The Weight of Protector
"And that is pretty much all the details we have so far. Zaun is virtually up in arms. The Enforcers here are working on blocking the bridges, but... we fear Zaun will do a counterattack at any moment. To what scale we are uncertain. And we are... catching word of a potential... rogue attacks on Zaun by... some of our Enforcers. Without... any of the Council's or your direct orders or knowledge." Grayson stated gravely when the three of them managed to find a secluded section of their walk. The stiff silence caused Jayce to stop fully mid stride, eyes wide with absolute shock. On the other hand, Caitlin's face was creasing in unbridled anger and fury.
That was unspeakably dangerous and is a full escalated warrant for Zaun to declare war on Piltover. Whoever did this would be fully held accountable, and if he had his way, either rotting in a cell the rest of their miserable existence or... the latter seemed too extreme. Unless they cannot rectify the situation... then perhaps an execution would be necessary. The thought made him shudder.
In his time before he became the second half of the Protectors, he was unfortunate enough to witness a public execution up close. Since he was on the Council, he was unfortunately forced to go. The image of the scene is something she was sure would never leave his mind. The permanent image of the dead body laying lifeless on the ground after the firing squad was done. The collective gasp of the crowd, the flinch. The thud… of the lifeless body hitting the ground. The sounds of the family crying at the loss-
The way he desperately wanted to close his eyes and look away. How he on his life he could not shut his eyes- And witnessed the entire thing. The fear on the man’s face. The way the light faded from his eyes. How all those horrible images and nightmares began to gnaw and seep into his mind since that day. The 2nd day he nearly witnessed death. The first during that snowstorm with his mother. Ever since those moments he could barely talk about it. But… Now with his new title, death was a constant factor of his life… And now the idea that he may be the very man who’d have to CARRY OUT a public execution… The way his heart skipped a beat just thinking about that idea-
A small but dainty hand rested on his shoulder before giving it a soft squeeze. The gesture was enough to snap Jayce out of his mental anguish regarding death. And how it seemed to follow him daily, just like those nightmares. When he turned his gaze towards Caitlin, he caught a glimpse of Grayson watching him. Her expression over all was indifferent but calculated. Testing his strength and his ability to handle this task… The title of Protector. Her lack of confidence in him made his heart tense up. It was simply a split second but when his eyes rested on Caitlin, his body instantly relaxed. But only for a moment before the dread sank back in. Thankfully Caitlin's expression didn't exactly match Grayson's, but it sure was teetering on the edge of annoyance rather than concern. Perhaps, they were thinking the same thing after all… The sense of betrayal from Caitlin was what really drove the blade through his heart. The killing blow to his confidence.
"Jayce? Are you alright?" She asked, her Protector mode forcing her into a rigid and almost machine-like mentality. The way her tone attempted to cover up her true intentions, but the expression on her face shifted just enough to show her real feelings. The annoyance of being delayed from her mission. The one that could make or break her perfect spotless records, perhaps. The moment that thought slipped through his mind he instantly regretted it. But, the more he watched her in her new position… It seemed to completely take control of her. There was rarely a discussion of anything but security and the safety of the city between them now. At first, he thought working alongside her would be ideal. Until he realized this position was robbing him of the little sister he loved.
At one point they shared the same ideas and ambitions. Helping the city and being able to keep her close to ensure her safety. Now… he felt like he was only getting in the way of her dreams and her entire future. Because he didn’t have the stomach for it. It was so plainly written on their faces. Too weak, too fragile. TOO SOFT HEARTED. Knowing fully well he should’ve stayed tucked away in the lab where his pretty face wouldn’t get messed up. The anger he felt swelling in his chest and seeping through his veins like fire made him clear his throat, and give a small casual nod. This was foolish. He needed to get his head in the game. One thing they were right to criticize him for being spacy and unfocused… One thing a Protector cannot be is DISTRACTED. It is how innocent people get killed...
"Yes, yes sorry. I was... thinking that's all, but that information it very vital, thank you Commander. The culprits may have the wool over our eyes right now but we will bring them to justice. One way or another." Jayce said, a bit less enthusiastically than he intended. This made the two women in front of him exchange a concerned glance. Shit.
There was significant hesitation in Caitlin’s voice as she spoke the words, her eyes colder than normal. "Jayce... perhaps you need to sit this round out. An unfocused soldier is a very dangerous one. And this is a mission we CAN NOT afford a single mistake!" She snapped rather sternly. This made Jayce bristle and actually take a menacing step forward. It was easy to see how much he towered over her. Like she had done many times, she dug in her heels straightened her back and glared defiantly into his golden eyes. The silent power struggle began to draw unwanted attention to them. Despite the other enforcers being far away, their heads immediately shifted to the movement. This wasn't staying a private conversation anymore it seemed. Before he could make a snappy comeback, Grayson stepped in gently pushing the two apart before snapping angrily like a stern mother.
"Jayce, Caitlin. WE do NOT have time to waste. We miss this chance, and all of Piltover could suffer. All I can safely say is my enforcers intercepted a very important tip about a date and time where a very critical trader will be crossing the border between Zaun and Piltover. There was no news on WHAT the cargo is or it’s intended purpose. IN the meantime, we need to treat this as a potential ambush or explosive situation. Besides this trader may have vital information we need to get to before the enemy does." She stated firmly. The tone cowed them both into submission. Brazenly, Caitlin straightened up even more and nodded curtly. The two never broke eye contact during Grayson’s warning.
"I understand the objective and the goal of today's mission. I am willing to do what it takes to ensure the safety of Piltover and the people. I don't let my emotions or own personal feelings cloud MY judgment while I am on duty. Perhaps... some of us need to either get their ass on the same page or STEP. ASIDE."
When Grayson only bowed her head, Caitlin turned and stormed off to her squad who stood in formation awaiting her orders a safe distance away. The way she refused to even look at him as she walked off with her squad made him seethe. Her full attention was on Grayson as she turned before she and her squad moved out to their final positions.
"I will be covering the flanks and doing perimeter sweeps to prevent any leaks escaping or any ambushes from the enemy." She stated sternly. Her eyes lingered on Jayce briefly with a dismissive nod, but she adamantly refused to meet his gaze. "If you can't handle it, just go home. I will not miss this chance to prove myself. If you stay, do NOT get in my way." And with that Caitlin and her squad were gone seconds later. A tense and uncomfortable silence filled the air. The sound of Jayce's hands gripping his hammer handle too tightly caused Grayson's head to turn, and glance sympathetically at him.
"I know... outwardly she is harsh and critical... but to be quite frank... she is desperately worried about you. You taking the title as Protector. Seeing you get hurt. Living with the weight of the title. The sins that must be committed to... keep people safe. It is never nor ever will be an easy job, Jayce. The title of Protector means carrying every single problem on your shoulders. But it doesn't ever make the weight of them any lighter either. Are you truly sure you want this position... You are a very strong smart young man with your whole future ahead of you. She is scared she will lose the deep caring compassionate older brother she looked up to.
Unfortunately, she was raised in a position of knowing these consequences and the heavy weight of life death and power. And sometimes, how it is necessary to be the world’s most hated being in order to do the right thing. It is not too late to back down now..." Grayson paused, glancing at him with an oddly calm expression. The look on his face made Grayson's shoulders slip softly. With a curt nod she walked onwards followed by Jayce keeping to her side. Unfortunately, she knew all too well as Caitlin did, that the job would be the death of him. And now there was no stopping him when his mind was dead set on what he wanted. This was no exception.
*** A SHORT TIME LATER ***
The scene was semi unsettling. An uncomfortable tension hung loosely in the air, like a single spark would set the sky ablaze. It made Jayce uneasy. He had to stop himself 4 times within the last 5 minutes to not drum his fingers in the handle of his hammer or tap his metal lined boots on the iron bridge. It didn’t help he had butterflies fluttering all through his stomach. He absolutely despised SILENCE. The streets were practically barren aside from a few passersby being ushered off the scene quietly and discreetly by enforcers. It made a chill run down his spine.
The only change in the scenery was a rather typical looking Zaunian treading nonchalantly towards the checkpoint. A series of boxes, crates, miscellaneous tool boxes and random junk all strewn on the back of the flat back cart the Zaunian was hauling. Nothing too out of the ordinary at first glance. It seemed odd that a guy that SMALL could haul all those items which must've weighed a lot... that immediately put Jayce on full alert. The man walked briskly, keeping an even pace and working up quite a sweat. But despite it the man was whistling cheerily to himself as he walked. Jayce would’ve hugged him if he could for at LEAST ending the unbearable silence.
Something on the man’s cart immediately grabbed Jayce’s attention. Crates. All sizes varieties and colors. Some sealed tightly and a decently sized one, in the center.
The main box in the center was strapped down using strong leather cords and sturdy metal latches to keep it secured in place. And… most disturbing of all it had… Airholes. Something living. Was this a makeshift ambush?! Were the Zaunians crazy enough to smuggle living beings across their borders for a direct and outright offense?! The thought made his grip tighten on his Hextech hammer. Something... seemed very off though. The Enforcers at the checkpoint was watching something BEYOND the approaching man and cart. They were expecting the trader, but the way they were going rigid made him freeze. What were they looking at-
A sudden change to the scene was a vibrant flash of red. A brisk walking pace of a gal out of nowhere just behind the man. The man seemed to sense a shift and nearly jumped out of his skin when the woman appeared besides him within a few long strides. Without warning she draped an arm over his shoulders without any regard to his comfort or personal boundaries. Judging from the utter shock plastered on the trader’s face and rigid posture he was utterly terrified of the predicament he found himself in. Confusion was written so plainly across Jayce's features, as he cast a glance at Grayson. Her eyes were fully fixated on the rather strong looking gal now speaking to the man before casting a baffled glance at Jayce. This was NOT an anticipated part of the plan. What the fuck was going on-
The first thing he caught was her hair. Pixie cut, shaved on the sides. It was nearly pink - no, violet. From a glance, she was very sturdily built and muscular. Not to mention, she was very beautiful. And kinda scary - damn. Her arms were rippling with muscle, which was not a common sight for women in Piltover. Her entire posture, body language, screamed a full-blooded fighter. The way she presented herself radiated a threatening presence. Judging from all the tattoos of former names with lines crossed through them, she kept tabs of all the asses she’d beaten to a pulp. Arrogant, and definitely earned her stripes in Zaun. This man now seemed to have every right to look so utterly horrified. This was very bad. The man at least seemed wise enough to not make any sudden movements. Poor guy nearly fainted when the woman’s strong arm draped over his thin frame twitched before she finally spoke.
"Hey pal. Saw ya dropped this when you left the carriage up from Zaun-" she said, her voice somewhat sultry as she slipped what appeared to be a slightly dented wrench into the man’s shaking hands. It bounced out of his hands so easily due to how badly he was shaking. The man made zero effort to pick up the which fell to the iron bridge when he clumsily tried to catch it.
"Uh... t-thank you, ma’am. No-n-now if you'll excuse me, I am late for a m-me-meeting-" The man stammered, as he tried to pull away from her. A fist shot past his head in a blur, making a sizable dent in the crate closest to his head. The man’s complexion went completely white as he stared in mute horror at the damage. And how close that fist came to smashing in his skull. The crate had a massive crack up the side, and it looked like with even a gust of wind would be enough to split it right down the middle. The thickness of that crate would have needed a massive amount of force to break it- or to even dent it-
It had taken a solid minute for Jayce to realize he was staring with his jaw hanging slackly at the display of sheer brute force. The woman tilted her head and grinned, her gaze changing drastically into one of a predatory glare. Those piercing blue grey eyes were hypnotizing- and filled with a fury just barely being held back by a single thread.
"Hey. I'm sure whomever you're meeting would understand you wouldn't wanna be rude to a LADY, right? Especially... if it was for someone really important. Or... if you're planning something." The woman's smile immediately faded before she grabbed the man's shirt, and shoved him into the back of the cart like he was virtually weightless.
The man shrieked as he was tossed midair and viciously smashed into his cargo. The boxes shifted when he hit them making the contents rattle loudly. With a single glide like step, she climbed onto the back of the cart with ease. The way she took her time with each step towards the man madly attempting to scramble backwards away from her was like watching a cat trap an injured bird into a corner. There was no denying it. She was asserting her full dominance over the man with just the way she carried herself. The man practically was pleading for his life, palms up when the back of his head made contact with the back of the largest crate. The one with the airholes.
"Listen! It-it wasn't my idea- I was just-just doing my job-"
"SO, you have any names... or we gonna do this the hard way?" She said, squatting down to be face to face with him, her hair partly blocking her face.
"PLEASE I SWEAR! I WAS OFFERED MONEY TO DROP THIS CART OFF THEY DIDN'T SAY WHY- I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S IN THE BOXES! I WAS ONLY TOLD A LOCATION AND TIME PLEASE-" the man stammered, barely able to speak due to how terrified he was.
"They didn't show their face! It was a dark alley, and they wore a hood! Average height! Voice was covered up and muffled from some sorta mask. I didn't get anything else. I just got half the payment up front and said if I dropped it off discreetly, they'd triple the other half! That's it I swear!!!" The man said practically shaking the entire cart now. The woman nodded; her face unreadable.
"Awe thanks. For that I guess I won't flatten your face today. Let me make this real simple for you. Either open the boxes or I do it myself. You wouldn’t like the outcome if I gotta do it myself. If you don't want the insides damaged, by that I mean the boxes and YOUR INSIDES, you best do it and quick." She demanded flatly. The man gawked.
"N-no I-I can't! They-they said they'd kill me if I looked inside or said anything-" he whimpered, before screaming and rolling off the side of the cart. The trader narrowly missed the bottom of the woman's boot colliding with the edge of the nearest crate. The wood shattered with just the one kick. Odd looking trinkets and foreign items toppled out of the crate lazily, hay and shards of a broken shimmer containers. The air was purple and glittery from the shimmer becoming airborne and quickly blew away with the breeze. Clearly it was not the liquid form it was the snort able shimmer variety.
Jayce was about to step out when he saw Caitlin appear from behind the barrier of enforcers, giving a hand gesture that signaled her team secured the surrounding areas for any spies or ambush. The way her gaze fell on the woman and her jaw dropped, eyes flooding with recognition. And absolute mounting horror. Never in his life had he seen Caitlin run so fast, making Jayce leave his post and instinctively run after her. Fuck the protocols, fuck the rules! No way was he letting her get herself killed.
Not only was she breaking the law AND safety protocol, she was running directly into a possible ambush! What the hell was she thinking?! The checkpoint enforcers immediately had their guns drawn and ready, on edge from the confusion and commotion. Clearly this checkpoint was left out of the loop to check for possible insubordination. And seeing how they recognized this trader, the chances of them letting this guy slip unchecked cargo in was growing larger and larger by the second. Just how much was slipped in right under their noses-
By the time Jayce glanced over to Grayson, she had her enforcers already arresting the checkpoint guards and hauling them off for questioning. The guards at the checkpoint didn’t comply with orders and a majority ended up being taken down with force. More than half were being dragged into the prisoner transport carrier that was just out of sight in a nearby alleyway. For s split second they locked eyes, and she tilted her head towards the cart. Thankfully he and Caitlin were already over halfway there before the sound of the 3rd crate being smashed to bits echoed through the open air like a gunshot. This problem was an even larger than they anticipated. Not to mention all their evidence was being smashed by this rogue woman. Perhaps a spy?
By the time they got within 15 feet of the cart, over half of the crates had already been smashed to bits. The contents within them were damaged beyond repair or recognition. Their entire mission was nearly destroyed in under 15 minutes. Fury was nearly boiling over in Jayce’s body when the rogue woman looked up and cast a rather sinister glance at Caitlin. There was an unhappy slanted grin on her face. Her eyes narrowed with a fury and gaze Jayce had never seen before. The expression was enough to make Cait go rigid, her face crumpling so easily. The way her shoulders tensed and her body went almost completely… submissive. Never in his life had he EVER seen Caitlin look so… small. And weak. Or so utterly heartbroken. Tears were welling up in the corners of her eyes.
"Hey Cupcake... long time no see. Unfortunately, I really didn't want to miss our fun lil date last night... but it's kinda hard to overlook the fact a BUNCH OF YOUR SHITTY Enforcer FUCKERS came barging in and MURDERING US LIKE WILD ANIMALS! IN OUR OWN DAMN HOMES" The woman on the cart screamed, before kicking over another crate with all her might. Now there was barely 3 crates left, including the large one with the airholes. It probably had the most important and vital information within it. They had to make sure she DID NOT DAMAGE that crate- Perhaps they still had a chance to salvage this mess if they could just pacify this irate woman-
Both Jayce and Caitlin jumped when the woman raised a foot and set it dangerously on the edge of the crate with the airholes. For a brief moment they thought they something move, something alive within that box. For a split-second Jayce swore he saw a flash of something… yellow… or amber. The sight of it made those nightmares come roaring to the front of his mind. The horrid mechanical eyes boring holes through his skull, the hate burning within them. How much staring into them hurt him so unbelievably badly.
And yet he didn’t know WHY?! WHAT HAD HE DONE TO EARN THIS TORMENT?! And whatever was in that crate- was it somehow connected to his nightmares….? Were they being targeted with some evil mind tampering magic?! And if there was that chance… How? His thoughts were immediately interrupted when Caitlin yelped out in fear when a solid stomp made the largest crate shift. She saw it too. Something alive moving inside. Instinctively Jayce and Caitlin took a step forward, desperately trying to prevent the woman from making a possible dire mistake-
“Violet, please…” Caitlin pleaded, her voice on the edge of tears. The way her voice cracked made Jayce bristle. How dare this woman make Caitlin this upset. He didn’t have the full details but he knew enough. She somehow hurt his little sister and he was NOT going to stand for it. Or the fact this woman ruined their chances of potentially saving lots of lives for…... to be honest right now he was not exactly sure WHAT was going on between the two of them but… Caitlin had a LOT OF EXPLAINING to do later.
"What, I can't shake a lil fear into your enforcer friends? Or we not gonna talk about the fact so many Zaunians are dead thanks to these fuckers, huh? The bastards you now COMMAND? WHEN were you gonna tell me that TINY DETAIL HUH?" Violet snapped, eyes narrowing before she took her anger out on the next crate. Only a few remained, and the main one was the one strapped down to the back in the center. For a split second, Caitlin seemed to come to same realization Jayce did, but all too late.
"VI WAIT-" Caitlin screamed, arm outstretched to try and stop her.
"NO DON'T-" Jayce yelled at the same time, instead instinctively dropping his hammer and wrapping his arms and torso around his sister, kneeling down in a tight ball around her like a human shield. The guttural yell Violet made was only matched in pitch by the sound of the largest crate being sent flying with an incredibly strong kick. The leather cords binding the large crate down stood no chance as they snapped easily under the sudden force. The cords whipped wildly before falling in heaps at the sides of the cart. The metal hinges keeping them secured screeched and whined in shock as at least three of the 4 hinges and clamps snapped free, shards of metal sent soaring skyward. It all happened so damn fast. Jayce felt like if he blinked, he would have completely missed the entire scene.
For a few seconds, the box remained intact mid-air. It felt like time stood still as Jayce watched out of the corner of his eye, his main focus keeping Caitlin safe. The box rotated slightly before it came down hard into the iron framework of the bridge. Once the crate hit the metal, it smashed wide open, small bits of wood splinters fabric and hay flying in all directions. Along with... something... alive. At worst, he expected some scary looking creature designed to wreak havoc on the city- but what his gaze caught made his blood solidify to ice.
There was a collective gasp from the people closest to see. This was shortly after what sounded like metal hitting hard ground, a loud scrape a very wet and unsettling tearing sound. Followed by sounds of something desperately trying not to scream in bloody agony. The Enforcers who were finishing hauling the now turned prisoners all remained stark still. Violet's eyes went wide, her expression fading from a mask of uncontained fury to utter shock. That was not what anyone was expecting. Not by a longshot. No one dared to breathe. There was a collective state of stunned paralysis preventing anyone from HELPING!
By the time Caitlin managed to wriggle free of Jayce's grasp, she was completely pale and nearly fell at the sight. By the time Jayce turned, he felt the wet warm liquid on his clothes and skin. To be quite frank, he was too mortified to look. To confirm what he just suspected sprayed all over his back neck and the side of his face was indeed-
Blood. So much blood. But none of it was theirs. The sight made his guts knot up. At any given second, he thought he'd pass out from how violently his innards were tying themselves into pretty bows to go with the now rampaging butterflies threatening to burst free from his guts. How he had managed not to vomit on the spot was a miracle in of itself.
The sight itself was horrifying. A man, probably just a few years shy of his age, being smuggled into Piltover. Like an animal. The man's body was thin, almost borderline anorexic. Their skin was pale, clammy, and the poor man was shivering so badly they looked like he had just seen a ghost. The man’s chest rose raggedly and swiftly, barely any air from short choppy breaths. What happened to him?! By the time he quickly looked the man over, Jayce's face had nearly lost all color to it. The man's body was slightly twisted in a futile attempt to curl into a tight ball. They laid half on their right side, trying in vain not to move their left leg. From just a quick glance, he could gather at least an idea of what happened.
Some sort of thin but strong metal straps were bent and shaped to conform to what appeared to be a possibly bad or damaged leg. There were plenty of elderly people who needed leg or arm braces for support, mobility aide and pain reduction. For many of those people he willingly made said braces free of charge. How their faces lit up when they gained a little ease off their old joints for a while warmed his heart. But to see such a structure now inflicting possibly a deadly wound? This was too much for him to bear. He knew he was in no way responsible, but the sight hit close to home. The way he imagined one of his customers experiencing such a horrendous event from one of his braces or metalworks? It made chills run all through his body. He NEVER wanted to have such horrible thoughts again.
The structure and design of the brace was crude at best. Overall, for someone who didn't seem to work in a forge, it wasn’t half bad… But seeing what appeared to be a badly maintenanced support beam snapped under a very strong blow sending the metal straight into the man’s thigh made his stomach lurch violently. It was simply inconceivable to him. And just seeing how worn and wide the injury was, he had been dumb enough to ATTEPMT walking on it- Was this guy crazy?! Or… rather judging how this man’s hands were cuffed behind his back, he must’ve been fleeing from whomever was behind this whole dastardly scheme. The thought of the horrors this poor guy must’ve endured before winding up shoved in a crate was making his mind itch relentlessly. Though he couldn’t quite place WHY. Not that it mattered, that injury needed immediate attention.
Just by glancing at it, Jayce knew right off the bat that despite the metal's light and semi flexible nature, it made for horrible support for that exact reason. How easily it snapped under tension or pressure. And the metal used broke and unexpectedly stabbed the man in potentially the worst spot possible to be fleeing for your life. The section of the thigh where the deep puncture was close to the blood vessels leading to his femoral artery. Meaning, now that the metal was dislodged, he could easily die within minutes. What was more concerning was the fact how much blood was already seeping from the shattered remains of the crate he was sent flying from. How long had this man been bleeding and left like this? It was beyond cruel and inhumane!
It had only taken him a few seconds to gather the horrific idea of what happened to this poor guy. Luckily for him he didn’t even need to think about it, Jayce's body worked before his mind did. As quickly as he could he scooped up the man, quickly applying pressure on the wound. It was stunning how easily his entire hand was able to slip around the man’s thigh with no issue. This man was so unbelievably THIN and small. The shock of how utterly COLD the man was in his arms quickly had him barking orders angrily at the closest enforcers to get a medical car immediately. As carefully as he could, he gave the injury a firm but cautious squeeze, doing his best to apply more pressure without accidentally crushing this man’s leg. Even with the massive pressure Jayce was applying to the severe wound to the man's thigh, blood was seeping freely at a frightening rate. Not to mention the man's face was scrunched up in inexplicable agony. Shit. There was no time- The worst part was the man weakly curled in closer to Jayce's body, desperately seeking warmth and comfort before he potentially died. Even from a complete stranger. No. This guy was NOT GOING to give up this easily. He absolutely REFUSED to let this man die, not like this.
Caitlin was busy barking orders demanding they work faster to get that medical cart. When the enforcers did not pry their eyes away from the nightmare unfolding before them, they were SHOVED back into reality by a very pissed of Caitlin. She unlike him was NOT above using some physical force to getting her soldiers moving. Usually all it took for him was a scary glare and his soldiers were gone seconds later. Jayce's eyes widened in horror as he realized the pressure thing wasn't working. The severity of the injury was much worse than anticipated. What about...
A horrible idea crept slowly into his mind. Oh, gods. Could he bring himself to try it? If this failed, he'd cause this man unspeakable unnecessary suffering. Not to mention the pain may send him over the edge and he died from stress or shock. As carefully as he could, Jayce set the man down on his back, before ripping his cape off, laying it down on the ground. As tenderly as he could muster, Jayce scooped the man back into his arms before placing him onto the cape. With an expression of utter despair, Jayce quickly ripped off a section of the rag before folding it over several times. He had to make sure this guy didn’t bite through his own tongue when he did this risky gamble. Luckily getting the man to bite down on the rag was incredibly easy. There was barely a struggle. Granted, the guy was fading in and out of consciousness so it was not exactly difficult. Still, he was not going to lie, it was extremely uncomfortable. Regardless, it was for the sake of his tongue so surely if he survived this the guy could forgive him for that uncomfortable situation.
Jayce shifted to a kneeling position, before turning to his right and carefully dragged his Hextech hammer closer. The metal groaned in protest, before it was resting just at his hip. With a hard WHACK of his clenched fist, the hammer quickly fractured apart, shifting into its laser form. Quickly, he scooted his hammer a bit closer, doing his best to avoid accidentally shocking himself, or suffering a wickedly bad burn. The perfectly smooth deep blue gem was contained snugly in a small heat-resistant metal holder. It hummed angrily and small very hot sparks shot out from the gem. With one wrong move a stray spark nailed his right thumb, making him grimace and swear loudly.
Grabbing the now completely useless leg brace, Jayce quickly snapped off the longest piece of metal he could salvage from the contraption. It would have to do, he thought bitterly. Jayce timidly set the edge of the metal close to the gemstone. Using a spare part of his cape he held it as close as he dared, praying the cape itself would be set ablaze as he tried not to burn off his own fingers. The metal groaned before turning red and then yellow before shifting an eerie white. Personally, he wasn't sure who was going to suffer more, the man whom he was about to jab this insanely hot metal wedge into or himself when he realizes he was the unfortunate enough to be the one to do this. Carefully biting the inside of his cheek, Jayce did his best not to think about it. The horrid smell. The sizzle of burning skin. How much this was going to hurt, unconscious or not…
The bile in Jayce’s stomach rose. Either he chickened out and let this man die, or he did what was necessary. With a deep breath, Jayce gently pinned the man down on his right side with a strong but firm hold and swiftly jabbed the metal into the wound. Much to his misery, he didn’t have the option of closing his eyes. Missing the injury would’ve been devastating. But by the time he knew he landed his aim right into the wound and help the pressure there, he clamped his eyes shut. He was gonna be sick- But not now. The moment he could let the man go he could go throw up off the edge of the bridge. It wasn’t until Jayce felt he could finally let go; he had been biting his own lower lip so hard he caused it to bleed enough to require his own stitches. Looks like they BOTH were going to the hospital after all…
Originally, he thought his previous nightmares were bad. But now he was living it. Forcing a dying man to the ground, doing his best to keep him from struggling for his own good. Trying in vain not to use too much pressure as he was so much BIGGER and stronger he was horrified he’d hear a sickening SNAP any second. And that scream. The scream made the world screech to a halt. Not a single pair of eyes wasn’t resting on him, the image of a man that massive pinning a small frail frame under his strong arms while appearing to stab a sharp metal object into the feebly struggling torso underneath him. All the blood. And the horrendous blood curdling scream of pure agony. There was no time to wait for pain killers. By the time they’d show up he’d be dead. Making him endure this was this man’s only chance. No matter how horrible this looked.
Much to his surprise, the man’s left wrist managed to wriggle free from his cuff and grab tightly onto his shoulder. Those beautiful golden amber eyes were wide with panic and a strong desire to make that pain stop. The man’s nails dug in DEEP into Jayce’s shoulder actually managing to rip through his shirt and leave very painful marks running down his arm and chest. Despite the way Jayce cried out in pain at the backlash, he didn’t let go. Not till he knew the injury was properly sealed. Luckily, he learned the man in a blind desperate attempt to flee was aiming for his eyes and face. Jayce was very lucky how the man barely missed that mark. Clearly, the man was NOT appreciative of being stabbed with insanely hot metal to cauterize his injury. NOT that he blamed him.
The struggle continued for about 2 minutes. By the time the man completely went limp, he swiftly pulled out the metal, taking ragged shaky breaths. The smell of the singed skin and tissue hung thickly in the air, and Jayce saw his idea ACTUALLY worked. Very crude, but it worked. The injury looked awful but the bleeding had almost completely stopped. He couldn’t tear his gaze away… The sight was awful. And he caused it. The smell finally fully registered in his mind, how strong and prominent it was. How… HE DID THAT. The man was now completely out thankfully. The shuddering breaths were oddly more even and slightly calmer than before. The way the man’s face was a mask of agony, tears freely running down his pale sharp features. But he was alive… But now his mind had time to process the scene-
And without warning, Jayce stumbled to his feet, quickly ran to the edge of the bridge and lost all the contents of his stomach by the time the medical carts made their way to the scene. Little did he know what was coming for him next. Frankly, he wished he had never ever been picked for this job. There was no turning back anymore. Now, he swore that whomever did this, all of this, was going to suffer the most horrendous death possible by his hands. For that man, for himself, and all the other people hurt by this mess. Even if it cost him his life, he would have his retribution. No matter the cost. All he could do was turn and watch the medical professionals quickly loading the man onto a stretcher already half way done testing his blood to see what blood type he was for transfusions.
He barely acknowledged the other professionals trying to coax him into the second cart as he watched weakly as the other cart drove out of sight. Everything felt numb. By the time he felt himself being half hauled onto the back of the cart he finally felt himself just slump into the medical bed, not even thinking about his own injuries. He only was thinking about that man he just saw. If he was lucky… perhaps he’d be close to the man’s room. That was the only thing keeping him going. Being close to the man, hoping by some miracle he’d be okay. Once they cleared him, his sole mission was to find the man and help him. Nothing else mattered. Not till he knew he was going to be okay. And learn who’s going to be on the receiving end of his hammer. For both of their sakes.