he could go where Jayce couldn’t follow him. He was cornered. Jayce exhaled shakily, closing his eyes before reopening them. And then he extended his hands, holding them palm side up in between the two of them. It was an invitation. Now was the time to be brave. To put total and utter trust in Viktor and take a leap of faith in much the same way that he had the night they’d done their first experiment together. Like he always had. Viktor had not led him astray then, and Jayce would not lead him astray now. “Then do it again. There’s something I need you to understand, and you’ll only believe me if you see it for yourself. Please…”

Viktor seemed to consider his proposition, weighing the gravity of the situation. Mere moments ago, Jayce had refused to so much as allow him to touch him, and now he wanted him to look into his mind and sift through his memories. There was no act more vulnerable. More intimate. More full of trust. Jayce still trusted him, and he needed Viktor to return the gesture. With a nod, he extended his hands and gently but firmly grasped Jayce’s trembling fingers, intertwining them. They closed their eyes, leaning in closer to one another as their minds melded together.

All at once, Viktor was assaulted with a plethora of undecipherable images. Flashes of things he could barely comprehend. Jayce’s mind was a maze of memories from his past and present, just the same as anyone else, but there was a certain disorganized chaos to his that made his consciousness especially difficult to navigate. Viktor gripped his hands just a bit tighter, wordlessly implying that he’d like him to at least attempt to focus. Coaxing him patiently. And he seemed to take the hint, obliging as best as he could despite the obvious discomfort that it caused him to do so.

Viktor suddenly wished that he hadn’t.

Ruined structures and the unknowable horror of countless innocent souls fading into nothingness, their faces warped in terror and anguish as they were claimed by a force beyond them. They had been unable to escape whatever pursued them. Mechanical humanoid constructs clung to the fringes of every surface they could occupy, decaying and corroding, their consciousness seemingly long gone and replaced by another will entirely. Withering away. Rotting. Purposeless. Buildings leaned in ways that indicated that they were coming apart at the seams, their very foundations crumbling to naught but ash and dust. And everywhere, there was the Arcane. It’s corruption, and it’s insatiable hunger to devour all that it touched like the physical manifestation of ruin itself. There was nothing left of Piltover. Of Zaun. Of the people who had once called the twin cities their home. Even the sky was corrupted, swirling in a never-ending torrent of otherworldly power. The sun was obscured by a permanently cloudy sky, blanketing the world in dreary darkness. Nothing could thrive in a place like this. There were no signs of life aside from a few warped plants and the familiar sight of golden flowers. The same air purifying hybrids they’d planted at the commune. And it continued for as far as the eye could see.

How had Jayce ever survived a place like this?

Out of reflex, Viktor clenched Jayce’s hands harder, almost hard enough to hurt but not quite. It was uncomfortable, but nothing compared to the hardship Jayce had already endured. He would not waver. This was something he simply had to endure. For both of their sakes.

Viktor saw what remained of the place he often visited when he needed to think. Where he’d met Sky as a child. Where he’d almost taken his own life in a fit of grief and desperation to repent for his wrongdoings in the only way he’d known how. He would’ve died there if not for Jayce. If not for the fleeting reminder of better times between them that they’d shared. But in this alternate version of the place, the water had risen, and the building had slumped over. Just another casualty amidst so many others.

And then he saw it. Jayce atop the very peak of the Hexgates. Viktor hardly wished to fathom what desperate actions had granted him passage there. What risks he had undertaken to reach its summit. He was kneeling before a figure in a white, sunbleached robe. A figure that he recognized by virtue of Jayce’s recollection as the person responsible for saving Jayce and Ximena during Jayce’s childhood. The mage who had inspired Jayce to create Hextech. He’d heard so many stories from Jayce over the years about that fateful day that he imagined it had been a bit surreal for him to finally come face to face with his savior. The man he owed so very much to.

Jayce was pleading with him, imploring him to instill in him some hope that their own world would not turn out the way that this rendition of it had. That there was still time to undo the perilous path fate had set them on. That he had set them on. And then, hesitantly, the hooded figure turned to face Jayce. And Viktor felt his own comprehension of reality shatter.

No. That simply couldn’t be.

There was no way…

Gripping his hands tightly, Jayce shuddered as he was confronted with that moment in his life for the second time. He could feel how desperately Viktor wanted to pull away. To run from this. But he wouldn’t let him. He couldn’t let him. As painful as it was, as much as he wanted to spare him this act of undeniable cruelty, this was something Viktor had to face. There was simply no other way.

Viktor took in the words of the mage. He felt the gravity of it all settle into his very soul. How many other timelines had been altered and met their ends the same way? How many versions of the two of them had met a grizzly end? How many times had Jayce brought him back only for them to go down diverging paths that would only end in their mutual annihilation? How many millions of innocent lives had been destroyed as a result of his own actions, intentional or otherwise? It was just as Jayce had said to him when he had spoken to him again via Salo at the base of the Hexgates.

Hextech is no miracle. It’s a curse. We have to destroy it, Viktor. We have to.

Wrenching his hands from Jayce’s grasp, Viktor toppled backward onto the booth. He retreated into himself, scurrying away into the back corner of the U-shaped bench as his breath came in rapid, unfulfilling torrents, his head racing and his heart pounding so hard in his chest that it was all he could hear. His stomach cramped as though he would be sick, the sensation overwhelming him as he crumpled into a ball and tried to shield himself from Jayce’s gaze. He couldn’t stand to have his former partner look upon him. To feel his eyes. His presence. He was undeserving of his comfort and sympathy. Of his understanding and trust. Of his affection.

He had destroyed Jayce. Destroyed their world. Again and again and again. It was his fate to do so just as it was the moon’s duty to disrupt the tides. Just as Janna controlled the winds. With all the certainty of the sun rising in the morning to bathe the world in light. Just as the void sought to devour all. He was chosen for this task time and time again. There was no one better. He was an agent of destruction that could only inflict pain. He had already started down the path to his ascension. The commune…

He was a monster…

Jayce stared at him, horrified. He was gasping for breath and trembling, his eyes wide but clearly seeing nothing as he sobbed soundlessly, his hands grasping his hair as his arms shielded his face almost entirely from view. His irises were their natural color again. Jayce had never seen him so distressed in all the time he’d known him. Not when his health had begun to decline. Not when he’d made the terrifying decision to have those screws infused into his spine. He genuinely looked as though his heart would fail and he would topple over dead any moment now. It physically pained Jayce to watch as he stared on in abject horror, his heart in his throat. Oh no…

He reached over and placed his hand on his, but Viktor snatched it away reflexively as though he’d burned him. In an instant, he scrambled past Jayce, heading over to the bar in the center of the room, his objective clear as day. There was only one thing he could be planning to do.

Jayce didn’t have the time to be impressed that he could drag the hammer that effortlessly. He barely had the time to turn around to see him heading back over to the booth. Viktor came to an abrupt stop in front of Jayce and released his grip on the hammer, paying no mind to the cascade of Arcane energy that trailed off of him as it toppled over and clanged against the edge of the table, ignoring the pain that touching the distorted weapon caused him. It wouldn’t matter soon.

Viktor met Jayce’s gaze as he crumpled to the floor, landing on his knees as he kneeled before him and surrendered, utterly devastated. There was only one thing to do. One surefire solution to this problem. He understood now.

“Please… kill me. Before I hurt anyone else. Before I hurt you, Jayce.” Viktor hung his head low, no longer able to look at Jayce. He would not fight him. This was how it had to be. How it should be. After a moment, he felt Jayce stir. Heard the creek of the booth as he shifted his weight off of it and the thud of his boots as he approached. Saw his legs come to a shaky stop in front of him as the floor vibrated and the floorboards creaked from the movement of the hammer. He hadn’t hesitated. Good. Then he understood, too. This was for the best. If dying kept him from harming Jayce, then this would be the easiest thing he’d ever done. The simplest act of love that he could fathom. Anything to spare him the fate that he’d seen befall him in that other timeline. He couldn’t bear the thought of becoming something capable of doing that to him. Not to Jayce. To Jayce, who was the least deserving of such a grizzly, tormented fate. Sweet, loyal Jayce, whose only mistake had ever been to show him devotion, friendship, and kindness. To care for him too deeply. He would make this right. He had to. He wanted to.

Viktor waited patiently for the signature sound the ruined Mercury Hammer made when it powered on, but it never came.

Instead, Jayce sighed and knelt down in front of him with a semi-pained grunt of exertion, reaching over to gently cup his chin with his calloused palm. Jayce attempted to guide him to look up at him, but he resisted at first, unwilling to look at him as moisture from his cheeks coated his hand. Undeserving of such a privilege. But slowly, the realization dawned on him that Jayce wasn’t going to budge until he humored him. And so he did.

… He looked like the Jayce he remembered. The version of him he’d left behind in the lab that day. The Jayce he loved. His warm eyes filled with nothing but fondness and adoration as Jayce shifted his hand from his chin to the back of Viktor’s neck, tenderly taking his hand in his own with his other hand as he pulled him forward into his embrace, their foreheads touching. He held him tightly but not forcefully, grounding him in the immovable, irrefutable weight of his company. They closed their eyes and lingered there for a while, wordlessly basking in the unspoken truth that neither of them was willing to ignore any longer. They were destined.

If there was one thing that Jayce was good at, it was disappointing Viktor.

“I'm not going to kill you, Viktor,” Jayce said in a hushed tone, squeezing his hand gently, soothingly rubbing his shoulder and neck. No. It was far too late for that. They were in this together now until the bitter end. Whatever that end might be. Jayce wasn’t going anywhere without Viktor, and he had the sneaking suspicion that Viktor felt the same. Now that he understood. “You didn't mean to do any of this. The Hexcore. It's influencing you. Don’t you see? We can still fight this. Together. It’s not too late.”

Jayce’s certainty was almost contagious. Almost. Viktor wasn’t ready to feel hope again, but he would not take it from Jayce. Not after everything that he’d gone through to be reunited with him. That would truly be the cruelest crime against him that he could commit. Viktor sighed defeatedly, finally opening his eyes. Jayce didn’t budge, seemingly content to stay as close to Viktor as physically possible. Now that he had him back, he wasn’t letting go. Not for anything.

Still… there was an undeniable logic to his words. Everything was clearer when he wasn’t under the influence of the Hexcore. Under the influence of the Arcane, all too willing to distribute its healing gifts with no foreknowledge of the fact that they were tainted. Why hadn’t he seen it? Realized that something was amiss sooner? Power such as what he’d been granted never came without a cost. His body alone was proof of this. He’d been so numb to the world around him, so dissociated from reality in his grief that he hadn’t thought to look inward. To view things through a more critical lens. And now others had suffered for it.

“I see that now. But it doesn't matter, Jayce. I've doomed them. I've done nothing to help anyone.” It had been his one wish. His deepest desire. And forces far beyond him had helped manipulate it, mold it into something tainted and malevolent. Laced every action he’d taken since he’d left the lab with a slow-acting poison. His mind drifted to the people of the commune. The kind souls who had dubbed him their Herald. It was a title he did not deserve. They’d sought him out for help, and he’d handed them a death sentence. He hadn’t known, but that hardly mattered. They were forsaken regardless. He would never forgive himself for his naivety. His hubris. To think he alone could mend the world. He was no god. And he didn’t want to be.

He had to make it right.

A chill crawled up his spine, but he did not shiver. He didn’t feel it so much as he sensed it, fleeting thing that it was. Perhaps Ambessa had been right about him. Perhaps he was blind to the world’s cruelty. Hopelessly naive.

Jayce objected, insistent upon his stance. “It does matter. We can figure this out. Together. I won't fail you. And giving up on you now would be just that. I know it probably feels like I'm not listening to you, but I hear you loud and clear. You're still in there, aren't you?”

Unfortunate as it might potentially be, he was. “Yes.”

With a groan, Jayce attempted to pull himself to his feet on shaky legs, realizing for the first time just how weary he truly was. Oh yes. The adrenaline had well and truly vacated his system now. Whatever vestiges of it still remained were not sufficient to enable him to power through the wave of full-body fatigue that now claimed him. He was in pain, woefully lethargic, and growing weaker by the minute. He needed to rest. Badly. But there was something he needed to take care of first…

He pulled Viktor to his feet by his hands, leading him more than anything. He stood there, regarding him with all the fondness in his heart, the pain in his eyes undeniable. Fate had been cruel to them both. To every version of them. But this time would be different. He didn’t know if his confidence was the result of delusion, ego, or the simple hubris of a man too enamored with the one he loved to think straight, but he didn’t care. Whatever it took.

Fate could have the world. It could have his life’s work. Hextech meant nothing to him anymore. He just wanted Viktor.

Viktor trembled in his grasp as he looked at him. He released his hand, resting it instead on Jayce’s arm, rubbing it in soothing circles. He wore his exhaustion on his sleeve. His eyes were dim, filled with fatigue. His shoulders slumped in a way that he’d never borne witness to before. Every facet of his being longed for the sweet embrace of sleep, and he could see that. But Viktor knew that Jayce wouldn’t rest. Not until he’d convinced him.

It was rare that he initiated touch. It wasn’t his preferred method of showing his affections. But he knew Jayce. Knew how much such a simple gesture meant to him. And that was enough to make it worthwhile in his eyes. He raised his other hand and placed it in the space between his neck and his shoulder, and Jayce shuddered, not from the temperature of his hand, but from the simple relief that came from being comforted after being alone for so long. Jayce threw his arms under Viktor’s and pulled him close, just as he had back in the lab. Nuzzling his neck affectionately, this time unafraid of overstepping. Rocking him back and forth as he cradled him gently. He was precious. Something he would cling to and cherish until his breath left him. He’d longed for this moment. Yearned until his heart could no longer take it and he was driven to the brink of insanity. But now they were together again. And he wouldn’t trade it for the world.

Jayce had his partner back.

“Then let's try. The hammer isn't going anywhere. In the meantime, we do what we do best. Together.”

Viktor hugged him back. He couldn’t feel his warmth, but he didn’t care. He could feel the depths of his fondness and devotion for him. That meant more to him than anything. He didn’t care about the way that Jayce’s newfound facial hair tickled his face and neck. How oily and unkempt his hair was. He didn’t even care about how objectively filthy he was. Well, perhaps he did a little, but it was strangely… appealing? Seeing Piltover’s golden child in such a state. He would unpack that later. He smelled like a wet dog, but that wasn’t anything that couldn’t be fixed. Jayce shuddered as Viktor ran his hands up his back comfortingly, leaning in and pressing them just that little bit closer as he dared to ask. “Together. As partners?”

“Partners.” Came his reply. Full of adoration. There was no hesitation.

In spite of it all, Viktor smiled. It was a slight thing, but a smile still. How had he ever seen fit to leave Jayce behind? His furry felt so distant now, so unimportant in the grand scheme of things. Even though he knew he’d had every right to be angry at what had transpired. But the illogical, unapologetically emotional part of his flawed human mind that he knew he should chastise simply didn’t care. He’d forgiven him a lifetime ago. The wounds hadn’t completely healed, and he wasn’t sure they ever would, but they could work on it. They were better together. Two aspects of the same truth. Inextricably bound. In every timeline, apparently...

“Besides… Someone has to do something about Ambessa…” Viktor said, a glint of something resembling sarcasm making an appearance. There was still that elephant in the room, wasn’t there…

Jayce released him slowly, almost reluctantly. Ah yes. Ambessa. He’d almost forgotten. He made a face as he considered that situation briefly, a sour taste lingering on his breath. And this time it wasn’t courtesy of all the poor, corrupted Waveriders he’d feasted upon. Since they were on that topic… “I meant to ask you… What did she want from you? Why did she kidnap you?”

Viktor sighed, suddenly twice as tired just thinking about it. If only Jayce had some idea of how loaded that question was. His eyes wandered back towards the booth, slowly making his way past the warped Mercury Hammer and back towards the spot they’d occupied before. There was no need to stand anymore. They were both exhausted, and this was a conversation they were perfectly capable of having sitting down. “It's complicated. And yet not complicated at all.”

“She wanted Hextech weapons?” Jayce guessed, following him over to the booth. That was the first thing that came to mind. More preposterous guesses reared their ugly heads, but they seemed wholly inappropriate considering the severity of the situation, so he would keep them to himself. But as he approached the booth and sat down next to Viktor, he couldn’t help but take note of the slight tint of red that blanketed Viktor’s face and the faintest traces of embarrassment that clung to his handsome features. Jayce stared in disbelief, utterly stunned. There was simply no way…

As if to confirm the suspicion that his blank stare betrayed, Viktor nodded twice, resting his forehead against his palm and his elbow against the table. Sometimes it really was that simple. “... She wanted, well, me. Quite desperately, I might add. That's my impression, at least. She asked, but…”

Oh. Yeah, that made sense. It also made Jayce’s blood boil, but…

“...What?” Jayce saw red. How dare she. Viktor was not some trophy to be stolen, sequestered away until she had use of him. Some pretty plaything to keep at her disposal to satiate her boredom. To use as she saw fit. What had Vi seen her do when they’d been on the roof?! He remembered her seeming slightly flustered. It was a good thing that he hadn’t been informed of her intentions until now. His decision-making skills were at an all-time low as of late, and given the right conditions, it would have been all too easy to do something truly… regrettable.

She couldn’t have genuinely been interested in him, could she? She didn’t know him! His mind harkened back to the day they’d met. The circumstances. He remembered the young courtesan she’d recruited to massage her while she spoke to him naked in the baths. How uncanny his resemblance to Viktor had been. They even had moles in the same exact locations on their faces. He’d been taken aback at the time, uncomfortable for reasons that evaded him, aside from the obvious indecency. But in retrospect, now he was even more incensed. Had she been toying with him?

Jayce growled, closing his eyes as the muscle in his neck ticked. When he reopened them, he was met with the sight of Viktor regarding him with a faint air of amusement, his brow slightly ajar. Jayce blanched, averting his eyes towards nothing in particular. Oh yes. No matter how feral and unhinged Jayce managed to be, he was still Jayce Talis, and Viktor could still read him like an open book. Was he jealous? Viktor scoffed. It suited him. “Yeah... That's a story for another time. Let’s just say it makes more sense than my original hypothesis ever did, and leave it at that. Ambessa certainly has a type…”

It seemed that they had that in common. Jayce suddenly felt nauseous.

Viktor shook his head. He couldn’t recall the last time he’d seen that expression on his face. Jayce wasn’t the sort of man who got jealous easily. It was almost funny.

And then from nowhere, Jayce yawned. He rubbed his face with his hands, barely able to keep his eyes open. The booth’s comfortable upholstery had been his undoing, and as he gazed quietly at Viktor, an idea presented itself. He knew precisely where he wanted to spend the night.

Stretching as much as his injured back would allow, he curled up on his side and laid down next to Viktor, the top of his head brushing against the outside of his thigh as he only just managed to fit on the bench. Sleeping curled up in a ball was nothing new to him. He’d been doing it for longer than he wanted to consider. He would survive. But Viktor still scooted down to the very end of the booth to afford them both more space, the taller of the two scooting up to make contact with him again. To be near him. He wasn’t getting away from him that easily.

Jayce looked up at him, a silent request in his eyes that Viktor only vaguely registered, his brow furrowing in perplexment as he evaluated the context clues present to him. Searching for something obvious that he’d overlooked. After a moment, it clicked. He nodded and moved his hands out of his lap, allowing Jayce to rest his head against his leg. He would humor him. Jayce sighed as he closed his eyes and settled into position as though the act alone had reduced every ache and pain in his body to nothing, contentment playing across his deliriously fatigued features. Viktor placed his left hand in Jayce’s hair, carding through it gently. It was disgusting. Jayce was a disaster. He hoped that he would never change.

“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do this…” Jayce confessed almost sheepishly, failing to make eye contact with him. He’d never asked, always afraid that he was overstepping or that he might put too much pressure on his weaker leg and cause him pain. But now… he didn’t know where they stood, but context told him that perhaps it was appropriate to be more transparent about what they both felt. After everything they’d survived that day, a misreading of Viktor’s boundaries wasn’t going to prove to be the last straw between them. Still, he would make a point of not assuming going forward. Of asking first. He had no claim over him. No one did.

“I’m willing to make a guess,” Viktor said quietly, gazing down at him. Jayce seemed almost entranced, enthralled but the gentleness of his touch. After months of fitful sleep curled up on the cold stone ground of that wretched cave, he had earned this much. He was willing to play along. Just this once.

Jayce yawned again. I appear to be doing something right, he surmised.

“I understand now. Why the Hexcore encouraged me not to return after my departure. Why it attempted to keep me complacent.” He slowed his pace, gradually lulling Jayce into a state of security. It was strange. Viktor knew Jayce was exhausted. On the verge of collapse. But he seemed to be fighting the urge to indulge in his desire to rest. Was he afraid that he wouldn’t be there when he woke up? That this moment was too good to be true? He hoped not… “It would have never managed to influence me as it did if we had remained together. It needed me alone. Vulnerable. Lonely…”

“And I’m not going anywhere.” He gripped Viktor’s leg, squeezing it gently before glancing up at him languidly to double-check that he hadn’t hurt him. Viktor appeared to be walking much better now, but looks could be deceiving. He kneaded the muscle in his calf gently. Soothingly. At the very least, he hoped that the Hexcore had taken his pain from him. He deserved that much. “We’ll figure out a way to stop what it’s doing to you. I swear it.”

Viktor risked a smirk, a glint of mischief in his eyes as he watched Jayce slowly close his eyes, drifting off. He needed to rest. He’d more than earned the privilege. Viktor was fine. It wouldn’t be the first time he'd slept sitting up. “You should stop swearing things to me. The last time didn’t go so well.”

Jayce scoffed. There it was. Viktor’s biting sarcasm. Oh, how he’d missed it.

It was quiet now. Peaceful amidst the chaos of it all. Neither of them knew what was in store for them. But as they slowly drifted off, Jayce knew one thing for certain. There was no force in existence that he was unwilling to defy if it meant saving Viktor. They would rest. Recover. And then they would face all of this tomorrow. Together. As partners.

—

Oh my gosh. Okay. So this chapter was 35k. That’s over 15k more than my previous longest chapter ever. It took two weeks to write, but I think it was worth it. I would love to know what you think about the fic and the chapter in general! Did you like it? Writing this was such a privilege. I can’t believe 3k of you took the time out of your lives to read this. And as such, I wanted to tell you something…

I’M WRITING A PART TWO!

Yep, that’s right. I’ve lost my mind. I basically sat down one night and decided that I was going to completely rewrite act three because, yeah, who needs sleep! Clearly not me! I feel like the ending for this fic is great, but I can do better. So if you want to read part two, please come back on Friday, May 16th! The new fic will be called Damage Gets Done, and I’m also adding it as a series on AO3 so you can hop to it that way if you like! I would post it sooner, but I’ll also be participating in Bottom Jayce Week, so if you want to check that out, swing by! It’s May 5-11th! And sometime next month, I’ve got a zombie apocalypse AU in the works for you! Think WWZ+I Am Legend. kinda. Not normal zombies. You’ll see. It’s gonna be cool. I’ll keep you updated. Again, I’d love to hear what you thought of the fic if you have the time! And if you want more info on upcoming fics, you can follow me on Bluesky and Tumblr! Link is on the Masterlist! Come chat with me, I’m always looking to chat with the community!

Thank you so much for reading! I hope to see you in part 2! Bye-bye!

@melonbear51 @wuekka @mythbookworm18 @ahsokasgfriend @dragonling348 @coldcoleslaw @chaosyetorder @fandomsarepainful @gonzanova @awkwarddaydreamingpotato @endlessnightdreams @arcanebutterfly and @mameeta LMK if you don't want to be tagged in the future :D

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