At Last We Meet
There virtually was no challenge. The fight was laughably one sided. With her lightning-fast reflexes and killer intent, Jinx managed to wipe the floor with the ambush, well if she could even CALL IT that. Some stupid enforcers that ended up following her for about a block before she felt it was necessary to deal with them. One by one, she lost the stragglers and picked them off along with her maniacal laughter would get more deranged and sinister with each enforcer taken down. A larger group remained huddled together, as she watched eerily from a building ledge just behind them. The sound of a grenade pin being pulled and the soft clank of metal hitting the cobblestone ground made the group turn before their eyes went wide in horror. The smoke and the explosion left nothing behind, and she huffed up at the strands of hair poking into her eyes. Now she was bored. These enforcers have become pretty damn lacking in combat skills nowadays.
Sets of footsteps rushing towards the explosion made her slip off the edge of the building, standing in the poorly lit alley like an animal waiting for the perfect moment to deliver the killing blow. About 3 of the remaining group stopped, eyes wide at the sight of barely recognizable armor bits still smoking from the recent explosion. One of the enforcer’s gaze landed on Jinx’s glowing purple eyes they quickly dropped their gun and ran the way they came. The two remaining enforcers were momentarily stunned at their companion’s abandonment before they glanced back and Jinx was gone. The two glanced cryptically at one another before going back-to-back with each other, guns at the ready. It seemed to be their perhaps only chance of surviving this alive. A loud gunshot rang out in the smog ridden distant street followed by a pained scream. It was not Jinx’s. The two took a hesitant step back, hands now trembling. If she was feeling merciful, perhaps she’d let them live. To tell the other wimps to stay off HER TURF. HER stomping grounds.
With a satisfied huff, she twirled her gun on her index finger till it pointed up to the sky, before blowing the smoke lazily drifting from the barrel of her close-range pistol. Neither of the enforcers left budged before both took off running as quickly as possible in the opposite direction. Bad move. There is a lot of very nasty folks down that path whom absolutely do not like enforcers. They wouldn’t last 3 hours. The sight of seeing those losers running for the hills made her grin widely before slipping her pistol into its holster made out of a carved-out monkey plush on her hip.
“Hah, take THAT you stupid Blue Bellies!” She taunted, but after a moment her smile quickly slipped. Wait. The direction they came from… was the path she took away from where Viktor likes to stay- VIKTOR. The voice rang out in fury in her mind that anything happens to him it’s HER FAULT- NOTHING BUT A JINX- Over and over the faces and voices were circling her like sharks, all vibrantly colored distorted and had a faint buzz and static like sound of static. The words echoed in her head -He’s dead because of you- because of YOU YOU JINX-
Jinx doesn’t remember when she started running. It didn’t matter only one thing did right now. Viktor. She didn’t stop running until she nearly tripped over the scattered enforcer bodies she left to rot behind her. With an almost clumsy side step, she righted herself before scanning her surroundings. The streets were barren and sparse, especially since a round of unwarranted enforcers barging their way through killing or attacking everyone. It hadn’t taken her more than 6 minutes to reach the back entrance of their home when her ankle rolled unexpectedly. The only sounds were the echoes of her boots clicking gently, splashes when she didn’t bother jumping over the puddles of water blood or oil seeping into the alleyway. They followed her- And she had guided them directly to a genius who was not adept at handling himself against a gang of enforcers- If they hurt him, she’s end them personally. And very slowly.
The sight of Viktor’s hideaway quickly filled her with dread instead of relief. It was tucked away from the main streets and secluded, and unless you KNEW it was there it would be a pretty hard place to find. Just a normal looking run of the mill house, the kind you see and immediately forget about. A rather rundown looking Zaunian home with a large space for a makeshift lab and a rather small bedroom, loaded with books. An even smaller kitchen which once was for the miners of Zaun who used it as a makeshift base, located directly above the mines. Saved the miners the trouble of needing to get reliable transportation, and saved Piltover some extra money. Like they even NEEDED MORE MONEY. And yet it was another method suggested to fuck over the Zaunian miners. Silco would bring it up every dang time he had to make sure Viktor was still alive. And lecture him for ignoring Silco’s messages.
Oddly, their dad didn’t complain when Viktor suggested it as his safe space. Just judging from the slight annoyance on Silco’s face when Viktor suggested it, he seemed to know trying to talk Viktor out of it was a waste of oxygen. It was close to Silco’s office, and even closer to Jinx’s hide out, which per Silco’s request were rigged with a message system and alarms. After he got permission, he and Jinx spent lot of time effort and elbow grease to convert into his own personal space. And even to her, it felt like home. A space she was safe in. And it became a place Viktor started to rarely leave anymore. A place away from Silco’s endeavors. She still thought it was a deliberate attempt to avoid their father but- he would never do that- would he? Viktor’s top excuse was he had too many orders to fill, especially since he refused to help with Silco’s reign of Zaun, which Silco then forced Viktor to earn his own income. The thoughts of that argument crept into her mind until she paused just at the back left corner of the tiny makeshift home.
The sight of the windows being smashed in, blood splatters leading to the front doorway and then abruptly stopping made her heart stop. No. He had to be fine- HE HAD TO BE- Her eyes shot open when she felt something wet on the wall. Blood. Still faintly warm. Lots more than what she just saw- With a gasp, she jumped back, catching glimpse of a now very obvious trail. NO NO NO NO- She made a reckless mad dash towards the front door when she felt the tears forming in her eyes. A rancid but strong burning smell reached her nose and mouth. Unknown gasses seeping from the newer cracks in the foundation and shattered windows. The stench made her stumble back, before doubling over and coughing violently. When she caught her breath something out of the corner of her eye drew her attention away. Hidden under a thick layer of greyish green gas plumes, was a dead body leaning against the shattered window. It was easy to tell right away that it was not him but… It did not easer her worry. A hasty glance next to the first body revealed a now dead enforcer just a couple steps away, leaning slumped against the brick wall adjacent. A fancy Piltie gas mask was covering their face. Her expression shifted into an expression that basically said ‘I won’t question it’ followed by a shrug and a “Meh.”
With a swift kick she forced the enforcer’s body to roll onto its side before roughly ripping the mask off. The body flopped lifelessly to the ground, before she nudged it further from her with a foot. Gross. They sure weren’t using it. A quick wipe with her glove she slipped it over her face, then spotted a flashlight clipped to the enforcer’s belt. This was crazy what a jackpot she hit for a rescue mission. Sure made this shit a whole lot simpler. It took her a couple minutes to get the clip to open before swiftly slipping the metal clasp over the right side of her belt, then turning back to the Zaunian’s body blocking her entrance into Viktor’s lab. That’s the most likely place her dweeb of a brother would be. Getting the body blocking the window out of the way enough for her to smash it open fully and sneak in was more difficult. They were heavy and did NOT want to budge. It was like the body somehow got stuck when it got bashed into the window. One tug didn’t do anything. An annoyed growl escaped her clenched teeth before she stood, and kicked the body with all her might. The body shifted upwards, before limply flopped down, slightly elevated above the ground. The corpse’s knuckles barely touched the ground now, and she saw where it had gotten stuck. The sight itself didn’t bother her; to be frank this was really pissing her off. She did NOT have time for this shit right now!
That was all it took to get Jinx angry enough to yank the body off the metal frame with a final yank. The pull had too much force and he ended up flying backwards and landed flat on her back, and the body flopped right on her. Not even a split second later she yelled and tossed the body to the side with a frustrated snarl. It landed with a solid thud next to her, in a puddle of nasty looking water. Weakly she sat up and stared hatefully at the window. OK, screw this. With a swift motion of her hand and wrist, she shot at the window 4 times, shattering it to bits. The sound didn’t make her flinch. With a lot less patience she stood and kicked in the remaining frame and glass and knelt down to cautiously slip inside. Once her feet touched the ground, she slipped her flashlight off her belt and swore a couple times as it didn’t respond right away and sputtered several times.
The flashlight flickered a few times before sparking to life. It had taken a couple of bashes from her fist before it did her bidding. Shapes and forms began to emerge from the limited light source, but she knew the place by heart. Much to her dismay, the room was in a lot worse shape than she anticipated. The sight before her was heart breaking. Viktor’s lab was ransacked. All that research on healing concoctions and designs requested from the Zaunian customers were either burned, shredded or missing. Though he was a massive nerd, he cherished his work and medicinal discoveries. ESPECIALLY HIS RESEARCH. Seeing his YEARS of dedication so utterly DEFILED made her blood boil. Whomever did this was going to suffer her wrath. After she found her brother.
The flashlight seemed to struggle to cut through the thick gas lingering in the lab. A bright shimmer of metal caught her attention when the light reflected off, dancing like a lost firefly in the darkness and smog. The emergency shaft was opened- no, it was LITERALLY RIPPED OPEN AND MUTILATED, beyond recognition. Not even Vander was capable of such strength with his bare hands… Her heart slid weakly into her stomach. A horrible realization began to form in her mind, as she scoured what limited information, she could from the mess left behind. A struggle, a desperate attempt to flee. Trail of blood that stops out near the front steps. They forced him down into the mines below his lab- HE KNEW HOW DANGEROUS that was- The chances of him surviving now were dropping rapidly.
There was a strong suspicion, Viktor was not down in the mines. She knew already judging from the ransacked state, they were looking for HER WEAPONS. THE GEMSTONE… And instead, they had found him instead… Perhaps to get close to her and Silco. Or… To try and flush them out. Well, that wasn’t going to work. Fury began to fill her small frame, tears of sheer hatred welling up. Piltover was DONE robbing her of everything she loved. This was the final straw. A loud cry of anger fear and sorrow rang through the air, as she dropped to her knees near the metal doorframe in front of her. Life just didn’t stop robbing her of the few precious things she had left. And she wasn’t sure how much more she could handle before she truly did lose herself to Jinx. Powder was barely hanging on by a thread now. Truthfully, Viktor was the sole reason she felt kept her from completely losing her grip on reality. Now with him gone, she felt herself mentally slipping away in the current of the voices in her head, biting clawing and dragging deeper into the depths of her own mental anguish.
There was a split second she felt tears well up in her eyes, before with almost a drunken sway, she stood abruptly. Her mask gleamed ominously in the limited light. There were no tears left to be shed. This was full on war. Even if she had to take down Piltover without Silco’s aide. She didn’t give a shit anymore. Swiftly, she glanced at the remaining metal framework with a steely withering glare before grabbing the upper portions of the ladder in her hands. With dancer like grace she quickly swung herself off the deformed metal grabbed the edge of the faltering metal ladder and slid her way down sinking into the darkness. Her boots hit the ground with a soft tap, before she pulled her flashlight up. The dust and metal scraps flew up around her, forming an eerie almost glittering aura ring around her. For a single second, she felt a strong spark of something flicker through her body. That couldn’t have been real. It must’ve been her damn nerves getting the better of her. A hand reflexively hovered over a small pouch on her hip. The gem remained as dormant as ever. Stupid thing. Little did she realize it was simply biding its time. Patient and ever eager.
The remains of the metal motor to guide the ladder down laid in shambles. But the glint of metal further down in the mines followed by little glints of red caught her eye- his cane- She ran to it the second she spotted it. By the time she reached his cane, she fell in a heap to her knees, clutching it. There was far too many emotions flowing through her to even process which she was even feeling anymore, her hands making his cane shake violently in her grip. She spotted the trail of red, clinging desperately to the nearest mine wall. A wry but warped grin slid perfectly across her face, before she barked out a harsh laugh. Hah, that sly dog. He ditched his cane to avoid attracting attention. She’d never admit it but sometimes he DID manage to impress her. Venturing without is horrifically difficult for him but despite it he still gave someone the slip temporarily. Silco truly would be proud of him. And now she hoped he’d have the chance to tell him…
Carefully, she kept the cane clutched close to her chest in a semi child like manner, as she ventured deeper into the mine, using the flashlight to follow the trail of red smeared on the ground. Memories flicked for a brief moment of them as kids. Down here. This particular path. The sheer drop. Cautiously she followed, never taking her eyes off the red lines. About halfway through the trail, a new trail appeared. Large and unbelievably large boots. These boot indents were very deep, and tailing Viktor’s trail like a vigilant hound. She was getting closer, and she needed a LEAD A CLUE-
Now her pace picked up to a slow jog, her impatience getting the better of her. Her body instantly stopped just shy of 3 feet of the ledge. The flashlight shut off quickly, with a faint whirring. The battery casing felt hot and painful to hold in her hand. She paid it no mind, as she already saw it. Soft puffs of cool air wafted up from the ledge, where the blood trail went off the edge. That drop that scared Viktor to this day. The hair on her bangs and long braids shifted gently in the faint breeze, but it offered no comfort. There was a faint and low gurgle of water, many many miles down from where she stood. The flashlight fell limply to her side, as she stared for a brief moment at the darkness of that very ledge. Her hands twitched faintly, her desire for vengeance for Viktor being fueled the deeper she dug into this mystery. The sounds that echoed within the cavern was the soft drops of water off the rocks, gentle wisps of the wet winds funneling from the ledge, and the faintest sound of her slow breathing.
As she stared out for a moment longer, her hand tightly grasped his cane in her right hand while she did her best not to crush the flashlight in her left hand. Eventually she turned and felt her foot send something hard go skidding back towards the direction she came from. A faint scraping sounds of rocks scraping against rocks made her skin crawl. A burst of green light erupted from a string of what she could make out were some strange looking rocks bound onto a thick leather strap. Her attention was laser focused on it, and she approached the weird looking object curiously. It was sitting in a small amount of blood, and she carefully picked up the torn leather strap, and turned the rocks curiously in the air above her head, watching the glow radiate outwards, before slowly fading into darkness again. This… was something she never heard of or seen before. But... she knew someone who may.
Quickly she slipped the strange rocks into her pouch on her hip, before giving the flashlight a solid enough slam against the rocky ground. It sputtered feebly to life, struggling to maintain a solid flow of power. There were smears and spotting of blood, and looks like something was dragged back UP from the ledge, where the blood goes back towards the ladder presumably. And it looks like it a body was temporarily dragged before being hauled onto something. Hence only the spots. The blood leading BACK to the ladder. Meaning Viktor is possibly alive. And potentially a hostage, somewhere. Now all she needed to know whom was going to suffer a fate worse than their worst nightmares could ever inflict. But first, she ran back to the ladder, moving as quickly as she could, immediately seeking out Silco. All she needed was a name. A face. Anything. Then her hunt could begin. And she’d get her brother back. No matter what it cost her.
AN UNKNOWN AMOUNT OF TIME LATER
The first thing he remembered was the pain. Nothing but aches, pain, and how heavy his body felt. The only comparison he could think of was as if his body had been MAGICALLY turned into lead. Dull, earthy and virtually lackluster. No better way to explain it. When his left arm twitched, the smallest motion sent a jolt of pain straight up his left arm shoulder, and most of all burning through the joint. Judging from the severity, it was likely there could have been torn muscles, leading to a lengthy and painful healing process. It only took that one warning for him to avoid moving his left arm at all costs. Why did it feel like his arm was nearly ripped out of it’s socket? At least it would match with the aching pains of being thrown around like a damn rag doll. That… led to a better more pressing question… why couldn’t he seem to wake up? And why did everything he tried to do feel like it took 50% more effort than it usually did… and how come waking up did not feel anything like he had before? This… Sensation was starkly different. There was no way this state of consciousness was following the regular patterns of sleep. Somehow this felt, almost… Artificial?
That thought made him faintly more aware that wherever he was, this certainly not a place he was familiar with, it felt too… safe and sound. Scrunching up his nose, Viktor wearily tried to get a sense of his surroundings. Soft plush but almost delicate sheets were under him, along with a very comfortable pillow propping him up so he was not flat on his back in what he presumed was a bed. It was not his own, as he knew his own bed by heart. This felt nothing like the comfortable messy pile of blankets sheets pillows and books he would crawl into when he couldn’t see straight after a long night of working. Though it wasn’t his, he was not going to lie. It was incredibly comfortable. For a moment he wandered if he could get away with smuggling them back home to his room… Shouldn’t be THAT difficult.
When he tried to open his eyes, he felt a sharp stabbing pain hit him right behind his eyes. GODS, no wonder he wasn’t able to sleep. The damn room must’ve been insanely BRIGHT, and squeezing his eyes tightly shut didn’t seem to block it out at all. And currently he was suffering from the worst possible migraine he could ever fathom, so the brightness was only making his life so much worse. Not to mention he felt like he was run over by a rail tram about 14 times. Should would explain the sensation of the horrible pain stemming from his neck. If he was lucky, perhaps that same tram would run him over one more time and knock him out cold. At least the that would deal with the gouging sensation going on in his skull. It sure would be merciful, in his opinion.
As if sent by the Gods above, a soft but sharp noise drifted through the room. A door swung open gently, almost timidly. There was a pause, as if checking to see if he or… perhaps someone else was asleep. Now that he was more aware of what was going on, in the background he did hear faint snoring a short distance beyond his makeshift bed. It was slow and deep, almost gruff. If he focused on it, he could hear almost a faint nasally sound to the snores. It blended in so naturally with the noises he was now picking up on, beeps of a machine close to his head, ticks of a clock, and the faint sounds of liquid dripping. Was he in a hospital?...
His thoughts were drawn away temporarily by the alluring sound of the rhythmic noise coming from his right side. The beeping was slow and even, following the rise and fall of his chest. Like it was keeping track of his heart rhythm. A heart monitor? Zaun had very poor if any forms of health services, unless you counted shimmer. Or if you could afford it, more than likely any services or products were illegal, or using form of potentially dangerous untested methods of unsanitary medical practices. Most of the time, the people didn’t survive those visits. Though, it saved the medical staff from having to find new organs to use for their next clients. The thought made his heart ache, as he remembered some of the very rare friends he had lost along the way due to either shimmer, medical complications, or… The last option he bit back with a defeated sigh. The thought made his shoulders slump in despair. Holding onto those memories didn’t help him, but thankfully the noise that followed stole that depressing thought quickly from his mind.
After a moment, the sound of the door slowly but deftly being closed sent a small shift in pressure through the room. The snoring stopped seconds later, followed by a loud yawn and some weary groans. And some pops and cracks of someone sleeping in a horrible position. Judging from the faint grunt of discomfort, someone ended up with some nasty back cricks. That was all too familiar, as he had fallen asleep at his desk, to wake up countless hours later with a lot of regret and a very stiff neck and back.
Soft clicks of some flat-bottomed shoes echoed in the small room, before passing his bed and stopping just to the right corner of his bed. There was a momentary pause before the room seemed to fill was an almost nauseating sense of affection. It was so palpable it literally infected the entire room. A shifting sound of someone getting up was followed by the sounds of two people hugging each other tightly. Now he was truly starting to become uncomfortable. This was a subject he knew very little about, familial affection. Granted, he family he grew up in was… very UNTRADITIONAL in showing affection like… THAT.
“Mama…” A husky but masculine sounding voice said, which teetered almost dangerously on the cusp of tears. The male voice was thick with emotion, but Viktor was completely BAFFLED at the man’s sudden display of emotion. Why the hell would someone he didn’t know he in HIS hospital room… Sounding so upset over a complete stranger? It made NO sense…
“Mijo, mi amor… Jayce sweetheart have you been staying here the entire time? You should have gone home to rest, even if it is just to sleep. Staying in that awful chair is not an option anymore. You have spent far too much time waiting dear… Everyone is worried. This needs to end. You need to take a break from watching over him. This is not healthy…” A woman’s voice said, firm yet so filled with love it took the edge out of her tone. What was she talking about?
“Mom, I-I can’t! When we found he-he was so badly hurt and I thought my idea at the time may have killed him!” This Jayce stammered, emotion choking his voice. The sound of “Jayce” now worriedly pacing around the room was marked with the clack clack clack of each step he took. Viktor grimaced as he quickly deduced that the floors were tiled, only intensifying his hatred for the design of this room. Especially how his migraine was pulsing to the rhythm of “Jayce’s” pacing. This guy was talking at a brisk pace, listing off all the potential complications, risk factors and potential infections, and if he left him alone something bad could happen to him. And how he'd have no one there to support him, especially after that happened.
The more he explained the higher his pitch became and the more anxiety and guilt crept into his tone. It sounded… wait, that is not possible. Is it? A faint twinge, a memory inched slowly into his mind. Figments of what happened to him slowly began to weave a horrific tapestry in his mind, filling the missing gaps of his memory with knots tangles and snapped threads. THAT VOICE… SOUNDED… VERY FAMILIAR. Sadly, at the moment he couldn’t quite place it. The ramblings seemed to fill his head with cobwebs. Why did listening to this guy’s voice make his blood boil and an unrealistically strong urge to hit him… Repeatedly?
“Jayce. Jayce, amor… mijo… Ja- JAYCE!” The woman spoke softly, her voice so delicate and soft before changing to a stern, commanding tone. The clacking paused mid step, along with an audible flinch accompanied by a faint “EEP-!”. The room fell silent again, all for the gentle pattering of water dripping and the ever-consistent beeps of the machinery. The room was filled with the gentlest sigh with just the barest hint of annoyance, before the woman took a step towards Jayce. The sound of the woman’s hands gently cupping Jayce’s face followed by a ragged choked exhale made the room grow momentarily silent. There was a very potent sense of grief regret and pain stemming from Jayce, as he wearily wrapped his arms gently around the woman’s shoulders and presumably buried his face in the crook of her shoulder and neck, tears finally spilling free.
“Mama… what if he doesn’t w-wake up like dad didn’t… a-and it- it’s my f-fault…?” Jayce spoke so weakly it was barely audible. The way his voice shook and cracked honestly made Viktor’s shoulders slump. Viktor’s heart clenched for a moment. Oh. No wonder… This is potentially a PTSD triggered reaction… so Jayce was here almost as an attempt to patch up a deep emotional scar in his psyche. Why the hell Jayce would stay to ensure such emotional torment was unfathomable, unless this guy was some sort of masochist…
A sharp pang of sympathy rang out through him, as he unfortunately knew how bitter and painful loss was. Down in Zaun, people barely batted an eye at the sight of bodies lying in the streets, allies or roadways. Unless it was a loved one. But, mourning the dead was not nearly as… Openly expressed in Zaun. It was simply something that happened every day. How differently it was treated here in Piltover than in Zaun truly fascinated him. Grieving and sorrows of a loved one were NEVER openly expressed, especially since it translated to a sign of weakness. So, even very early on, he learned never to wear your emotions on the outside, and NEVER SHOW weakness to your enemy. It didn’t mean the losses hurt less, it all simply depended WHERE and HOW they were shown. This Jayce guy would’ve been dead in an alley in Zaun in less than an hour. He would’ve been eaten alive, nothing but bones remaining of a fragile human heart left beaten and broken in the streets.
A small but motherly hum escaped the woman’s lips, as her arms gently wrapped around Jayce’s body, her hands patting his back gently. The faint rustle of fabric rubbing on fabric rippled through the air. It made Viktor’s hands twitch. Ah, that makes sense, this must’ve been Jayce’s mother. Makes a lot more sense now. Jayce slowly wrapped his arms around his mother’s shoulders, trying to keep any more of his tears from falling.
“Jayce, I know this hurts. But your quick thinking was possibly the only reason he made it to the hospital in time. The doctors here are very skilled and worked tirelessly to help this poor man. But, like many things, medicine and surgeries can only do so much. Now, it is up to him whether he wants to keep fighting or if he knows it’s his time. You torturing yourself like this will not help him wake up, nor is this helping you. Amor, you are literally leading yourself into a hospital bed next to him. Not eating regularly if at all, barely sleeping… I know you’re deeply worried and feel responsible for his safety after what you had done to save him but there is no more you can do for him. This needs to stop Jayce…” The woman said, her tone caring but stern. The tough love tone.
The gesture made him shudder faintly. Silco’s version of tough love was very BLUNTLY telling them the truth, about things most parents would’ve sugar coated or lied about. Like when jinx’s pet died when she was 12. How he just stated it so calmly but in a manner that did offer comfort to Jinx. This current predicament he found himself was showing him to extremely different sides of the same coin. It honestly made his guts wrench up a bit seeing how differently things COULD HAVE been under… more compassionate parents. The thought felt so comprehendible, but would he honestly give up the family he had if he could…? Despite their flaws, he couldn’t just so easily dismiss all they had been through. If only it could’ve been without the drugs, violence, gang wars and constant fear for their lives… Perhaps… they could’ve had something… normal.
Jayce’s voice barely cracked when he spoke, partly muffled from in the crook of her shoulder.
“Ma… por favor… un dia mas…” he begged, and the faint shift sounded like he pulled away, and from that bemused sigh and a gentle kiss to his forehead clearly won her over.
“Awe mijo, I can’t say no to that puppy dog pout…” She chided gently, before gently placing a paper bag she must’ve brought with her into his hands. A warm smell of fresh earthy but spicy food wafted through the air when the soft crinkle of paper was pulled and shifted.
“NO WAY, mama how did you get these?! They were closed for months!” Jayce exclaimed, pulling her into a tight hug. There were soft patting sounds as she smiled proudly.
“A mother never reveals her secrets Jayce.” She tutted smugly. Jayce sighed rolled his eyes dramatically and whined “Maaaaa….”.
“Come along mijo, you need to come enjoy the sunshine, you have been cooped up here for weeks. It is time to get out walk a bit and get some air. Plus, you haven’t spent any time with me in a while… I think you owe me for fetching you your favorite.” She said slyly, gently grabbing his large hand. There was a small hesitation, and he felt a heavy but concerned gaze resting upon his presumably frail frame resting nearly lifeless in the bed. Even without being able to see, he could feel the crushing weight of guilt and worry just from Jayce.
This man was a gods damned anomaly, and one he just could not wrap his mind around. Why the hell would he care so damn much about a Zaunian he never met before…? No Piltie would’ve batted an eye at him if he had been found by someone else in… that situation. Whatever the hell it was. Frankly, he decided to drop trying to force the memory to expose itself, as it only encouraging his migraine to throb more. One thing, he did hate to admit was, he didn’t… MIND Jayce’s presence. Somehow it felt… comforting. Strong. Consistent… Warm. Warm was one feeling he never truly felt from Silco or Jinx… It was strange but seemingly, in the time he had been in this… hospital… That man’s compassion and worry for him felt… like it was filling a void he never knew he had. The longing ache of being… WANTED. Unconditionally. The sensation baffled him, but he didn’t reject it. Perhaps he’d have time to study it while he was bed ridden…
A slow but defeated sigh escaped Jayce’s lips and he nodded weakly and replied with barely any volume.
“Si mama…” Was that filled the room before a set of two footsteps, one dainty and light and the other heavier but confident slowly made their way to the far-right side of the room, followed by a faint creak and whine of a metal door knob protesting against being used. A soft course grating sound made him visibly flinch, making the footsteps halt just for a moment at the doorway, the door letting a wave of cold wash of air into his room. That piercing but concerned gaze rested on him once more, and the soft womanly voice rang out in the hallway, ripping the gaze away from him for the final time that day. A faint subdued sigh slid lazily through Jayce’s lips, followed by a faint head shake, a presumed slip of his imagination. The hefty footsteps continued before the door was quietly shut followed by a slightly dejected, “Vengo, mama, vengo…”
Before the door was sealed with a faint click, before his room fell into a slow but steady rhythm of the dripping, beeping, and ticking from before. It wasn’t but a few minutes later, Viktor finally opened his eyes, blinking wearily at this new foreign world he found himself in. Despite knowing fully well where he was, he was woefully unprepared for the sight before him. His worst nightmare… Worst possible outcome. Piltover. There could be no worse outcome he ever could’ve imagined in his entire life. And fate seemed intent on damning him at every twist and turn. There was no possible way this day could get any WORSE… Right?