Chapter Text
Fingers hammered against the wooden stretch of the table before the young woman, a soft exhale expressed through her lips. Her vibrant blue eyes shifted around the room, first staring at the elongated bookshelf, and then to the dusty window which remained closed in fear of the creeping Zaun Gray, and finally to the workbench, where scattered bolts and materials lay strewn about. Just the same as the day she first arrived.
Lux couldn’t help but bemoan the dusty basement, a sight she had gotten quite used to over the past month. Not that she thought herself ungrateful, in fact, she thought it was more than kind for Seraphine’s family to take her in and allow her to stay.
After all, where else would she go? She couldn’t go back home.
Lux worried her bottom lip between her teeth, her heart sinking at the mere thought of her former home. Demacia. It had been well over a month since she had first departed her home...her brother...and everyone else.
Her eyes pinched closed in frustration, Lux’s short nails scraping against the wood of the desk before balling into a fist. Her clenched jaw trembled with a pang of tumultuous guilt rising from inside of her. She told herself that she had no choice but to leave Demacia, after all, they were planning on holding public executions for every known mage. Even her status as a Crownguard wouldn’t have helped but. But she couldn’t help but think of everyone she was forced to leave behind in the haste.
Her bottom lip freed itself, Lux taking a deep breath before allowing her body to release its tension. It wasn’t my fault...it wasn’t my fault. Lux thought to herself, opening her eyes disappointedly to the dusty basement once more.
A jolt ran through Lux’s spine, causing her to sit up straight. A brief soft touch caressed her shin, delicately dancing against her pant leg. Lux nearly screamed, but her eyes fell to the ground where snow-white fur bounded in figure eights around Lux’s feet.
“Oh, Bao, you scared me!” Lux exclaimed as a slight purr emitted from the small cat. A halfhearted smile crossed Lux’s face as she leaned forward, lifting Bao delicately before setting him on her lap.
“Lux, are you in there?” A peppy voice spoke from above. Lux turned in her chair, now facing the basement door above which swung open without haste. Brown heeled boots clattered against the wooden stairs, coming down into what Lux now called her bedroom.
“Oh wow, you look great Sera!” Lux commented, but as she stared at Seraphine a new uneasiness filled her. After all, it had been the same exact outfit she wore the day Jhin attacked, serving as a grim reminder of the destruction laid waste on that day.
Seraphine’s smile grew as she looked down at the white fluffy cat on Lux’s lap. “Looks like Bao got to say good morning to you first.”
“That he did,” Lux said with a stifled yawn, her hand grazing the cat’s back with soft strokes. The gleeful look Seraphine shared dwindled over the moments of silence, her dazzling blue eyes dimming like the faint trails of light which filtered through the hatched window.
Worrying her bottom lip between her teeth once more, Lux sat in the strained growing silence, the only solace she could find immediately was the cat that lay perched on her lap. Seraphine’s lips twisted in irritation as she too struggled to find a way to break the silence. However, if the past month had taught Lux anything, it was that Seraphine was sitting in anything but silence.
While a day like today should be seen as a day of celebration, one where Seraphine could finally go back out to the Entresol and perform for the people of Piltover and Zaun, Lux knew it was going to be anything but that.
After all, how could Seraphine feel safe performing again? The last time she held a public performance it had been sabotaged by Khada Jhin. And despite helping Seraphine repair her platform, Lux couldn’t help but feel apprehensive of joining another live performance as well.
Needless to say, any hesitations Lux was feeling were likely being felt tenfold by Seraphine.
Lux forced a smile on her face with a soft chuckle escaping her lips. She figured that if Seraphine could truly “hear her song” then this front was probably for naught, but she knew she had to be strong for the both of them.
This is the only way we’ll be able to change the world.
“Here, I should really get ready. It’s your big day after all.” Lux said with as much confidence as she could muster. Despite the complaint of meows that followed, Lux scooped Bao into her arms and gently set the cat on the ground, Bao furiously shaking his head before trotting away.
A snicker escaped Seraphine’s throat, one which she attempted, and failed, to keep concealed. Lux’s eyebrows furrowed, but one glance at her black pants told her everything: It was covered in cat fur.
“Looks like you’ll need a new change of clothes.” Seraphine giggled, clasping her hand lightly over her lips to contain the laughter as best as she could. Despite how ridiculous Lux felt, she couldn’t help but appreciate the break in the unspoken tension.
“You’re right-” Lux started, before darting her eyes over to the rather bare closet of the basement. Of course...today of all days. Lux had been grateful to Seraphine: after all, she and her family had housed and fed her since her stay in Piltover last month. But the fact that she was now sharing a wardrobe with Seraphine meant that things could get a little strapped sometimes.
Especially at times like this when she had no clean clothes.
“Uh, I hate to ask for more, but can I-” Before the sentence could even leave Lux’s mouth Seraphine had nodded with an affirmative acceptance. “Oh don’t worry about it. I’ll get you a change of clothes right away!” Seraphine declared definitively.
Sometimes it’s nice that she can almost read my mind…
Taking one good look at Seraphine’s shimmering outfit Lux couldn’t help but poke fun at the songstress. “Well, pick me out whatever you want. As long as I’m not a walking glitter bomb, that is.”
“Mmm, whatever you say, Ms. Rainbow.” Seraphine teased back, sticking her tongue out towards Lux. It wasn’t long before Seraphine’s brown heeled boots were once more clattering against the wooden stairs ascending back into her home.
With the silence of the musty basement growing again Lux leaned back into the wooden chair, attempting to find solace in the lone moment. Lux stared at the ceiling, attempting to find any amount of interest in the support beams which spanned the roof of the basement. Anything to keep herself distracted.
Her body trembled as a wispy draft whisked against her bare arms. The chill. The smell of unkempt dust. The fear of the unknown took hold of her heart. Lux blinked and she felt transported back to that moment.
The feeling of being thrown down into the underground cell.
An immediate sense of hopelessness had emboldened her after being separated from her brother.
How, no matter what choice she made, she knew it was all over. Either allow her brother to die by Sylas’s hands, or take fate into her own hands and reveal herself to the world.
She took a gamble. And she lost.
But even in those dark depths, Lux had learned something. There was always a light at the end of the tunnel. Lux wasn’t sure what would have happened to her if Akali wasn’t there to save her. After all, she had only Akali to thank for giving her a second lease on life.
No...that wasn’t entirely true.
There was Evelynn too.
Lux hated to admit it, especially after her chance encounters with demons in Fossbarrow and Cloudfield, but Evelynn really saved all of them. Both with breaking Akali and Lux out of jail, saving them from that demon, and pulling them through Noxus.
As much as she missed her home, she knew the Demacia she once knew was completely unrecognizable. Maybe this was what it always was underneath its prestigious shell. After all, that’s what Sylas had been saying since she first met him that fateful day.
Lux wanted to save her home from its own destruction, but realistically, could she? She strived to help Seraphine so that one day, maybe, she’d be able to save Demacia. But was it truly a fool's errand? After all, while Seraphine’s songs do reach and charm the hearts of people from all walks of life, was something that simple ever going to fix the political dichotomies of Piltover and Zaun? Let alone the systemic issues which plagued Demacia.
“Uh Lux, are you okay?” A familiar bubbly voice spoke out. Lux nearly fell out of her chair, desperately reaching out towards the mechanic's desk to help stabilize herself before she completely collapsed.
“Wha- Oh, Sera! Hi! Yeah, yeah I’m- I’m good.” Lux stammered out unintelligently. Normally Lux would have expected some sort of chuckle or amused remark from the popstar, but Seraphine’s expression softened into concern, her lips pursed worryingly.
The last thing I need is for her to worry about me.
“I’m fine, really, I am.” Lux assured quickly, attempting to regain her balance on the wooden seat. Seraphine's expression remained unconvinced, but with a cautious sigh, she stepped forward and placed a pair of clothes on the desk.
“If you say so. Here’s a change of clothes, and you’ll be happy to see that there are no signs of glitter anywhere.” Seraphine joked with a tepid smile. Lux reached out and grabbed at the flannel top, soft to the touch. Underneath it was a pair of loose hazel pants, thin black stripes running along the length of the legs, and a brown leather jacket. It definitely didn’t match her normal style, but for Piltover she assumed it was good enough.
“Wow, thank you so much, Sera.” Lux said with a commandeering smile. A genuine grin lifted across Seraphine’s face, “It’s the least I could do after Bao got you all dirty. I’ll be waiting upstairs for you when you’re ready.”
It wasn’t long before Lux was left alone in the basement once more. Lux gripped at the pile of clothes and held them out in front of her, nearly wincing at the sight before her. Lux was more than appreciative of Seraphine for lending her clothes while she stayed in Piltover, but the issue lay in their desperate height difference.
Lux was almost an entire foot taller than Seraphine. It meant that the majority of the clothes Seraphine lent her managed to run short. Switching out her shirts, the flannel top more than proved this: Lux tugged on the bottom hem of the shirt to try and tuck it into her pants, but no matter which way she motioned it would always come untucked, showcasing her bare midriff.
Luckily in Piltover, they wore such high boots, which mostly covered the fact that most of the pants she borrowed stopped halfway down her shins. If the only thing out of place was her bare abs, well, that was something Lux could put up with.
Slipping on a long pair of black boots to finish her ensemble, Lux made her way out of the basement, the dusty and murky underbelly of the house giving way to a brightly lit kitchen furnished with flowers decorating the countertops.
At the dining table sat Seraphine’s father, holding a mug in his hand. He looked tired, as he normally did, but that had been an expected sight. Ever since Lux moved in he lost access to his at-home workshop (his basement) so he spent long hours at work engineering all sorts of Hextech contraptions.
“Good morning!” Lux introduced, giving the man a tepid smile. An exhausted sigh escaped his throat, but as he turned his weary head his face only lit up, his cheeks tugging on the corners of lips. “Good morning to you too, Luxanna. I trust you’ll see after my daughter?” He joked lightly as a protective father normally would have.
A pout soured on Seraphine’s face, who nearly kicked her brown heeled boots against the doormat. Lux knew that she had been taking quite a long time getting ready, and while Seraphine was typically fairly patient, even she had her limits. “C’mon dad, stop bugging her. Lux, let’s go!” Seraphine insisted.
A short giggle manifested from Lux’s lips as she lightly skipped across the tiles of the kitchen floor, “Thanks Mr. Boxin, I will!” Lux cheered, linking her arm with Seraphine’s as soon as she reached her side.
“Let’s goooo-” Seraphine’s voice groaned, using their now-linked arms to drag Lux out of the house with her. Her father barely had the chance to say his farewell before they were inducted to the bright sunlight shining down onto Piltover. Seraphine’s outfit dazzled brilliantly, momentarily blinding Lux as soon as they stepped outside.
Lux pulled back, pretending to cover her eyes dramatically. “If you want to catch someone's attention, that outfit is really one way to go about it.” Lux grinned, which received a soft nudge from Seraphine.
Under Seraphine’s other arm had been her Hextech Platform, the same that she used the first day Lux had arrived in Piltover. It looked more compact, probably condensed specifically for travel.
Looking at the contraption made Lux’s nerves swell once more. After all, the last time she had seen it in use the concert was ambushed. She knew Seraphine’s goal was to draw attention from all walks of life and unite them through her music, but Lux wondered if she was maybe too good at it.
They traveled to the Entresol at a tepid pace. Silence embedded between the two of them the further they walked, both too nervous to state their fears out loud. On the outside, they looked like two young women out on a nice morning stroll, but on the inside, they both felt terrified, scared that something would go wrong.
Lux was never one to believe premonitions, and she certainly wasn’t going to bow to one. But that didn’t mean it didn’t weigh heavily on her heart. Lux wasn’t sure if her nightmares were to blame or her general anxiety after Sylas’s attack, but she always felt that there would be something just waiting around the corner to surprise her.
“Looks like we made it,” Seraphine said, her voice withdrawn and quiet. Lux stopped next to her friend, and it was true: They were standing on the long pathway that slowly descended into Zaun, with a light coat of Zaun Gray coating the ground. Pilties and Zaunites alike mingled this layer of the intertwined cities, and while it seemed hostile, Lux knew that it was the sole point for why Seraphine performed here.
“You’re going to do great Sera, I’ll be watching from back here,” Lux said with a forced smile. Seraphine’s eyes honed in on Lux and based on her expression it was clear that Lux had been scared. Seraphine championed a brave smile in return and pulled Lux in a one-armed hug.
“Thanks, Lux, I know I’ll be safe with you here to watch over me.”
As soon as they separated Seraphine placed the platform onto the ground and jumped on it. She wobbled at first but it seemed she quickly got the hang of it. The platform hovered through the crowd, an array of “oohs” and “ahhs” could be heard throughout as Seraphine made her way towards the far end.
Before Lux knew it Seraphine had already begun talking into the microphone. Lux felt it was a little crazy to basically dive head first into a crowd and just start a pop-up concert, but since she was so up and coming along with it being the Entresol of all places, Lux figured there was no other way to go about it.
After her initial introductions, Seraphine decided to jump right into her first song. Just like the day when she first landed in Piltover, she felt her heart immediately swayed by the music. Lux started to tap her foot, any initial worries that flooded her brain starting to leave her mind.
“Look at her go, I was missing the ruckus she’d cause every now and then.” A familiar voice spoke. Lux arched an eyebrow as she turned around. Standing outside of the gathering crowd had been Piltover’s Enforcer, Vi. Lux felt lucky she hadn’t needed to see her since that day, but this wasn’t by any means an unpleasant turn of events.
“Vi, right? It’s nice to see you again.” Lux responded with a soft smile, doing her best to keep her outward positive attitude.
Somehow having a police officer nearby didn’t make Lux feel any better. At least from her short stay in Piltover, it seemed that danger was drawn to the officers. Either way, she wasn’t about to tell Vi off.
“You too kid, I take it you’ve been stayin’ out of trouble?
A strange beep interrupted their conversation before it could drive any further. With a gruff groan, Vi flexed her gauntlets and looked down to her jacket to where the strange beeping device could be seen. Vi turned to look at Lux, her expression suddenly full of compassion. “Hey kid, I’ve got pager on me but the gauntlets make it sorta hard to grab. Do you mind-”
“Uhhhh, sure?” Lux responded with a small drawl, her eyes drifting to the beeping receiver in Vi’s brown jacket pocket. As fast as she could she grabbed at the receiver and held it in the palm of her hands, showcasing it to the police officer.
Vi’s eyebrows narrowed and scrunched, her expression immediately souring as she studied the device. “Hmm, it seems we have an unwanted visitor. But this time I won’t let her get away!” Vi said determinatively.
In that instant Vi turned and started to run, her metal boots clanging against the stone pavement. Lux looked down at the pager in the palm of her hand, and it pinged a map of what looked to be Piltover.
Whoever this was, Vi was tracking them, and this person was close. Lux turned back to the cheering crowd, wherein the center she could see Seraphine having the time of her life on the stage. That’s where you belong. I won’t let anyone hurt you again.
Lux chased after Vi, accidentally running into a couple of Pilities as she rushed towards the officer. Truth be told, the Zaun gray creeping over the edges of the Entresol was starting to worry Lux, but the toxic membrane of Zaun had been the least of her worries. If this person was even thinking of interrupting Seraphine’s concert, well, they had another thing coming.
With determination in hand, Lux followed the beeping pager through the winding streets of Piltover and Zaun, not knowing where one city ended and the other began. She did her best to avoid the oncoming citizens, especially as Seraphine had mentioned how rough and tough some Zaunites could be.
The further she ran through the city the more confused she got. Lux stood still, staring down at the pager. The flashing light blinked to where she was standing. Lux felt like an idiot at that moment, suddenly wondering if she should have just stayed back at Seraphine’s concert.
As if answering her question, the doors of the nearby supermarket blew up. Lux looked back down to the pager briefly and, if her hunch was correct, this was where it was leading her. Maybe it wasn't a hunk of junk after all.
Lux ran forward as dust and debris flew her way. She quickly pocketed the pager into her leather jacket, her hands illuminating with light as she fought her way forward. “For once can you stay still?!” Lux heard Vi yell, likely at her adversary.
“Ha, catch this!” A voice too cheery for the given situation yelled back. Lux raced forward to Vi's side through the encroaching smoke, expecting to see some hardened criminal on the other side who would somehow always best Piltover’s Finest.
Instead, Lux’s eyes widened in shock as she took in the sight of the apparent opponent. Standing on the upper level of the store with a large rocket launcher in hand had been a short, impossibly pale woman with incredibly long ocean-blue hair done in twin braids. Up her left arm had been a tattoo of bullets and clouds which seemed very fitting given the assortment of guns she had on her person.
But what was most shocking had been the bomb she chucked with her left hand. It seemed to be some sort of mixture of a grenade and a bear trap. If it weren’t for the blinking red light Lux would have likely initially ignored it, but seeing how this woman was armed to the teeth she knew she couldn’t take any chances.
Her hands glew with vibrant light, attempting to create a shield to protect both herself and Vi from the eventual blast. However, as the magic poured from her fingertips it started to fizzle. Lux’s eyes widened, suddenly cursing herself for not having a staff to concentrate her powers into.
Trying to cast magic freely typically yielded much rougher results, but she wasn’t in a place to argue about it. Lux expanded the light barrier around Vi, unable to expand it far enough to encompass herself as well. Just as she had protected Vi another explosive chomper had been throwing, barely missing Lux’s face. As soon as it passed out of her line of sight it exploded, sending Lux flying across the decrepit supermarket.
More dust and debris poured through the room, the sound of collapsing wood, metal, and concrete resounding loudly through the decrepit store. Lux’s body ached as a sore cough tore through her throat. Dust compounded her lungs, her head spun from the sudden concussive force. Her vision blurred and her hand instinctively lifted to her head as she tried to stabilize herself.
“Woah! Do that again!” A voice called out, followed by a solid thump to the ground next to her. More debris and dirt was kicked into Lux’s face, but finally, her spinning vision was starting to focus. The only color outside of stark gray Lux could immediately make out was a vibrant blue which swayed in the drafty wind.
And violet pink eyes.
Lux felt her supporting arm slip causing her to collapse back into the broken floor. As soon as her head stopped spinning again she took a good look over her; the impossibly pale woman was now standing right over her with a look of intense interest. Lux brought her hand to her head once more, internally hoping that this had been some sort of messed up dream.
Wait, Vi! Lux turned her head to where the police officer once stood, which she instantly regretted. A splitting pain seared across her mind, causing her eyes to shut tight in a hissing wince. As soon as she gained enough cognitive dissonance she dared open her eyes again to where Vi once was.
She was nowhere to be seen, likely blown away by the blast. At least I managed to protect her.
“Heey-! I. WANT. YOU. TO. DO. IT. AGAIN!” The young woman demanded, recapturing Lux’s attention. Her voice cracked against Lux's eardrums like a violent whip, causing her to cower from the mere sound. She slowly turned back to face the blue-haired woman, attempting to make some sort of judgment of the sudden adversary.
“Do...what?” Lux managed to say while stifling another dry cough.
“THE SPARKLES! That was so COOL!” The woman paraded loudly. Lux furrowed her eyebrows, sparkles? The ringing in her ears continued to ring endlessly in her ears, but Lux knew she had to calm herself down. She needed to think rationally and try and find a way out of this situation. And that started by appeasing this woman here.
One glance down towards her own hands quickly made Lux realize what the woman was referring to; her magic. Lux couldn’t help but cringe, thinking of how long she had fought to keep her magical capabilities hidden, and now she was showing it freely to a complete stranger.
After all, showing it in front of total strangers is how I ended up here in the first place.
But one look at the intensely interested woman filled Lux with a certain sense of contentment. This girl wasn’t looking to condemn Lux for her use of magic. No, it was something different. The way how she spoke about the sparkles made it look like she was infatuated with it.
“You mean...this?” Lux asked nervously, her hands sparking to life with immense light.
The woman’s eyes widened with excitement, a smile pulling tightly up from the edges of her cheeks. “Yes! That! That’s soooo cool! You’re like a flashlight!” The pale woman jumped with joy.
Fla-Flashlight? A blush radiated across Lux's cheeks, the light from her palms flickering dull almost instantaneously out of her control. The woman’s expression also dimmed, her newfound entertainment of Lux’s magical abilities clearly hampered as the show was put to an end early.
It seemed so simple to Lux. After all, the act of putting on a light show felt almost like it were for a child. But at the same time it felt...endearing.
After all, due to Demacia’s discrimination against mages, Lux had to grow up hiding her magical capabilities. Even when she found herself opening up to Sylas, he only ever looked at her magic and others like her as a tool for revenge. But this was...different. This woman thought her magic was cool.
Her cheeks flushed a deeper red the longer she thought about it. No one has ever truly loved my magic... But this girl-
CRASH
A burst of rubble exploded behind the two of them with faint huffs of breath that followed. If Lux had to guess, it seemed Vi broke her way into the rubble-enclosed shop.
“Oh, she’s back! Welp, it was nice meetin’ ya Flashlight. Gotta run!” The woman cheered before standing back up straight. Before Lux could realize it the woman had started to run off. Vi ran forward, the loud word “Wait!” ringing in Lux’s eardrums, but it seemed it was too late. The woman got away, and Vi was seemingly not willing to go through the chase.
“Tch. She got away... again. Cait won’t be happy with that.” Vi said bitterly. Lux turned to look at Vi, the appearance of scorn and failure settling on her expression. Vi seemed to notice Lux staring and immediately dropped her pensive attitude, “Sorry you got caught up in that. Are you alright?”
Vi extended her gauntlet to help Lux up, and she wasn’t about to take no for an answer. Lux pulled herself up off the ground rocking safely onto her black boots. “Yeah, I’m alright. Who...was that?” Lux asked with reserved endearment.
“Her? Oh. She’s... Jinx. She's been giving cupcake and I hell, and here I thought I maybe could have brought her in... finally get to her...”
Vi said somberly, her usual bombastic attitude dimming.
“Is… that so?” Lux asked, her breath more winded than she initially realized.
“Yeah, it’s why we were happy to have finally placed a tracker on her. That way, if she ever got close enough to Piltover we’d know right away." Vi said with a sigh, her mind clearly drawn away by something else she wasn't saying. "By the way, do you still have it?” Vi asked.
“Yes, I-” Lux started, but as her palm brushed over her jacket pocket a small sense of hesitancy grew inside of her. Her hand seized and she found herself froze in place.
Why am I freezing? It should be simple. Just give it back to her so they can catch her the next time they see her. Why am I even questioning it? I should just give it back...right?
Lux’s lips pursed, her hand lightly patting the pocket she placed the small receiver in. “Oh...oh no. I think it was blown away in the blast.” Lux lied through her teeth hoping Vi wouldn't notice.
She could feel a cold sweat start to drip down her forehead as the sudden realization of the situation started to settle in. Why did I do that?! If she finds out who knows what sort of trouble I’ll be in!. Lux wished more than anything she would have told the truth right then. But one look at Vi’s gauntlets told Lux that she already made the mistake, the only way to avoid getting beaten to a pulp would be to keep the lie up.
Vi studied Lux’s expression for what felt like an excruciatingly long time. Lux wasn’t sure if it had been seconds passing or hours, but she felt about ready to pass out. Shit, she's totally going to find out, isn't she? I'm such an idiot, why did I lie? Why didn't I just hand it back over right away?
Lux continued to study Vi's expression as her lips twisted in discomfort. It was moments like this that Lux wished she had Seraphine's ability to read people's music. After all, it would definitely help in knowing if a certain police officer was going to beat her into the ground for lying or not.
Finally giving Lux reprieve, Vi exhausted a tired sigh, a proud smirk rising on her face. “Oh well, you win some and you lose some. At least you don’t seem to be too hurt. Here, let’s get you back home.” Vi ensured.
A sudden wave of relief washed over Lux, the worst of it was over. Vi believed her, and she now had a hold of the one thing that could make her and Jinx reunite once more. Lux couldn’t help but look towards Jinx’s escape route. She was truly long gone by now, but that didn't stop a small smile from slipping on her face, her hand brushing over the pocket with the receiver.
You actually liked my magic...This won’t be the last time we meet, Jinx.