Different Perspectives
Jayce walked through the corridors, his thoughts swirling like a storm. The argument with Viktor replayed in his mind on an endless loop, regret simmering beneath his frustration. He knew he’d handled it poorly, talking to Viktor like that, dismissing his concerns without a second thought…
The pressure from the council weighed heavily on him, and he couldn’t shake the image of the bridge, the destruction, the bodies. Every day felt like a new crisis waiting to topple everything they’d built. He told himself he was trying to protect Viktor, to protect them all, but had he even tried to explain that to his partner?
Jayce sighed, running a hand through his hair. He needed to fix this.
He stopped by to retrieve Viktor’s crutch—he one they had found and that Jayce had held onto these past days. The sight of it sent a pang of guilt through his chest. It had been such a relief to have Viktor back, and yet Jayce had managed to ruin their reunion with his temper.
Maybe returning the crutch could be a peace offering, a small gesture to soften the tension.
Jayce tightened his grip on it as he headed toward the lab, going over what he would say. He’d explain why he was worried, why he felt it was necessary to consider the council’s plan for hextech weaponry—he didn’t like the idea any more than Viktor did, but didn’t Viktor see? They needed to protect themselves. Jayce was certain that if he laid it all out, Viktor would understand.
As he rounded the corner near the lab, he spotted Mel a few steps ahead. She stood in the middle of the hallway, her posture as poised as ever, though there was something about the way her arms hung at her sides—a slight stiffness—that caught his attention. Her gaze lifted to meet his, and for a moment, something flickered across her face.
“Jayce, I was looking for you,” she said, her tone light but carrying an edge of urgency.
“Mel,” he replied, his eyes darting toward the corridor that led to the lab, pulling his focus away from her. “Sorry, but I really need to talk to Viktor. Can it wait?”
“It’s about the proposal for hextech weaponry,” she pressed.
Jayce frowned. The last thing he needed right now was another conversation about that. He didn’t want to get dragged into Mel’s carefully constructed arguments—not before he fixed things with Viktor.
“Mel, I can’t right now,” he said, his voice firmer than he intended. “I need to talk to Viktor first. He’s my partner, and he deserves to have a say in this too.”
He hadn’t expected the words to sting as much as they did when he said them out loud. It hit him just how poorly he’d handled everything earlier. He hadn’t really listened to Viktor, had he? He’d just let his frustration take the reins.
Mel studied him for a moment, her expression softening slightly. “I just saw Viktor in the lab,” she said, and for the first time, Jayce caught a flicker of hesitation in her voice. “After we talked, he seemed… upset. Honestly, I’d recommend giving him some time to cool off.”
“What? Why would he be mad at you?” Jayce’s brows furrowed. “What did you talk about?”
Mel’s eyes flicked away for the briefest moment before meeting his again. “Jayce, you and Viktor both get very emotional about certain things,” she said, her tone carefully neutral. “I think it’s better if you both take some time to cool off before you try to have a productive conversation.”
Something about her evasiveness made Jayce’s frustration spike. Anger came too easily to him lately, something he was painfully aware of.
“Fine,” he muttered, brushing past her.
When he reached the lab, the silence felt heavier than usual. Jayce’s eyes swept over the room, his chest tightening as they settled on the empty chair where Viktor had been sitting just hours earlier.
“Viktor?” he called, but there was no response.
His gaze swept over the desk, and then it hit him—something else was missing. The usual hum of the Hexcore, faint but ever-present, was gone. No wonder the lab felt so unnaturally silent. Not only was Viktor gone, but the Hexcore was too.
A dull ache throbbed behind Jayce’s eyes, growing sharper by the moment, as if today’s headache might split his head in two. He set Viktor’s crutch down on the edge of the table, his hands gripping it as he tried to steady himself.
Where had Viktor gone this time?
For a moment, he could do nothing but stand there, staring at the empty lab. The silence pressed in around him, heavy and suffocating, like a stone had dropped onto his chest.
Jayce paced the length of the lab, his footsteps echoing against the tile floor. With both hands, he pushed his hair back, his muttered words growing louder and more frantic.
“I’m so sick of this! How could he just leave like that?” he exclaimed, his voice tinged with both frustration and disbelief. “He just got back today! Today!”
Mel’s voice barely registered as he spun on his heel, kicking a nearby stool with enough force to send it clattering into the corner. The outburst left him hollow, the anger fading as quickly as it had come. When he turned to face her, his shoulders slumped, and his eyes were clouded with fatigue.
“Why did you offer me that council position?” he asked bitterly, his voice quieter now. “Everything’s been going from bad to worse since then.”
Mel stepped closer, her movements measured as she placed a steadying hand on his tense shoulder.
“Jayce…” she began, her voice soft.
“The benefits were nice, I’ll admit that,” he said with a hollow chuckle, shaking his head. “But…”
“You’ve done a good job,” Mel interrupted, her tone steady. “Believe me, I know how overwhelming this is—the politics, the deals, the responsibility. But you’re making progress. Things have changed for the better, haven’t they?”
Jayce sighed deeply and sat on the edge of the counter, his gaze dropping to the floor. The silence stretched between them for a moment, heavy with unspoken thoughts. Mel watched him closely, her words carefully chosen as she continued to speak in soothing tones, her hand still resting lightly on his shoulder.
After a moment, Jayce finally spoke again, his voice softer now, as if he was speaking more to himself than to Mel. “Even Viktor,” he muttered. “First Heimerdinger, and now this… I’m…”
Mel’s brows knit together at the unexpected comment. “Heimerdinger?”
“He was my mentor, Mel,” Jayce said, his voice thick with guilt. “And I betrayed him. And with my recent choices, I’m pretty sure I’ve betrayed Viktor too.”
Mel hesitated for just a second before stepping in front of him, her expression softening as she tried to meet his eyes.
“Everything you said about Heimerdinger to the council was true,” she said, her voice steady and reassuring. “I’m sure he’ll understand eventually. You had good reasons for what you did.”
“And Viktor,” she continued. “He’s struggling right now, but once you explain everything, he’ll understand too. You’ll bring hextech to the people, just like you always dreamed.”
The mention of his dream seemed to spark something in Jayce. His shoulders straightened slightly, and he met her gaze for the first time in minutes.
“Maybe you’re right,” he murmured, the faintest trace of hope returning to his voice.
For a moment, Mel allowed herself to feel relieved, her lips curving into a small smile. Jayce, meanwhile, tried to convince himself that she was right. “Today was hectic,” he thought. “We were both off balance. Once I talk to him calmly, I’ll make him understand.”
But as that thought crossed his mind, his stomach tightened. His gaze flicked toward the empty chair where Viktor had sat earlier. Then he remembered—the Hexcore was missing too. A sudden wave of tension swept over him, undoing the small relief he’d found just moments ago.
Jayce’s mind raced. He knew Viktor would never use it for anything harmful, but the implications of its disappearance—especially alongside Viktor—were concerning. He glanced at Mel, who seemed satisfied that he was calming down, and quickly decided not to mention it. The last thing he wanted was to bring more scrutiny on Viktor. That would only delay his return.
Mel broke the silence, her voice gentle but purposeful. “I’ll stall the council for now, but they’ll need their leader soon. Don’t worry, you’ll be fine.”
She gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze before turning to leave. He nodded, watching her go before turning back to the lab. The weight in his chest didn’t lighten. If anything, it felt heavier.
Jayce made his way to the forge, hoping to find some clarity through work. He set Viktor’s crutch down carefully on a nearby bench and opened his notes, spreading out blueprints for designs he had sketched in moments of restless inspiration.
“For now,” he muttered to himself, “all I can do is what I do best.”
His gaze lingered on the drawings before him. Ideas for new inventions that now seemed to hold a dual purpose—tools meant to build could just as easily become weapons. The realization gnawed at him, but he pushed it aside, picking up his tools with renewed determination. He clung tightly to the hope that he could still be someone who fixed things, someone who made the world better—just as he’d always dreamed as a child, a hero in his own story.
Mel twirled her family ring absently between her fingers, the golden band bearing the Medarda crest catching faint glimmers of light as it turned. After her conversation with Jayce, a knot of unease had settled deep in her chest, refusing to loosen. She had managed to keep the council from spiraling into outright panic over the undercity’s situation, but the cracks in Piltover’s situation—and her own plans—were growing harder to ignore.
The sound of the doorknob drew her out of her thoughts, and she straightened as Lest stepped into the room. The Vastayan woman’s sharp eyes and confident stride were as composed as ever, her tail swishing behind her with languid movements.
“Mel,” Lest greeted, her voice calm but tinged with something unreadable. “I have the information you wanted.”
Mel exhaled, grateful. “Good. Let’s hear it.”
Lest handed her a small piece of paper, and Mel unfolded it with steady fingers, her gaze sweeping over the sparse but telling details. Her brow furrowed deeply as her eyes landed on a name she hadn’t been expecting to see.
“Jayce… met with my mother?” she murmured, her voice quiet but tense.
“Earlier today,” Lest confirmed, her gaze fixed on Mel. “Your mother’s meetings and movements have been calculated, deliberate. Whatever she’s planning, it’s clear she has her eye on him now.”
Mel’s grip tightened on the paper. Ambessa Medarda didn’t make idle moves. If her mother had taken an interest in Jayce, it could only mean one thing: she intended to use him.
The thought sparked something defensive in Mel. “She won’t derail what we’ve accomplished,” she said firmly. “I’ll make sure of it. Jayce needs to stay focused on what matters.”
Lest’s expression didn’t change, but her tail flicked sharply. “And what’s that, Mel?”
“Piltover’s protection,” Mel replied automatically. “The undercity is becoming more volatile by the day. We have to be prepared for anything.”
Lest’s composure faltered just slightly, her expression tightening. “I see,” she said quietly. “And that’s where Viktor comes in, isn’t it?”
Mel blinked, thrown by the question. “What about Viktor?”
“Word travels fast,” Lest said, her tone measured as she watched Mel’s reaction. “I heard he’s back. And not alone. An enforcer and another Zaunite came with him, apparently.”
Mel frowned, setting the folder aside. “It’s good that he’s safe,” she said, her tone careful. “But… his timing is inconvenient. Jayce needs clarity right now.”
“Inconvenient?” Lest repeated, her tone sharper now.
Mel hesitated. “You don’t understand,” she said, attempting to explain. “Viktor always questions everything, and right now, we don’t have the time to slow down. Jayce needs to stay focused on the bigger picture.”
Lest’s frustration finally broke through her calm demeanor. “This so-called bigger picture you’re always talking about, only seems to include Piltover.”
Mel’s eyes narrowed. “I’m doing what I can to keep everyone safe.”
“Everyone?” Lest’s tail flicked behind her again, a sharper motion this time. “Your ‘protection’ doesn’t extend to the undercity. You think I don’t know that? You think Viktor doesn’t know it either?”
Mel opened her mouth to respond, but Lest continued before she could.“You can’t just brush aside what others have to say because it’s inconvenient for you. Viktor’s from the undercity. He understands what your so-called defense will cost us. Do you?”
“That’s not a fair assessment,” Mel said, her voice tight. “The weapons would simply be for self-defense.”
“You don’t get it, do you?” Lest’s voice was sharper now, “Everything you do up here ripples down to us. You’re playing politics, but we’re the ones who suffer for it.”
Mel had never heard her like this—so angry, so frustrated. It was rare for Lest to show this much emotion.
Lest exhaled sharply, shaking her head. “I thought you were starting to see things differently, Mel. I thought maybe you were changing.”
“I have changed,” Mel insisted, but even to her own ears, the words sounded hollow.
Lest studied her for a long moment, her gaze a mix of disappointment and something softer, almost sympathetic. “You’re not a bad person, Mel,” she said finally. “But you have to understand—your decisions have consequences. And for my people, those consequences aren’t just inconveniences. Most of the time, they’re life or death.”
Mel lowered her gaze, her fingers tightening around the paper in her hand. For the first time, she couldn’t bring herself to meet Lest’s eyes.
Lest sighed, the tension in her shoulders easing just slightly. “I won’t be meeting with you for a while,” she said, her voice quieter now. “I can’t keep putting myself at risk coming to see you. Not if things escalate the way I think they will.”
“Lest—” Mel started, her voice faltering.
“Sorry,” Lest interrupted, her tone carrying a note of finality. She didn’t look back as she moved toward the door. “If you want, you can find someone else to help.”
Mel opened her mouth to respond, but the words didn’t come. Before she could gather her thoughts, Lest was gone.
Left alone, Mel stood frozen, staring at the closed door.