Degausser

by neogothboy

Summary:

Viktor’s footsteps echoed throughout the lab as Jayce did his best to keep the young Zaunite girl conscious, his voice bordering on panicked when her eyes fluttered shut again.

“Defender,” Viktor said, his staff clicking against the ground with each step as he approached. “I see you have brought Death to my doorstep.”

“Viktor, not now. Please, you have to help her.”

or

Jayce almost kills a Zaunite girl. In his desperation to save her life, he's not only forced to ask for help from his greatest rival, Viktor, but must face the harsh reality of why he and the Machine Herald became the enemies they are today.

Chapter 1: The Lesser of Two Evils

Notes:

i started this fic weeks ago for bottom jayce week day 6: the machine herald, and it ended up being this MONSTER of a fic. i had originally planned on posting the fic in its entirety in a one shot, but given some outside circumstances, i've decided to post it in chapters to make sure it's in the bottom jayce fic collection before the end of the month. i have 22k written for it so far, so it should be nearing its end here soon. once again, many many thanks to bottom jayce week for the opportunity to write for some very fun prompts!

some notes for readers (updated 8/6/25):
- the zaunite girl is not based off of any canon league characters.
- i've never played league. all lore, info, and details i've included are things i've looked up. given the way the machine herald's AND jayce's lore has evolved, i've done my best to adapt their multiple backstories. i've definitely taken some liberties, like adding mini blitzcranks
- i tagged the fic both league and arcane. i'm sure vikjayce enjoyers find this annoying. but there are nods to arcane in here, so im covering my bases ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
- that being said, if you are a vikjayce expert reading this and you find them ooc, my bad and also you're probably right! i did my best with the info i had, but i also am self-indulgent and i love nothing more than writing for me.
- again, i do my best to include as much league lore as i can, but there are aspects of arcane in here that i'm sure people will pick up on. regardless of these elements, the fic is about the machine herald and jayce (ferros/giopara/league jayce/jayce league of legends/whatever we're calling him this week)

i'll add notes as i post more chapters, but for now, thank you for taking the time to read!

Gun to Jayce’s head, the last person (if he could still be called that) he would have gone to for help would have been Viktor.

But there he was, no gun to his head; no obligation, no screaming mother at his back begging him to carry this injured Zaunite child on his back miles and miles to a dark corner of Zaun, someplace only Jayce and Viktor knew of; someplace Viktor had set up his lab for the umpteenth time after Jayce had pillaged his last workplace and torn apart his work.

Jayce could feel her labored breathing on his back, how she struggled to keep herself rasping for air— in, in, shortly out, in, in, sharp out— as if inhaling was the only way she could keep her eyes open, like her rhythmic breathing matched the fluttering pulse of her heart in her chest. He wanted to reassure her they were close, that he was taking her someplace where she’d be taken care of, but truthfully, he wasn’t even sure of that himself, until he saw the telltale gleam of lights spilling from Viktor’s lab through the crevices of Zaun’s underbelly.

“Viktor!” Jayce shouted, his voice booming over the low drone of machinery. Through the gentle hum, he could only hear the squeak of joints, overworked cogs, and the cough of a machine thrumming to life as Jayce approached the middle of the room. “Viktor, I know you’re here.”

Jayce waited. For what, he wasn’t sure. Perhaps the telltale shift of air when Viktor was around, icy cold and sharp-edged. The girl on Jayce’s back rasped, a low whistle in her throat as she tried to breathe against the blood in her lungs. Jayce furrowed his brows and fell to one knee, shifting the girl off his back and gently guiding her to the ground. There, he laid her on her side. This seemed to help only a bit, her face touching the cold cobblestone of Viktor’s lab, a quiet gasp escaping her as her eyes fluttered shut.

“Hey, kid. Kid, don’t die on me now!” Jayce said, patting her cheek with urgency. Her eyes opened, rolling back as she tried to keep them open while Jayce called out for her again and again.

Viktor’s footsteps echoed throughout the lab as Jayce did his best to keep the young Zaunite girl conscious, his voice bordering on panicked when her eyes fluttered shut again.

“Defender,” Viktor said, his staff clicking against the ground with each step as he approached. “I see you have brought Death to my doorstep.”

“Viktor, not now. Please, you have to help her.”

Viktor turned his gaze to the young girl on the ground, the orange light of his mask narrowing as he took her in. “She is dying.”

“Wow, you don’t say!” Jayce shouted, turning to Viktor with a desperation crawling from some ugly part of him, wanting so badly to be good, he sacrificed his dignity and begged Viktor for salvation. “She— she wasn’t supposed to be anywhere near— and I just—”

“You did this?” Viktor said, something unreadable in his typically righteous tone.

Jayce looked away and nodded, searching for the small rise and fall of the girl’s chest. After what felt like a second too long, she breathed. Still alive.

For a small moment, Jayce thought Viktor had no plans to help him or the dying Zaunite girl. Viktor had never hesitated in such a way in front of Jayce in quite some time. Then, without warning, the claw on Viktor’s back swooped and grabbed Jayce by the collar of his jacket, yanking him away from the girl and throwing him aside. Jayce scrabbled to his feet, almost falling over himself in an attempt to remain close to her, but Viktor had already scooped her off the ground and pulled her into his arms. She shivered in his touch, undoubtedly cold as her heart struggled to pump blood through her veins, and Viktor’s mechanical body did her no favors.

Once Jayce had gathered his bearings, he followed Viktor into a secluded area of his lab. It was poorly organized, mostly because Viktor had just replaced much of the equipment Jayce and the enforcers had confiscated and destroyed on their raid of his previous location. Now he only had the essentials for his usual work. In the middle of the room sat a metal operating table. It was cold, sterile— seeing it made Jayce’s blood run cold. What was he doing, bringing this dying girl to Viktor’s doorstep and begging him for salvation?

Hedging his bets was what Jayce was doing. Viktor’s conviction for the “Glorious Evolution” came second to none, but his desire to help Zaun and save any of his people he could was a very close second. While Jayce found it easier to pretend Viktor had surgically removed every piece of humanity left inside of him, he knew Viktor still cared about Zaun the way all Zaunites did— it was something deeply woven into the fabric of their beings, whether they liked it or not. There was zero chance that Viktor would see this girl and leave her to die on the floor of his lab, which Jayce supposed was, at the very least, better than leaving her to die in a cold Zaun alleyway while the Enforcers absconded to some bar to drink.

Viktor laid the girl down on the operating table, and she trembled once more. For a brief second, she appeared to be lucid, her eyes wide the moment her back hit the table. The claw on Viktor’s back made quick work of strapping her to the table. If she intended to fight him off, her body did not show it, but her eyes said everything. Jayce walked to the other side of the operating table. The moment she saw him, the color left in her face drained.

“Is that really necessary—”

“Silence, Defender.”

Normally, there was a healthy back and forth between him and Viktor. After all, being rivals as long as they were, it came with the territory. Viktor would make some snide comment about the flesh being weak and full of flaws humans accepted because they feared being great, and Jayce would shoot it right back at him with the ingenuity of humans and progress. It was easy, and predictable, and not at all what was happening right now. Now Jayce seemed to be nothing more than a trivial presence, as if he hadn’t been the one to carry this girl through Zaun to Viktor’s feet. Viktor hardly acknowledged him, only began to gather equipment and piece them together bit by bit. When Jayce appeared to be in his way, Viktor practically snarled at him.

“Your pathetic need to be absolved from the responsibility of murdering this girl is preventing proper care.” Viktor gestured towards the long hallway they had entered from. “Leave.”

“No way,” Jayce replied. For a moment, Jayce felt that spark of antagonization between them, as he felt Viktor’s hand come in contact with his collar and pull him close. “Not a chance I’m leaving you alone with her, Vik. You’ll put some crazy tech in her to keep her alive when I know you can save her without it.”

“Why bring her to me if you knew I would intend to save her from the imperfections of the flesh?” Viktor’s grip on Jayce’s shirt tightened, nearly lifting him in the air. “Surely you have doctors in Piltover who could have saved her without my technology, without the power of Hextech. Were you embarrassed to be seen carrying a child from Zaun in your arms? The Defender of Tomorrow could not even be bothered to sacrifice his precious Piltover image to save a dying girl?”

“She would have died before we reached Piltover. And she’s still dying, Viktor. Don’t make me beg.”

“Get out,” Viktor repeated. Jayce stood firm. The claw on Viktor’s back came to attention, a mechanical whir emanating from its center as it glowed a bright orange. A threat, but no heat behind it. Viktor sometimes was all bark and no bite— not necessarily always true given the litany of scars left behind on Jayce’s body, which could attest to his brutality. But Jayce was more than willing to call Viktor’s bluff this time.

A quiet whistle filled the room as Viktor and Jayce both turned to find the girl facing them. Thick, coagulated blood dripped past her lips as she stared at them, her eyes glassy, pupils dilated and dark. Jayce squirmed in Viktor’s grasp, as Viktor threw him to the side and immediately approached the table. Their petty squabble had to wait; Viktor had no interest in allowing this girl to die.

This time, despite Jayce’s presence, Viktor worked, finishing the last of the setup necessary for the time being to help the girl. At his side was a smaller table covered with tools. Viktor reached for a small scalpel, bringing it to the girl’s throat as it bobbed against the blood trapped in it. Jayce watched for a moment, but only a moment, until the blade touched flesh and Viktor began to work. 

It was disconcerting how easily Viktor navigated the human body. Of course, this was due to how easy it was for Jayce to forget Viktor was human at some point. Before the augmentation, before the meticulous way Viktor took himself apart and integrated machine into bits of man and flesh and bone, rewiring his body until he was something unrecognizable to everyone, to Piltover, to Jayce.

When Jayce dared to look, Viktor’s hands were covered with blood. There was a burst of air from the girl, something akin to the pressure released from an overly fermented bottle of wine, before a gasp filled the room. Jayce flinched at the sound of it, then heard the steady sound of breathing, the bubbling of blood only distantly audible as Viktor set down the scalpel and returned his attention to the task at hand.

Much to Jayce’s dismay, he did have to leave the room. The smell of iron was rich in the air, blood thick on the back of his tongue like the guilt hanging in his stomach, and he thought for a moment of simply leaving and allowing Viktor the freedom to augment her as he pleased. What obligation did Jayce have to see that she survived wholly human? Jayce brought her someplace she would be helped (a generous term to describe what Viktor did), and even that was out of his responsibility. She could have died in the street if he were so inclined.

Jayce’s stomach twisted. He fell to his knees in the hall, onto his hands, and retched. Nothing came up, but Jayce heaved until he felt dizzy, his head heavy enough to pull him to the ground as he collapsed.

Viktor continued working.

When Jayce came to, he was in the same spot where he had collapsed in the hall. His head pulsed with the beat of his heart, a dull ache in the back of his neck as he pushed himself up on his elbow. His grunts of pain echoed through the empty lair, reverberating off the walls in pathetic whines before dying out as Jayce huffed and gritted his teeth. The fight earlier had finally caught up to him, and Jayce... well, Jayce was only human. Aging and growing older were natural byproducts of it. It didn’t make it any easier on his body after battles, though.

The girl.

Jayce sat up quicker than he should have, his body struggling to push himself up on two legs as he winced in pain. A quick glance down at his leg revealed a reopened wound, blood seeping through the leg of his pants. He couldn’t worry about it now.

Looking back at the room he had stumbled out of, the operating table was empty now. All that remained was a mess of blood and, if Jayce looked close enough, pieces of flesh and scraps of sutures and gauze. Jayce grimaced, rushing through the lab with swiftness.

“Viktor!” he growled out, following a trail of blood. Jayce brought his fist down on the door that the blood led to as soon as he was within reach, falling against the doorway and huffing out a breath of exhaustion.

“You are bleeding on my floor.”

Viktor’s voice came from behind Jayce, as Jayce stumbled to turn around and swung blindly. The claw on Viktor’s back caught his arm by the wrist, twisting it in his grasp and pinning him against the wall with a heavy thud. Jayce groaned, barely able to fight Viktor off as Viktor clicked his tongue with a noise of disgust. He shoved Jayce away from him, pushing him to the ground and looming over him.

“What did you do to her, Viktor? Where is she?”

Viktor didn’t answer him. Instead, he stepped over Jayce, leading the way into a spare room. Upon his entrance, the lights flickered to life, a dull fluorescent glow illuminating the room as best it could. The greenish-blue hue of the lights revealed the young girl lying on a makeshift bed. She was more tubes and wires than she was a person, the steady beep of her pulse accompanied by the inhale-exhale of a ventilator. All of Viktor’s equipment was shoddy, haphazardly thrown together clearly in a rush. He had put it together for her, Jayce thought, as Viktor looked at the girl.

“There were parts of her that were unsalvageable,” Viktor said. Jayce pushed himself off the ground, holding back grunts of pain in favor of limping his way to her side. She looked... so small. As if the bed were swallowing her whole in the sterile lighting of this makeshift hospital room. “To keep her alive, parts of her had to be replaced.”

“What did you do to her, you—”

“I would suggest you shut your mouth,” Viktor interrupted, his tone more tired than angry. “One of her lungs. The right side of her ribcage. I was able to salvage most and supplement the rest with machine. But...”

Viktor pulled the sheet over her away to reveal her arm, or rather, the lack thereof. Jayce’s stomach turned, a wave of nausea hitting him so hard his head spun.

“Her arm was beyond saving.”

Jayce pictured her, the way she stood on the edge of the bridge and got caught in the crossfire, slumping over it the railing and falling to the ground, with all of her weight landing on her arm. Crushed underneath her.

Hot tears prickled at the corners of Jayce’s eyes. He resisted breaking down in exchange for turning away, hiding his face behind his hand.

“It can be replaced,” Viktor said. 

“No, absolutely not. You could have saved her arm, you bastard. You did this just to— to spite me!” Jayce swept his hand in front of him, an imaginary line in the sand, as if to say coming to ask Viktor for help was bad enough. Viktor didn’t react, only pulling the sheet over the young girl again and walking out of the room. Jayce followed, doing his best to keep up despite the limp in his step and the pain in the back of his head. “Viktor!”

Viktor stopped, facing Jayce. Jayce swallowed thickly against the hesitation in his throat.

“What’s going to happen to her now?” Jayce said, searching for some sort of salvation in the hot orange light of Viktor’s eyes through the mask. A puff of steam shot through the vent ports at the sides of Viktor’s chest plates. Tension. Viktor had been tense up until then.

“Tell me, Defender, what you expected to come from bringing this girl to me.”

Jayce furrowed his brows. “I brought her so you could save her.”

“Knowing what I would do?” Viktor approached Jayce slowly, the quiet clank-clank of his footsteps the only thing keeping Jayce grounded. “Knowing the weakness of flesh is inferior to the strength of steel and machine, you brought a dying girl to me, and expected what? I would heed your selfish demands to give you salvation?”

“Turning her into- into a machine is not saving her. I expected you to save her because—”

“Because you sought absolution from your sins of potentially murdering a child. Yet now you play the part of the righteous savior in denying me the right to save her life with the very technology you hate, as if you are not the reason she nearly died.” Viktor paused to ensure Jayce was looking at him as he spoke. “You are weak.”

Jayce gritted his teeth, biting the inside of his cheek to keep himself from lunging at Viktor when he knew he couldn’t fight him properly. “Maybe I am weak. Human beings are weak, Viktor. We break and we bend and we beg for help because we know our limits and what we can and can’t do. I knew I couldn’t save her. I knew— I knew Piltover wouldn’t help a Zaunite child. I knew you would. If that makes me weak, then I’m weak. I’m a coward. I couldn’t let her die in my arms. But I’d sooner be damned than watch you turn her into a machine for no reason.”

“I did not realize half of her body failing her and falling apart was not reason enough.”

Viktor did not seem bothered by Jayce’s declaration, nor his refusal to augment the girl’s body. Truthfully, Viktor hardly showed any sort of reaction. The typical heat behind his words and actions was not present. It was... unusual. Strange at best. 

“I have no desire to argue with you, Defender. If you would like the girl to suffer the fate of human failure and flesh, so be it. She lives for now.” Viktor gestured towards the long entryway. “Leave.”

“I’m not leaving without her,” Jayce rebutted. Now Viktor reacted.

“She cannot move without the life support she is on. Do you intend to—”

“I’ll stay.”

“You will not be staying here or anywhere near here. I want you nowhere near my work. It is bad enough you are here now.”

“I’m not leaving. Not until she wakes up. For all I know, the moment I walk out that door, you’ll harvest her brain and replace it with nuts and bolts.”

“Gods, you believe my work to be so primitive that I would ‘harvest her brain’, as if you don’t understand the basis of everything I do.”

Jayce crossed his arms over his chest, and Viktor, behind the surface of his mask, groaned in anger.

“Very well, Defender, you may stay by her side. It will not make a difference. The girl will not wake.” Viktor’s claw carefully rose from his back, a quiet whir of it humming to life as an idle threat. “Should enforcers find their way to my lab searching for you, there will be a bloodbath. That, you may be certain of.”

With that, Viktor took his leave, disappearing into the darkness of the lab and leaving Jayce to let out a sigh of relief. Viktor was never so accepting, willing to allow Jayce into his space. Even as partners, Viktor relished in pushing Jayce away until Jayce gave up trying to be close to him, in trying to understand the inner machinations of his mind. Perhaps the girl had put a damper on Viktor’s typically dour attitude and made him... well, bearable for the time being.

Whatever it was, Jayce thanked the gods and leaned against the wall beside him as he slowly made his way back to the room. There was nowhere for Jayce to sit, only the cold ground. Carefully, Jayce rested his back on the wall, sliding down slowly and grimacing as sparks of pain shot through his leg. The bleeding had stopped for now, but without proper medical attention, he risked infection.

That was an issue he had to worry about in the future. For now, what mattered most to Jayce was staying by the girl’s side. Jayce wasn’t sure how much he could trust Viktor’s word. It meant something at some point, but that was many years ago. Viktor had changed.

Jayce wasn’t sure if he had.

Three days after Jayce had dragged himself and the Zaun girl to Viktor’s hideout, Viktor had not heard so much as a sound from Jayce, nor the girl. The latter was to be expected: Viktor was surprised the girl had lasted through Jayce’s arduous trek of Zaun to make it to the shoddy corners of Viktor’s new, dirty lab. The state her body was in spoke volumes about the force Jayce had used, or rather, his Hextech weapons had used. They were grossly overpowered for the battles Jayce had with Viktor, where Viktor’s mechanized body could absorb the brunt of each hit, but a normal human obviously could not. Poor thing.

And yes, Viktor had helped keep her alive, because if there was anything Viktor cared about consistently over the years, it was bettering and saving the lives of those plagued by Zaun’s many pitfalls. He would have given up the very framework of his body if it meant saving a fellow Zaunite.

Viktor did not bother to check on the girl. When he said she would not wake, he meant it. Her body could not handle the pain of being brought from the coma Viktor had induced through the use of medication. While Viktor did his best to remove frayed nerve endings and dull the ache of missing her arm, broken bones ached regardless of his best work. She would be in agony from the moment she woke, unless he allowed her body time to heal.

Golems guarded the entryway of the girl’s room. Viktor programmed them to warn him if Jayce exited, ensuring he was safe from attack. Outside of the lab, two more golems kept a close eye out for enforcers.

Even so, Viktor could not relax knowing Jayce was nearby.

A quiet groan from the girl’s room drew Viktor out from his thoughts. The sound of it was unmistakably Jayce’s. Viktor pushed himself out from his seat, approaching the room and waving his hand to silence the golem’s alarms as soon as he entered.

The room smelled of infection. Viktor’s sensors picked up on its presence the moment he entered. Immediately, his eyes turned to the girl. She had not so much as flinched from her position three days prior. Flickering his gaze to the ground beside her, he found the Defender of Tomorrow holding onto the legs of the bed, a feverish huff escaping him as his eyes twitched and shifted back and forth behind his eyelids. Sweat beaded on Jayce’s temples, his hair sticking to his face, a pallid drain to his skin, and dark circles surrounding his eyes.

Viktor scoffed in disbelief. Not only did Jayce have the audacity to bring a dying girl to Viktor’s door and demand he save her life without the use of the very technology Viktor specialized in, but then had the nerve to collapse into infection and fever after the fact. Jayce would never ask Viktor to save his life. He would sooner die. It explained the festering wound on his leg, the leg of his pants pulled away to reveal it. He must have peeled the fabric away in the haze of his fever.

“Defender.”

Jayce twitched at the sound of Viktor’s voice. Viktor used his staff to nudge Jayce’s leg. Jayce groaned again, low in his chest as he winced and furrowed his brows. Viktor clicked his tongue and once again pushed Jayce’s leg.

“Wake up, Defender.”

“Viktor....” Jayce’s voice came out as a scratchy rasp. “Get... get away from her.”

Viktor sneered behind his mask. Of course Jayce would assume Viktor only entered the room at his weakest to ignore Jayce’s pleas to leave the girl alone. Viktor did not need to wait until Jayce was weak, either. He could have replaced her arm at any moment, could have pulled her from the coma, and forced her through the agony of injury.

Some part of him could not resist the petty urge to lift his staff from the ground and shove the end of it into the infected, weeping wound. The sharp stabbing pain of it jolted Jayce from his fever, his body curving in on itself as his hand darted for Viktor’s staff and dug it from the gore of his leg. He panted past a sob, teeth bared in pain as he shot his gaze towards Viktor.

“You fuck—”

“I will not have you meeting your miserable end on the floor of this girl’s room,” Viktor spat out, jerking his staff away from Jayce’s grasp and slamming it on the ground.

Jayce panted against the writhing pain coursing through his body. He hadn’t slept in days, only catching an hour or two in feverish fits of losing consciousness as he fought the need to sleep in exchange for keeping the girl safe. Jayce convinced himself the only reason Viktor hadn’t entered the room was because he was awake, but now, given the state of his body, his leg, he wanted to laugh. As if Viktor would have even broken a sweat trying to fight Jayce to get to the girl in the state he was in; as if Jayce would have had it in him to even imagine fighting Viktor with his leg infected and his body wracked with fever. It was laughable, truly, but even more than that, it was pathetic. Jayce forced himself to stay awake for days, to avoid care for his leg, and for what? To keep Viktor at bay?

This was his penance, Jayce thought. For almost killing her. For being so careless. For being so cocky.

Jayce couldn’t help the hot tears prickling at the corners of his eyes as he staved off a wild sob making its way past his lips. He furrowed his brows, hiding his face from Viktor’s view. He’d be damned if Viktor saw him crying.

Viktor had the same thought process. He left the room, signaling the golems to be on alert once more, disappearing into the darkness of the lab and leaving Jayce to sob quietly on the cold floor.

Hours later, Viktor returned with a brown satchel in his hands. To say it was difficult to find medicine not in the form of shimmer in Zaun would have been an understatement, but Viktor knew people who knew people who knew people— typically in Piltover— and thus, ended up getting his hands on a weeks amount of salve for infection, as well as a syrup for abating fever. Of course, he had earned more than an odd look from the young man he bartered with. What would The Machine Herald have to do with infection and fever, let alone medicine? Viktor did not entertain his confusion, though. He simply tossed payment at him and snagged the satchel before Viktor changed his mind and stole it instead.

When Viktor arrived in his lair, alarms echoed through the empty corridors. The golems. Jayce had set them off somehow, but how? The state of his leg was pitiful. Certainly, he was unable to stand and walk out of the room, even if he had been running on pure adrenaline.

Hastening his pace, Viktor arrived in the main room to find the golems hurriedly gesturing towards Jayce’s body just outside the door to the girl’s room. His eyes were shut, face pressed against the dirty ground. Viktor studied his hands, found them covered in dirt, scratched and flushed from pulling himself. He had tried to crawl out of the room. Perhaps his goal was to exit the lab, though Viktor could not even begin to imagine how Jayce thought he would get very far.

Viktor crouched beside Jayce’s body, pushing his sweat-soaked hair from his face to reveal the pained expression on Jayce’s face. The fever had grown worse, but not enough to kill him. Viktor still had time.

“Pick him up,” Viktor ordered with the sweep of his hand. Both golems silenced their alarms before one reached for Jayce’s legs, and the other for his arms, lifting him off the ground and following Viktor back into the girl’s room. Turning him over, they laid him on his back, his body trembling against the movement. “Leave.”

Once alone, sound for the girl in the bed, Viktor knelt beside Jayce. Up close like this, Viktor could count the scars on Jayce’s face, white lines adorning his cheeks and cutting into the plump flesh of his lips, the curve of his brow— many of which were Viktor’s doing. Gray hairs sprouted throughout Jayce’s hairline, sporadic, salt and pepper in the dark brown color of his hair. Despite the years of stress and age catching up to his body, only the slightest of it showed around his eyes, laugh lines etched into the subtle curves of his cheeks.

Viktor was not sure if he had aged so gracefully. A stripe of ash gray hair began to grow in years ago from the right side of the crown of his head, just after his banishment from Piltover. He frowned so often, he was not sure if he could do anything else anymore. Lines creased the space between his brows, deeply imprinted in his skin— and while Viktor “technically” did not need to sleep, his body still did, and the toll of not doing so years before he had augmented his body finally caught up with him in the form of dark plum circles under his eyes. 

If Viktor had concerned himself more with the banal superficiality that the people of Piltover cared so much about, he could have easily corrected these imperfections. But he was never one of them, and the attention his many projects and endeavors required meant Viktor had no interest in observing himself for any extended period of time.

Jayce was pale. Despite the heat radiating from his skin and the sheen of fever-induced sweat on his face and soaked through his clothes, the color had drained from his face, his body, as he shivered and trembled against the infection.

Before Viktor could look at him anymore, he averted his attention to the wound on Jayce’s leg instead. Viktor hovered the palm of his hand over the wound, noting the blistering heat coming from Jayce’s flesh.

“Defender.”

Viktor’s voice was not quiet by any means, but Jayce did not stir. His body barely reacted to being dragged into the room. Unlike earlier, sleep did not plague him and beckon him to its reach, but rather pulled him under and drowned him, suffocating and heavy. Viktor could only imagine the frightful, sickness-induced nightmares playing out in his mind.

Viktor hesitated. Then he spoke again, softer this time.

“Jayce.”

His name felt so foreign on Viktor’s tongue. Jayce had never given up calling Viktor by his name, but Viktor had forsaken Jayce’s own long ago in exchange for the absurd moniker given to him in Piltover. Viktor tauntingly calling him “Defender” got under Jayce’s skin far more than any curse Viktor could have thrown his way. It was simple, a way for Viktor to detach himself from the person he once was and the machine he was now.

If Viktor felt an inkling of hope that Jayce would stir at the mention of his name, he pretended not to notice it.

He’s in no state to care for himself for now.

Viktor let out a groan of disgust as the thought crossed his mind.

“You are a pain in my ass.”

A stinging ache brought Jayce back to consciousness. He was on his back, staring up at the rafters above him. His leg throbbed, a sharp sting of pain shooting through his muscles as he flinched.

“Stop moving.”

The sound of Viktor’s voice did not make it any better. Jayce practically jumped out of his skin as soon as he spoke. The last thing he remembered was desperately trying to crawl out of the girl’s room, swearing he would return with help before getting treatment for his leg. He would not forsake her in Viktor’s care. Then, as he desperately tried to pull himself out of the room, he felt exhaustion at the edge of his eyesight, brown and gray and dizzying, before his head hit the ground. Then black.

Despite the urgent panic in the back of his chest, Jayce could not bring himself to move. Instead, he peered down to find Viktor kneeling beside his leg. He held a towel in one hand, a small bowl of sudsy water now stained with the blood and excretions of infection beside him. Viktor draped the towel over Jayce’s leg, the heat of it soothing the ache for the briefest of moments.

“What are you doing?”

Viktor scoffed. “Unless the infection has reached your brain, there is no point in asking stupid questions. Actually, there is just no point in asking stupid questions. Don’t be stupid.”

Viktor carefully blotted the towel over Jayce’s wound, pulling it away and dropping it in the bowl. At his side, a golem stood holding a dry towel, which Viktor took in hand and swiped over the wound. Jayce hissed, gritted his teeth together, and refrained from kicking his leg out. Viktor knew how to be gentle, but he was purposely allowing his fingers to dig into the wound each time he repeated his ministrations.

“The fever began to overwhelm your body.”

Behind the modifier and the mask, Viktor’s voice was soft. All the machinery in Runeterra could not mask that fact. Without allowing Jayce to react, Viktor reached for the satchel sitting on his knee, prying it open and pulling out a tin container about the size of his palm. Undoing the cap, he spread the pale yellow salve over the tips of his fingers. Jayce’s jaw dropped for a moment, but he did not speak, as if Viktor would suddenly startle at the sound of his voice.

Wordlessly, and without waiting for Jayce to acknowledge him, Viktor spread the salve over Jayce’s wound. Jayce couldn’t help the wail ripped out of his chest as soon as the medicine hit his flesh. Viktor reached for the salve again, curling his fingers in around a glob and once again spreading it over the infection. The initial shock of medicine wore off now, nothing more than a warm, dull ache settling in the spot as Jayce relaxed. His bottom lip was red, nearly bitten raw from how suddenly he had forced his mouth shut.

When Viktor finished, he quickly wiped the remaining salve from his hands using the dry towel at his side. Then he pulled a brown glass bottle from the satchel. Jayce watched Viktor stretch his arm out towards him, rolling the bottle in his fingertips.

“Take this. Twice a day, for a week.” Viktor then set the satchel down at Jayce’s side. “The salve, once a day. Clean the wound, flush it with water, then dry it before applying.”

Stunned into silence, Jayce only took the brown bottle from Viktor, his fingers brushing the slightly warm metal of Viktor’s hand. With a gentle pop of the cork, Jayce lifted it to his mouth, taking a small sip of the medicine. It was sweet, sickeningly so, and gritty against his tongue. He forced it down and stuffed the cork into the top. When Jayce opened his eyes, Viktor was gone, leaving only a bandage wrap, pins to hold it in place, and....

A dish of food. It was a bit demeaning, truthfully, the way it appeared to be a dish for some sort of pet, but inside of it sat a warm meal, stale bread, and a brown, rich stew. Jayce was sure it came from a back-alley kitchen in Zaun, and if he hadn’t just come down from the adrenaline high of gutwrenching pain shooting through his body from cleaning his wound, he imagined his mouth would have watered from the smell alone.

Jayce forced himself to sit up, leaning most of his weight on the corner of the girl’s bed. Lifting the dish to his lap, he lifted the bread to his mouth first, hungrily swallowing down a mouthful. He allowed his eyes a moment to wander the room and found one last item Viktor had left behind in Jayce’s reach.

A cane. Not the staff Viktor used, but rather, a fairly normal and human cane. Glancing down at the wound on his leg, Jayce could only imagine the pain he would have been in forcing himself to walk on it. Viktor must have left it knowing Jayce would need a way to get around until it healed— if it healed. Jayce wasn’t sure how much of the infection had eaten away at the muscle. He would have to gauge it tomorrow, when he had to find water and soap to wash the wound.

Jayce did not even thank Viktor, he realized, as soon as he finished gulping down the stew and forcing himself to look at the gash on his leg. The salve had drawn most of the redness and fever away. He already felt the strength returning to his body in slow-moving waves, washing over him and retreating a moment after.

Don’t get ahead of yourself, Jayce, he told himself, before reaching for the cane and turning it over in his hands. It was rudimentary at best, incomparable to the lavish and overly ornate canes Piltovans used. No, it was a hand-me-down, this Jayce was sure of. 

Whatever Viktor was planning, Jayce couldn’t let his guard down. Once he had enough strength to leave the lab, he would return to the Council, alert them of Viktor’s whereabouts, and return to save the girl. He was certain of it.

Viktor was not deserving of thanks after all the attempts he had made on Jayce’s life, but Jayce supposed, if he were so inclined, he would consider advocating for imprisonment rather than execution when the enforcers arrested him. A life for a life.

Notes:

I NEARLY FORGOT IN MY ANXIOUSNESS TO POST THIS: this fic 100% would not have been possible without the encouragement, support, cheerleading, and input from my friends in the bestiary server, and namely mack, scottie, and of course, rio for showing me bottom jayce week ♥♥♥

Chapter 2: Trapped in This Void Where You Will Stay Always

Notes:

hello hello! i just wanted to add in a small note: this fic was written with the intention of being posted as a one shot, so i do apologize if the beginnings or endings of chapters ever feel sudden for a beginning or an end. i'm definitely not a chaptered fic writer, so im treating this like it's one big one shot still, even as im writing for it currently LOL

all that being said, i'm hoping to update the fic weekly. i'll do my best to keep it updated. if i ever have to postpone an update, i'll make sure to mention something about it on my bluesky :)

The following day, Jayce heard Viktor’s footsteps approaching the room. Stumbling to his feet, he pushed himself up on the cane and bit back a sharp groan when he put a little too much weight on his leg.

Viktor walked in with little fanfare. He looked Jayce up and down, and it was only then that Jayce realized he had brought two towels and a bowl of soapy water in with him. Without stopping to think it through, Jayce said, “Why are you doing this, Viktor?”

“You’re a nuisance.”

For the first time in days, Jayce laughed— albeit incredulously. Viktor had the nerve to sound annoyed.

“I would be less of a nuisance if you let me die.”

“I do not need the Council and Piltie dogs wrecking my lab searching for your dead body.”

Jayce narrowed his gaze towards Viktor as Viktor set the towels down on the bed. Without any regard for Jayce’s reach, he placed the bowl on the ground after a beat.

“Furthermore, what use would you be to me if you were dead from infection?”

“What use— What the hell are you talking about?”

“Who would I steal equipment from? Surely you do not believe other scientists in Piltover could even broach the expertise and craftsmanship you do in materials. Only a fool would not know this.”

If Jayce didn’t know any better, he would have thought this was Viktor... admitting something. Viktor avoided looking at Jayce, a hint at the vulnerability in how he spoke. The mask could have shielded him from any emotion, if he had it left in him, showing. Still, he couldn’t face Jayce.

“And you were stinking up the room.” Viktor dared a glance towards Jayce. “I know you have not slept as well. Your body won’t recover if you don’t eat and sleep.”

“I... I ate whatever you brought me yesterday,” said Jayce, guarded.

“But you have not slept.”

“I don’t trust you enough to fall asleep around you, Viktor.”

“I save you from infection only for you to tempt the fates by going the ‘death by exhaustion’ route. Must you be so stubborn? No matter the means of your death, you are more useful alive , Defender, so you must sleep. I am only feeding you and housing you until you are well enough to leave. I assure you, your presence is as much of an inconvenience to me as I am to you. ” Before Jayce could object to the idea of him simply “leaving”, Viktor held his hand up in front of him to placate him. “Save it. I have no desire to argue with you about the girl right now.”

Jayce looked back at her. As the days prior, she had not moved. She breathed steadily, her chest rising and falling with the huff and puff of the ventilator. Jayce wasn’t sure he could move her, even though he refused to leave her to Viktor’s devices unless he absolutely had to. Viktor had also mentioned she wouldn’t wake up, but... but she just had to. She had to. Jayce couldn’t forgive himself otherwise.

Much like the days prior, two golems entered the room, carrying in what appeared to be a makeshift bed. It was mostly a wooden frame, but when the golems exited the room and returned, they carried two sacks of rags, tossing them at the top of the frame in a facsimile of pillows, as well as something that could have been called a blanket.

Jayce looked at Viktor like he had grown another head. Viktor didn’t acknowledge Jayce’s confusion, only exited the room. Jayce nearly followed Viktor out, stopped not only by the stinging twinge of pain in his leg, but also by a voice in the back of his mind asking just what he would say if he did follow Viktor out there?

Thank you?

The thought was laughable. Jayce may not have known or understood Viktor’s motives, but it did not mean he would just roll over and accept the “niceties” Viktor offered him. There had to have been something at play here, something Jayce was missing because he confined himself to these four walls to keep that girl safe. And as much as Jayce believed Viktor still had some human part of him somewhere deep inside, it didn’t negate the years of violence between them, distrust and a kiss with a fist deeply interwoven in the very core of their relationship.

But.

There was a concern in the way Viktor spoke that Jayce hadn’t heard... well, he supposed, ever. As young rivals, Viktor never had to worry himself with Jayce or his wellbeing, and in the heat of battle, all the two of them could ever see was red, red, red, so when was there ever a place for tenderness, or the ache of vulnerability?

And there Jayce was: rebuking the gestures because he could not fathom Viktor showing affection in any way other than holding Jayce over the ledge and making him beg for it.

Shame flooded Jayce’s chest, hot and cloying, as he slowly sat on the ground. With a sigh, he unwound the bandage from his leg. The flesh was no longer red or hot to the touch and had cleared up a substantial amount from the first wash.

Jayce washed the injury tenderly, mindful of the sore ache of where Viktor had thoroughly abused the injury a day prior.

A nagging bite of bitterness arose in Jayce’s chest again. How dare Viktor act so self-righteous when just a day earlier, he had dug his staff into the injury just to spite Jayce? Bastard.

(Jayce supposed he couldn’t have faulted Viktor too much for it, given their history— the number of times Jayce had his arm halfway in Viktor’s chest, pulling on wires and forcing Viktor to wretch Jayce’s arm away before his systems failed him and he blacked out. Jayce and Viktor toed the line of dancing and destruction nearly every chance they had, searching for something in the other with every punch to the jaw and snapped wire. What made it so different now?)

At the door, a golem entered, carrying a fresh roll of bandages in one hand and a meal in the other.

“Is he still here?” Jayce said to the golem. The golem took a moment to process his question before shaking its head. Then the golem left.

Jayce finished washing his wound, applying a coin-sized amount of the salve and spreading it in a thin layer. He wrapped his leg with the fresh bandage, tossing the used one in the corner of the room for now.

The meal that day was some sort of meat pie. Jayce was sure he had seen it once before, but couldn’t put his finger on it as he held half of it in his hand.

When he took the first bite, Jayce felt a rush of nostalgia hit him in his chest, all at once, a heavy, overwhelming feeling flooding his senses. This was a Zaunite food, something Viktor had brought to the lab so many times and only ended up eating half of, because working in the lab came second to none. He could hear Viktor’s voice, his memory of it blending with the state of Viktor’s voice now, offering him half of the pie.

“I cannot finish it.”

“That’s your food, V. Save it for later.”

“I will have more food later. You have not eaten either. Eat.”

“Well, don’t mind if I do!”

The memory sat heavy on Jayce’s tongue as he forced himself to swallow the first bite of pie down. It was delicious, just as savory and unctuous as he had remembered it.

Jayce could not stop himself from crying. It had been such a long time since he allowed himself the space for it. The idea of it tightened his throat and threatened to suffocate him. He was unsure what had been the last straw: the pie, the bed, or the fact that he almost couldn’t remember Viktor’s voice before the modulator or the way he looked without the mask.

The few days that followed were almost always the same. Jayce would force himself to walk around the room, to stretch his legs and ensure proper blood flow to heal his leg. The wound had already begun to heal around the edges, the salve doing more than enough work to sap the infection from his skin. Jayce was nearly finished with the brown bottle of syrup as well.

After walking, he would clean his space. It was stupid, he thought, how he felt like a caged animal in the room, organizing the makeshift bed and ridding the dirtied bandages before finally he would stand beside the girl. He was sure she was breathing better than before, the rise and fall of her chest deeper than before. Some days, he would try speaking to her, as if the sound of a voice would draw her out of the coma she was in.

After the first day, Viktor did not enter the room again. Instead, he sent the golems to replace Jayce’s bandages, deliver food, and retrieve the leftover mess from the room. Jayce didn’t hear Viktor’s footsteps, let alone see him approaching the room. Jayce did his best to stay awake, still unsure of whether or not he could trust Viktor, but eventually, Jayce would allow himself nights of sleep, albeit fitful, as he was constantly looking over his shoulder.

Three days later, after confirming with the golems that Viktor had left, Jayce dared to tiptoe past the golems and hushed them as their alarms went off. He wasn’t sure if the sound of that alarm alerted Viktor regardless of his location, or if it was a false alarm to keep Jayce in the room, but better safe than sorry.

Jayce took a moment to survey the room. A few heaps of metal and scrap had appeared in the space, likely due to Viktor’s long escapades outside of the lab. Jayce wondered how many times Viktor had pillaged his lab already, destroying machine and study alike. He would not find a Hexcrystal, no matter how hard he looked, Jayce reassured himself with a soft chuff as he continued to limp his way through the open space of the lair.

Blueprints littered the various surfaces Viktor had constructed in an attempt to reconcile the space for the lab he had recently lost. Jayce picked one up, quickly oscillating between reading Viktor’s chicken scratch, which he had grown expert at deciphering, and the beautiful sketches of machines. It had always amazed Jayce to see how beautiful Viktor’s sketches were, so well-detailed and easy to visualize off the page, while his handwriting constantly looked spidery, borderline indecipherable if Jayce hadn’t harassed Viktor over it one too many times and earned a crash course in “ Leave me the fuck alone and stop reading my notes!” from Viktor.

His stomach twisted at the memory. Jayce set the blueprint down and remembered just what he had ventured out here for: a communicator. He had to get in touch with someone, anyone in Piltover. While it wasn’t unusual for Jayce to head out on long journeys, he always let somebody know or left some sort of message for those searching for him. He had not told a soul where he was going when he headed into Zaun days before, nor left a message to indicate he was safe.

Jayce poked his head into a vacant room, as one of the golems behind him chirped.

“Do you know where a communicator is?” Jayce said. The golem stared at Jayce and didn’t answer him. “Figures.”

After a few more unsuccessful attempts, Jayce had finally located the communicator. It was Piltovan in origin, with a few modifications made to extend the reach of its signal after being brought down to the depths of Zaun. Jayce thanked the gods and slowly began to write out a message to Caitlyn.

Caitlyn—

It’s Jayce. I am trapped in the Entresol of Zaun.

In Viktor’s lab.

There was an accident during the raid. Will explain more in person.

Need help bringing a medical victim back to Piltover. Bring a caravan.

Coordinates are as follows.

It was brief, succinct, with the coordinates to Viktor’s lab at the end of the message. Jayce read it over as the golem behind him chirped in alarm. Jayce had only the briefest of moments to react, blindly jabbing at the button to send the message off before turning to find the golem hurriedly pointing at the entrance of the lair. Without missing a beat, Viktor’s footsteps echoed off the stone walls. He was quick, storming through the halls with an urgency of anger as he cursed and slammed his fist down on the wall. Jayce glanced down at the golem, hushing him before hiding in the shadows of the room.

The golem chittered softly, even as Jayce did his best to get it to quiet down. Viktor stormed down the hall, his voice barely intelligible. Despite his anger, he was quiet, muttering to himself and barely audible over the modulator of his mask. Jayce did his best to listen, leaning closer until he heard Viktor stomping into the very room he was in. The shadows did not do much in concealing him, but if he kept quiet, he could have very well gotten away with it.

A soft noise of alarm escaped the golem, to which Viktor’s claw jumped into action, immediately firing off a laser at the golem’s feet. It jumped and skittered away, leaving Viktor and Jayce in the room together. Viktor narrowed his gaze towards Jayce, the claw still active and pointing directly at Jayce as Jayce held up one hand in surrender. The other still held the cane at his side, leaning on it for effect (as if Viktor would have taken pity on him for the state of his leg).

“Viktor,” Jayce said as Viktor approached him slowly, the claw whirring with almost a sadistic growl. Before he could say anything, Viktor shoved Jayce’s face against the wall, the claw radiating heat just inches away from Jayce’s face. “This feels a little excessive, V!”

“Why are you out of the room?” Viktor growled. Jayce felt heat stirring in the pit of his belly at the sound of Viktor’s voice— then shame filled the void, as he did his best to tamp the feeling down. “What are you doing?!”

“I was—” Jayce let out a groan of pain when Viktor pinned his injured leg against the wall with the butt of his staff. “I was looking—”

“Looking, looking—” Viktor mocked Jayce angrily, the grip on him growing tighter. “Looking for what?!”

“For you!”

Viktor stopped. Got him. The claw still spun with the threat of firing off a shot at Jayce, but the heat behind Viktor’s actions seemed to fizzle out as he released Jayce’s leg. Jayce swallowed hard, taking a deep breath in. He had to play this correctly.

Viktor groaned in disbelief. “You are terrible at lying.”

“Whatever you say, Viktor, but I’m not lying. You were gone all morning, and I—” Jayce hissed in pain when he felt the pressure of Viktor’s hand on his face increase. “I was worried.”

“Even if I believed you, I would not need your pathetic concern.”

“Come on, V. My leg’s still fucked, and I promised I wouldn’t leave without the girl, so what could I possibly have been doing?”

Viktor’s hand disappeared from Jayce’s face, instead grabbing him by the collar of his coat, pulling him off the wall, and turning him around, only to shove him against it a moment after. Now, Jayce was on his back, facing Viktor. Despite the looming threat of the claw, Jayce only looked at Viktor.

“You think I trust you any more than you trust me?” Viktor said. “You seem to forget I know your tricks just as well as you think you know mine, Defender.”

“Would it kill you to say my name?”

Viktor flinched at the slight humor in Jayce’s voice, slightly out of breath from the way Viktor held him against the wall and the tightness of the collar of his coat around his throat.

“I know you know it,” Jayce continued.

Viktor released Jayce, the claw retracting as Jayce fell to the ground in a heap. Viktor did not wait to see if Jayce was okay— he stormed out of the room, leaving Jayce behind as he coughed and caught his breath.

He waited. Unsure if Viktor was going to return and beat the hell out of him or throw him around, Jayce did not move until he heard the quiet steps of the golem entering the room to retrieve him. Only then did Jayce manage to push himself off the ground, grabbing his cane and heading back towards the girl’s room. Despite the pain shooting through his leg, Jayce had narrowly dodged a bullet. Viktor hadn’t even noticed the communicator had been disturbed.

When Jayce returned to the girl’s room, he found the usual round of items waiting for him: fresh bandages, a hot meal, and water. He also found another brown bottle of medicine, as he was running low. Viktor must have retrieved more earlier when he was gone.

Viktor, however, was nowhere to be found again. The golems no longer chirped and chittered alarms when Jayce ventured out of the room. Whether that was because of Jayce’s hushing earlier or because of something Viktor did, Jayce wasn’t sure.

Viktor did not return that night.

The lab Jayce and Viktor had worked in once as partners had long since been abandoned. One too many battles between him and Jayce ended in that room, leading to more than a few burst pipes and broken down walls for The Academy to justify fixing anymore. When Viktor and Jayce ended up in Jayce’s lab now, any repairs came out of Jayce’s pocket, or whoever decided to sponsor him for the time being. 

This meant, as fate would have it, Viktor was able to sneak into Piltover and return to their lab whenever he felt, so long as he was careful. Of course, it wasn’t easy, given his... appearance. On more than one occasion, Viktor had had to remove augments to assimilate well enough to enter Piltover without being noticed. However, on a dark enough night, he could cross the bridge and hide in the shadows of the city long enough to make it to his destination without such recourse.

This was how Viktor found himself in the ruins of their shared lab, tracing his fingers over the empty, dilapidated surfaces of tables that once held every plan, every project they had planned to do together or against one another.

“Would it kill you to say my name?”

Viktor’s chest twisted at the sound of Jayce’s voice in the back of his mind. Jayce did not remember all those years ago, how they fought so gruesomely, until Jayce was bleeding and broken, and Viktor was sure he was going to die if he did not get back to his lab for repairs. 

Jayce had Viktor pinned to the ground, the sheer force of his anger enough to keep Viktor from moving. Blood dripped onto Viktor’s mask in a steady drip-drip-drip from a bleeding gash on Jayce’s forehead. Of course, Viktor was responsible for the explosion that caused it, the shrapnel sharp and quick as it swiped over Jayce’s skin and sliced it open.

“Give it up. You will pass out from blood loss sooner than you will subdue me,” Viktor spat out, attempting to kick himself out from underneath Jayce. Jayce huffed through the blood on his face, a picture of blood and gore as he bared his teeth.

“Look at our lab, Viktor. All of our work. You’re so hellbent on your foolish vision of evolution, you can’t see how far gone you are. Everything we worked for, everything we built together— you destroyed it all, and you still can’t see you’re going down the wrong path.”

“Me? And what about you? ‘Defender of Piltover’— hah! The only thing you defend is their overinflated Piltie egos. There are people we could be helping now, Jayce, but you are too afraid of losing their favor to do anything about it.” Viktor’s claw flinched to life for a brief second, whirring with the threat of firing at Jayce. Jayce, however, stayed where he sat, pinning Viktor to the ground. “You think these— these idiots in Piltover would admire you if they knew how much of a traitor their precious hero truly was?”

“A traitor?” Jayce leaned forward a touch, as if to catch Viktor’s attention, despite the looming threat of the claw in front of him.

“You were my partner.”

The sudden admission of vulnerability punched the air out of Jayce all at once, as Viktor turned away and stared anywhere else but at Jayce. Even with the mask shielding his face, Jayce could tell Viktor was... ashamed, as if admitting it made him weak. 

“Viktor....”

After a moment of consideration, Jayce dared to loosen his grip on one of Viktor’s arms. Viktor felt a chill of panic run down his spine the moment he felt Jayce’s hand over the curve of his mask, the warmth of his fingertips skimming the top of where his lips would be. He couldn’t allow Jayce to win. Not now. Not ever. 

Something between concern and regret knitted Jayce’s brows together as he parted his lips to sigh softly.

“I waited so long,” Viktor began, as Jayce’s fingers slowly moved to a button on the side of Viktor’s jaw, just barely under the curve of it. As Jayce pressed down, Viktor felt the pressure release of the clasps coming undone, his mask falling into Jayce’s open palm. Jayce set it aside. It was only then that Jayce realized Viktor was crying. His tears were no longer those of a human; instead, they were dark, black, and thick. Jayce swept his thumb over a trickling tear. Despite how it burned his thumb, he did not recoil. Instead, he wiped another. “...for some sign that you saw what I believed in— that maybe you could have understood its importance. But you are just like the others. If you cannot control what you don’t understand, you fear it instead.” 

“Viktor, please, I don’t— I’m not afraid—”

“You turned your back on me, just like everybody else.”

For a moment, Viktor allowed himself to meet Jayce’s gaze. Jayce’s eyes were glossy from the threat of tears as Viktor spoke. Jayce parted his lips to speak, though the words never came.

Without warning, Jayce felt the claw grab him by the collar of his coat, pulling him forward before shoving him back against the wall with a loud crack! A searing pain spread through Jayce’s head as he cursed, groaning through his teeth and falling limp against the rubble of the wall. Jayce struggled to steady his breathing, his head pounding from the impact.

Barely able to push himself off the ground, Viktor held his mask in one hand, his other arm hanging on by a wire as sparks flew from his exposed core. Jayce took one last look at Viktor’s face, albeit clouded by double vision, as Viktor crouched down in front of Jayce and lifted his face by his chin, forcing their eye contact.

“You were always too trusting. I am too cruel to deserve it.”

Jayce reached for Viktor’s wrist, using the only strength in him to hold onto his arm as tightly as he could.

“Jayce,” Viktor said with a sort of reverence in his tone. It almost sounded like goodbye. Jayce huffed, coughing and gritting his teeth against the pounding of his skull as he forced Viktor to look into his eyes.

“Don’t. Don’t say my name like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like it means anything to you. Like I mean anything to you.”

Viktor pressed his lips together in a thin line. He watched as Jayce lost his strength to hold his arm, his body going limp and his eyes falling shut from blood loss and exhaustion. Enforcers would show up soon enough, given the destruction they had both caused. They would save Jayce.

Viktor replaced his mask, the clasps automatically attaching themselves to the edge of it and hugging it close to his face. The damaged hum of his voice modulator fighting to come to life filled his senses for a moment, as he pushed himself up on two feet and stood.

“Very well, Defender.” 

That was many years ago now, but Viktor remembered every second of it: the look of betrayal on Jayce’s face as Viktor threw him against the rubble, how warm Jayce’s hand had been against Viktor’s skin, the tenderness, the... desperation.

Viktor, again, was not surprised that Jayce did not remember his last request before passing out. Blood loss and head trauma did that sort of thing, and they had battled so many times after that; what was that one in particular supposed to mean in the end?

How did he always end up here, Viktor wondered, and how many times over the years had he returned, searching for... what? An answer? A lost memory?

Jayce?

At the end of his visit, Viktor stopped by only one last spot.

The framed photo of him and Jayce at the Innovator’s Competition.

He had considered taking it many years ago, but with how often Jayce would infiltrate his lab, Viktor never quite felt comfortable with the idea of Jayce finding it upon one of his many intrusions. So Viktor would clean it off, keep it hidden away in the ruins of their lab.

Viktor looked down at the image of himself. He smiled, or rather, forced a smile. Viktor remembered complaining the entire ride to the competition, as Jayce reassured him it couldn’t have been that bad. He was younger, barely augmented. The only visible change to his body was the brace he and Jayce had built together a week prior. Jayce was different then. Augments could only be surface-deep for Jayce to co-sign. Viktor could not survive that way.

Carefully, Viktor swiped his thumb over the photo before tucking it away amongst the rubble before taking his leave.

Two more days passed. Jayce’s wound had mostly healed over, the salve working wonders on his damaged flesh and drawing the infection out until all Jayce felt at the spot was a tender stinging when he washed and flushed it out before re-wrapping it. The second bottle of brown syrup was nearly finished, but the golems (or Viktor, rather) did not replace the bottle, so Jayce figured the week was almost over. A week in this hellhole. Jayce was practically beside himself at the idea of returning to Piltover.

He wasn’t sure if his message to Caitlyn had been received, but he could not risk entering that room again or chance Viktor figuring him out. For now, Jayce had a good enough excuse to stay by the girl’s side. If he were still down here when his leg fully healed, he would weigh his options then.

However, Jayce did venture out into the lair after his initial run-in with Viktor. At first, he said it was to stretch his legs, because that room only had so much space for him to lie and rest. Even with Viktor’s sorry excuse for a bed, Jayce’s body ached and grew sore on the “best” nights he slept.

They did not speak, still. It wasn’t from lack of trying— or at least, from Jayce, it wasn’t. Viktor did not show any interest in speaking to Jayce or even looking at him. Even with Jayce’s best attempts to rile Viktor up and get under his skin, Viktor would simply storm away or ignore him until Jayce conceded and turned his attention elsewhere. It was more frustrating than any of their fights had ever been.

This was why Jayce awoke when he heard Viktor’s voice creeping into his dreams and pulling him out of his fitful slumber.

Jayce’s eyes shot open, nearly moving, when he realized Viktor’s voice was... quiet. As if he were trying not to wake Jayce up. He hesitated for a moment before letting out a soft breath as Viktor continued speaking. It was Velarian, but with a distinctly Zaunite dialect, and of course, Viktor’s accent layered thick over the top of it. Jayce could only make out intermittent words, doing his best to listen and not give away the fact that he was awake. It was only after a beat that Jayce realized Viktor’s voice sounded... normal. His modulator did not wheeze or croon with the low tones of his voice.

He doesn’t have his mask on.

Now Jayce had to resist the irresistible urge to roll over and take in Viktor’s face. How long had it been? Jayce had only seen glimpses of Viktor’s face throughout the years, broken masks split down the middle or near the eye, revealing black sclera and a golden flared iris, or the curved, black plates framing his face and cheekbones, but nothing more than that: fleeting, brief encounters before Viktor or Jayce ran off. Thinking back on it, the last time Jayce had seen all of Viktor’s face, without the mask, had been... well, all those years ago, in the lab.

“I assume you were in great pain. I know you still are,” Viktor said, muttering something in a language Jayce could not understand. Then he spoke again, “I apologize. The Defender is as careless as he is brazen.”

Jayce furrowed his brows, thankful he had his back to Viktor and the girl. Careless? Careless? Jayce thought he was very careful, thank you very much! Well, as careful as he could be swinging around a hammer. He supposed there was cause for hesitation there.

“He is also an impertinent burden upon us both, it seems. He will not allow me a modicum of space to even consider augmenting your body so you may wake without pain, and he will not leave my lab without you.” Viktor sighed. “So you sit, comatose to the world because of his illogical fear of machines and his selfish need to be the hero—”

“Don’t paint yourself as the victim. It’s not a good look for you.”

Jayce pushed himself to his feet without the cane for the first time in a week, his leg straining to keep him upright. The muscle had to be worked again, and Jayce figured the only way that could happen was if he forced it. Viktor did not react to Jayce’s outburst, only letting out a small chuff before lifting his mask to his face and clasping it in place. Jayce could only catch a glimpse of Viktor’s eyes before he put the mask back on.

“I was wondering when you would give up your sleeping act,” Viktor replied, an unusual taunt in his voice. Jayce quirked a brow. Viktor hadn’t so much as acknowledged him for the last week. Now, he seemed to be trying to get under Jayce’s skin, and it was working, Jayce hated to admit. What’s your motive? “You would be an awful actor. Don’t quit your day job.”

“And you’re a terrible martyr. What, you think because I made one mistake, you’re suddenly the good guy? I told you I only brought her here because she wouldn’t make it to Piltover. And I know better. I know that you can help her without augments. You just won’t. You think I’m selfish? Look in a mirror, Viktor.”

“That is the difference between you and me, Defender. Your actions stem from your pathetic need to be seen as the hero, as the ‘good guy’, because you have an image to uphold for your precious sponsors. I have no such obligation. I know what must be done. Good or bad are not factors for progress and evolution. When nobody is watching, what do you believe?”

Jayce gritted his teeth, couldn’t come up with a retort quick enough before Viktor chanced a look at Jayce’s leg.

“Your leg is nearly healed.”

“Yeah.” Jayce wanted to say “no thanks to you” just to be spiteful, but that was simply not true. As a matter of fact, Viktor was the only reason it had gotten any sort of treatment. Jayce flushed hot with shame. He had almost allowed infection to take over his body because he couldn’t fathom asking Viktor for help, because of his pride. It felt like defeat, almost, if he dared to think about it.

“What will you do?”

Jayce startled at the question.

“What?”

“When your leg is fully healed. When you can leave. What will you do?”

“I....”

Jayce hadn’t expected the openness of the question. Viktor was always bared teeth and venom, a scorpion with its stinger at the ready. He did not ask Jayce these kinds of questions, nor, truthfully, did he care. Jayce had expected animosity and anger. He expected a punch to the mouth for calling him a martyr, a shove to the wall for listening in on his conversation, and another demand for him to leave.

Instead, Viktor stood at the girl’s side. Jayce approached warily, on the other side of her. Her pulse echoed on the monitor at a steady pace. Technically, nobody was keeping him here for her. She was alive. Viktor had saved her, and Jayce could have left. He did what he felt obligated to.

But... if he left, then what?

He just got to see this side of Viktor, and then had to return to Piltover as if nothing had happened? As if Viktor hadn’t brought him food and water, given him medicine, bandages, and a place to sleep?

As if he hadn’t, for a brief moment, considered Viktor to be more human than Jayce was?

It was a hard line to toe, Jayce thought to himself. He could not admit it out loud, but could fathom the thought of how similar he and Viktor were in quiet moments on his own. How, if in the right light, at the right time, he could look in the mirror and see Viktor’s eyes looking back at him. Their goals were alike at the end of the day: progress. However, the circumstances Jayce had grown up in and the hands he had been given were worlds apart from those Viktor had. Two ends of the same thread, pulled taut and fraying in the middle. How many times had they both desperately attempted to fix it, to tie the torn pieces of themselves back together before it split, he wondered.

It scared him, and Viktor knew this.

Without a better answer, Jayce said, “I won’t leave without her. She needs to wake up, at least.”

“If she never wakes?”

It was quick— sharp. Viktor had been contemplating this possibility for a long time, but so had Jayce. He took a deep breath in, looking down at the girl, as if it would suddenly will her to life, heal her, replace her arm, and remove the machinery Viktor had integrated into her body. Make her right. It wasn’t that Jayce despised the augments, but rather, hated that she couldn’t even consent to them. At the end of the day, she could have woken up and asked Viktor to replace her entire body with machine and Jayce wouldn’t have batted a lash, because it would have been her decision. Now, in this state, she couldn’t consent to a whole lot of anything. They didn’t even know her name, couldn’t find her family in Zaun even if they tried.

And... well, eventually Jayce would have to leave. He couldn’t have stayed down there forever, waiting for this girl to wake from a coma. She would heal eventually, he was sure, and Piltover needed him, so... the reality of it was that he would have to leave.

“I’ll stay with her as long as I need to.” 

The answer surprised Jayce as much as it did Viktor. However, Jayce was better at not showing it. Viktor let out a laugh.

“You would not be able to tolerate being in Zaun for so long,” he said, “let alone being near me.”

“We were partners once, Viktor.”

The statement nearly knocked the wind out of Viktor as he tensed and looked away. Jayce felt a rush of satisfaction at the reaction, smiling to himself. Viktor may have touted himself as a man with no weaknesses, but he still had those soft spots that made it all the more satisfying to jab at. This being one of them did catch Jayce by surprise, though. Viktor was never one for sentimentality, or so he had thought.

Viktor cleared his throat.

“We were different then,” said Viktor, hushed.

Jayce knew he should have let the silence fall comfortably between them, but he was never good at following those cues.

“Were we?”

Viktor finally looked up at Jayce, who had already met his gaze.

“Yes. We still are.”

Notes:

thank you so much to everybody who read and commented so far! it means a lot to me that y'all are enjoying it ;; i look forward to next week's update and hopefully having a definitive chapter count for y'all soon ♥

Chapter 3: Asleep in the Alkaline

Despite their differences, Jayce hated to admit he found it easier to rest with Viktor’s presence around now. 

It wasn’t that he trusted Viktor now. No, no, it only had to do with the convenience of Viktor being around to keep an eye on the girl.

That’s what Jayce told himself, at least. 

Viktor had taken it upon himself to monitor the girl closely, conveniently leaving reports behind in the room on her vitals, blood tests, and more for Jayce to look over once Viktor decided he had dedicated enough time to her for the day. While most of her tests came back normal, Viktor and Jayce both silently noticed the way her oxygen levels began to decline, how the ventilator seemed to work harder just to encourage the small and erratic rise and fall of her chest, and how Viktor had entered the room with another oxygen tank to hook up to the ventilator just a day prior. Neither of them brought it up; Jayce could not fathom the idea of anything happening to her. Not now. Not after everything.

He stood at her bedside, one hand resting on the railing of her bed, his knuckles clenched white as he counted the brief seconds between the rise and fall of her chest. The longer he stood watching her, the shorter each moment felt. The constant beeping of her vitals mirrored her body’s attempt to maintain oxygen, her pulse racing and echoed with the audible beep-beep-beep of her heart monitor.

After all this time, Jayce had never really taken any of her features in. He never considered himself good with kids or their ages, but she couldn’t have been any older than eight or nine, still pudgy in the cheeks with scratched-up knees, now mostly healed over. The time she spent comatose had begun to take some of the weight from her body. Viktor did his best to ensure she was receiving as much sustenance as possible, but the fact remained that Viktor’s supplies and machines at the moment were far from what her body needed to keep any of her weight on. Her curly hair sat under her, a dark brown shade under the deep olive tone of her skin. She had a smattering of freckles across the entirety of her face, which trailed down her neck and towards the curve of her shoulders. Jayce willed himself to look away from her after that. The sight of where Viktor had meticulously and surgically removed her arm made him nauseous to think about, let alone look at— not because she was any less of a person for it, but because he was responsible for it.

Jayce wondered if she had a gap between her teeth, much like he did. Most folks didn’t notice it. Jayce had gotten better at hiding his smile, especially when Piltover was so particular about his image: the Defender of Tomorrow was perfect always, even in hiding his imperfections. He wondered if her eyes matched his, before the exposure to the Hexcrystals; if, when she awoke, he would see himself, or nothing but anger, pure unadulterated fear of Piltover, the way most Zaunite children looked when enforcers did their routine sweeps through the Entresol.

Viktor entered the room quietly. He cleared his throat, alerting Jayce to his entrance as Jayce straightened out as much as he could, leaning on the cane in his hand. As the days went on, he needed it less and less, but he had grown accustomed to the weight of it in his hand, and it was nice to have around when his leg started acting up.

“Her oxygen levels have not improved,” Viktor began, breaking the tension between them. Jayce let out a deep sigh, his brows knitted together as he kept his eyes on her. “But they have not worsened either. For now, she is stable until....”

At that, they both fell silent. The two of them had very different opinions on what came after the “until”. For Viktor, the solution was obvious: supplement both lungs with augments. It was clear her body was not taking to only one augmented lung, and Viktor could have guessed as much when he closed her up. Human bodies required tweaks and adjustments to accept mechanical augments, but with her age, there was a chance her body would have accepted the transplant just fine. That was why he chanced it, and now, he felt responsible for the gamble on her life. He had to make it right.

To Jayce, however, there was only one solution: take her to Piltover, where they had very qualified doctors who had a chance of saving her without Viktor’s augments. Maybe even undo some of the damage he had done. But it was a risk to transport her Topside, one that neither of them were willing to take for the time being.

A deep rumble of thunder in the distance pulled Viktor and Jayce both from their thoughts. Jayce felt a pit of anxiety planted deep in his core at the sound of it, as Viktor let out a brief, short hum of displeasure.

“Is... that a storm?” Jayce said carefully.

“Yes. It’s only a few hours from hitting Zaun,” Viktor said. Jayce felt his body run cold. He hadn’t been outside in so long, partially because he wanted to stay by the girl’s bedside, but also because he didn’t want to run the risk of being noticed by Zaunites. He wasn’t exactly an A-list celebrity on these streets, and while he felt comfortable enough to walk around Zaun when he was in his best condition, right now, he was far from it. So he hadn’t had a chance to see the dark, nubilous clouds above, descending upon Piltover and Zaun both.

Storms in Zaun were far different from those in Piltover. Where Piltover was built with preventative measures taken into consideration for pretty much any natural disaster, Zaun was worse than neglected, honestly, even set up for failure in some cases. The runoff would flood homes, businesses, and sometimes completely decimate the sump and those in it. The streets of the Entresol would turn into rivers for days afterwards, the citizens of Zaun forced to wade through dirty water that would make them sick just to retrieve food, clean water, if they were lucky. Viktor was familiar with the toll storms had in Zaun all too well after having his lab in the sump for so long— Jayce had only experienced a Zaun flood once in his entire life, and never wanted to again. Wading through toxic sump waters was not on Jayce’s bucket list.

“The lab will be safe,” Viktor continued. “Being in the Entresol is far different from the sump. We may experience a bit of flooding, but nothing catastrophic.” He paused as Jayce dared to look towards him. “I trust you will be able to monitor her status while I am gone.”

“Gone?” Jayce rushed, too sudden to play it off as casual. “Where are you going?”

“There are areas of Zaun that must be evacuated before the storm hits. Some of those in the sump do not have the means to leave without help. I’ll be heading there to aid in evacuation processes.”

Jayce blinked, taking in the information all at once. Viktor, helping evacuate the sump? He hesitated to comment on it; perhaps there was some part deep inside of Viktor he could not carve out, an unmitigated loyalty to Zaun all Zaunites had, a love for his people so intrinsically intertwined in his being that he did not fear for his own safety in heading out before the storm hit. Jayce supposed the same could have been said about him and Piltovans, the way Jayce cared so deeply for his workers in the forge and the safety of those around him, despite their flaws.

“In the event I do not return tonight, there is food and water. The Blitzes will be able to show you where they are.”

Jayce could not ignore the rush of anxiety in his chest at the idea of Viktor not returning. Truthfully, he almost objected to Viktor leaving to begin with, but he knew Viktor wouldn’t listen to him, and more than that, Jayce knew this was important to Viktor. So Jayce nodded, swallowing down his hesitation.

“The Blitzes are also equipped with an emergency protocol. Should there be any need, simply activate it, and they will send for help.”

All right, now Jayce couldn’t tamp down his nerves.

“V, you’re acting like you won’t come back.” Jayce tried to play it off with a nervous chuckle at the end of his sentence. Viktor did not laugh nor acknowledge the lingering panic in Jayce’s voice. Instead, Viktor searched for something in Jayce’s eyes, neither of them able to look away. It certainly wasn’t goodbye, but there was concern laden in Viktor’s voice.

“Take care of her,” Viktor said, breaking their gaze and exiting the room. Jayce followed him out a moment after, watching as Viktor knelt to speak to the two golems toddling over to him. They nodded in tandem before Viktor brought his hand down to the tops of their heads and shook them back and forth, a pleased chitter escaping the golems at the contact. It felt far too intimate for Jayce to watch, but he didn’t look away either.

Viktor grabbed his cloak, pulling it on and heading out without so much as a second glance. Jayce felt ridiculous now, standing there like a spouse watching their partner go off to war. It was just a storm. Stupid, he thought to himself. Viktor will be fine, and he’ll come back unscathed, and Jayce will feel stupid for ever being worried over Viktor. 

The two golems Viktor had affectionately grown to call “the Blitzes” clambered over to Jayce, chittering softly and letting out a noise of surprise when another rumble of thunder rolled through the skies above. With a soft chuff, Jayce tapped his cane against the top of their heads, smiling when they batted it away with unintelligible, annoyed noises and little puffs of steam shooting from their vents. Cute. Pretty upsetting that something Viktor made could even be called cute.

Jayce heard the eerie noise of wind whipping through the lab, a ghostly sound bouncing off the walls and echoing as the golems both jumped at the sound of it. Jayce looked back at the girl’s room, her pulse barely audible over the sound of the storm rolling in.

More than a few hours had passed since Viktor left. Jayce had a snack, guzzled down some water, and dared to enter Viktor’s room to use the bathroom. He caught sight of himself in the small hand mirror Viktor had. Gods, he looked rough. His chin and jaw were scratchy with the beginnings of a beard growing in, and the color he typically had from being outside in the Piltover sun had faded gradually, accentuating the tiredness in his eyes and the sharpness of his cheeks. 

As the storm approached, the rumble and crash of lightning and thunder began to rock the lab, the earth shaking under Jayce’s feet more than a few times as he carefully monitored the girl’s condition. Her pulse raced, the sharp inhale-exhale of her chest now an erratic jump. In the short time since Viktor left, her oxygen levels grew worse. Her lips were tinged just slightly with a light blue hue, barely noticeable if Jayce hadn’t been obsessing over every detail. Now, he paced the room, exiting only to see if perhaps Viktor had returned silently, as if Viktor could have done anything without fanfare. It was frustrating for Jayce to process that, even though he knew he and Viktor were not partners anymore, he did not want to make any decisions regarding the girl’s health without Viktor there. Viktor left her in Jayce’s care, but Jayce knew (he had evidence!) that Viktor would not just do as he pleased if Jayce had already disapproved and wasn’t around. It felt like a two-way street now.

The golems congregated at the door of the lab, chittering softly to one another. If Jayce didn’t know any better, he would have thought they were worried.

Another gust of wind rushed through the lab, and just as it did so, the lights flickered above.

As Jayce waited for another flicker of lights, he heard the sound of Viktor’s footsteps echoing through the lab, rushed and heavy. The golems let out excited noises, jumping up and down at his side and following as Viktor tossed his cloak off to the side. They rushed to hang it up, standing atop one another to reach high enough to hang it.

“Viktor!” Jayce said, hurrying through the lab to meet him at the entrance. Viktor removed the gauntlets from his arms, the fabric soaked through as he tossed them aside as well. The golems made quick work of cleaning those up after finishing their first task. Jayce caught sight of the sleek smoothness of Viktor’s augmented arm, as well as the bare flesh of his human one.

“Defender,” Viktor acknowledged. Jayce felt his face warm in embarrassment— he had practically run over to Viktor as soon as he saw he was back, and for what? Gods, get a hold of yourself, Jayce thought, biting the inside of his cheek as he noticed how soaked Viktor’s hair was, waves forming in the typically messy strands.

“How bad is it out there?”

“See for yourself if you wish to indulge in the destruction of Zaun,” Viktor snapped. Jayce furrowed his brows.

“I’m worried, not trying to have fun at the expense of Zaun,” Jayce replied just as sharply. Viktor sighed, his body tense with the action.

“I know. I did not mean to imply....”

It was a half-assed apology. Jayce knew Viktor was stressed. He lifted his hand from his side, almost tempted to set it down on Viktor’s shoulder and squeeze, but he resisted. Instead, Jayce switched his cane from one hand to the other. 

“The harbor is already flooded, and... there were quite a lot of those who would not leave the sump, despite our best efforts.” Viktor kept his gaze fixed on the floor, unwilling to reveal his disappointment to Jayce. He did his best not to let it show, but Jayce could hear it, see it in the way Viktor’s hands flexed into fists as he punctuated his sentence with a huff. “Nothing that can be done about it now.”

Before Jayce could say anything, Viktor walked towards a printer in the lab that had consistently spat out reports on the girl while he was away. He scanned over each line as Jayce cleared his throat.

“Her oxygen is low again. She’s fighting to breathe.” Viktor turned the pages over in his hands, tossing them aside when he was finished and letting out a disgruntled scoff. “I think she’s hypoxic.”

“She is already on two tanks. Any more than that, she’ll just be relying on the machine to breathe for her.”

“She’s already doing that,” Jayce replied curtly. “There has to be something we can do, Viktor. Her body can’t take living off the oxygen she’s barely getting now. She’ll go brain-dead if we don’t do something.”

“‘We’? What do you mean, ‘we’?” Viktor said. Jayce practically reeled back in surprise. “I will save her life.”

“You don’t think I want to help?” Jayce snapped, grabbing Viktor by his shoulder when Viktor turned away from him. “You think I like watching her die in front of me?”

“Given your ignorant prejudice against augments and your refusal to let me help her, yes. Before you preach to me about the importance of choice, consider that I already tried it your way, Defender. I know what must be done to save her life now. Do you?”

Jayce clenched his jaw, biting back the urge to fight with Viktor. Nothing productive would come of it.

“Bring her out of the coma, Viktor. Her body is stronger than we think. Coming out of it will encourage her body to accept the augmentations. Or— or maybe it’s not her lungs. Maybe it’s her heart. She could have a clot, or maybe she had a preexisting condition, and it’s catching up to her now. You know how it is down here.”

“What? How riddled with disease and illness us Zaunites are?” Viktor could not resist the sarcastic drawl on the back of his tongue as he spoke. “You are grasping at straws and you know it. Nobody is chaining you to the responsibility of this girl other than yourself. If you wish to see her dead, just kill the ventilator and be done with her already—”

Viktor was cut short only by the force of the punch Jayce threw, landing on the edge of the mask and his jaw, as he sent Viktor back unexpectedly. Viktor did not lose his footing, but stumbled back a touch. Jayce huffed, his blood coursing through him angry and hot.

“How fucking dare you?” Jayce seethed. “I want to save her as much as you do.”

“And yet you’ve stopped me from properly helping her every step of the way. You seem to forget so quickly once you’re back on your feet. I cannot say I’m surprised that the unwarranted self-righteousness rushes right back into your body the moment you can throw a punch again. That is all you know how to do when things do not go your way.”

“You think more augmentations will save her when the ones you did do are the same ones failing her?” Jayce groused. “If you saved her life, why are her lungs failing? I’m telling you, it’s something else, Viktor!”

“You would not let me properly treat her!” Viktor stomped over, crossing the distance of the lab to confront Jayce, who stood up with his chest puffed out just slightly. Despite the soreness in his leg, Jayce stood his ground as Viktor’s presence nearly bowled him over. If there were a few kind things Jayce could say about Viktor, it would be that Viktor carried himself with such intense charisma, human or not. That wasn’t to say that Jayce felt intimidated, but he could give credit where credit was due. “She could be awake, walking, living, and you could be far, far away from me, my lab, if you had just gotten over your ignorant prejudice and let me help her.”

“I passed out, Viktor. You could have done whatever you wanted to her body while I was out, but you didn’t, and now she’s dying again.”

Steam rushed out from the vents on the sides of Viktor’s body, the heat radiating off of him in waves. This was a touchy subject, it seemed. Jayce had only ever made Viktor this angry a handful of times, and it usually took hours of taunting and fighting before he ever reached that point. 

Before Viktor could reply, a deafening clap of thunder rumbled through the lair, the lights flickering once again and the sound of the power dying, then fighting to turn back on filling the silence. Viktor looked up at the ceiling, cursing to himself in another language as Jayce furrowed his brows.

“That’s happened a few times already.”

“You didn’t think to lead with that?” Viktor said.

“Sorry, most of your labs have pretty shitty electrical systems. I didn’t think it was anything new,” Jayce replied. “Why’s it doing that?”

“The integrity of the power grid in Zaun is questionable to begin with,” Viktor said, his voice hushed as the machinery of the room wheezed to come back to life.

Jayce remembered the first day Piltover had so graciously extended their hand in improving Zaun’s power grid. Jayce had an express hand in it.

“That can’t be,” he said. “Our workers built that power grid.”

Viktor scoffed. “You Topside fools never once thought to consult a trencher on the way the power system runs down here. You took Piltover’s power grid and implemented the same thing and expected it to last, and it didn’t.” Viktor pushed past Jayce to reach for a stack of worn papers, flipping through them quickly before finally finding one. He turned it over, pushing it into Jayce’s chest. “Now, a single strong gust of wind will knock it out of commission.” 

Jayce pulled the paper from his chest to reveal a newspaper clipping from a few years back. In large bold letters across the top of the page read the title delivering harrowing news after a heavy winter storm knocked out the power for almost three days. Jayce remembered that snowstorm in Piltover. He had been part of a cleanup crew shoveling the streets and helping Piltovans return to their day-to-day life. Meanwhile, Zaunites froze to death under their feet, no heat, no light, no source of food. Jayce suppressed a full-body shiver at the newspaper clipping.

He swallowed against the dryness of his mouth. He couldn’t think about it now. There was nothing he could do to miraculously fix that power grid— it was something he would have to focus on when he made it back home.

“Okay, but you have a backup generator, right?” Jayce said.

“Of course not.”

“What?” 

Viktor felt a rush of irritation coursing through him at Jayce’s incredulous tone. “You seem to have conveniently forgotten what happened to my last lab, Defender. A certain uptight, pompous Piltie jerkoff stormed my lab with a brainless group of untrained dogs and destroyed it. I’m lucky to have anything left, let alone a fucking generator—”

Jayce grabbed Viktor by the curl of the cape around his neck, yanking him close as the claw on Viktor’s back jumped to attention, pointed directly at Jayce’s face.

Another overwhelming boom of thunder sounded off outside, the power flickering again, once, twice, before finally the lights went out. Only the ambient lighting of machines that did not require electricity illuminated the lair.

“Let go of me now.”

Viktor’s voice was rushed, as he struggled to pry Jayce’s hands from the collar of his cape. Jayce wanted to laugh, taunt Viktor for his sudden panic now that Jayce had him backed into a corner, when Viktor shoved Jayce away and nearly tripped over himself in his urgency. Jayce furrowed his brows as soon as he hit the ground, watching Viktor rush into the girl’s room before he finally pieced together—

The ventilator.

Oh, fuck.

By the time Jayce scrambled to his feet and ran in, Viktor was already muttering to himself angrily, desperately trying to power the ventilator with the claw on his back, but to no avail. The machine was not built with Hextech, nor would it be able to withstand the power of a Hexcrystal, even if Viktor had one. This was a plain old-fashioned ventilator that ran on electricity, which the lair was so clearly lacking at the moment.

“Viktor—”

“Shut your mouth, Defender!” Viktor snapped as soon as he noticed Jayce in the room. Jayce dared to look at the girl as much as he could through the darkness of the room, her face barely highlighted by a blue light in the room, as Viktor let out an angry shout and punched the wall. Her chest hiccuped and lurched with her body struggling to suck in air.

“Aren’t these things supposed to have backup batteries?” Jayce swore he had seen them in Piltovan hospitals with countermeasures for this exact situation.

“It’s a scrapped machine I had to rebuild the night you brought her. There is no backup.”

Jayce felt his blood run cold at the tone in Viktor’s voice, a quiet desperation laced with guilt.

“What does that mean, Viktor?” Jayce said, his voice quiet. Now, without the hum of Viktor’s machines, Jayce could hear the girl’s lungs rasping to breathe on their own, struggling against the presence of the tube in his throat. Jayce felt his chest constrict as he listened to her. “Viktor? How long does she have?”

“Not long enough.”

Viktor rushed out of the room, beckoning the golems over and commanding them to locate supplies deep in the belly of the lair, to which they hurriedly rushed off to find.

For a moment, as Jayce stood alone in the room, faced with the idea of the girl dying, Jayce wondered... if it would have been so bad. If damning the girl to a life connected to a ventilator, comatose, missing an arm, missing half of her damn chest, was any better than letting her die right now?

Jayce lifted his hand to his chest, just over his heart, and tightened his fingers in the material of his shirt. He almost felt like he couldn’t breathe, the thought threatening to suffocate him in shame and embarrassment. How dare he think that, even for a second? He had no right to decide when or how this girl died. The only thing that mattered was saving her. At least Viktor was trying to save this girl. Jayce bit down harshly on the inside of his cheek, drawing blood, an insufficient penance for even humoring the idea of letting her die.

Walking out of the room on shaky legs, Jayce found Viktor pacing the room. A red emergency light now illuminated the lair, blinking on and off every few seconds in a slow fade in-out-in-out. As Viktor muttered to himself, he reached for a blank stack of papers, grabbing one page and quickly scrawling out notes before shaking his head in frustration.

Before Jayce could think, he was rushing towards the entrance of the lair, his body moving faster than his mind could process the sound of Viktor’s footsteps close behind him.

“Where are you going?”

Jayce did not answer him. Even as Viktor ran behind Jayce and pulled him back, pinning him to the wall, Jayce only growled in frustration and tried to shove Viktor off of him, but to no avail.

“You can’t go out in that storm.”

“I can’t watch her die, Viktor.”

Viktor wasn’t sure what he had expected Jayce to say, but it wasn’t that. Under all the chauvinism and sanctimonious boasting, Jayce was desperate, a begging vulnerability in the undertow of how he spoke that made Viktor nearly sick to his stomach. Because as easy as it was to focus on all of their fights, all the blood and scars and vitriol between them, telling himself Jayce was nothing more than a self-centered prick with nobody’s interests in mind other than his own, it never escaped Viktor that Jayce was human, and he cared the way humans did. He feared the way humans did.

“I- I can’t. I’m not strong enough to just watch her die.”

Viktor swallowed the ball in his throat and pulled away from Jayce. Jayce’s body trembled like a leaf. He desperately tried to steady himself.

“I’m sorry.”

Jayce rushed out of the lab, leaving Viktor in the entrance and disappearing into the storm.

Viktor sat in the girl’s room at her bedside. She fought her hardest to breathe on her own, but the hours had been ticking by, the power still out in the Entresol. Despite the supplies the golems had retrieved, Viktor was not able to fashion a battery that would last long enough to properly power the ventilator, only offering the girl a few moments of air before it puttered out and rendered the machine useless again. He imagined it was more torturous to offer a few seconds of reprieve, only to steal it away from her again when the battery died, than to simply leave the ventilator off, so he stopped trying after the second attempt. At the very least, he had been able to locate a bag of sterile syringes, supplementing the medication that kept her comatose every hour on the hour.

The golems chittered quietly at Viktor’s side. Viktor had half-considered taking them apart and seeing if their parts were usable at all, but he knew their inner machinations well enough to know the dinky batteries inside of them were barely enough to power a light bulb, let alone a ventilator. So instead, he allowed them to sit in the room with him, soft noises accompanying him in the maddening quiet of the room.

Viktor sighed.

“I wish I had known your name, girl. It is too late to wake you, but at least if I knew your name, I might have had a chance of finding your family.”

Viktor knew he was speaking to nobody; a ghost, if anything. But it was better than the silence of the lab, driving Viktor mad that he could only hear the girl desperately trying to breathe, and his own systems working inside of him.

“My name is Viktor. I am a Zaunite, just like you. I am sure you have heard of the Machine Herald of Zaun. You kids love to tell such tall tales; how I cut off people’s heads and replace them with robotic ones, or how I harvest organs and sell them for scrap metal, the like. They would be amusing if they were not rooted so deeply in misunderstanding,” Viktor said softly. “My work has always been to strive for progress, in helping those who cannot help themselves. I.... Well, I suppose this is not the time to absolve myself of my mistakes. I had hoped to introduce myself to you when you awoke, but it seems as though we will not have a chance to speak.”

Viktor held his flesh wrist in the palm of the warm metal of his augmented hand. He squeezed tightly, feeling his pulse with a soft chuff. A privilege that made him sick to his stomach.

“You remind me of an old friend. You look just like her,” he admitted under his breath. Then, “I owe you an apology as much as Jayce does, truthfully.” He looked down at his hands, half human, the other half mechanized, and flexed his fingers. Shame rushed hot through his veins and made Viktor close his eyes, avoiding looking at her for a moment longer. “If I had just ignored his pleas, fully replaced your lungs while he was incapacitated, taken my time, you would most likely be... anywhere but here. Awake. Back with your family.” He sighed and shook his head. “I thought....”

What an insulting proposition, Viktor scolded himself when he couldn’t finish the sentence. He didn’t think at all. If he were thinking, he would have saved her without a moment’s hesitation. Her life mattered more than ingratiating himself with Jayce ever could. Even after all was said and done, even if Viktor had miraculously managed to save her life without the use of machinery and tech, Jayce would have still found some way to deride Viktor and his work, because nothing Viktor could have ever accomplished would have been good enough for the Defender of Tomorrow. He was a last resort always, and Viktor refused to beg Jayce to see him any other way.

“Despite my attempts to rid myself of fear, I was still afraid of what would happen if you died despite my efforts; if your death proved Jayce right; if your death proved me wrong. I am selfish.” Viktor clenched his jaw and dared to look up at her. “I pray you forgive me in death.”

For the briefest of moments, Viktor thought he caught a fleeting glimpse of her eyes flickering open to meet his gaze. He almost jumped in his seat, taking a second look at her again, and found her eyes still shut, peaceful, other than her desperate attempts to catch her breath. Must have been the lighting, he convinced himself, holding his hand over his heart.

“Viktor?”

The sound of Jayce’s voice behind him, rugged around the edges and quiet, made Viktor jump to his feet, his claw defensively shooting off in the direction of the entryway. Despite how close the shot landed to Jayce’s face, Jayce did not flinch. His clothes were soaked, water dripping off the edges of his shirt and coat and onto the ground as he held out a plastic-wrapped package in his hands.

Viktor took a moment to process the sight before him. Jayce’s face was flush with urgency, his cheeks a bright red, hair soaked through. His dark locks fell over his face in a wet mess, eyes darting back and forth between Viktor and the girl behind him. All at once, Viktor rushed forward, only looking down at the plastic-wrapped package when Jayce implored him to do so with another nod of his head.

As soon as Viktor realized what Jayce had, he felt a rush of something in his chest he was not sure he had within him to feel anymore. 

Hope.

“A... a battery pack? Where did you get this?” Viktor said, hurriedly taking it in his hands and rushing to rip the plastic off of it. It was strong enough to power the ventilator while the power was out, but the connections were incorrect, clearly meant for another kind of machine. Viktor could fix it, but he would have to be quick.

“You aren’t the only one with connections down here,” Jayce said, out of breath. “Can you get it to work?”

“Of course I can,” Viktor rushed, brushing past Jayce and taking the pack out to his desk, where he could get a touch more light on it as he began to work on the connection point. Without wasting another second, Viktor rushed to grab handfuls of tools, taking a seat at his desk. The claw on his back did its best to illuminate the ports of the battery, angling itself in better positions as Viktor went to work.

Jayce sighed as soon as Viktor rushed past him to the desk, heading into the girl’s room and sighing as he leaned against the wall. He sank to the ground and peeled the outer layer of his clothes off, tossing them in the general direction of the corner. Now, as he was no longer rushing through the rain to bring the battery pack to Viktor, he felt the chill of the storm in his bones, the cold seeping through his body and making him shiver as he curled in on himself. He should have been out there, helping Viktor fix the battery pack, but Jayce had already left her side once; he couldn’t do it again.

When Viktor entered the room a short time later, he was quick to approach the ventilator, wires clicking in place, and the soft hum of machinery coming to life pulling Jayce from his cold stupor. The ventilator whirred and filled the room with the repetitive sound of air pumping through the machine. Jayce felt the weight of the world suddenly disappear from his shoulders as he pushed himself to his feet and quietly approached the bedside. Viktor held two fingers to her wrist, staring at a small stopwatch in his hands before nodding to himself.

“Her pulse is shallow. I’ll have to check once the ventilator has had a chance to run properly.” He clicked his tongue. “The battery should be able to get her through the night. I’ll increase her oxygen tomorrow when the power returns.” He paused only for a second, then said, “ If the power returns tomorrow.”

“I’ll go out there and rewire the entire grid myself if I have to,” Jayce said. A rush of heat hit Viktor at the sound of Jayce’s voice, the determination in it drawing a feeling from the pit of his belly. He tamped the feeling down, ignoring it in favor of realizing Jayce was shivering from the rain, soaked through to the bone. His leg ached underneath him, and it was only then that Viktor realized Jayce had walked the streets of Zaun without his cane. His leg must have been killing him.

Jayce barely had time to react to Viktor throwing the stopwatch at his head, deflecting it only enough so it bounced off his hand and onto the ground with a quiet clatter.

“You are a fucking idiot, by the way.”

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Jayce said, incredulous for a split second. Then, when he noticed the way Viktor’s gaze narrowed towards him, even through the mask, he could recognize Viktor’s outburst for what it was: concern. Still, Jayce wasn’t going to let it go that easily. “Gee, thanks, Vik, that’s so touching. Any other fun pet names you want to call me, or are you just going to keep throwing things at me?”

“You just got over a fever from infection. Now look at you,” Viktor grumbled, gesturing towards the puddle Jayce had left on the floor. “It’s like you have a death wish. You should consider yourself lucky you made it through the storm. I don’t even want to know who you stole the battery from.”

Jayce couldn’t help smiling to himself. Of course Viktor knew he had stolen it, but it wasn’t like it was being used. Chances are, the battery itself was stolen to begin with, so really, where was the harm in it?

Jayce allowed a sly grin to tug at the corners of his lips as he turned his attention to Viktor. “Correct me if I’m wrong, V, but it sounds like you are a little worried about me.”

Viktor scoffed incredulously. “Allow me to correct you, then. I am not worried about you, only pointing out your foolish disregard for your life. Anybody with eyes could see it.”

“And here I thought you were growing fond of me.”

“I am fond of silence.” Viktor deadpanned. 

Jayce smiled, stifling a laugh as he felt Viktor’s demeanor shift.

“I... have a change of clothes. And I’m sure you would like a bath.”

“Both of those would be nice,” admitted Jayce.

Viktor gave a terse nod, leading the way out of the girl’s room towards the long hallway, turning right and taking Jayce into what appeared to be a loose reproduction of a bedroom. Viktor didn’t particularly concern himself with comfort and luxuries, but he did still need a place to rest his head at the end of the night. Despite all the changes, Viktor could never get rid of tiredness and the need to sleep. Bodies and brains had needs.

A pile of clothes sat folded on a small pile of books. Jayce quirked a brow at them as Viktor picked them up and held them in his hands. The silence felt tense, almost too much to interrupt.

“So, did you expect me to need a change of clothes or something?” he said instead.

“I brought them in case I needed to bury you in something,” Viktor snapped back, pushing them into Jayce’s chest. As Viktor stretched his hand out to pass the clothes to Jayce, their fingers brushed, Jayce nearly pulling back as if he had touched a hot coil, and Viktor, too caught off guard to stop himself, hesitated and allowed the contact to last just a moment too long.

“Ha-ha. Very funny.” Jayce said, trying to play it off. He watched as Viktor gestured towards an adjoining bathroom. Inside, there was a lantern, unlit, matches beside it, and a bathtub. “What, you’re not going to help me with the bath?”

“Drown in it. I will not save you if you do.”

Jayce chuckled. “Noted.”

As Viktor began to take his leave, Jayce cleared his throat, feeling unusually small as he tried to work up the nerve to speak.

“V?”

Viktor stilled, but did not look at Jayce.

“Thanks,” Jayce paused to lick his lips, “for not giving up on her.”

On me. 

That is what he wanted to say. Thanks for not giving up on me. Thanks for not allowing me to be a villain of my own creation. Thanks for always being the bad guy.

Thanks for being the other part of me.

Viktor took a moment to contemplate his response, his fist clenched at his sides, before he sighed.

“Yes, well,” he dared a glance towards Jayce, “you’re the one who saved her tonight. Giving up was not an option.”

Jayce felt the intention behind the words punch the air out of him. He wasn’t just talking about the girl— he could feel the weight behind the words. There they were: two men with blood on their hands and something too harsh to put into words between them. 

Viktor nodded then, waited only for Jayce to close the door to the washroom behind him. Jayce turned the gas on the lantern up, bringing a match to the base and allowing the light to illuminate the room. Then he turned the water on to the bath as steam billowed from the tub and warmed the room.

The moment the door shut, Viktor let out a tired huff, exiting his room and heading towards his desk to straighten up the reports. Judging by how long the power had been out, he would most likely be called upon to aid Zaun in clean-up once the storm passed. More than that, he and Jayce had to figure out how to help the girl once and for all. Whatever it was affecting her oxygen levels, Viktor had to figure it out. He could not run the risk of having Jayce around— as always, the two of them being near one another made them weak, and Viktor could not stomach it for his sake, or Jayce’s own, for much longer.

Alone now, Viktor sat in his chair at his desk. He ran his fingers through his hair and, after a moment, removed his mask. The cool air of the lab swept over his face, made him take a deep breath in before he used the Hexclaw to hold onto his mask, and sighed.

Viktor straightened up his desk, ordered the golems to retrieve Jayce’s clothes from the girl’s room, as well as from the bathroom. He heard Jayce audibly protest the moment they crowded into the bathroom, Jayce’s loud “Can’t a guy get some privacy?!” echoing through the lab as Viktor nodded encouragingly at the golems when they returned with his wet clothes. They already made quick work of tossing it into the small appliances Viktor had. The golems washed Jayce’s clothes, chittering to themselves and letting out excited noises when Viktor looked over at them.

With a sigh, Viktor allowed himself a moment to slouch over on his desk, hiding his face in the crook of his elbow. He was tired. So tired, he almost fell asleep right then and there. The only reason he stayed awake was because he knew what he had to do, and he had to do it before Jayce finished.

Jayce sighed as soon as he finished taking his bath, his entire being invigorated as steam clung to his skin as he stepped out of the bathroom. He had pulled on the pants Viktor gave him, using the towel to dry his hair before slinging it around his shoulders. In one hand, he carried the shirt Viktor handed him, and in the other, he used the cane to lean on as his muscles relaxed after such a long bath.

The air in the lab was cooler than the bathroom, a shiver running through Jayce as soon as he stepped out and padded his way through Viktor’s room. Despite the lab being relatively new and Viktor having minimal furniture, it oddly smelled just like Viktor always did. Jayce took a deep breath in, stretching and sighing.

A quiet air filled the lab— unreasonably quiet, if Jayce was being perfectly honest. He supposed it made sense given the power was still out, but normally, he would at least be able to hear Viktor’s footsteps or his erratic mumblings as he tried to work out whatever problem landed on his doorstep that day. Now, the only sound over his breathing was the distant beep-beep-beep of the little girl’s heart monitor.

Carefully, he padded his way out of Viktor’s room, down the hall. Viktor was not at his desk, nor was he anywhere in the kitchen. The red emergency light no longer blinked ominously above, but constantly remained on, illuminating the room with a red hue.

Jayce barely had a chance to react as he heard the sound of Viktor’s footsteps, running right into him as Viktor exited a room just beside his bedroom. Jayce let out a noise of surprise, practically bowled over by the force behind Viktor’s movements. The only reason he did not end up shoved into the wall was because Viktor reached out to catch him, a subtle movement in how he pulled Jayce towards him.

“Viktor. I.... I didn’t know you were still awake,” Jayce said, only a half-truth. The brief moment between when Jayce spoke and Viktor answered allowed Jayce to notice a subtle blue hue of light behind Viktor in the room, gradually dimming before disappearing into darkness. He furrowed his brows, lips parted around a question as Viktor let out an unimpressed scoff, interrupting his thought process.

“As if I would sleep with you in my room,” Viktor said. Jayce set his hands on his hips.

“Hey, I resent that.”

“I’m sure you do. You are also walking around without a shirt.”

“By Janna, somebody call the enforcers,” Jayce said, pulling the shirt on and giving Viktor a “ there, happy?” look. A pause in their back and forth allowed Jayce the chance to blurt out his thoughts, mentally kicking himself the moment he said, “What were you doing?”

To the untrained ear, Viktor’s hesitation may have come across as annoyance or irritation at Jayce’s question, but Jayce knew Viktor very well. His pause before speaking said he was thinking, contemplating what lie he could tell Jayce that would be believable enough. Despite his suspicions, Jayce did his best to keep his expression neutral, curious.

“Just adjustments to some of the tests I’ve been running on her. Trying to pinpoint what’s wrong with the girl without risking her life,” Viktor said. It was so obviously vague, Jayce wanted to call Viktor out for it. Instead, he nodded.

“Any luck?”

Viktor shook his head.

“But I believe we’ll have better results after a night’s rest.” Viktor did not dare look Jayce in the eye as he spoke.

We. Jayce felt his heart grow warm at the sound of it, of Viktor’s voice. Gods, he was a sucker.

“Yeah. I think so, too.”

Jayce allowed the silence to settle between them, glancing at Viktor for only a moment. He resisted the urge to reach out for Viktor, allow his hand to rest on the curve of his neck or the soft slope of his shoulder. Instead, he gathered himself with a short nod, ignoring how close he and Viktor were as he brushed his shoulder past Viktor’s own when he walked towards the girl’s room.

“Good night, Viktor.”

Viktor did not say anything back, only regarding Jayce with a curt hum of acknowledgment. It was only as Jayce approached the girl’s room that he managed to choke out a quiet noise, beckoning Jayce’s attention. Jayce looked back from the door frame, his eyes trained on Viktor.

“Good night, Defender.”

Jayce would take a win where he could. It wasn’t his name, but it was a kindness, nonetheless.

That night in Piltover, a low rumble of thunder pulled Caitlyn from her slumber. She rubbed sleep from her eyes, adjusting to the faint glow of her bedside communicator. Blinking against her desire to simply roll over and go back to bed, she reached for the handheld device, unsure of what to expect other than maybe a routine alert, until she saw the first line of the message. Instantly, she sat up in bed, jostling Vi beside her as she read the few lines over and over, brows furrowed and lips parted around a noise of disbelief.

“Cait?” Vi said, her voice slurred with sleep. Caitlyn could not pull her attention away from the communicator long enough to show Vi, who was now leaning over her shoulder, reading what little she could as Caitlyn hurriedly tried to see if there were any more messages she had missed. “What’s wrong?”

Caitlyn dropped the communicator in her lap. She turned to face Vi, who was now concerned, brows knitted together and one hand caressing the side of her face. Caitlyn leaned into the warmth of her palm.

“It’s Jayce.”

Notes:

AUGH thank you all for being so patient with the update! truth be told, i went to update the fic last wednesday and when i was editing what i had written, i decided it needed a major overhaul T___T but i hope it was worth the wait!

as always, major props to the bestiary for listening to me complain ALLLLL the time and for cheering me on when i finally got my shit together.

edit: also if yall have song suggestions for vikjayce please feel free to drop them. i have a playlist here, so that's the vibe im sort of going for, but im open to hearing anything :3c

EDIT EDIT: i cant believe i forgot to note two headcanons i adopted from twitter/bluesky!! the first one being that jayce isn't allowed to show his gap-toothed smile from allalternate. and the second being that jayce's eyes were a dark brown color before exposure to the hexcrystals from evelyn rogers. i'm unsure if these headcanons have other origins, those are just where i saw them first!

Chapter 4: Hearts / Wires

Notes:

bit of a short update today! still, i hope y'all enjoy. the next chapter is smut finally (remember when i wrote this fic for bottom jayce week and instead it turned into... this. LMFAOOO). also, i think we have a tentative chapter count! we're looking at seven chapters total, i think.

Jayce awoke the following morning to the lair empty, other than the presence of the Blitzes that trailed behind Jayce as he walked freely through the lab. It seemed as though Viktor had cleaned up a tad, putting away the usual mess of blueprints and projects he had out, most likely because Jayce had begun to move around more than before. While Viktor wouldn’t disallow Jayce free roam of the lab while he insisted on staying with the girl, he also wasn’t going to just spill his projects and plans to Jayce when he would certainly use them against Viktor later.

The power was back on, and Jayce noticed an extra oxygen tank hooked up to the girl’s ventilator. Viktor must have woken up through the night to make sure she was safe. Jayce could not say he had done the same. As soon as he was sure she would make it, Jayce felt sleep dragging him into the dark and holding onto him until morning. The bath and change of clothes had really done him in. Plus, Jayce was exhausted from navigating Zaun for the first time since he had arrived weeks before, and forgot just how much effort it took to get from one place to the next in the Entresol. He was just thankful Viktor’s lab was out of the sump— Jayce could not regale how many times he had nearly broken a leg just trying to get down there.

While Viktor was gone, Jayce was half tempted to reenter the room with the communicator to send another message off. It wasn’t like Caitlyn to hesitate like this, so his only guess could have been that the message hadn’t made it the first time. He was sure that if Viktor had intercepted it, Viktor would have made it known that Jayce’s attempt was in vain. It wasn’t like him not to boast and brag about these kinds of things. Truthfully, Jayce wasn’t even sure he could rely on that communicator to begin with. Who’s to say it even worked the way it was supposed to?

He didn’t, though. Another day, Jayce was sure he would be back to mostly full strength in one more day. There was the matter of the girl— he was going to have to cross that bridge when he got there. Given her worsening condition, he wasn’t sure he would be able to sneak away with her and make it to Piltover. He had also surmised simply having to leave and come back with enforcers, though he wouldn’t have put it past Viktor to do something drastic the moment he was gone.

All Jayce knew was he would take the girl from the lab if it killed him. Nobody could stop him— not Viktor, not Caitlyn, not anyone.

Instead of worrying himself with the communicator, Jayce yawned and headed towards the kitchen, where the Blitzes excitedly led the way towards the dining room table, eager chirps escaping them every step of the way.

Warmth emanated from the makeshift kitchen Viktor had set up for himself in the time since Jayce had arrived. It was meager, really only equipped with the bare essentials, which Jayce figured was enough for Viktor. As Jayce approached the stovetop, he found a warm pot of sweet milk, the warm anise scent enveloping his senses the moment he drew close. Beside it was a note, in Viktor’s shitty scribbled handwriting.

It is not poisoned. Drink it, or don’t. I do not care. Viktor.

Viktor signed his name as if Jayce would have thought the note to be from anybody else, like the Blitzes were capable of cooking.

Actually....

Jayce turned his attention towards the Blitzes, who were hurriedly standing atop one another to retrieve food from the fridge, nearly toppling over each other before finally reaching the small, shoddy dining table Viktor had in the area. They dropped the plate of food on the table, cheering for themselves and falling into a heap of noise as Jayce held back the urge to laugh. Once again, damn Viktor for making these things that Jayce thought were too cute for their own good.

And they definitely were not capable of cooking.

He smiled, grabbing a mug from beside the stove and pouring himself a glass of the sweet milk. It was still warm— Viktor must not have left long ago, then. He imagined, for a moment, the idea of Viktor trying to rush through writing the note before Jayce awoke, and they both inevitably ruined the morning with their incessant arguing. He then imagined Viktor without his mask at the table, a mug of the sweet milk in front of him, steam rising off of it in thin, pleasant wisps. Jayce furrowed his brows then, trying to see the curve of Viktor’s lips against the edge of the mug, only the faintest hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips when he took a sip. He could barely see it in the back of his mind, aided only by the vaguest hints of Viktor’s face he had seen in split seconds.

Jayce shook his head as if it would erase the image from his mind.

The first sip was cloyingly sweet. Viktor always had a terrible sweet tooth, even before the augmentations, but it was certainly worse now with all the modifications he had put his body through. Jayce couldn’t help but wonder how it affected his sense of taste, the way Viktor changed himself from the inside out until he was something different, but still, in spirit at least, the same.

How many nights had he and Viktor partaken in this exact drink together, sitting in the lab pretending to still be angry at each other, when really, they could feel the tiredness and the night wearing on their bodies? Viktor would make it as a nightcap after a particularly infuriating argument between him and Jayce, oftentimes ending just before they came to blows. Sometimes, if Jayce thought too hard about it, holding the mug of sweet milk in his hands and letting the warmth seep into his skin felt almost like an apology. Viktor would vehemently deny the idea, though. He would never apologize, let alone with such a sentimental drink he enjoyed.

Jayce took another sip and turned to lean against the stove. Behind him, on a small, rickety dining table, sat the plate of food the Blitzes had retrieved from the fridge. It was mostly vegetables, fruit, bread with butter and flakes of salt, and a couple of hard-boiled eggs. Jayce did not find a note for this, wondered for a moment if it fell off in the fridge, but given the presence of the half-empty plate he spotted in the garbage, he put two and two together and figured Viktor must have already eaten, and the rest was, presumably, for him.

The tenderness of it all was so out of place. Viktor was not kind. Viktor was sharp edges, cold metal, barely contained anger under the guise of being free of human burdens, such as emotion. Viktor could be kind, but he was not kind. But he did kind things, like make Jayce sweet milk, leaving him food, and taking care of him despite his vehement refusal to want to.

In the entryway of the lab, there came a clattering noise that echoed throughout the lab. Jayce perked up, though he had not heard Viktor’s footsteps. Must have been particularly quiet today.

“Hey V,” he called out, pushing himself out of the kitchen to approach the main area of the lab. With a sigh, he stretched his arms above his head, revealing just a touch of skin at the bottom of the shirt Viktor had loaned him. When Jayce opened his eyes and looked towards the entryway, he did not find Viktor there. He found the entryway entirely empty, other than a gleaming, golden snap trap sitting in the entrance’s path. Jayce quirked a brow. He had seen one of those before. Where?

One of the Blitzes carefully plodded over to it, leaning over it with an inquisitive hum. All at once, Jayce heard a whistle from above, both he and the golem looking up to find Caitlyn high in the rafters of the lab, her gun poised in front of her.

“Caitlyn, no!”

The shot rang through the air cleanly, hitting the golem directly at the top of its head. It toppled over on itself, into the snap trap, as it clenched shut around it with a sickening snap! The second golem came running out a moment after, sounding an urgent alarm. It took Caitlyn no time to reload, firing off another shot and landing it perfectly in the same spot she had the first one.

Caitlyn slid down the rafters carefully, landing on her feet beside the snap trap. She nudged the golem within it, as it twitched with its last remaining electrical shocks.

“Are there more?” she said, furrowing her brows when Jayce didn’t answer her at first. His eyes were transfixed on the Blitzes, his jaw dropped slightly. As long as he had been there, those two machines were the only companions he had. Bringing him food, water, supplies to keep his leg clean; hell, sometimes Jayce would talk to them. Now.... Well, Jayce was almost sure the second golem could be fixed, but the first in the snap trap looked like it was beyond saving. 

Caitlyn snapped her fingers in front of Jayce’s face.

“Jayce. Hello? Gods, what’s he done to you?”

“Caitlyn, I....” Jayce trailed off, finally able to bring himself back to reality. He tried his best to pry his attention away from the Blitzes. “You’re here.”

“You sent a message. All of Piltover has been looking for you, Jayce. You look....” Caitlyn hesitated to put a word to it. She cringed instead, as if that was any better than saying he looked rough. “Well, you’re alive. Now, are there any guards we have to worry about? It was deceivingly easy to get in here.”

Jayce shook his head. “No. No, Viktor hasn’t had a chance to post any. He’s been so busy with the girl, and the lab is all new, and—.”

“The girl?” Caitlyn interrupted, quirking her brow.

“Yeah. The little girl, the one I mentioned in the message I sent you. From the raid?” Jayce paused, waited for Caitlyn to suddenly remember what he was talking about. When she didn’t, he rushed out, “I might’ve said ‘patient’, or something along those lines. I sent the message a while back, so I can’t exactly remember.”

Caitlyn looked at Jayce like he had grown two heads. She quickly swung her gun over her shoulder, setting her hands on her hips.

“What are you talking about? The message you sent was... brief, Jayce. It was an S.O.S., and coordinates to a location— here,” she said, gesturing towards the lab. “Nothing about a girl. You barely signed your name in it. And it definitely wasn’t a while ago. I just got the communication last night. Are you sure you’re all right?”

“Yes, yes,” Jayce said, realizing they had less time than anticipated. They could figure out the details of the message later. For now, what mattered most was getting the girl out of here. Even if Caitlyn only managed to get the girl out, Jayce was sure he had regained enough of his strength if he had to fight Viktor on his way out, if Viktor made it back in time. The second golem had sounded an alarm, something that had certainly alerted Viktor to an intruder in the lab. Emergency protocol. “Just— just follow me. I’ll show you.”

Jayce led the way towards the girl’s room, entering before Caitlyn did and stopping at the girl’s bedside. Her jaw dropped, letting out a quiet noise of surprise the moment her eyes landed on the Zaunite girl.

“Jayce, what the hell is going on?”

“This girl, she got hurt in the raid a few weeks ago,” Jayce rushed out. “A-and she was dying, and I couldn’t leave her there. Piltover was too far, so I brought her—”

“Here?!” Caitlyn shouted, clearly beside herself. “This is where you’ve been the last few weeks? Nursing a dying child in the sump with— with Viktor?”

Caitlyn’s voice dripped with disbelief, shame burning hot and bright under Jayce’s skin as soon as he realized how absurd it sounded. Jayce, the Defender of Tomorrow, Paragon of Progress, Piltover’s greatest hero, brought to his knees and forced to beg for salvation from his arch-nemesis— all because he couldn’t handle the guilt that came with the position, because he just couldn’t let that girl die. Trying to save her life wasn’t the absurd part for him, but asking Viktor for help certainly was, and he knew how it sounded trying to explain it.

Caitlyn noticed how Jayce seemed to flinch at the sound of her voice for a moment. Now wasn’t the time for them to talk. They could talk later, back when they were safe in Piltover.

“Okay, the girl then. Grab her, and we’ll leave before he’s back.”

“I can’t. She needs the ventilator,” Jayce said. Caitlyn let out an exasperated huff.

“Truly, Jayce, just what were you expecting me to do when I showed up? Wave a magic wand and have the girl transported back to Piltover? We can’t exactly roll her on the hospital bed all the way back up there either! What do you propose we do?”

Jayce hesitated, brows furrowed. “Why the hell are you yelling at me? I told you about her in the message! I thought you’d bring enforcers or— or a convoy, or something!”

Just as Caitlyn was about to shout back at Jayce, they both froze the moment they heard the sound of footsteps echoing down the long entryway of the lab.

“It’s the Machine Herald,” Caitlyn said, her voice low and sharp. Jayce had not heard someone call Viktor that in so long, it sent chills down his spine. How quick he was to forget that Viktor was someone to be feared when he spent most of his days wondering just why Viktor had nursed him back to health, albeit begrudgingly. Jayce didn’t fear Viktor, but rather, wanted to understand him in a way that mattered.

There was no point in trying to hide Caitlyn’s presence— Viktor would know she was there from the snap trap in the entryway, the two Blitzes reduced to fizzling heaps of mangled metal and wire. They were running out of time as it was. The only reprieve Jayce had was knowing Viktor would not charge into the girl’s room to come after them. The girl had to stay safe, out of harm’s way, no matter what.

“Wait here,” Jayce said. Once again, Caitlyn looked at Jayce like he was asking her to jump off the nearest bridge to her death. He placated her with a small gesture, hands in front of him as if to signal keeping calm. Then he walked out of the room, immediately catching Viktor’s attention, but only for the briefest of seconds. Instead of acknowledging Jayce, Viktor held the small hand of one of the golems and ran his fingers over the smooth metal, muttering softly to himself.

“Viktor.”

The claw on Viktor’s back darted to attention, pointing in Jayce’s direction with a sharp hiss. Jayce almost flinched at the sight of it coming to life, but held his ground. He held his hands up in surrender, as if the gesture would somehow alleviate any of what Viktor was feeling in that moment. From behind him, Jayce heard the sound of shuffling, a quiet huff as Caitlyn pulled her rifle over her shoulder and held it close.

“There’s no need for this to escalate,” Jayce said. Viktor scoffed.

“This has already escalated.” Then, with a pause, Viktor nearly shouted, “Were these little things really such a threat, Sheriff?”

Jayce flinched with being ignored as he heard the quiet click-clack of Caitlyn’s boots from behind him. She stood beside Jayce.

“A taser would have done the trick just fine,” he continued, moving to stand as Caitlyn readjusted the hold on her rifle.

“Give it up, Viktor. You and I both know that nothing you make can be trusted. You can make them look as cute as you want. You’re a monster, and so are your creations.”

Viktor scowled, a deep disgust bubbling to the surface of his expression. For a moment, it was like Jayce wasn’t even in the room, a feeling he grew deeply uncomfortable with. Viktor and Caitlyn stared one another down from across the room, Caitlyn with her gun at the ready, and Viktor with the claw whirring to life on his back. While Jayce could not speak definitively and say Viktor didn’t have other guards at the ready, Jayce knew Viktor was more than prepared to take Caitlyn on regardless, with or without help.

“I’m here for Jayce,” she said. “You’ve kept him trapped here long enough, haven’t you?”

Viktor flickered his attention towards Jayce. Jayce’s brows drew upward, a desperate expression on his face as Viktor returned his gaze to Caitlyn. The situation might have been different if Jayce had the Mercury Hammer, but he didn’t— he had sent an enforcer with it back to his lab when he scooped up the girl and brought her to Viktor. Jayce may have had a chance at talking them both down, but as it was, he may as well have not been right in front of them.

“Hah! Trapped? Your precious Defender could have left at any time.” Jayce felt Caitlyn’s eyes on him the moment Viktor spoke, a shameful heat biting at the surface of his skin. “As for leaving.... Well, I can’t let that happen. You’ll just go running back to Piltover and send your enforcer dogs to raid my lab again,” Viktor said, more of an observation than anything else. 

“Afraid?” Caitlyn said, her fingers ghosting over the trigger of her gun.

“Fear is a weakness,” Viktor replied, the claw on his back rotating as it buzzed to life. Caitlyn swallowed hard, her eyes taking in her surroundings. “But you should be afraid.”

Before Jayce could interject, Caitlyn rolled behind Viktor’s desk, toppling it over to shield herself as Viktor fired off the death ray in a long, straight line across the floor. It cut across the middle of the desk, burning bright and slicing through metal and wood as it narrowly missed Caitlyn’s leg.

Caitlyn briefly peeked over the edge of the desk, her rifle already aimed at Viktor’s shoulder where the claw met his actuator, and fired off one clean shot. Viktor barely had time to react, surprised by Caitlyn’s willingness to take fire even as close as he was. The claw on his back barely had a chance to react, deflecting the bullet just in time for it to ricochet off the walls. Jayce took that as his sign to jump behind a heap of steel and metal, listening to the sharp pang! of the bullet whizzing past him before lodging itself in the cement of the wall.

Caitlyn fired off another round, wasting no time between shots to give Viktor a chance to close in on her. Despite the quickness of her movements, however, Viktor had a chance to prepare, a surge of blue light emanating from the staff he carried with him. Viktor had managed to keep ahold of the smallest fraction of a Hexcrystal, using it to power his staff just enough to ward off attack. The blue light absorbed the bullet, shooting its energy back in the form of a bolt that skimmed Caitlyn’s shoulder just as she dropped her rifle to her side. She flew back into the wall behind her, a quiet groan escaping her as she scrabbled to load her rifle again. Jayce watched helplessly, darting his gaze back over to Viktor, who approached Caitlyn with a violent ferocity he had only seen a handful of times. His footsteps boomed in the empty lab, the volume of them only matched by the sound of Jayce’s heart pounding in his chest.

As Caitlyn finished reloading her rifle, she aimed it up, towards the lights above, shooting out the bulbs with a spray of bullets. All at once, the room fell into darkness, save for a few flickering lights. The shatter of glass rained upon the ground in a symphony of crackles, as Jayce and Caitlyn both temporarily shielded their faces from the glass raining down. Viktor, however, clicked his tongue, his eyes quickly adjusting to the shift in lighting.

Jayce peeked over the scrap heap, barely able to make out Viktor’s figure until his augments glowed a bright, dizzying orange, illuminating his location in the lab. Caitlyn’s rifle mirrored the action for a brief second as she reloaded it, the Hexcrystal inside of it gleaming a bright blue.

“Pathetic shot!” Viktor taunted, the claw on his back charging up to release another ray. Caitlyn quietly rolled from her previous position behind the table, pulling another snap trap off her belt and setting it in place. Then, with a few well-placed gunshots, she lured Viktor towards it, the sparks from the bullets drawing Viktor closer. Viktor easily took the bait, a too-confident laugh escaping him as he dodged every other bullet she shot towards him. Then, with one final shot, Caitlyn caught Viktor in the shoulder, shoving him back in just the perfect position. The trap caught his right leg, snapping shut around his flesh as he let out a groan of pain and recoiled.

“Viktor!” Jayce said, moving too quickly for his own good towards Viktor, who tore at the snap trap with a growl.

Caitlyn, always an amazing shot, found her bearings in no time, locating a weak spot in the panels of Viktor’s chest. As she aimed, she let out a deep breath, grounding herself long enough to fire off another Hextech-charged bullet. It landed in Viktor’s chest, sparking bright and revealing just a hint of orange glow from inside of him. Caitlyn made to fire another as Viktor was brought to one knee, his hands making deft work of the snap trap around his leg.

“Caitlyn, wait!”

Jayce lunged for the rifle, knocking it out of her hands as she let out a noise of surprise. It slid away from her, to the other side of the room, as she shoved Jayce away, knocking him back against the wall with a loud thud.

“What is wrong with you?!” she snapped, the two of them coming to attention as soon as Viktor undid the snap trap from around his leg and fought to stand up. Steam shot through the vents at Viktor’s sides, glowing a bright red as he pointed the claw directly towards Caitlyn. Jayce managed to push Caitlyn out of the way, the edge of the ray catching the back of Jayce’s thigh. He hissed, rolling away to avoid any more damage from the claw.

Caitlyn darted towards cover behind a wall, her back against it as Viktor limped away from the snap trap. Jayce could only catch glimpses of him through the flickering lights of the lab, as Caitlyn reloaded her rifle and aimed around the edge of the wall. Viktor had his back turned, barely able to focus with the way the lights sparked above him, the searing pain in his leg, and the threat of overheating in his chest. The bullet Caitlyn shot off lodged the plate in just the right spot to pierce Viktor’s chest, wires slightly exposed.

Jayce moved faster than he could think, darting in front of the rifle and moving to stand between the two of them. “Stop!”

Viktor let out a noise of surprise, turning to find Jayce standing in front of him, almost... defensively. Caitlyn hesitated. If she focused, aimed right, she could still get a shot off, near Viktor’s neck. She may have been able to render him unconscious long enough to call for reinforcements.

“Move, Defender,” Viktor said, his voice just loud enough for Jayce to hear him. Jayce didn’t look away from Caitlyn. “You cannot stop what is necessary.”

“For once, he’s right about something. Move out of the way, Jayce,” Caitlyn said warningly. Jayce stood firm.

Before Jayce could say anything else, he heard Viktor behind him, raising his staff to release another beam of blue light to absorb the bullet— only this time, there was the threat of the claw whirring behind him, heat radiating off the center of it in harsh waves. A burst of steam from Viktor’s chest hit the back of Jayce’s neck. Viktor’s systems were failing him, unable to regulate any of his processes given the shrapnel lodged in his chest. He overheated as he coughed behind the mask, stifling the sound. Viktor’s eyes in the mask glowed a bright red now, the light overwhelmingly bright.

All at once, Jayce knocked Viktor’s arm away, shoving him just enough for the shot Caitlyn took to miss. Instead, the bullet struck a spot of exposed power coils against the wall, ricocheting between the metal before the friction and heat of the bullet made the metal of the coils explode in a shower of sparks.

Jayce coughed, on his back as he groaned and did his best to avoid the smoke billowing from the coils, Viktor lying beside him.

Viktor had taken the brunt of the hit from the explosion, his augmented arm sparking at the shoulder as it struggled to stay in place. Viktor clicked his tongue, seething angrily as he held it close to his body. Not again. The last time this happened, it took him days to properly fix himself up.

Caitlyn, despite the burns on her body from stray sparks flying through the lab, managed to pull herself up. She grabbed her rifle, a sneer on her face as Viktor looked up at her and only dared to close his eyes when he heard the quiet click of her finger sitting on the trigger.

Jayce huffed, pushing himself up on his elbows before moving to stand. Caitlyn regarded him briefly before she realized Jayce was moving to stand in front of Viktor again.

“Don’t.”

“Are you out of your mind?” Caitlyn said, completely lost. Was it not Jayce who had called her down here to begin with, begging for her to save him? Was it not Jayce who thought about being back in Piltover, dreamed about home, back to normalcy, far away from Viktor?

Jayce glanced at Viktor, who could only watch silently. His eyes lingered on Jayce.

“You’ll have to shoot me, too.”

Caitlyn pressed her lips together in a thin line. “Don’t tempt me.” She paused, only to take in the desperation etched in Jayce’s expression, standing in front of Viktor like this. “He’s done something to you. You’re... different. Our Defender would never act this way— never protect this- this monster. You know he’s a danger to everyone: not just Piltover, but Zaun as well. And he’s kept you trapped here, Jayce. Can’t you see that?”

“Nothing’s changed. I know what he is.”

“Then what?”

Jayce clenched his jaw, gritting his teeth and willing himself to stay strong. 

“You need to leave.”

Caitlyn still didn’t move. Her finger twitched against the trigger, but she couldn’t bring herself to shoot. Not Jayce. She couldn’t hurt him, no matter how pompous and utterly confusing he may have been on his worst days. This wasn’t him. Something was clearly wrong, from the message she received, to the way Jayce was acting now, to how she noticed Viktor hesitating in their fight, as if he... wanted her to hurt him.

With a sigh, she dropped the rifle. It hung at her hips as she looked back up at Jayce. He swallowed hard, shaking his head.

“Alone,” he clarified.

“If you don’t come with me now, Jayce,” she paused to punctuate her sentence with a sharp look directed towards Viktor, “then I will come back. And I will bring him to justice, in pieces or to the Council. Your choice.”

Viktor sneered behind his mask, letting out an irritated noise of disbelief. Jayce had nothing to say, only watching as Caitlyn gathered her snap traps and replaced her rifle on her back. She kept her eyes on Viktor the entire time, the two of them still on the precipice of murdering each other. For the brief second she dared to look up at Jayce, a rush of emotions washed over her: hurt, anger, confusion.

At the entryway of the lab, Caitlyn paused, her brows knitted together as she gave Jayce a sad, harrowing look.

“I hope for your sake, you know what you’re doing.”

Jayce wanted to reach out to her, to reassure that he did know what he was doing, but he couldn’t. Not when Viktor was behind him, almost in pieces, and not when she didn’t know the full story. Instead, he nodded, swallowing hard against the hesitation in his chest.

After a beat, Caitlyn disappeared, the sound of her footsteps fading into the quiet hum of the lab once more.

The crackle of broken circuitry and the lights above struggling to turn on became nothing more than white noise as Viktor dared to look up at Jayce. Jayce’s entire frame trembled, ragged with unsteady breaths. Standing in the way of the best marksman in all of Runeterra would test anybody’s, even Jayce’s, resolve. 

Viktor wouldn’t have died. This, he was sure of. Despite the occasional humanness of his body, there were many failsafes he had in place to protect him in cases such as this. There was a reason he had survived many battles with Jayce and that stupid, gaudy hammer of his. A gun powered by Hextech was no different.

Slowly, Viktor pushed himself off the ground. As he straightened himself out, he felt the gears in his spine clicking into alignment, a sharp stinging pain rolling down his spine as he hissed through his teeth. With a careful flex, Viktor tested his left actuator, as it sparked and smoked from the action alone. This was a bigger fix than expected. She had managed to hit the actual mechanics of his arm, not just the plating.

“Her last shot could have killed you.”

Viktor broke the silence first. Jayce tensed, but still could not bring himself to even think of looking back at Viktor. Instead, he focused on the exit of the lab, as if he hadn’t just told Caitlyn to leave, as if he hadn’t gotten rid of what could have been his only chance of escaping with the girl. Caitlyn was right, though. How would they even take her back to Piltover? Would they even be able to? Regardless of what the message Caitlyn received said, what mattered was that they had no way of getting him and the Zaunite girl out, so he couldn’t have left. That meant he had to get Caitlyn to leave then, alarming her just enough to have her come back, but not enough for her to demand he leave with her right then and there.

That was why he pushed Viktor out of the way; why he stood in front of him. Jayce was sure of it.

That’s what he told himself, at least.

“You were supposed to leave with her.”

This caught Jayce’s attention. He turned to meet Viktor’s gaze, Jayce’s face scraped and dirtied from the fight. He looked... tired, beautiful almost, if Viktor caught his wrecked expression in the right lighting. Viktor had never had the chance to bask in the afterglow of a fight with Jayce like this in so long: being at each other’s throats meant they parted ways when things edged too close to death. Now, as Viktor sat on the ground and held his arm to his body, he allowed himself the privilege of taking in all of Jayce’s soft edges, wounded and wild.

“I told you I won’t leave without the girl. That’s my decision.”

“If I were dead,” Viktor said, not daring to meet Jayce’s eyes, “if you had let her kill me, then you could have taken her.”

Jayce watched as Viktor took a deep breath in.

“But you stopped her.”

The only person who can kill you is me, Viktor. 

That was what Jayce wanted to say, because it was the truth. No matter how much easier Jayce imagined his life would be without having to concern himself with what big, evil plan Viktor had under his sleeve, no matter how much Viktor made it hurt, Jayce would be damned if anybody else ever even thought about hurting Viktor.

“I didn’t say it was a smart decision,” Jayce replied under his breath.

“Do you regret it?”

Jayce took a deep breath in, contemplating what he could have said that would have made sense in that moment, but truth be told, nothing did. Saving Viktor, not leaving with Caitlyn, nearly killing himself just to prove— What? 

“Of course not.” 

Viktor struggled to push himself up on two feet, his leg aching with the pain of the snap trap’s fangs in the meat of his leg, and his left arm hanging on its hinges as it fizzled and smoked every time Viktor tried to move it. Jayce took all of Viktor in now, the faint orange glow of his chest, the steam escaping from the vents on his sides, and the way how, now, in this light, Viktor looked more like a regular human than ever before; vulnerable, broken, hiding behind the shell of something inhuman.

“You’re hurt,” Jayce said, approaching Viktor one step at a time, allowing Viktor the chance to stop him, to protest, to send him away just as Jayce had sent Caitlyn away. Viktor didn’t. Instead, he watched in bated wariness, his eyes following Jayce’s movements until Jayce stood only an arm's reach away.

“I am not hurt,” Viktor said. 

Jayce let out an amused chuff. “Broken, then?”

Viktor wanted to protest, but the trembling of his augmented arm said otherwise. He could feel the nerves struggling to reconnect, unable to control the twitches in his fingers as he did his best to hide them from Jayce. 

“I can help,” Jayce said. His voice was soft, honey sweet, too much for Viktor to handle. He needed roughness. He needed the Defender of Tomorrow ridiculing him, calling him names, threatening him. The Machine Herald did not need Jayce’s softness, nor did he want Jayce’s wanting. Without the Defender’s hatred, without the vitriol that fueled their every interaction, what was left?  “Let me.”

Viktor noticed Jayce lifting his hand from his side, flinching instinctively as the claw on his back darted forward and grabbed Jayce’s wrist. “Don’t.” His voice was small, and Viktor damned himself for allowing it to sound so... scared. “If you show me kindness now, I... won’t know what to do with it.”

Jayce’s expression softened, and Viktor nearly ran. No. No, no, no, no. This couldn’t be happening. Not now.

“I’m not asking you to do anything with it, V. It’s for me.” Jayce felt the claw’s hold on his wrist loosen, not releasing him, but allowing him movement. “Show me kindness. Let me help remake you.”

Viktor tensed as he felt the warm curve of Jayce’s palm around the edge of the mask, all heat and yearning in his touch. Viktor wanted to lean into it, into him, so terribly. He wanted with hunger, an innate humanness in his desire, in his craving, that he almost tamped down the memories flooding him all at once. So many nights where they exchanged hurried touches and hushed confessions in each touch of skin to skin, lips to neck, hands to hips— how many times had Viktor sworn it would never happen again, in the academy, after he changed, after Jayce changed? How many times since the last?

From the very start, Viktor thought to himself, they both knew how this would end up. It was always going to be this way, somewhere between something impossible and inevitable, because they could never simply be. It was beyond pulling each other into orbit, because Viktor and Jayce had never truly left it. There was an invisible pull, a tether keeping them within each other’s reach and simultaneously pushing them apart; too alike to be together, volatile and explosive; destined to look in the mirror and see one another in reflections, each other’s most feared destiny.

Jayce allowed his hand to linger. Viktor shuddered into the touch, letting out a desperate exhale as he allowed his eyes to flutter shut behind the mask for the briefest of seconds. Then, he pulled away.

Just this once. Just this last time, he thought to himself, knowing it was a lie. Knowing he and Jayce would end up as they always were— two inseparable cogs in a machine whose notches matched up perfectly, and who would inevitably fall apart under the pressure of expectation and progress.

Again, always.

Notes:

pour one out for the blitzes. if it makes anybody feel better, i have been dubbed "golem KILLER" in a discord server for my crimes against the blitzes >:( anyways, hope y'all enjoyed the update! like i said, it's short, but i hope the next chapter will make up for it.

thank you all so much for reading and commenting!! i see all the subscriptions and it makes me super happy that people want to keep up with the story. also big thank you for making this my most popular arcane/league fic! it's been nice getting back into writing, so i really appreciate it ♥ see yall next week for the next update! :3c

Chapter 5: Touched You With My Chaos

Notes:

holy update, batman. it's a 10k chapter! smut ahead! finally! remember? for bottom jayce week? it's happening! heed the tags just in case :)

Viktor concerned himself more with the mess of his lab than anything else. Jayce protested the entire time until he realized Viktor wouldn’t stop until it was at least semi-put together. Jayce had cut the power to the coils Caitlyn had blown, as well as the lights above, leaving the lab dimly lit with the use of a few small projects Viktor had lying around, certainly not meant to be used as lanterns, but substituting well for it.

Of course, they both had already checked on the girl. While Caitlyn brought Viktor to his knees outside of her room, the girl rested soundly inside, not a hair on her head out of place.

As they finished cleaning, Jayce gathered up the golems, carrying them to what was left of Viktor’s desk, now upright and pushed together after Viktor had lasered it in half. The Blitzes fell on the desk in lifeless heaps, no longer sparking or twitching. Viktor looked at them from the corner of his eye.

“I’ll fix them,” Jayce said. Viktor shook his head.

“There will be others. Don’t bother.”

For once, Jayce didn’t argue. He did not have the energy to right now, not about this. Instead, he sat down beside Viktor, who had already gathered up scrap metal and tools for Viktor’s arm. While Jayce would not be able to completely fix Viktor’s arm, he would at least be able to get it functional, which was all Viktor needed for now. He would take it apart another time, upgrading it and reinforcing it to withstand bullets, preferably before another encounter with Caitlyn.

They did not speak while Jayce worked. Viktor did not bother watching what Jayce was doing— they had worked together so many times before, and Jayce had fixed Viktor’s arm on multiple occasions, even before they were on the terms they were now. Viktor trusted Jayce to fix it without fucking Viktor over by swapping any important functions or rendering it useless in a fight or anything along those lines. As Jayce carefully guided Viktor to move, turning him in the stool just enough to get a better angle, Viktor felt the hot sweep of Jayce’s breath against what exposed flesh there was beside the damaged actuator as he leaned in for a closer look.

Jayce had a habit of sticking just the tip of his tongue out between his lips as he worked. Viktor had teased him for it many times, calling him names and earning a punch to the shoulder on good days, a punch to the face on bad ones. Jayce still had that habit. Viktor dared a glance towards Jayce as he worked, noticing his tongue peeking past his lips as he carefully unscrewed a panel inside Viktor’s arm, mindful of the wires. Viktor felt the hints of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips, thankful for the barrier of the mask between them as he had been many times before. If there was anything in his augmentations he would never get rid of, it would have been the mask.

Viktor looked away, willing himself to focus on something else, anything else, other than Jayce’s closeness, the touch of his knee against Viktor’s own.

After what felt like a lifetime, Viktor felt a connection in his arm, the inner machinations sparking to life as Jayce let out a satisfied hum and leaned back. Without needing prompting, Viktor lifted his hand from his side, flexing his fingers and rolling his wrist. Jayce was a lifesaver at times. It felt better than it had before, more fluid. Damn him. 

“Hey-hey, look at that. One of two problems fixed.”

“I can fix the other one on my own,” Viktor said. Jayce leered towards Viktor suspiciously before pulling the screwdriver in his hand away from Viktor’s reach.

“No way. I said I’d fix it.”

“Tsk, there is no need. My arm is functional again.”

“Yeah, because of me.”

Viktor couldn’t help the puff of steam that shot from out of the sides of his chest cavity vents. It was partially due to the shrapnel lodged in his machinery, but mostly because of the budding frustration in the back of his chest as Jayce smiled smugly.

“Come on. You know what to do.” Jayce gestured towards the cape Viktor usually wore behind him, now covering his chest, as if it would shield Jayce from the damage done by the rifle.

With a grumble, Viktor tugged the navy blue cloak off around his neck, allowing it to fall to the ground as it revealed the damage to his chest. Jayce whistled to himself, ducking down to take a closer look.

“Gods, she’s a great shot,” he said. Viktor could feel annoyance burning under his skin, that familiar itch of irritation with Jayce as he knocked around Viktor’s chest. He couldn’t tell if it was because of the way he praised Caitlyn, even though Jayce had saved his life, or because Jayce was almost excited to fix whatever was going on inside of Viktor, a morbid fascination with understanding all of Viktor’s inner machinations.

With the same concentration as before, Jayce went quiet, doing his best to navigate Viktor’s chest. He worked in silence, only the sound of his breathing, and the quiet clicking of Viktor’s systems working filling the room.

Finally, Jayce let out a sigh of exasperation, pushing his hair from his face as he looked up at Viktor.

“One of your chest plates needs to come off.”

Viktor furrowed his brows. “What? No, no, it does not—”

“Yes, Viktor, it does. There’s shrapnel in your flesh; it’s got to come out and get bandaged up. And I can see what’s wrong. There’s a piece of the slug lodged in a processor there. Looks like it tore up a couple of wires, too.”

“If you insist on being the one to fix it, then you will do it this way, or not at all.”

Viktor couldn’t help the anger seeping into his voice. He had already allowed himself the vulnerability of letting Jayce help him once, and it was one time too many. Their dance was familiar, a step forward, two steps back, but Viktor would be damned if he would be the one on the precipice of falling first, nor would he allow Jayce to be the one to save him. No, if this was going to go any further, Viktor would let himself fall wholly, or save himself with his blood, sweat, and tears.

“Or do you think you can’t?”

Viktor didn’t miss the way Jayce seemed to perk up at the challenge. Too easy, he thought to himself, as Jayce grimaced and rolled his eyes, letting out a scoff.

“I can do it. Just didn’t want you to start bitching when it hurts.”

“Do it right, then,” Viktor retorted. Jayce squinted at Viktor, wagging the screwdriver at him warningly a few times before he shook his head, visibly irritated that Viktor was also getting back at him, digging in under his cool demeanor and making him squirm.

“Fine. Fine! Then you’re gonna have to—” Jayce paused to fall to one knee, wedging himself between Viktor’s legs and pushing them apart as Viktor felt his entire body go hot, steam suddenly rushing out of him in waves as he looked down at Jayce between his thighs, pressing in close to get a better look at his chest, “—move your fucking legs and let me get a better angle.”

If Jayce noticed Viktor’s sudden nervousness, he didn’t say anything, seemingly only focused on being able to retrieve the shrapnel from Viktor’s chest. Jayce reached for a pair of long forceps, leaning his weight on Viktor’s thighs as he leaned in and carefully dislodged a few pieces, setting it on the desk beside them and clicking his tongue.

“You’re bleeding.”

Before Viktor could say anything, Jayce looked up at Viktor. Like this, Viktor could only allow his mind the pleasure of imagining Jayce between his legs all those other times, naked and begging for him with such terrible desperation, he looked like he was going to cry. Viktor choked back a noise of surprise as Jayce licked his lips.

“Didn’t know you could still do that.”

“You liar. You have made me bleed many times.”

Jayce smiled to himself, using the forceps to carefully nudge at the part of the bullet deep in Viktor’s chest cavity.

“I’ve made you do more than that many times,” Jayce replied.

“Ha-ha. Very funny sex joke,” Viktor said, making Jayce burst into laughter at his vexed tone of voice. “Hurry up.”

“Why? You don’t like seeing me between your legs?”

Viktor thanked himself for the mask yet again, because gods, his face was flushed. His entire body was hot, systems desperately trying to recalibrate themselves with each piece of metal Jayce yanked out of his chest and tossed aside. 

Despite the slight blush on the tips of Jayce’s ears and dusting the apples of his cheeks, he continued to work diligently until all that was left was the bullet fragment to remove. Unfortunately, he couldn’t reach it with the forceps alone, but with how Viktor refused to remove any plating, all Jayce could do was let out a petulant huff as he sat back on his feet.

“I can’t reach the fragment in your processor. If you just let me take off one panel, Viktor, I’d be able to grab it without damaging anything.”

“You can reach it without taking it off. I know exactly which processor you’re talking about. It is not that far in.”

“I’m telling you that I’m trying, and the forceps don’t reach.” Without letting Viktor answer, Jayce looked back up at Viktor. “Look, you’re pushing yourself past your safety protocols the longer it's inside you, and I know you know that. You’re burning up.”

Viktor wanted to protest that he wouldn’t have been burning up if Jayce stopped touching him, but that meant admitting Jayce's touching him was affecting him. So instead, he huffed.

“Don’t you trust me?”

The sound of Jayce’s voice knocked the wind back into Viktor, reeling back in surprise. He was always like that. Jayce may have been insufferable at times, a jerk in every meaning of the word, but he was an honest one, at least.

Before either of them could speak, Jayce heard the mechanical hiss of wire and metal as the claw snapped out towards him, faster than he could process exactly where it was going. The warm steel of the claw curled around his neck, not choking him, or at least, not yet. Instead, it held him in place, as Jayce gasped and felt it give an experimental squeeze. No threat or venom behind the action, just pressure— a reminder. Jayce did not pull away, only looking into Viktor’s eyes intently.

Jayce conceded first.

“Okay. Fine. I... might be able to go around through a vent node. But it’s a questionable ‘might’.”

Despite Jayce’s solution, Viktor could not bring himself to wield the claw away. Something about seeing Jayce this way had his systems overwhelmed, bowled over with need. Jayce’s tongue poked past the tip of his lips, wetting them as he tried to catch Viktor’s attention again. Only after he repeated himself did Viktor come back to the moment. The claw loosened its grip from around Jayce’s throat, releasing him as the muscles in Jayce’s body relaxed.

Wordlessly, Jayce returned to his position, nudging Viktor’s arm away from the side of his body to wedge himself in the space between. Viktor could feel the forceps inside of him once more, now sharp and pressing against the processor, just barely able to reach. Jayce clicked his tongue when he lost his grip for a split second, grumbling to himself as he pressed in further, his torso pressed against Viktor’s groin, and his free hand steadying himself against Viktor’s chest.

“Gotcha, you little bastard,” he said triumphantly, wiggling the forceps out enough to drop the fragment through the damaged spot of Viktor’s chest panel into the open palm of his hand. The bullet glowed a mixture of luminescent blue, charged by Hextech, and a fiery scarlet, a combination of Viktor’s blood and the coolant that rushed through his systems to keep him from overheating. 

Viktor felt his systems purging through its cycles, trying to flush the contamination from within as he let out a soft groan of relief. The muscles in his body went lax as he felt the temperature of his core dropping back to normal. Jayce chuffed in satisfaction, tossing the bullet in the air and catching it with the swift flick of his wrist.

“What a beauty that gun is. Perfect in every way, if I do say so myself.”

Viktor, still recovering from having Jayce’s hands and a pair of forceps in his chest, nearly punched the side of Jayce’s head in irritation. He didn’t need Jayce’s boasting right now, especially when Viktor could still feel the ache of the bullet and the heat of Jayce’s body on his own.

Jayce hummed, pushing himself to his feet and stuffing the bullet fragment in his pocket. Viktor didn’t bother asking why; he knew Jayce would have rather died than allowed him access to any form of a Hexcrystal, no matter how small it may have been.

Without speaking, Viktor pushed himself out of his chair, walking down the hall hastily with a slight limp to his step as Jayce let out a surprised noise when he realized Viktor was rushing away from him.

“H-hey! Viktor!”

Viktor did not stop or hesitate, even as Jayce called out after him.

“What, I don’t get a thanks or anything?”

“You want thanks? For that mediocre job?”

“Mediocre?! Didn’t I fix your arm? And I just dug that bullet out of your chest!” Jayce tacked on at the end, incredulously following Viktor through the lair until he could reach out and grab Viktor by his shoulder. “What is your problem?”

“You are not supposed to be here.”

Jayce froze at the sharpness in Viktor’s tone. It wasn’t venomous, the kind of anger where Viktor wanted Jayce hurting, aching, bleeding. There was something sad in the undertow of it. Jayce furrowed his brows.

“What are you talking about?”

“Why didn’t you leave with her?”

Her. Caitlyn. Jayce scoffed.

“The girl. If Caitlyn couldn’t take us both, then I... I had to stay. We already talked about this.”

“That’s truly the only reason you didn’t leave?”

Stunned into silence, Jayce hesitated to answer. Viktor was searching for something, albeit carefully, in the way Viktor always did, because he couldn’t show his cards all at once.

Jayce swallowed hard.

“I- I couldn’t....”

Viktor waited. Then, “Couldn’t, what?”

Jayce felt uneasy, a nagging bite of vulnerability under his skin as he debated how honest he wanted to be with Viktor. How honest he could be.

“Leave you.”

They both went silent, Jayce still catching his breath after running after Viktor.

“You make me weak,” said Viktor. “Being around you makes me feel... human. And I hate it. I cannot stand another second of it.” He let out a grumble of irritation. “No matter how much I carve and I hack and rip out pieces of myself to replace with machine, I cannot cut deep enough to reach the part of me where you live; etched into the very foundation of my being.”

My soul, Viktor would never say. He was not a spiritual man, but gods, did he feel as though there had to have been some sort of cosmic vengeance at work to make him and Jayce constantly at odds, yet unable to stay away from one another.

“Viktor,” Jayce said, taking a cautionary step forward. Viktor didn’t react, didn’t flinch the way he had times before. He stepped closer again, feeling dangerously close to Viktor now. He wasn’t sure what to say, other than Viktor’s name, as if it would bring him out of the headspace he was in right then. But he knew what he wanted to do, could feel the magnetic pull of Viktor, Viktor, Viktor, and couldn’t stop himself from drawing near.

Slowly, Jayce lifted a hand to the side of Viktor’s face, the way he had earlier. Viktor did not lean into the touch. He only kept his eyes trained on Jayce as he neared and noted how warm Viktor still was.

For a brief moment, Jayce wondered what the hell he was doing, standing this close to Viktor again. They had always ended up like this: too close, not close enough, touching but barely able to stand one another, constantly drawn in to each other’s energy and forced to destroy one another; otherwise, how would they ever be able to face themselves the morning after?

There was a slight tremble in Viktor’s jaw. Jayce could feel it, but he didn’t mention it. Instead, he leaned in, pressing a warm kiss to the front of Viktor’s mask. Heat washed over the smooth steel of the mask, Viktor letting out a small, surprised breath as Jayce held him, one hand on Viktor’s shoulder and the other on his chest, as if bracing himself for impact. Viktor tensed, even as Jayce pulled away, a slight flush on the apples of his cheeks as he searched for something, any sort of reaction. When he didn’t show any, Jayce took a hesitant step backwards, only able to barely catch the sound of the claw on Viktor’s back coming to life. He half expected Viktor to shove him away and into the ground, maybe kill him if he was so inclined, all for a kiss.

Instead, he felt Viktor’s right hand on him, gauntlet removed, the warmth of skin and flesh as Viktor tightened his grip around Jayce’s neck, testing the strength of his fingertips. Jayce swallowed hard against his touch. He couldn’t look away from Viktor’s eyes, albeit shielded by the light of the mask, but still focused only on Jayce in front of him. Looking away meant conceding, giving in, being afraid. Jayce wasn’t afraid, not of Viktor.

The claw slowly moved to the side of Viktor’s mask, pressing down on the release as the soft hiss of the clasps coming undone allowed the claw the chance to remove the mask. Jayce felt his breath catch in his throat, knowing Viktor felt it as well.

After what seemed like a lifetime, Viktor allowed Jayce the privilege of taking in every part of his face as the claw pulled his mask off and dropped it to the ground. With wide eyes, Jayce admired the slope of his cheeks, the sharp edge of his jaw, the way his eyes, despite the inhuman black sclera, were exactly the way Jayce had remembered them: slightly downturned, thick dark lashes, and a softness only Viktor could hold, even as he looked down at Jayce, however slight it may have been. Black steel panels adorned the sides of his face, orange highlights revealing the inner machinations of the machinery inside of him. Despite having seen Viktor time and time again, he could never react any other way: shocked, amazed, pure devotion in remembering his old partner, now rival, in any way he could.

“Jayce.”

The way Viktor said his name fell on his skin like honey, cloying and thick. Despite not having the voice modulator, his voice was deep and brusque, and it sent shivers down Jayce’s spine when he heard it. Jayce parted his lips to speak, but couldn’t find the words. Not yet. He lifted a hand from his side, daring to reach out to touch, as Viktor’s grip on his neck tightened— a warning. 

Jayce was never good at listening, though. 

He brought his hand up, up, up, daring to trace his fingers over the panels on Viktor’s face, down to the sharp angles of his jaw, and just barely ghosting over his lips. Viktor frowned, an expression he wore often, judging by the lines on his face. Jayce counted 1, 2 moles on Viktor’s face; one above his upper lip on his left, the other just under his right eye, nearly obscured by the lines of wires embedded in his skin. Even with the augments, Jayce could see Viktor, truly see him. 

“What you are searching for within me no longer exists,” Viktor said, leaning in closer, just barely taller than Jayce, but enough to make him feel as if Viktor was looming over him. “Affection. There is nothing tender left inside of me. I am incapable of loving you as you wish to be loved.”

Jayce couldn’t help the pathetic scoff that crawled its way past his lips. Whatever it was he had expected Viktor to say, it wasn’t that. Jayce had not convinced himself otherwise. He knew Viktor was different. Every time they spoke, it felt as though he was only able to find bits and pieces of Viktor left in interactions. He wondered if Viktor felt the same way about him.

Feeling the pressure of Viktor’s hand around his throat, Jayce furrowed his brows at Viktor, taking in a sharp, stilted breath.

“Don’t fucking say that,” he whispered. “Don’t you dare say that to me.”

“You know it is true,” Viktor said.

“No. No. I know it isn’t. You might have convinced yourself that you’ve gotten rid of anything loving within you, but I’ve felt it; in how you take care of me, and the way you say my name, and how every time we get too close—”

“Jayce.”

“—you push me away because you’re afraid,” Jayce spoke, acutely aware of the way his voice grew in volume just to keep Viktor from talking over him. “You don’t think I’m scared, too?”

Viktor’s mouth went dry, his gaze unwavering as he took in the desperate expression on Jayce’s face, brows drawn up as he willed Viktor to just listen to him for once.

“If you are so afraid, then why do you persist?”

Jayce huffed, soft, short. “I... I don’t know, V. Maybe I’m a lost cause. Maybe it’s because I just don’t know when to quit. I feel like I never know when to quit you. But I know there’s more than something human left in you. Doesn’t matter how deep you buried it, buried us, how much you’ve tried to cut it out of you—  I will find it. If there’s even a chance that there’s a part of you that remembers what we had, then I won’t give up. Not now. Not ever.”

Viktor let out a shuddering breath. He steeled himself after a beat.

“This is going to hurt,” he said. Jayce couldn’t help the breathless laugh that escaped him.

“I know.”

Jayce was begging. Through touch, through his voice, through the sheer warmth of his fingertips on Viktor’s skin. Begged.

Despite all of Viktor’s warnings, knowing how they would always end up, he begged. Viktor holding him over the metaphorical ledge.

“You should have left,” Viktor repeated, before pushing Jayce against the wall behind him, fingers squeezing into the delicate parts of Jayce’s throat. At the same time, Viktor pressed his lips to Jayce’s, stealing the air from him and biting down harshly on Jayce’s bottom lip. Jayce keened in response, reaching his hands out to caress the sides of Viktor’s face. The claw on Viktor’s back hissed to life, darting for Jayce’s arms and pinning him to the wall by his wrists. The snap of metal on his skin made Jayce whine, half in pain, mostly in pleasure as Viktor used his other hand to shove Jayce’s hips against his own, a filthy grind of heat to heat.

“Bet you’d like to get rid of me,” Jayce managed to choke out, taking in a gasping breath when Viktor released his throat and dropped down to nip at Jayce’s neck, laving his tongue across his tender, aching flesh. He was going to bruise, Jayce knew that much. His throat burned with the sudden rush of air, coughing as Viktor bit him.

Not right now, Viktor thought. Instead of speaking, he allowed himself to indulge in the petty urge to break flesh as he bit down on the crook of Jayce’s neck, sharp canines drawing blood as Jayce let out a hard huff of breath. He furrowed his brows, lips parted around a mix of a moan and a whimper of pain. All that came out was a short, choked-out noise. His hands scrabbled against the strength of the claw around his wrists, desperately trying to pull himself away to make it hurt for Viktor, too. If that was how he wanted it to be, then that was what he would get.

When Viktor kissed Jayce again, Jayce licked into Viktor’s mouth, tasting his blood on Viktor’s tongue and shuddering against him.

It hardly took Jayce any time to feel himself growing hard in his pants, pathetically trying to grind himself against Viktor’s leg as Viktor used his right hand to lift Jayce’s leg, squeezing appreciatively as Jayce leaned back, knocking his head against the wall with a heavy sigh.

Viktor pulled away, Jayce almost protesting until he felt a sharp tug as Viktor practically dragged him in the direction of his room. Jayce barely had time to react, nearly tripping over himself as he followed, feeling the harsh pressure of Viktor’s hand around his wrist, a promise, a threat, all perfectly intertwined.

Once inside, Jayce turned, expecting Viktor to pull him in for another kiss. Instead, Viktor threw him down on the bed, looming over Jayce as he made quick work of removing bits of armor and metal, tossing them aside as Jayce took Viktor in appreciatively, marveling over hints of flesh intertwined with machine and wires. No matter how many times they had done this, how many times Jayce had seen Viktor taking himself apart, revealing the most vulnerable parts of his body, he would never be able to get over the sight, the feeling. Jayce pushed himself up on his elbows, watching with bated breath. Instinctively, his mouth watered, as Viktor let out an amused chuff, clearly pleased with the huff of frustration Jayce let out when he realized Viktor was teasing him.

“Always so eager, aren’t you, Defender?”

Viktor lifted his hand from his side, tracing his fingers over Jayce’s lips as Jayce let his tongue loll out, the pads of Viktor’s fingers running over his palate. The taste was innately human, warm sweat and salt. Jayce let Viktor press down on his tongue, pushing his fingers in deeper, just barely brushing the back of his throat as Jayce gagged on his fingers. Tears budded in the corners of his eyes as Viktor repeated his ministrations, each time pushing a little further than he had before, until his fingers were sticky, covered in spit. It webbed between his fingers, tears streaming down Jayce’s face. Jayce was a lot of things when it came down to it, but his need, his desperate desire to be good, to be understood by somebody, especially Viktor, made it so easy for Viktor to work him over, praising him through the subtle curl of his lips, a pleased hum, a nod when Jayce looked up at him for approval.

As Viktor pulled his fingers out of Jayce’s mouth, Jayce bit down just enough to scrape his teeth against Viktor’s fingers. Viktor quirked a brow and grabbed Jayce by his chin, harsh and sudden.

“That all you got?” Jayce said before Viktor could speak, a rasp to his voice from Viktor’s fingers fucking his throat. “You’re getting soft, Vik.”

“I know what you want,” Viktor said, mean and sharp-tongued. As he spoke, he pulled Jayce forward, off the edge of the bed, so he fell to his knees, easily staring up at Viktor. “You like being on your knees for me and your mouth stuffed full of my cock.”

Punctuating his words, Viktor pulled Jayce’s hair, as Jayce hissed through his teeth and felt the sharp edge of Viktor’s augmented hand on his neck, tracing dangerously over the delicate veins in his neck with a small smile tugging at the corners of Viktor’s lips. Heat rushed through Jayce’s body, flooding his senses as he felt the slightest bit of pressure at the spot where Viktor bit him, a dull ache at the base of his neck now.

As Viktor relished in the sharp huffs of breath punched out of Jayce, he nudged Jayce’s thighs apart with his augmented foot, pressing in, in, in, until the toe of his boot brushed against Jayce’s hardening cock behind the fabric of his pants. Jayce immediately tensed, his lips parted around the open want, plush pink tongue swiping over his bottom lip as he took a deep breath in and felt his entire body shudder from the pressure of Viktor’s foot against him alone. Gritting his teeth, Jayce allowed his hips to stutter forward for a brief moment of respite, grinding filthily against the sharp angle of Viktor’s leg as Viktor tilted his head, expression unchanging.

“Look at you. Like you’re in heat,” Viktor said. Shame crawled hot under Jayce’s skin, the collar of his coat tight against his throat

“I gotta do all the work myself, seeing as all you’re doing is talking,” Jayce taunted. Without the safety of his mask, Viktor hesitated to allow his expression to change beyond a subtle smile or a quirk of his brows, but the taunt tugged on his self-control the exact way Jayce had hoped it would. He sneered, his upper lip curled just slightly as he spoke.

“As if you don’t hang on my every word, simpering dog.”

Jayce caught a moan nearly escaping him, biting it back as he felt the heat of Viktor’s gaze on him.

“Come on, V. I know you want this as much as I do.”

“There are better things you could be doing with that mouth of yours than talking back.”

Jayce couldn’t stop himself this time. He moaned outright, looking up at Viktor through his lashes as Viktor relished in the reaction he drew from Jayce.

“I don’t get any complaints,” Jayce said.

“About talking back?”

Jayce looked exasperated as Viktor bit back a chuckle. He decided to indulge Jayce in his petty back-and-forth instead.

“Using your pretty mouth, then. On who?”

Jayce smiled, satisfied with their push-pull. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

So Viktor had a possessive streak. Sue him. He wasn’t ignorant of how desirable all of Piltover (really, all of Runeterra) found Jayce, and for good reason: he was beautiful. All chiseled muscles and slick charm, his smile and gorgeous blue eyes captured the hearts of every man, woman, person, nonhuman; it didn’t matter. Even Zaunites fantasized about ruining the pretty, perfectly charismatic Defender of Tomorrow when they had enough to drink. Jayce was easy to want because of who he was, how he carried himself, how he treated others, and then some.

That, however, did not make it any easier for Viktor when Jayce would show up with leftover reminders of people who had their hands on him, people who were not Viktor. Viktor would sooner throw himself into the deepest pits of the Sump before ever admitting he would oftentimes send Jayce back with twice as many marks and bruises in places where he was sure the others would see, so they would just have to ask Jayce about who was mindless (see: selfish) enough to mark up their precious Defender of Tomorrow that way, while Jayce sweat and floundered to find a suitable explanation as to why he looked like a vampire had just mauled his neck.

“Not particularly,” began Viktor. Jayce’s smile faltered for only the briefest of seconds. “Nobody fucks you the way I do. That’s why you come crawling back. It doesn’t matter to me who you choose to waste your time with.”

Before Jayce could speak, Viktor squeezed Jayce’s face between his fingers, pulling him in close. Jayce parted his lips with ease, mouth open and waiting as Viktor felt his cock kick behind the tightness of his pants with want.

“Do what you do best, Defender.”

Jayce bit back the irritation in his chest when Viktor wouldn’t just call him by his name. Always Defender, always an arms distance away to keep himself safe, keep himself from hurting. Jayce couldn’t allow himself to linger on the thought for very long, felt the harsh grind of Viktor’s leg against his cock again and practically drooled at the sensation. 

Viktor thought Jayce got around a lot Topside, but the fact of the matter was, Jayce never bothered much anymore. Not for lack of opportunity: people in Piltover were more than ready and willing to throw themselves at Jayce during parties, dinners, galas, and balls, but Jayce had no interest. Call him spoiled, but unless he could feel the quiet hum of machine under his fingertips and the sharp fingers of Viktor’s augmented hand around his throat, he didn’t find the experience worthwhile.

Never one to hesitate, Jayce made quick work of removing the armor from Viktor’s legs, tossing them aside and carefully tracing his fingers over the brace on Viktor’s left leg. Viktor subdued a full body shiver at the attention Jayce paid to carefully removing the brace, his deft fingers loosening buckles and bolts until the brace came loose with a quiet click. Wordlessly, Jayce allowed it to slip loose a moment after, setting it down beside the bed. Then he removed the last of the armor over Viktor’s crotch, tossing it aside with a quiet huff.

Curling his fingers under the band of Viktor’s trousers, he slid them down, down, down to his knees, pressing warm kisses to the expanse of Viktor’s right thigh and noting how hot Viktor was to the touch, his flesh always so unbelievably warm, intertwined with the strength of machine and steel. Still, Jayce was not one to ignore any part of Viktor. He switched his focus to Viktor’s other leg, allowing his tongue to lave hot trails up and down the curve of his thigh, to the sharp edge of the joint at his knee, oscillating between kisses and wet traces of his tongue. Viktor never took his eyes off of Jayce, watching with bated breath and only exhaling when they made eye contact. Jayce’s eyes gleamed an iridescent blue, reflective of the years he had spent working with Hexcrystals and how volatile they were in nature. Viktor could only catch the faintest glimpses of gold around the edge of his irises and wondered if this was how Jayce felt when Viktor returned. 

Viktor wrapped his hand around the base of his cock, guiding it to Jayce’s lips as Jayce allowed his tongue to loll past his lips. Viktor smeared precum across the flat of Jayce’s tongue, brows raised and mouth parted around praise.

All of it disappeared from his mind as Jayce wrapped his lips around the head of Viktor’s cock, the inside of his mouth wet and velvety as Viktor bit back a soft noise. Despite knowing this, too, was a weakness of flesh, Viktor could not bring himself to remove all pleasures. Viktor did, however, dull it just a bit. Initially, it had been to frustrate Jayce, to make him last longer and force Jayce to be on his knees for longer, but it turned out, that was exactly where Jayce liked to be: on his knees, Viktor’s cock heavy on his tongue, for as long as Viktor wanted him there.

Jayce took more of Viktor’s cock with ease, laving his tongue over the sensitive spots on the underside. Viktor marveled over how Jayce took him in stride, barely pulling off to breathe before diving in again and allowing Viktor’s cock to brush against the back of his throat.

Truthfully, Viktor knew this wouldn’t be enough for him to get off. Jayce’s mouth was perfect, hot and plush, but dulling his senses meant this wouldn’t do it. No, this was for Jayce. Viktor carded his fingers through Jayce’s hair, felt Jayce’s hips kick forward just a touch. Then Viktor shoved Jayce off of his cock, a pathetic groan punched out of Jayce as he looked up at Viktor with confusion.

Viktor didn’t answer the confusion with words. Instead, he sat on the edge of the bed, positioning himself before crooking his finger towards Jayce and beckoning him closer. Jayce crawled on his hands and knees, stopping in front of Viktor and sitting back on his legs as Viktor shifted his leg to slip between Jayce’s legs. Jayce shuddered.

“Good,” was all Viktor said. Jayce leaned in once more, taking Viktor’s cock in his mouth and immediately swallowing him down, gagging around his cock as the claw on Viktor’s back held Jayce’s hair out of his face.

After a moment of adjusting, Jayce rocked his hips forward, a filthy grind against Viktor’s leg. The noise he made around Viktor’s cock was deliciously sweet, drawing a full body reaction from him. He was so worked up, much more sensitive than Viktor was, that just rutting against Viktor’s leg had him on edge.

Jayce knew Viktor wouldn’t come from his mouth alone, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t try his damnedest. Jayce swallowed around Viktor’s cock again, this time drawing a sharp exhale. When Jayce dared to look up at Viktor, he found Viktor’s face dusted a light pink. Jayce considered that a win as much as any, repeating the action until he gagged around Viktor and pulled away, strings of spit and precum connecting Jayce’s lips to the head of Viktor’s cock. The air was cool against Viktor’s skin, no longer sheathed in the wet heat of Jayce’s mouth as Jayce allowed his breath to ghost against Viktor’s thigh. He leaned in to kiss his inner thigh, reveling in how quickly Viktor reached full hardness as he wrapped his fingers around the base of Viktor’s cock and began to pump. The claw darted for Jayce’s wrist, pulling his hand off of him with a sharp move.

“You know better than that,” Viktor chided. Shame prickled at the back of Jayce’s neck. “Open your mouth.”

Jayce did as he was told for once in his life, taking Viktor all at once and grunting when Viktor rucked his hips off the bed for emphasis, fucking Jayce’s throat and making him gag again, his head going fuzzy from the feeling alone. Jayce didn’t know when he started humping Viktor’s leg, but he knew he had, a desperate rut searching for pleasure in every slow grind up-down-up-down. It was barely there, a nagging bite of satisfaction as Viktor pushed his leg closer to the perfect position, drawing a wanton moan from Jayce.

Jayce hollowed his cheeks around Viktor’s cock, allowing himself a brief moment of respite. His breathing was hard, uneven as he swallowed down the bitter taste of precum on the back of his tongue. He panted hard, barely able to stop himself from grinding hard on Viktor’s leg as Viktor tutted and reached his hand out to wrap around Jayce’s throat. He was so much closer to coming than he thought, his orgasm a tight knot in the pit of his belly as Viktor urged him to continue.

“I’m close, V,” Jayce said warningly.

“I know,” Viktor said, caressing his hand under the slope of Jayce’s jaw, allowing his fingers to grace the curve of his throat. When Jayce shook his head, Viktor paused. “No?”

Jayce flushed a deep red, but met Viktor’s gaze with ease. Despite the threat of embarrassment crawling under his skin, Jayce let his mouth fall open when Viktor curved his finger under Jayce’s chin, tilting his face up.

“Let me,” Jayce said. Viktor did not have to ask what Jayce meant by that because Jayce ducked down to take Viktor in his mouth again, guiding his cock across the warm flat of his tongue and brushing against the back of his throat before finally taking Viktor entirely. Like this, Jayce could barely breathe, only able to huff out sharp breaths through his nose, difficult to breathe in from it being broken by Viktor years ago.

Allowing himself to relish in the feeling, Viktor sighed and leaned back on his arms, keeping his leg in position for Jayce to fuck himself against. His movements were jerky now, barely able to keep up with what his body wanted, and Viktor let him have whatever he wanted. After a moment, Viktor rocked his hips up into Jayce’s mouth, fucking his throat and marveling over the lines of drool spilling out of his mouth, dribbling down his chin in a shiny mess of spit and precum. He could barely focus his eyes for long enough, his vision hazy around the edges as he swallowed around Viktor and gagged again.

The soft whimpers Jayce had been letting out the entire time crescendoed into whines, a telltale sign of how close he was to orgasm. Viktor managed to ground himself long enough to reach down, grabbing a handful of Jayce’s hair and forcing him to meet his gaze. Wordlessly, Jayce gave permission, and Viktor wasted no time in fucking Jayce’s throat, pushing his head down, down, down, until Jayce couldn’t breathe, his head swimming in Viktor’s scent, the scratch of nails on his scalp, mouth stuffed full and his jaw aching and sore.

“Ah, Jayce,” Viktor breathed out. Jayce’s eyes went wide in recognition as all at once, his orgasm washed over him, a dizzying sensation spreading at the top of his head down to the tips of his toes. His hips rutted shallowly against Viktor’s leg, a wet mess of cum seeping through the front of his pants. As his vision began to blur, Viktor pulled Jayce off of his cock, holding him up by his hair as Jayce gasped, the burn of air rushing through his chest and making his cock kick weakly behind his pants, another spurt of cum spilling out of him and making his pants stickier than before.

“Look at the mess you made,” Viktor remarked, tracing the tip of his finger in the drool-cum dribble on Jayce’s chin and lifting it to his lips. Jayce sucked appreciatively, barely able to register Viktor’s hands on his body, pulling him off of the floor and throwing him onto the bed, splayed out on his stomach.

Viktor allowed Jayce a moment to recover, his breathing leveling off while Viktor found a bottle of lubricant he always kept stowed away for exactly these occasions. 

When Jayce could breathe again, he dared a glance over his shoulder to where Viktor stood, removing the panel Jayce had been begging him to remove earlier.

“You—” Jayce coughed, burying his face in the sheets before pushing himself up just a touch. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“What?” Viktor said, feigning ignorance. When Jayce shot Viktor The Look, Viktor scoffed. “Like you were so innocent. You and I both know exactly why you wanted this panel off.”

“Helping isn’t enough?” Jayce said. It was Viktor’s turn now to return The Look, as Jayce rolled his eyes. “Fine, you’re right. But what’s the point of me knowing those wires exist if you won’t let me at them?!”

“You’re pathetic,” Viktor remarked, returning to the bed with the bottle of lube in hand as he tossed it at Jayce’s side. Jayce didn’t bother turning over, as he felt Viktor’s hands on his hips, pulling his pants off in a quick slide. Jayce kicked them off along with his boots. He rolled on his side to begin taking his coat and shirt off, but Viktor pinned him down to the bed instead, pressing his stomach into the mattress with a rough shove.

“Leave it,” he said.

“Agh, you could at least say please,” Jayce bit back. Then he felt Viktor’s hands on the back of his thighs, fingers curving under his hips to lift him off the bed before shoving his knees forward to spread his legs. Like this, Viktor could see the cum shining slick on Jayce’s softening cock hanging between his legs, flushed red from the friction of grinding against Viktor’s leg.

Without warning, Jayce felt the sharp sting of Viktor’s hand across the curve of his ass, open handed and sudden as he yelped and jumped away from Viktor’s touch.

“Please,” Viktor said for effect.

Jayce glared at Viktor over his shoulder as Viktor was clearly pleased with himself, grabbing the bottle of lube from Jayce’s side. Instead of warming the lube up on his fingers, Viktor allowed it to drip between Jayce’s cheeks, scooping it up with his fingers and making a mess. Teasingly, Viktor rubbed his fingers against Jayce’s hole, pulling noises from Jayce as he waited for Viktor’s fingers to fuck into him.

Viktor dipped his hand lower, let his fingers rub across Jayce’s perineum, then to his sac and the base of his barely hard cock. Jayce hissed through his teeth, burying his face in the sheets at the contact. Despite the sensitivity, Jayce fucked his hips forward, searching for the pain of it and finding only the ends of Viktor’s fingers skirting over the head of his cock. Cum webbed between his fingertips, a weak spurt of cum spitting out of the tip and onto Viktor’s hand.

After a moment, Viktor rearranged himself on the bed behind Jayce, kneeling behind him and sliding his index finger in with ease. Jayce sighed, relaxing into the feeling as soon as he felt Viktor curve his finger inside of him. Without allowing much time to adjust, Viktor slid his second finger into Jayce, spreading them and smiling at the small noise of discomfort Jayce let out.

“Fuck,” was all Jayce could verbalize, his mouth parted and drool collecting in his mouth, spilling over onto the sheets underneath him while Viktor took his time taking him apart, reveling in how Jayce gave himself to Viktor without question.

Viktor leaned over Jayce, a press of flesh and machine to Jayce’s back making him shiver in realization. He damned Viktor for not letting him take his shirt off, as Viktor smoothed his hand across the small of his back and pushed his shirt up with every appreciative inch. Viktor slid his hand higher, slipping it out from under Jayce’s shirt until he reached the curve of Jayce’s throat and squeezed. Jayce licked his lips, preparing himself for the inevitable cut-off, when Viktor bit down on the crook of his neck, breaking skin again. Jayce huffed.

“You call me the dog, but you’re fucking biting me like one,” Jayce said. Viktor laved his tongue over the mark, appreciative of the burst of blood where his teeth broke skin.

“And you’re crying like a bitch. Perhaps it would have been more fitting to call you that.”

“Fuck you,” Jayce bit back out of habit.

“I believe I’m fucking you,” Viktor said. Before Jayce could respond, Viktor pulled his fingers out of Jayce, grabbing the bottle of lube and spreading a healthy amount over his cock. Then he pushed Jayce's face down into the mattress. He used his spare hand to spread his Jayce’s cheeks, then pressed his cock to his hole. Jayce went silent, eyes fluttering shut at the familiar burn with every inch of Viktor’s cock pressing inside him, filling him up to the brim. Of course, Viktor hadn’t prepped him fully; he wanted it to hurt, for Jayce to have a reminder of it for a while after.

Viktor exhaled as soon as he bottomed out, as if he had any reason to hold his breath, while Jayce squirmed under the tension of Viktor’s hands on his hips, his hands holding a bruising grip as he rocked his hips forward, Jayce’s own following his movements despite the stretch and burn around Viktor. He whimpered, couldn’t stop himself from clenching around Viktor, who brought his hand down on Jayce’s ass once again, less to make it hurt and more of a warning.

“Relax,” Viktor said, his voice coaxing and soft. Jayce let out short breaths, dizzy with desire, with the pleasure-pain of Viktor all over him, suffocatingly close.

“Easy for you to say,” Jayce groused. “We should’ve prepped more. You’re a fucking— ah— asshole.”

“You love it when it hurts,” Viktor said. Jayce flushed a deep red, hiding his face from view as he mumbled a quiet shut up in response.

Viktor slowly pulled out, leaving only the tip of his cock inside before plunging in once again. Jayce wailed outright now, his hands scrabbling for purchase in the sheets before he melted, barely able to hold himself up as Viktor rocked his hips forward, building up a steady pace and giving Jayce only the briefest of seconds to adjust.

Jayce felt the rush of precum making the slide of his cock that much easier. He babbled mindlessly, oscillating between “please, please, please” and cursing Viktor’s name with each torturous thrust in. Jayce felt the claw at Viktor’s shoulder crawling forward, tangling in with his hair and pulling him off the mattress, his back arched and head pulled back to reveal the expanse of his throat. Jayce gasped, only able to take whatever Viktor gave him in stride. Viktor pulled Jayce close to him, one hand wrapped around his throat, the other trailing down his stomach to his hardening cock, flushed a pretty scarlet red and weeping cum at the tip, and the claw tangled in his hair, keeping him upright.

“Oh fuck, fuck, Viktor!”

Jayce hiccuped past a sob, biting back tears and instead leaning his head back so it rested on Viktor’s shoulder. Like this, he could turn to the side, facing Viktor and getting to catch sight of the gorgeous flush on Viktor’s face, sweat beading at his temples, and making his hair stick to the side of his face. He was....

“Beautiful,” Jayce managed to pant out. Viktor flushed, brows furrowed as he lifted his hand from Jayce’s throat to cup his chin.

“Don’t get sentimental,” Viktor replied, keeping his tone curt. Jayce rolled his eyes.

“Of course not.”

Jayce kissed Viktor despite it. Viktor slowed for a brief moment, allowing Jayce to lick into his mouth and taste his blood on his tongue. He bit down on Jayce’s bottom lip as they pulled away.

When Jayce parted his lips to say something else, Viktor wrapped his hand around Jayce’s cock, languidly pumping his hand up and down as Jayce yelped in overstimulation and nearly keeled over, held up by Viktor’s hand on his throat and the claw in his hair.

On a particularly hard thrust, Viktor hit Jayce’s prostate, the head of his cock grinding filthily against it. Viktor drew another loud wail from Jayce as he trembled, his body burning from the position Viktor held him in. It was only after this wail that Viktor tightened his grip around Jayce’s throat, mindful of Jayce’s windpipe and pressing hard on the sides of his neck. Immediately, Jayce sagged against Viktor, only able to let out a few punched out moans as he felt Viktor stroke him in time with his thrusts. Viktor’s hand was almost too dry to be comfortable, the friction making Jayce furrow his brows and whimper when Viktor drew it away.

“Spit,” Viktor ordered. Jayce felt Viktor release his grip on his neck. It took Jayce a moment to return to lucidity, before finally he spat on the palm of Viktor’s hand. “So obedient, Jayce. What is it you say to dogs? Good boy?”

Jayce ignored the way his cock twitched at the praise, his face red hot under the heat of Viktor’s gaze. For once, Viktor took mercy on him, wrapping his fingers around Jayce’s cock again and working him up into a whimpering, pleading mess.

A quiet moan slipped past Viktor’s lips, catching Jayce’s attention the moment it did so. Viktor always lasted much longer than Jayce could, mostly due to augments, but Jayce wasn’t complaining. It meant he was able to enjoy himself for longer, and that, much like how Viktor could tell how close Jayce was getting, Jayce could tell how good he was making Viktor feel when Viktor would finally moan and show his reactions. 

Viktor returned his hand to Jayce’s throat, bearing down when Jayce nodded in approval.

“C-close,” Jayce choked out. Viktor only squeezed tighter in response, careful to give Jayce a moment of reprieve in between every five seconds, mindful of how Jayce’s eyes crossed every time he did so.

Viktor pumped his hand around Jayce’s cock, his fingers circling the head and rubbing a circle on the underside, where he knew Jayce was sensitive. Immediately, Jayce fucked into the wet warmth of Viktor’s hand, chasing the feeling with reckless abandon.

“Ah— ah, ah, oh fuck, I’m coming, Viktor, I’m coming.”

Jayce stilled in Viktor’s grasp, his second orgasm of the night hitting him harder than the first. Instead of a smooth wash of sensation, this one punched the air out of him, goosebumps littering his body as he squirmed, struggling to keep himself upright. Cum spilled over Viktor’s hand this time, over his knuckles and making his strokes smoother, slicker, the squelch of it lewd and filling the room with Jayce’s overstimulated moans. Viktor couldn’t stop, even as he heard Jayce burst into sobs, his hands darting for Viktor’s wrist and managing to pull him off as he caught his breath.

Slumping over on the bed, Jayce cursed to himself, Viktor still buried to the hilt in his ass. Viktor hummed, clearly satisfied with his performance, running his hands over the plush roundness of Jayce’s ass and thrusting in slowly. Jayce stifled a cry into his hand.

“Had enough?” Viktor said. While his tone was teasing, there was an undertow of concern in the way he phrased it, his hips rocking slowly with Jayce’s own, gauging his comfort level based on the soft noises punched out of Jayce with each movement.

Jayce, in response, clenched around Viktor, making Viktor hiss through his teeth at the sensation as he furrowed his brows and let his eyes flutter shut. He was closer than expected, so far gone in the heat of Jayce he nearly lost himself.

“I want it, Viktor,” he said. “Want you.” 

Viktor shuddered out an exhale, doing his best to keep his composure while Jayce looked back at Viktor over his shoulder, face flushed and expression fucked out. Viktor swallowed thickly at the sight of him.

“Fuck.”

Jayce felt Viktor slide out of him, suddenly empty as he clenched around nothing. Before he could verbalize his disappointment, Viktor grabbed Jayce by the curve of his waist, flipping him over on the bed so he lay on his back. Like this, Viktor looked down at Jayce, his hair hanging past his face in sweaty locks. All at once, Jayce managed to push himself up enough to shove his coat off, slipping out of his shirt a moment after and tossing it aside. Jayce’s entire body was flushed red, bite marks and bruises littering his skin, contrasted only by the white scars decorating his flesh, reminders of past battles between him and Viktor. Viktor took in the sight of his work, a smug smile tugging at the corners of his lips. Jayce rolled his eyes.

“You always get that stupid look on your face.”

“Mind you, you have not seen my face in quite a long time,” Viktor retorted.

“Doesn’t mean I ever forgot it.”

It was meant to be snarky, but it was unexpectedly tender. Jayce blinked back surprise at his admission, brows furrowed suddenly.

“I... I— sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Don’t worry, Defender,” Viktor said. “I did not take it that way.”

With that, Viktor grabbed Jayce by the back of his knees, pushing them up and lining his cock up with Jayce’s hole. Jayce felt the familiar stretch, no longer a burn and more of a pleasant ache as Viktor thrust in all at once, punching the words out of him and earning a loud whine of pleasure as Jayce tangled his fingers in the sheets. Now that Jayce had come twice, Viktor was less inclined to focus on Jayce, instead building up a rhythm fucking into Jayce’s heat again. Jayce rolled his hips to meet every thrust.

Viktor growled, leaning over Jayce and holding himself up using the claw. With his free (and clean) hand, Viktor lifted his hand to Jayce’s lips, running his thumb over the wet plushness of his bottom lip as Jayce easily opened his mouth.

“Tell me when to stop,” Viktor said, pressing his index and middle finger into Jayce’s open, waiting mouth. Much like before, Jayce allowed Viktor’s fingers to brush the back of his throat, bruised and tight around his fingers as Viktor reveled in the sensation. He gagged around Viktor’s fingers, spit webbing between Viktor’s fingers before he took in a sharp gasp of air. With each well placed thrust, Jayce felt his cock almost hardening again, an overwhelming flood of pleasure-pain in the pit of his belly. When Jayce parted his lips for Viktor’s fingers again, he sobbed instead, tears prickling hot in the corners of his eyes.

“Jayce,” Viktor said.

“It’s fine, I’m okay, just— fuck, ah, keep going,” he said between hiccups. Viktor couldn’t help but marvel at the mess Jayce was reduced to, hot tears and sticky spit, face flushed red under the heat of Viktor’s touch. Viktor almost slipped into sentimentality, the word “beautiful” on the tip of his tongue. Instead, he growled and pushed Jayce’s face to the side, leaning in to bite the curve of Jayce’s throat and leaving the sharp imprint of teeth behind one last time.

Jayce tangled his fingers in Viktor’s hair, pulling him away from his neck to kiss him. Viktor mostly panted into Jayce’s open mouth, the two of them sharing air and making Viktor dizzy with want, the air heavy and hazy on his tongue as Jayce nodded into the kiss.

“Come on, Vik. Come for me, please, ah—”

Without fanfare, Jayce felt himself coming again, blind praise and encouragement for Viktor spilling out of his mouth as he did. His cock kicked pathetically, cum barely spilling out from the tip. Jayce bit down on his bottom lip hard enough to almost break skin, releasing it only when Viktor pressed his hand down on the curve of Jayce’s jaw, squeezing in a way that made Jayce open his mouth for Viktor to slide his tongue over his palate.

Jayce blindly reached for Viktor’s core, slipping his hand past the open space where Viktor removed the panel, revealing the inner machinations of his body. Viktor slowed just a touch, allowing Jayce the freedom to wrap his fingers around two wires, taking in a deep breath before Jayce pulled hard, yanking them from Viktor’s core as they went taut. Viktor practically screamed, unable to muffle the sound of pleasure torn from him as Jayce mumbled encouragement against his cheek, stopping to kiss him before continuing his quiet praise.

The feeling of Jayce clenching tight around him, combined with the sheer pleasure Viktor felt in the pit of his belly, had Viktor tumbling headfirst into orgasm. He felt it in his core, flooding his entire body with warmth as Jayce moaned with the last of Viktor’s thrusts. Tears flowed down Jayce’s face freely now, soft cries escaping him as Viktor rode out the last bit of his orgasm. Viktor pressed his forehead to Jayce’s own, catching his breath as he swept his fingers over the sides of Jayce’s face to wipe away the tears. Jayce kissed the corners of Viktor’s lips, barely able to keep his eyes open from how tired he was.

“Viktor,” Jayce said, his voice ragged and quiet. Viktor didn’t answer him, brows furrowed with the remaining pleasure in his core. “Fuck, Viktor, I love you.”

Viktor felt Jayce’s hand cradling the side of his face, the warm curve of his palm beckoning Viktor closer. Jayce kissed him softly.

“Tell me I shouldn’t love you,” Jayce said. Viktor huffed, shaking his head and pushing the hair from Jayce’s face. His fingers ghosted over Jayce’s cheek, barely able to bring himself to touch him, as if the contact would ruin the moment Viktor wanted to stay in for as long as he possibly could. “Tell me to stop.”

Viktor hesitated. He could not tell Jayce to stop loving him— he was selfish in that way. 

Instead, Viktor said, “I cannot love you, Jayce. You know this.”

Jayce swallowed hard. Stupid, he admonished himself, for ever thinking Viktor could change. For thinking that, for once, Viktor could admit there was some shred of humanity left in him that could love.

That some part of him still loved Jayce.

Viktor allowed himself just a moment to linger, one last breath shared between them, before slowly pulling away.

He returned from the bathroom with a towel in his hand. Jayce had his arm thrown over his face, barely noticing the dip of the bed as Viktor took his time in cleaning Jayce up. Jayce took in a deep breath the moment he felt Viktor’s hands on him, barely able to handle the tenderness of the action.

When Jayce was clean, Viktor carefully turned Jayce over. He immediately eyed a wound on Jayce’s thigh, clearly from the fight with Caitlyn. Viktor traced his finger delicately around the injury on his thigh. “I did this, didn’t I?”

Jayce couldn’t bring himself to answer verbally. He nodded after a moment.

Wordlessly and without apology, Viktor cleaned the wound on Jayce’s thigh with a clean towel, bandaging it up carefully.

Perhaps it was the combination of their conversation before, their conversation after, or the sheer dichotomy of Viktor caring for him so tenderly just a few short minutes after saying he no longer had it within him to love Jayce, that triggered Jayce to let out a sob of disbelief. He did his best to bite back the urge, burying his face in the pillow underneath him. If Viktor noticed, he did not call attention to it. Instead, he disappeared from Jayce’s side for a brief moment, setting aside the first-aid kit he brought in from the bathroom, and carefully crawled into the bed beside Jayce. Despite Jayce’s initial protests, he allowed himself to be pulled into Viktor’s chest, the sheer warmth of Viktor’s body melting his resistance away as he curled in closer.

“You said this was going to hurt,” Jayce said quietly. Viktor hummed in acknowledgment. “You weren’t kidding, huh?”

“I wanted to be wrong for once.” 

Jayce couldn’t hold back from the incredulous laugh that escaped him.

“You’ve been wrong plenty of times, V. You just picked a hell of a time to be right.”

Doing what he did best, Jayce wedged himself closer to Viktor, as close as he could get, listening to the sound of the heartbeat in Viktor’s chest, unmistakably human. The sound of it lulled Jayce into a quiet slumber, his eyes falling shut as Viktor carded his fingers through Jayce’s hair. Viktor stopped only when sleep beckoned him into its recesses as well.

Notes:

aaaand we're on the other side ∠( ᐛ 」∠)＿ see. mostly painless. kind of! sort of!

ty so much as always to my biggest cheerleaders (scottie and mack) while i struggled to write this section for S O L O N G. i think i really love how it came out. i hope y'all do too! and a big thank you to everybody who has subscribed, commented, bookmarked, kudosed, and just read the fic! i really appreciate yall keeping up with everything and being patient with updates.

for full transparency, i'm currently writing the last two chapters out now, they're not prewritten, so there may be a delay in next week's update. i hope the smut of this one may tide yall over while i throw jayce and viktor into the pickle jar and shake em around a bit. i'll definitely post something on my bluesky and maybe my twitter by tuesday (july 8th) if the chapter is going to be delayed or not.

(hopefully) see you next week for another update!

Chapter 6: Absolve Your Guilt and Shake Hands

Jayce couldn’t remember the last time he had slept so soundly. Viktor had tangled his limbs with Jayce’s own throughout the night, snoring softly while Jayce held him close, lost in the sheer warmth of Viktor’s body. Augments be damned, Jayce couldn’t hold himself back from cuddling in closer, as close as he could, and Viktor let him. Jayce didn’t want to think about why Viktor let him. He just took advantage of it while he could.

Jayce woke up first. He stretched, doing his best not to disturb Viktor, who simply rolled over and buried his face in the few pillows he had to himself.

Staring up at the ceiling, Jayce felt like he could hear the countdown of seconds as he lay there. It was almost time. Despite their best attempts to ignore exactly what would happen, Jayce knew Viktor could feel it, too. Time was running out for the two of them. Jayce had to return to Piltover, and Viktor... well, he had allowed himself to grow too comfortable with Jayce around. He was complacent now, and that had to be rectified quickly. The tightrope they walked was fraying in the middle, and Jayce was always the first one to jump ship while Viktor braced for impact; two sides of the same coin.

As quietly as he could, Jayce rose from the bed, mindful of the quiet noises Viktor made in his sleep, and crept out of his room. Once outside, Jayce instinctively looked down, as if expecting the Blitzes to be chirping and jumping at his side. He deflated when he remembered, shoulders sagging with the reminder of the sickening snap of Caitlyn’s snap trap.

Heading down the short distance down the hall, he turned into the room he had seen Viktor walking out of after the storm. Inside, the communicator sat, seemingly undisturbed. As Jayce shut the door behind him, mindful of the soft click of it, he turned to face the communicator, eyes darting between the keys and the ground. This was the right thing to do. 

This was the right thing to do.

But it wasn’t what Jayce wanted to do.

He gritted his teeth, steeling his nerves and flipping the switch on the communicator. It let out a small beep, the screen coming to life and filling the room with a blue hue. Jayce glanced back at the bottom of the door, worried Viktor would wake up and see the light spilling out from under it. He would know, and gods know what he would do if he found Jayce there, hurriedly typing out a message to Caitlyn.

Caitlyn—

It’s Jayce. Do not respond to this message. Hoping I caught you before you bring the militia to Zaun.

I have a plan to save the girl. Have Vi meet Viktor and I at the bridge in the Promenade between Zaun and Piltover at noon. Only Vi. No enforcers.

I need your help most. You will have to sneak into Viktor’s lab to rescue the girl.

Details as follows.

Jayce made quick work of typing up the rest of the message, doing his best to keep it brief, succinct. He was sure Caitlyn would be more than offended that he typed out an entire plan when she was perfectly capable of figuring it out on her own. Despite that, Jayce finished typing out the plan before he furrowed his brows and entered a new line in the message.

Do not destroy Viktor’s lab. He has pertinent information here that we may use for Piltover’s benefit— it’s better that he has the lab for now than destroying it and making him run to a Chem-Baron for solace.

Jayce knew Viktor would sooner tear out the wires one by one from his body and remove every last augmentation in him before he would appreciate what Jayce was trying to do for him. However, the last part was true: Jayce had heard a rumor of Viktor working with one Chem-Baroness in particular, one Renata Glasc, who undoubtedly had funded Viktor’s latest lab and projects. While Jayce was not particularly keen on allowing Viktor to continue his work with Renata, he did not want to imagine Viktor going further into the webs of the Chem-Barons of Zaun. Renata was bad enough, and Jayce would be damned if he was responsible for chasing Viktor further into their reach. He shuddered just thinking about it.

As if Viktor needed protecting, as if Viktor was Jayce’s to protect.

Jayce read the message over, satisfied with what he laid out for Caitlyn, before quickly sending it off. It was early enough in the morning that he hoped he would catch her. Akin to her Piltovan background, she usually waited until the peak of the day to march into Zaun and make her demands. The more eyes on the matter, the better. It wasn’t performative, but rather a promise, a reminder to those who dared to challenge not just her authority, but her strength.

Jayce waited a moment to ensure the communicator had a chance to properly send off the message before turning it off and carefully making his way back to Viktor’s room.

Viktor lay on his side, facing away from Jayce. He still snored, curled in on himself in such a way that made Jayce’s heart pang with want, a yearning so deep in his chest, it ached as he couldn’t help but slip into the bed again. Viktor roused just a touch at the dip of the bed, looking over his shoulder as Jayce pulled the covers over himself and pressed his lips to the metallic curve of Viktor’s shoulder. Without allowing Viktor the chance to roll over, Jayce snaked his arm around the dip of Viktor’s waist, pulling him in close so Jayce could feel the warmth of Viktor’s back against his front, metal and flesh and wires hot to the touch.

“Had to use the bathroom,” Jayce mumbled, thankful Viktor couldn’t see him lying.

“I did not ask,” Viktor slurred through sleep. Jayce huffed a laugh, pressing another kiss to Viktor’s shoulder and resting his forehead against it after a beat. He furrowed his brows, resisting the urge to run back to the communicator and tell Caitlyn that he was fine forever, more than happy to stay right here in this bed with Viktor for the rest of his life, Piltover be damned. There was a world beyond Piltover and Zaun, and they could run away, to the icy lands of the Freljord, waiting out the harshest winters together and hiding away from the hands of Piltover and Zaun in the Citadel; or to the Shuriman jungles of Ixtal; or as much as Jayce would hate to live in Demacia or Ionia, he would do it if Viktor wanted to, if Viktor wanted to hide away.

He never would.

Piltover and Zaun would never pull their hands out of the deepest parts of Jayce and Viktor. This is where they were meant to be. This is what they were meant to do, their song and dance laid out for them for many years to come.

Instead of continuing to indulge in fantasies, Jayce waited until he heard the sound of Viktor snoring once more. He felt his breath steaming up against the metal of Viktor’s shoulder, shuddered out in a huff.

“I’m sorry, Viktor,” he said.

Then Jayce allowed himself another hour of restless sleep.

Jayce flinched awake to the sound of Viktor leaving the room, fully armored and dressed. Stumbling out of bed, Jayce grabbed his clothes, quickly pulling them on from the neatly folded pile at the end of the bed.

Once dressed, Jayce rushed out to the main area of the lab, where Viktor was reading more reports on the girl. He only glanced at Jayce for the briefest of seconds, the mask over his face as Jayce let out a breath he didn’t realize he had been holding. If he had known last night was the last time he would see Viktor’s face, he would have indulged a bit more, would have made Viktor turn over so he could stay up until he couldn’t keep his eyes open any longer, committing every single detail to memory.

“How is she?” Jayce said. Viktor hummed, just barely audible over the feedback of his voice modulator.

“Mm, her white blood counts are high,” Viktor said. “Fighting off infection. I wonder....”

“Pneumonia?” Jayce supplemented.

“It’s possible.” Viktor shuffled the papers in his hands, setting them aside before Jayce cleared his throat, catching his attention.

“Caitlyn will be back today,” Jayce said. Viktor stiffened, only for a brief moment, clearly caught off guard by Jayce jumping topics so quickly. “I think I know a way we can avoid any more... incidents.”

Jayce let the last word sit, as Viktor took in the state of his lab. While everything was already secondhand since Viktor had to relocate and set up shop someplace else after his last lab was raided, it looked even worse than when he first arrived: the lights above shot out, glass littering the ground in messily swept heaps, power coils no longer stable enough to use because of Caitlyn’s bullets ricocheting between them. To say his lab was a disaster was, frankly, an understatement at that point. He could not even bring himself to look at the small box he had set the Blitzes in, unable to take in their forms. He would fix them later, when he had the stomach to do so.

“I do not need your help, Defender. I can handle myself against the Sheriff and her dogs just fine.”

“I know,” Jayce said, “but think about the girl.”

At this, Viktor hesitated, his hand twitching at his side just enough for Jayce to notice.

“She’s been through so much already. If she’s got pneumonia, you need to find antibiotics, medicine I know you don’t have right now. The sooner I’m out of the lab and back in Piltover, the sooner you can start helping her, without having to fight Caitlyn or the enforcers off. Think about it.”

Viktor cocked his head, studying Jayce in such a way that said he didn’t believe him. How could Jayce have gone from being so cocksure, stubborn, and arrogant in his belief that the girl would have been better off with Jayce in Piltover to now begging Viktor to just take care of her and allow him back to Piltover without her?

“What are you getting at?” Viktor said. Jayce swallowed hard, willing himself to stay strong enough in the face of Viktor’s scrutiny.

“I know a way to get in contact with Caitlyn. I can give you her information, and have her meet us in the Promenade. She gets her theatrics, you get to pass me off to Piltover without the enforcers wrecking what’s left of your lab.” Jayce hesitated to continue, but tamped the feeling down long enough to say, “and you can keep the girl.”

For a moment, the claw on Viktor’s back twitched with the threat of coming to life. Jayce only noticed it briefly, his eyes darting back to Viktor’s eyes through the mask. He searched for something in them, anything that would signal Viktor believing him.

“Suddenly changing your mind after weeks of arguing? Tch. Forgive me if I doubt your motives.”

“I know,” Jayce said, his voice placatingly soft. “I don’t expect you to trust me. I don’t expect you to do it for me. I want you to do it for her.”

Jayce took a few careful steps towards Viktor, mindful of his pace as Viktor watched, always wary, guarded. Jayce stopped just an arm’s reach away from Viktor.

Forgive me, Viktor, he thought to himself, before lifting his hand from his side to trace his fingers just along the curve of Viktor’s jaw. Viktor, never one to simply allow petty romantic gestures without repercussion, immediately grabbed Jayce’s wrist, his augmented hand clenched tight around it.

However, even with the threat of Viktor’s hand on his wrist, Jayce still brought his hand closer, fingers curved around the mask in a caress of flesh on metal. Steam slowly wafted out from the sides of Viktor’s chest, barely noticeable considering how close Jayce was. Jayce felt a tug at his heart as soon as Viktor just slightly, oh-so-carefully leaned his head into Jayce’s hand.

“There you are,” Jayce said.

Viktor did not melt. If anybody said he did anything along the lines of melting, he would have sooner transplanted all of their being into a boulder and then thrown it into a ravine than hear them speak such lies again.

But gods.

Viktor melted into Jayce’s touch.

Jayce allowed himself the space to pull Viktor in, his fingers slowly tracing down the line towards the release of Viktor’s mask. Just before Jayce reached it, Viktor pushed his hand away.

“Viktor—”

“No, Jayce,” he said, damning himself for saying his name. 

Jayce paused, but only for a brief second. Then, without hesitation, he leaned forward and rested his forehead against Viktor’s own. Viktor felt the wind knocked back into him, the gesture so loving, it nearly bowled him over. Jayce then slid his hand to the back of Viktor’s neck, holding him close. Viktor allowed his hand to rest on Jayce’s forearm, squeezing slightly as Jayce closed his eyes.

“Must you make it worse?” Viktor said. Jayce knew exactly what Viktor was referring to, holding back a bitter laugh as he kept his eyes shut, unable to look Viktor in the eyes.

“You know me, sweetheart,” Jayce replied. Viktor pretended the pet name did not affect him the way it always had when Jayce would call him that name across the lab, beckoning for blueprints or notes or just Viktor’s presence beside him while he worked.

After a moment of tenderness, Viktor sighed. He used what little leverage he had on Jayce’s arm to push him away. Despite how much Jayce wanted to protest, he bit his tongue.

“For the girl,” Viktor began, unwilling to meet Jayce’s gaze, “perhaps... meeting the sheriff in the Promenade is the best route for us to take.”

Jayce felt a swell in his chest, the promise of hope budding in the back of it, bowling him over with emotion as he smiled. Viktor scoffed.

“It is not for your sake,” Viktor made sure to point out. Jayce held his hands up in faux innocence.

“No, of course not,” he said. “It’s for her.”

Jayce gathered what little he had in Viktor’s lab, changing into his usual clothes. As Viktor readied himself outside of the room, pulling on his cloak and ensuring he had some money to exchange for medicine on the way back, Jayce leaned his weight on his leg, gauging whether or not he should have brought the cane. On one hand, he didn’t need to burden Viktor with carrying him up to the Promenade, but on the other hand, he did think it would make for a good show if Viktor had Jayce leaning on him, just to toss him down at Caitlyn’s feet once they made it up there.

“Viktor?” Jayce called out as he exited the girl’s room. Viktor appeared at the door of the room with the communicator, the blue hue of it spilling out into the hall and illuminating the wall beside him. “Do you have paper? And a pen?”

Viktor let out an inquisitive hum. “For what?”

“I want to leave a note for her. For when she wakes up.” 

Viktor felt a shock to his system. Damn Jayce. Damn Jayce for being so sentimental, for caring so much, the way he always did. It would have been a thousand times easier if Jayce were just like the rest of Piltovans, if he didn’t care about the Zaunite girl, if he had just let her die in whatever alleyway he found her in.

Viktor retrieved a sheet of paper and a pen, carrying it over to hand it to Jayce before turning his back on him.

“Make it quick. I have already sent off the message to Caitlyn. She will waste no time in storming the undercity if we are late.”

Jayce nodded, taking the paper in hand and heading back into the girl’s room. He began writing down a long-winded letter, making sure Viktor was still outside of the room every now and again. It was only when he heard Viktor’s footsteps approaching that Jayce hurriedly scrawled one last line, folding the paper neatly and quickly scribbling one last word over the fold.

“Do you understand the meaning of ‘make it quick’?” Viktor said from the doorway. Jayce waved the paper in his hand, walking over to the girl’s bedside and setting it down beside her.

“Don’t worry your pretty little head, V. I’m all finished,” Jayce said, brushing past Viktor as he did so and thumbing at the space where Viktor’s cheek would usually be if he wasn’t wearing the mask. Viktor puffed out steam at the gesture, batting Jayce’s hands away with a petulant groan.

“Get out of my lab, Defender,” he said.

“Gladly!”

Viktor led the way through the undercity, mindful of its twists and turns and allowing Jayce a moment to catch up with him. Jayce had only slightly lost his touch in the weeks he spent in Viktor’s lab, but he certainly wasn’t letting it slow him down too much. As Viktor kept them hidden from the prying eyes of Zaun, Jayce allowed himself the eager excitement of fantasizing about being back in Piltover, being able to sleep in an actual bed in his apartment. Of course, Jayce would only get one, maybe two days of respite before he had to return to work in the Forge, but he supposed the three weeks prior were rest enough. He was already itching with excitement at the idea of seeing his favorite workers again, to feel at home once more.

“Your clothes are sure to have us noticed, no matter how quick the Rising Howl may be,” Viktor said with a hint of distaste lingering in his tone. “But if we play our cards right, we may avoid drawing too much attention. Come.”

Jayce practically tripped over himself trying to keep up with Viktor, who plowed through crowds of people disembarking the Rising Howl, while others fought their way inside. It was loud, raucous, a cacophony of laughter and frustrated shouts as Jayce reached out for Viktor’s cloak to keep some part of him nearby. Viktor turned to look over his shoulder, clearly irritated by Jayce’s inability to keep up with him. All at once, he reached out and pulled Jayce in by his waist, keeping him close and caging him against the corner of the Howl, where he could avoid the curious eyes of others passing by. Luckily, the level they were in was mostly full of Zaunites who could not be bothered to focus much on the two of them, other than the occasional glance their way. Viktor was tempted to remove his mask, but he supposed his appearance would not have lent itself to fitting in much either way.

“You know, I have access to the private Howls,” Jayce said. Viktor sneered under his mask, a sound of annoyance escaping him as he did so.

“I’m sure you do, Defender. But tell me, how would it look if the Machine Herald of Zaun ended up beside the Defender of Tomorrow in a private, expensive, luxury Howl?”

“I guess Piltover would be pretty scandalized,” Jayce said, leaning in to speak softly to Viktor. “How would the Machine Herald feel about being in one of the private, expensive, luxury Howls with the Defender of Tomorrow?”

Viktor contemplated his answer, all heat under his augments before he looked away.

“I do not contemplate such impossibilities.”

Jayce smirked, pleased with himself. The conductor’s voice boomed over the speakers of the Howl, a sudden shift of movement knocking Viktor and Jayce closer to one another before Viktor cleared his throat and pulled away. Jayce held onto Viktor’s belt, fingers intertwined in the material of it and keeping him near.

“Next stop, the Promenade! Boundary Markets, College of Techmaturgy, Horticultural Center! The Cliff!”

Viktor perked up at that, wrenching himself away from Jayce’s reach as he straightened out.

“Don’t worry, V. You look great. Ready for your close-up?”

“I nearly forgot how unbearable you are. It’s almost as if the closer you get to Piltover, the worse you become,” Viktor groused. 

“I’m this terrible all the time, thank you very much,” Jayce said in faux offense, clutching a set of imaginary pearls at his neck. He furrowed his brows, contemplating the next steps in their plan before he took a sharp breath in and caught Viktor’s attention. “Hey, Viktor?”

“Mm?”

Jayce caught Viktor’s attention, the two of them sharing the silence for the briefest of seconds as Jayce tried to rationalize the question he had to himself before speaking it out loud.

“You sent the message off to Caitlyn earlier, right?”

Viktor nodded.

“How did you get her communicator information?”

At this, Viktor seemed to freeze for the briefest of seconds. Then, he let out a scoff of disbelief.

“I have sources,” he said. Jayce mirrored the scoff Viktor let out.

“That’s a pretty lame answer.”

“Do you truly believe I have never been in touch with others in Piltover other than you?”

It was defensive in a way that Jayce hadn’t expected. Viktor wasn’t usually one to shy away from explaining where he had secured names, numbers, addresses, the like. Jayce couldn’t help but find the way Viktor seemed to avoid answering the question suspicious at best. Still, the way Viktor said it was heated, meant to get under Jayce’s skin with a bite of bitterness. Jayce took the bait, grimacing as soon as Viktor said it, as he rolled his eyes.

“It was just a question,” he replied.

Jayce caught himself on the gate behind him as the Rising Howl lurched to a stop, just in time for the small bridge to extend towards the opening of the Howl. Without wasting a second, Viktor reached for Jayce’s arm, pulling him towards the entrance and scrambling to the exit together.

Jayce cleared his throat. “You don’t think she would make such a scene at the Boundary Markets, would she—”

“Well, well, well.”

Viktor and Jayce both turned on their heels faster than they could process, a loud booming voice echoing across the Promenade towards them. Viktor made quick work to grab onto Jayce’s arm, lurching him forward as Jayce hissed through his teeth and realized what Viktor was trying to accomplish with the gesture. As pathetically as he could, Jayce exaggeratedly limped, meandering just slightly behind the pace Viktor took to make it seem like Viktor was dragging him forward. The act. Right. Jayce had nearly forgotten.

“If it isn’t Zaun’s favorite old rust bucket.”

Viktor growled under his breath, leaving a good amount of distance between the two of them and Vi, who had a bevvy of enforcers rallied behind her. Jayce furrowed his brows at the sight of them— he said nobody else. He made it clear to Caitlyn that the enforcers were not necessary.

“Did you know about this?” Viktor said, his voice hushed so Jayce was the only one who could hear him. Jayce hesitated to answer, feeling Viktor’s hold on his arm constrict more than it had before. “Of course you did.”

“No, I didn’t. I swear.”

Viktor took a moment to steel himself, immediately meeting Vi’s gaze from across the Promenade. The crowd of people around them lingered, shying away only due to the presence of the enforcers, who had intimidatingly surrounded Viktor and Jayce with their weapons drawn, pointed at Viktor.

“I never took you for the theatrics the Sheriff adores, Vi,” Viktor called out in response, “but I guess I shouldn’t expect any different from a leashed traitor.”

“Leashed traitor—” Vi cut through, clearly not used to Viktor’s biting retorts. They had only crossed paths a handful of times, and truth be told, Viktor usually had the upper hand.

"Do you enjoy kneeling for Piltover in exchange for table scraps? How... disappointingly human."

Vi’s face grew red with each scathing jab Viktor shot towards her.

“Keep preaching, tin can. Your ‘Glorious Evolution’ bullshit isn’t working out for you. You had to kidnap the Defender just to prove a point, and you couldn’t even do that right, could you?”

A small burst of steam shot out of Viktor’s sides, barely noticeable but enough for Jayce to feel it on his arm as Viktor swung Jayce forward.

Vi’s gauntlets sparked at her sides, the Hexcrystal inside of them clicking into place as she flexed the fingers of them and smiled as soon as Viktor’s eyes honed in on the movement. Jayce was quick to notice it as well.

“Vi,” Jayce called out warningly. “How about we try solving this problem without punching?”

Vi leaned her head from side to side, cracking it in the process of doing so. “No can do, pretty boy. I promised Caitlyn we’d bring this bag of bolts to the Council. I didn’t say I’d do it without breaking a few pieces off of him first.”

Viktor grimaced, taking in his surroundings and noting the areas of escape. He released his grip on Jayce’s arm, taking a careful step backwards as Vi whistled for the enforcers to stand down. Her gauntlets hummed with the power of the crystal behind them, Viktor’s eyes darting from her feet to the tips of her fingers. At the first move, he would have to dodge swiftly. Vi’s fighting style was a whole different ballgame than Caitlyn’s, and while Viktor had bested her many times before, he had not prepared for anything of this sort, especially in the Promenade. Children lingered in the area, ogling the scene before them, not knowing of the potential danger they were in being so close.

Without another second of hesitation, Vi lunged forward from her spot, swinging the gauntlets down in a wide reach. Viktor raised the staff in his augmented arm, barely able to conjure up a shield of energy that absorbed the brunt of the force behind it. Sparks flew from the impact alone, as Viktor dug his heels into the ground, steeling himself as the claw on his back easily shot off a heated ray at Vi’s feet, forcing her back enough for Viktor to ready another defensive maneuver.

“Vi, that’s enough!” Jayce called out, catching her attention only for the briefest of seconds. “This wasn’t the deal.”

“Deal’s changed,” she shouted back. As soon as she leapt from her spot once again, Viktor shot his attention over to Jayce for a split second, their eyes meeting in the space between them. Jayce felt his blood run cold at their eyes meeting. Viktor heard him. Viktor knew he had set this up. He supposed Viktor had already had a hunch, but having Jayce confirm it in the middle of a fight truly was not the way Jayce had anticipated this going.

When Vi landed in front of Viktor again, she relentlessly brought her gauntlets in for a series of punches at Viktor’s torso. Jayce did not miss the way Viktor deflected her hits with precision, always one step ahead but just barely able to keep himself at the ready. She was aiming right where Caitlyn had just a day prior; Caitlyn must have relayed that information to her, as Vi brought down one strike that managed to connect. Viktor’s claw latched onto the gauntlet, shoving himself away enough to avoid another devastating hit.

“There are children here!” Jayce shouted. Kids fled the scene now, their parents protecting them behind the few open markets and around corners as Vi sprinted towards Viktor once more.

“Guess they’ll get to see a tin can get crushed then,” Vi replied, unyielding in her force.

Despite Viktor’s best attempts to deflect her hits, he still hadn’t fully recovered from the day before, and his systems were failing fast. He did his best to protect his augmented arm, jerking it away each time Vi tried to deliver another devastating blow. Finally, her gauntlet connected, drawing sparks from Viktor’s chest as he gritted his teeth and bit back the familiar bite of overheating, blood and coolant on the back of his tongue.

“Give it up,” Vi said, her voice only audible to the two of them. Viktor snarled behind his mask, barely able to keep himself upright as he heard footsteps approaching the two of them, quick and sudden. Vi barely turned in time to notice as Jayce lunged for the gauntlets, knocking the Hexcrystals out of place to render them useless. Vi felt the weight of them increase at her sides, the gauntlets practically pulling her to the ground as she slipped her hands out.

“Get out of here, Viktor,” Jayce said. Viktor waited, his eyes locked on Jayce. Jayce drew his brows upward, a desperate expression wild on his face as he heard the enforcers closing in. “Go!”

Viktor hesitated for just a moment, something wild in the way his eyes tracked Jayce and then darted to Vi as she sneered and lifted her hands, as if she could take Viktor on without the gauntlets. Truth be told, she probably could, given the way Viktor felt steam and smoke billowing from his sides. He shouldn’t have trusted this plan— it was far too risky, being so far from the lab and without Jayce to help him when he returned. After that thought crossed his mind, he practically kicked himself. He didn’t need Jayce to help him. He had augmented most of his body on his own, without the help of anybody else. Get ahold of yourself.

When Viktor heard the sound of the enforcers’ footsteps drawing near, he pushed himself up, one hand carefully shielding his damaged chest plates. Jayce wanted to reach out, to apologize, to say something before Viktor left, but there were eyes on them, both of them, and Jayce in particular. The Defender of Tomorrow did not apologize to anybody, and certainly not the Machine Herald of Zaun. Viktor met Jayce’s gaze one last time, a silent farewell in the space between them before he retreated into a smoky alleyway of the Promenade.

“Don’t let him get away!”

Jayce watched as the enforcers sprinted towards the alleyway Viktor headed into— Viktor was sure to escape with little issue, though. He knew the ins and outs of Zaun better than any enforcer ever could, and was surely already two steps ahead of them with each second that passed.

What Jayce didn’t expect was Vi’s fist connecting with his jaw.

He lumbered backwards, the force of the punch not enough to bowl him over, but enough to feel soreness immediately spreading as she pulled her arm back and let out a furious huff. Her face was a shade of deep red, the tattoo on her face accentuated now by the tomato red flush spreading across her cheeks as Jayce held his jaw with a careful hand.

“Caitlyn said you were acting weird, but this takes the cake. Don’t ever, and I mean ever, interfere with one of my arrests.” Vi pointed a finger at Jayce. “Next time, I’ll arrest you and that little walking toaster. Got it?”

“The whole point of this was to rescue the girl, nothing more,” Jayce snapped. “Arresting Viktor wouldn’t accomplish anything. The Council has nothing to charge him with other than suspicions and rumors. Besides, if arresting him was all it took to stop him, don’t you think we would’ve done that already? It would’ve been a waste of time, money, resources— More than that, Vi, you risked civilian lives!”

“Civilian lives?” Vi looked around at the Zaunites cowering behind pillars and market shop doors, peering through the cracks. “We were nowhere near them, and you know it. You let that bucket of bolts get into your head. It’s pathetic. Caitlyn was right. There is something different about you.”

“Gods, you are so lucky brains are not a requirement to be an enforcer, or you’d be out of a job, wouldn’t you?”

“Oh, screw you, Jayce. At least I know where I’m needed, where I’m making a difference. Where have you been for the past month? Hiding away with Viktor when Piltover needed you. You ran and tucked tail, for what? A dead girl?”

“Shut your mouth.”

“Or what?” Vi taunted.

At this, Vi lunged at Jayce, immediately punching him again as Jayce reeled back to shove her off of him, the flat of his palm landing on the curve of her nose as she let out a grunt of pain. Blood spilled down her upper lip, dripping onto her uniform as she grabbed Jayce by his collar and slammed him against the ground.

“You’ve spent too long in Piltover playing sheriff as if you’re not just another Zaunite thug who got handed a badge. Piltover needed another body and a weapon. Face it. You’re just lucky Caitlyn’s still cleaning up your messes.” 

Vi’s expression fell the moment Jayce spoke. Then she sneered, baring her teeth as she said, “Fuck you.”

To punctuate her sentence, Vi spat on Jayce, his hands coming to shove her off of him as he scrambled to his feet and wiped her spit from his face.

Vi stood up a moment after, just as they both heard the approaching sound of a convoy. Vi looked over Jayce’s shoulder to find Caitlyn walking beside the emergency vehicle they had brought from Piltover, enforcers surrounding it and carefully leading the way back to Piltover. Jayce immediately perked up, his eyes darting towards the vehicle, which moved swiftly through the crowds of people in the Promenade.

Jayce approached Caitlyn, who slowed to a stop in front of him and held her rifle at the ready, eyes wary of the Promenade.

“Is she in there?” he said, gesturing towards the vehicle that swept past them and headed towards the bridge vehicles used to move between Zaun and Piltover. Caitlyn nodded.

“Yes. She’s alive. However, the medics have already raised concerns over her oxygen. She nearly coded in the time it took just to transfer her to the car outside of the lab.” Caitlyn’s expression was sympathetic, a quiet understanding in her eyes as she debated whether or not to reach out and squeeze Jayce’s shoulder. Despite the times they had worked together, the closeness between them had never been specified other than light banter and the occasional workplace joke about their sponsors. They always toed the line of professionalism because they were never truly sure where they stood. Still, she decided to give Jayce’s shoulder a gentle pat. “We’ll make sure she has proper care Topside. Don’t worry. You saved her life. Let us handle it from here.”

Vi approached them as they spoke, her gauntlets discarded for some poor enforcer schmuck to lug back to Piltover. She crossed her arms over her chest as soon as Caitlyn looked over Jayce’s shoulder towards her.

“What happened?” Caitlyn said, concern heavy in her voice as she approached Vi to wipe the blood from her upper lip. Vi tried to shy away from her touch, but Caitlyn was all tenderness and love in her movements, mindful of the way Vi hissed as Caitlyn apologized for being too rough. Vi met Jayce’s eyes, his jaw tensing as he gritted his teeth. He was ready for Vi to throw him under the bus and tell Caitlyn about how he let Viktor go. He would get a slap on the wrist at most, a talking to from some higher up in the Piltover council about responsibility, progress, and the need to care about Piltover, as if Jayce didn’t go to bed thinking about these things every single night.

Vi sighed.

“We couldn’t apprehend the Machine Herald,” Vi said, turning to Caitlyn as Caitlyn hummed, pressing her lips together in a thin line. “I’m sorry. Jayce and I tried our best, but there were too many civilians to consider going any further with the arrest.”

Jayce furrowed his brows, Vi only looking at him one last time, as if to say, “You’re welcome,” before turning on her heel and following the convoy back to Piltover with Caitlyn at her side. Jayce did his best to keep up his pace, the soreness in his leg sending an ache down the back of his foot with each step. He gritted his teeth and damned himself for leaving the cane behind.

When Viktor stumbled into his lab, holding his arm close to his chest and puffing out billows of steam from his sides, he struggled to focus on how his lab was torn apart from top to bottom. He willed his system to regulate itself long enough to focus, eyes fighting to hone in on any one detail. Papers strewn across the floor, cabinets ripped open and gutted, projects trashed and decimated into pieces; an empty box lay in the middle of the room, as Viktor nearly tripped over his own two feet to walk across the lab. In the sight of his mask, a warning popped up, alerting him to his systems overheating at a dangerous rate. Failure imminent.

But Viktor could not bring himself to care. As he approached the girl’s room, he desperately tried to listen for the pump of the ventilator, of oxygen, for what little life the girl had to signal she was there.

With an unceremonious shove to the door, Viktor pushed his way into the room, to find her bed empty, the ventilator left pumping oxygen to a cut-off tube, and the monitor mirroring her lack of presence with a long, high-pitched flatline. His vision went red at the sight of the room, obviously torn apart by enforcers.

Jayce lied.

“Stop,” Viktor said aloud, a pleading desperation in his voice as he keeled over, holding his chest with his barely functional augmented arm.

Viktor gritted his teeth, clenching his eyes shut against the pain in his chest, the overwhelming flood of emotion threatening to bowl him over.

Jayce lied. 

“Stop.”

He crouched, small noises of anxiety and rage escaping him as he gasped against the need to cry out budding in his chest. The claw on his back made quick work of pressing the release to the mask. It clattered to the ground with an unceremonious clank, as he struggled to breathe. Dark, oily tears prickled at the corners of Viktor’s eyes, spilling over in streams. Anxiety crawled under his skin, itchy and overbearing. He wanted to rip his skin off, tear out every human part of him that remained. He could fix this, could fix himself, could stop all of this if he had just—

Jayce lied. 

“Stop!” 

Viktor screamed, his voice reverberating off the walls in a haunting echo, his hands now balled up into fists as he punched the sides of his head, as if the action would beat the sense back into him. He stopped after a moment, his eyes focusing just long enough to notice a neatly folded sheet of paper on the ground, just under the girl’s empty bed. He hiccuped, barely able to catch his breath, the core of his chest so hot, Viktor was surprised nothing had melted yet.

Over the seam of the letter read his name.

Viktor. 

He furrowed his brows.

Jayce’s handwriting.

Viktor crawled forward enough to reach it with the tips of his fingers, picking it up and holding it in his hands. He recognized the sheet of paper now as the one Jayce had asked him for earlier, tracing his fingers over the way Jayce wrote his name across the page.

“I want to leave a note for her. For when she wakes up.” 

Viktor gasped sharply, almost clawing at his throat with desperation, as if he couldn’t breathe. The claw on his back swung around to pat his back, punching the sense back into him long enough for Viktor to suck in a deep breath and lean his forehead against the end of the empty bed.

Once he managed to breathe long enough to calm his systems down, Viktor held the letter in his hand, opening it with trembling fingers to find a brief letter in Jayce’s penmanship, hurriedly scrawled. Viktor had been rushing him, telling him to hurry, before Caitlyn arrived at the Promenade. How foolish he had been to think for even a second that Jayce could be trusted, that Jayce understood Viktor’s determination to keep the girl in Zaun. He had willfully ignored the signs, all because he wanted to believe in Jayce, if only for a fleeting moment.

V—

If you’re holding this letter, I’m asking you not to tear it in half before you finish reading it. After you’re done, burn it, trash it, or throw it into the Sump if you’re so inclined. But humor me first. Please. 

Hopefully, by the time you’re reading this, I’ll be in Piltover. The girl should be with me. Caitlyn helped. I know. I know I said she’d be safer with you, and I meant that. I just couldn’t leave her behind. Maybe that’s selfish. Maybe it’s guilt. I don’t know, truthfully. I just know this is the right thing to do, no matter how wrong it feels. I don’t expect you to understand why I did what I did. I don’t expect you to forgive me for it either. 

The night of the storm, I will admit, I thought about running back to Piltover. I’m sure you saw it in my eyes when you first stopped me from leaving. I stood in front of the Howl and contemplated whether it would have been a greater mercy if I left before things got worse. I tried to convince myself it was easier to turn a blind eye, away from her... away from you. I almost gave in. 

You have this effect on me, Viktor. You unmake me. You tear out the thread one by one from my skin. Being near you makes everything in me unravel: my ego, my pride, everything I thought to be true and right. It terrifies me. I don’t know how to stand beside you without coming apart, so I leave you behind instead.

But if I’ve learned anything in the time I spent beside you again, it’s that I want you. I always have. I want your genius, your fire, your damn stubbornness— and if wanting you makes me weak, then damn it, I’ll die a weak man carrying that longing to my grave.

Apologies if the lab’s a mess. I asked Caitlyn to leave everything as it was, but you know how she can be. I’m sure I will need to be seen by a doctor the moment I step foot in Piltover— knowing the way they are, they’ll have me in a chair for a week before I can even think about going back to the forge. I don’t even want to think about what the Ferros clan will have to say about my absence. None of it will matter.

What does matter is this: when the girl wakes, and when I bring her home safe, if there’s any part of you that could still want to see me, not as a rival, or your enemy, or the Defender of Tomorrow, but just... me, then tell me. Let me come back. I’d like that.

I’d like for you to talk to her. I believe we both owe you thanks.

Unmade,
Jayce

Viktor could barely keep his vision clear enough to finish the letter. Despite the mask being removed, he could feel the mechanical click-click-click of his system struggling to regulate itself, could practically imagine the warnings his system relayed to the mask in regards to his body and the way it fought to keep him conscious, stable. He desperately tried to keep his focus, the heat coursing through his body in relentless waves finally overtaking any will he had left to remain conscious.

Jayce’s letter remained tightly in his grip.

Notes:

hello again! thank you all so much for being so patient in waiting for an update, and i hope yall enjoyed! <3 im writing this note before i go off to work, so it's going to be a little rushed, but i did my best to edit this before posting. that being said, as always, let me know if you notice any mistakes

also, i added another chapter to the final count! part of the delay in updating was that i wanted to wait until i had the ending entirely written before posting. however, i couldn't reconcile the way the chapters would have been split up without feeling as though i was... rushing things? it was quite the internal struggle for a bit while i tried to hash out how the chapters would look. so instead, we're getting another chapter added. i also wanted to put out an update instead of making y'all wait another week or two weeks for an update, as i'm going to hopefully take this week to write something for yuri jayvik week <3 keep your fingers crossed for me LOL

anyhow, all that being said, if y'all wanna chat about vikjayce/jayvik/writing or just see my silly little ramblings, please check out my bluesky! i don't really use twitter other than to RT art, but you can also check me out on there if you'd like.

see y'all for the next update! :3c

Chapter 7: Being Unknown

Notes:

hello! first, thank you all very much for being so patient with me as i wrote/edited this chapter, and also while i participated a bit in yuri jayvik week. i've got some fun ideas cooking up for future fics, but it took some time from degausser while i was doing so.

please, if you haven't done so, please heed all tags added to the fic and make sure to reread them before heading into this chapter!

The Defender of Tomorrow’s return to Piltover was nothing to be taken lightly. Nearly a month without his presence in every parade, every meeting, even just in passing, made the citizens of Piltover more than concerned for his safety. Rumors had generated quickly, everything from Jayce falling in love with a beautiful queen from Noxus and running away with her, to Jayce escaping Piltover’s grips and escaping to the Shuriman desert once again to further his research in Hextech— silly stories told under hushed breaths when folks grew restless and desperately sought an answer for his absence.

The lie the Council came up with to explain his month long disappearance couldn’t have been further from the truth.

“Defender. If what you just explained to us is true, then you are saying that you voluntarily stayed in the undercity with the Machine Herald.”

The voice of a councilwoman rang across the room as Jayce stood in the center of it. He leaned on a cane, ornate and intricate in design. Piltovans were more than embarrassed to acknowledge the need for mobility aids, but in the event anybody needed one, they were always made with flair for the dramatic and the showy, despite the shame they deeply associated with it. The cane felt like it would creak and snap under his weight if he leaned too much on it, nothing more than decoration as far as Jayce was concerned. He still damned himself for leaving the cane Viktor gave him in Zaun. Damn his pride. Damn his ego. He could have used it.

“That’s what I said. I stayed in the Entresol of the undercity of my own volition. The Machine Herald did not kidnap me, hold me hostage, or force me to stay in his lab.” Jayce paused, allowing the murmur of confusion to die down in the room. Then he rolled his eyes when the Council all turned to one another, speaking amongst themselves in shock and glancing at Jayce out of the corner of their eyes. 

The head of clan Ferros had taken it upon himself to attend the meeting as well. He was not one to be particularly interested in the usual riff-raff of the Council’s antics, but Jayce was his business. And so, Albus Ferros sat at the far end of the meeting with an unreadable expression upon his face. Jayce opted not to meet his gaze. It was bad enough knowing he was there, let alone staring Jayce down across the room as he listened to his story intently, coming to find out with the rest of Piltover’s elite as to why their precious Defender had disappeared.

“Caitlyn Kiramman informed us otherwise. She made it sound as though you were in terribly dire straits. That is why we approved her mission to the undercity.”

“Sheriff Kiramman acted upon my request,” Jayce explained.

The councilwoman who first spoke scoffed. “If you were willingly sharing quarters with the Machine Herald, then who, pray tell, were our enforcers tasked with rescuing?”

Jayce pressed his lips together, swallowing hard as he found the nerve to speak.

“‘Sharing quarters’ is a bit reductive. The Machine Herald gave me a place to sleep— on the ground. And as I mentioned before, there was a victim from the raid. A young girl from the undercity. With the Machine Herald’s assistance and some augments to her body, this girl was given a second chance at life. However, her condition did not improve in the time I spent in the undercity, and so I felt it was my duty to request Sheriff Kiramman’s assistance in rescuing the girl.”

“But why?”

Murmurs of dissent quietly built up into a crescendo of confusion as Jayce sighed.

“A month ago, a group of enforcers and I headed into the streets of Zaun to tend to a rumor we heard had merit. There were rumbles on the streets of a certain Chem-Baroness using the Sun Gates to smuggle goods in. Despite tightening regulations and shipping checkpoints, there was freight slipping through the cracks. So I took it upon myself to address the issue at the source.

“Upon our arrival at the warehouse, we were met immediately with hostility. Renata Glasc, the supposed owner of the warehouse, was nowhere to be found. Her soldiers, however, were more than capable and willing to fight to hide whatever they had tucked away. It was chaos. More than that, it was an ambush. Somebody had notified them of our mission beforehand— we were trapped the moment we set foot in the undercity. There have undoubtedly been reports on our findings and the outcome of that mission.

“However, I pushed forward upon our arrival. I was... focused. So blind to the battle around me, I did not notice there were children in the warehouse. Young adults, teenagers, and kids, barely able to run away from the battle, so they fought. I approached a corridor expecting more of Renata’s grunts, and reacted on instinct when a figure darted out onto the catwalk of the warehouse. The hammer was already charged, so I....”

Jayce looked away from the room, a grimace etched into his expression as he tried to forget the image. However, even with his eyes clenched shut, all Jayce could see was the look on the girl’s face when the force of the hammer shot out.

“I heard the impact of the hammer before I saw her. She... she was just a girl, not any older than ten. I don’t know why she was there. I can’t even begin to imagine what kind of monster would have someone so young there. I—” Jayce took a deep breath. Now was not the time for emotions. The Council only cared about the facts. “The blast from the hammer caught her in the chest. Being on the catwalk, it hurled her to the railing. She fell two stories onto the concrete below.”

Despite the way Jayce’s blood ran cold as he spoke, he could tell the room was waiting for him to continue, as if he hadn’t just admitted to almost brutally murdering a child.

“I dropped the Mercury Hammer. I wasn’t thinking about how dangerous it could have been in the wrong hands— I was only thinking about her. I ran to her. She was still alive after the fall, but just barely. Renata’s thugs weren’t conceding, and with my failure to push back, we were outnumbered. But I couldn’t leave her there. I had very few choices in front of me at that moment. Leaving her wasn’t an option, but we were too far from Piltover to bring her here with any hope of saving her.

“So I took her to the Machine Herald. The rest is just as I described. What he could supplement in her body with augments, he did: her ribs, one of her lungs, flushed her body of contaminants and infection. But her arm... was beyond saving. Before....”

Jayce choked up for a moment, clearing his throat as he steeled his nerves.

“Before he operated on her, she was lucid for a second. She looked at me with such... fear in her eyes. I’ll never forget it. I’ll never be able to rid myself of the feeling.

“If I had my head on my shoulders that day, if I hadn’t rushed in and allowed my crew to be ambushed, none of this would have happened. More than that, if I had just waited one second, half a second, I might have realized she was just a kid. I’m supposed to be the Defender who protects and builds a better future. I nearly destroyed hers.

“You asked why I stayed in the undercity, abandoning my post in Piltover for almost a month, and why I felt obligated to bring her back with me upon my return. That is why. Because even as I stand before you today, I can see her blood on my hands. I can still hear the sound of her choking on her own blood as she fought to stay alive. And I stayed by her side after everything because saving her was the first thing I’ve done in a long time that felt right.”

Despite Jayce’s tearful confession, all the Council heard were the words “undercity”, “Zaun”, “Chem-Baron”, and “smuggling”. The little girl’s well-being did not even begin to encroach on  the space of their minds. Instead, they chattered quietly amongst themselves as soon as Jayce finished speaking.

“A girl associated with the Chem-Barons....”

“She could be a spy!”

“And what of the diseases down there...?”

Jayce felt heat prickling hot under his skin, irritation as he forced himself to keep his composure in the face of Albus Ferros. If not for himself, he had to remain collected for his sponsor. Jayce had already embarrassed him enough by disappearing without so much as a letter or a message. He was sure he would hear about it soon enough. Even with his circumstances, there were expectations he had to meet. As such, he stayed silent as the room erupted into chatter, quickly silenced by the screech of a chair against the tile floor of the Council room, a councilman standing in his place and demanding Jayce’s attention.

“The girl should never have been brought to Piltover. I hear she has not shown any sign of improving despite being given the best medical care and attention, all by your demand, Defender.” The man pointed an accusing finger across the room. “Tell me, how do you intend to pay for the care this girl so desperately needs? Do you expect Piltovans to pay the price for her life?”

Jayce gritted his teeth, clearly put off by the line of questioning directed towards the girl. He had not expected her arrival in Piltover to garner such attention, but he had always grossly underestimated just how much Piltover’s citizens enjoyed engaging in petty gossip.

“There is nothing that can change the fact that I brought the girl with me,” Jayce said matter-of-factly. He watched as the councilman scoffed in disbelief. “Her medical costs are mine and mine alone. But allow me to ask you, councilman,” Jayce leaned in closer to properly catch the man’s attention, as he shied away, as if being near Jayce so soon after he returned from Zaun would contaminate him in some way. “Is there any part of you actually worried about this girl and her health? Or is it just that it would have been more convenient for you if I had let her die on the streets of the undercity? Easier to keep your hands clean if no one is strong enough—”

“I beg your pardon?!”

“— or rich enough to come back to remind you of the risks we take with their lives every time we raid and storm the very streets they live in?”

The chamber erupted into hysterics at Jayce’s accusation. A hit dog will holler, Jayce thought bitterly.

“This is not the time for your soapbox theatrics, Defender.”

“Contrary to popular belief, I am more than a tool for you all to martyr when it’s convenient,” Jayce snapped, his voice echoing through the room over the rumble of dissent spreading through the Council. Before Jayce could continue, another voice cut cleanly through the tension.

“Enough.”

Jayce’s blood ran cold, his body going rigid the moment he recognized the voice of his benefactor. Albus Ferros had risen from his position at the far end of the room, approaching Jayce with calculated steps. The councilman whom Jayce dared to accuse was now red in the face, expectantly waiting for Albus to scold Jayce. He opened his mouth to shout at Jayce again, as Albus held his hand up to silence the councilman, effortlessly commanding in his presence. He folded his hands over one another with a deliberate poise one would have from years of practice, of understanding how to demand attention and respect.

“I will not have you grandstanding before the Council like some incensed undercity radical. You were brought here to report on your return from the Entresol and to explain your breach of protocol, not to moralize.”

Jayce remained unwavering, despite the way Albus commandeered the energy of the room as he arrived in front of Jayce.

“You vanished without authorization. Then you reappear weeks later— not only with a child from the undercity in tow, but after consorting with the Machine Herald himself. Do you have any idea of the political backlash this could have if not properly handled?”

What this could do to my image? was what Jayce could read between the lines of Albus’ reproach.

“Viktor was the one who saved her life. And mine. Whether you all would like to admit it or not, the only reason I stand before you today is because of him.”

The room erupted into shock at Jayce using Viktor’s name so freely. It seemed as though the only acceptable way to address him in Piltover was by the Machine Herald moniker, as if speaking his name would humanize him, make him more of a person than the Machine Herald ever could.

“Have you been... compromised, Jayce?”

Jayce snarled in response. “Have you listened to a single word I’ve said? Viktor—”

“Have you not heard of his ventures with the Chem-Barons? Gods only know what he must be conspiring to do with Renata Glasc. You cannot be so naive about his proclivities. The Machine Herald is a violent, heartless criminal who will stop at nothing to carve the humanity out of those he deems unfit.”

“And yet Viktor, despite being this terrible monster you all claim he is, saved her life. Tell me, how many children did you save last month?”

The moment it left Jayce’s mouth, he knew it was out of line. Still, he had not expected the sharp sting of Albus’ hand across his mouth, slapping him with a harsh and swift swipe of his hand. The cutting bite of Jayce’s teeth against his lip nicked the flesh as he felt blood begin to prickle at the cut. He lifted his hand from his side to thumb at the blood. Then Jayce looked at Albus, mostly in shock, partially in disgust. Despite the clear anger in his actions, Albus appeared entirely nonplussed.

Albus adjusted the cuff of his sleeve with clinical precision, as if brushing dirt from his coat, as he looked down at Jayce.

“Be careful, Jayce. You confuse righteousness with relevance.” He cleared his throat, leaning in to speak just loud enough for Jayce to hear him. “The Machine Herald is a testament to just how quickly Piltover casts aside its garbage. Don’t disappoint me.”

Without another word, Albus turned away, leaving the weight of his words on Jayce’s shoulders as Jayce held his mouth and shied away from the prying eyes of the Council.

“The Council has reached a decision on how to account for your disappearance, Jayce.”

Jayce could not bring himself to do anything other than nod in acknowledgement. They seemed to accept his gesture.

“We will issue a statement to the press on your behalf. Something vague enough to explain away your absence, without mentioning the girl or the Machine Herald: classified operations on behalf of protecting both Piltover and the undercity’s citizens. However, there will be no details of smuggling or the Sun Gates. We will investigate these rumors further ourselves.”

Jayce bitterly thought to himself that they only wanted to keep those details under wraps because one of the Council members was most likely in cahoots with Renata Glasc and would stop at nothing to keep that from coming to light. A clean-up mission. As per usual, all Piltover cared about was its image. They hadn’t listened to anything Jayce said, nor did they care about anything that had happened to him. All they concerned themselves with was upholding their pristine, perfect image of tranquility, be it far from the truth.

“You are not to speak of your absence beyond mentioning how relieved you are to be in Piltover again. You will do your best to avoid the topic of the Machine Herald, unless you are otherwise damning him for his position in the undercity.”

The Council looked at one another, briefly considering their last point.

“Finally... the girl. It is this Council’s opinion that the girl is... a risk. And an uncalculated one at that. Had you consulted with the Council beforehand and perhaps been more honest in your request for a rescue team from the sheriff, we may have been more lenient in her presence. But as it stands, we cannot allow a potential risk to remain in Piltover for too long.”

“Do you all hear yourselves?” Jayce spat. Albus Ferros once again turned to face Jayce, his expression deeply disgusted from the moment Jayce spoke. “She’s a little girl!”

Despite Jayce’s protests, the Council continued.

“You have a week to locate the girl’s parents or legal guardians. If no such connection exists, her records and being will be relinquished to an orphanage. At this time, you are not to see the girl, nor attempt to make any sort of contact at the hospital. We believe this to be the best course to avoid any sort of... scandal. We deeply apologize, Jayce. We understand how important this girl is to you. However, we cannot take the risk of keeping her amongst vulnerable patients in our hospital. Please understand where our concern is coming from.”

Before Jayce could get a word in edgewise, the Council adjourned. Jayce watched the room clear out, council members filing out past Jayce without acknowledging his presence. Albus departed after a moment as well, uninterested in even sparing Jayce a second glance.

After a moment of silence, Jayce heard somebody clearing their throat behind him. He let his eyes fall shut, sighing softly. He had hoped to be alone.

“You okay, Golden Boy?”

Vi’s voice cut through the tension of the room with an unexpected tenderness to it. He supposed she had watched all of it, listened to Jayce’s near breakdown in explaining how he had almost murdered that poor girl, only for the Council to decide she wasn’t even worth keeping in the hospital. They may as well have ordered her to be executed.

“Peachy,” Jayce replied.

She hummed. “Bruised ego?”

“Is that why you came? To poke fun at my expense?” Jayce snapped, turning to frown at Vi over his shoulder.

“As much as I would love to say yes, that’s not why I’m here. Caitlyn sent me. She needs to see you.” Vi noticed the sudden anxiety that swept over Jayce’s expression. “She just wants to talk, Jayce.”

“I don’t want to talk to her.”

“You owe her,” Vi said.

“For what? Doing her job? Does she forget she’s the sheriff of both Piltover and Zaun?”

“Watch it.”

He didn’t have it in him to fight Vi, nor did he have any interest in taking any more punches or slaps to the face.

“I don’t have any time to spare. You heard the Council. I have to find the girl’s parents and take her back to the undercity, whether she’s recovered or not. Not to mention all the work I have to catch up on, y’know, being Piltover’s shiny hammer.”

Vi’s expression softened the moment she noticed how Jayce’s voice dropped at the end of his sentence, brushing past her with no malice or harshness behind the action. She had never seen him so resigned, devoid of the usual fight ingrained deep in his character.

“We can help find her parents. I’m sure someone’s been looking for her. And we have resources down there.”

“Who? Ekko?” Jayce couldn’t help the scoff of disbelief that escaped him at that. “He won’t help. Once he finds out Viktor and I are involved, he’ll have no part in it, and he’ll make sure nobody else down there even spares us a glance. Even regular citizens won’t help us. You know how they get when we’re down there asking questions.”

“You can’t get hung up on this—”

“You don’t get it.”

Jayce’s voice was sharp, but without the harsh edge it typically had when the two were arguing. Vi approached Jayce cautiously, inching forward as Jayce’s shoulders trembled, a sadness deeply rooted within him coming to bud in his chest, threatening to suffocate him in emotion. He furrowed his brows and bit back tears instead.

“I made you all risk your lives to retrieve her from Viktor’s lab. She could have died in the time it took us to bring her to Piltover. Gods, she almost did, just being transferred from one bed to another. And I broke Viktor’s trust again, only for the Council to decide she’s a risk we can’t have. I can’t even see her.” Jayce huffed. “And I don’t need to hear about how– how evil Viktor is, how nothing he does can be good, how his trust isn’t worth anything, when he’s the one who saved her life, and... and mine. Everyone keeps reminding me of all the wrong he’s done, like I don’t know, like– like he wasn’t my partner, like I don’t....”

Jayce trailed off, unwilling to finish the sentence. Vi furrowed her brows, concern knitting them together.

“Miss him?”

For a moment, Vi considered perhaps this was a chance for her to try understanding Jayce. Jayce had a habit of keeping everybody at arm’s length, safe from being hurt, safe from ever allowing anybody as close as he had once allowed Viktor. Jayce was successful in life because he only ever had to learn a lesson once to understand it for the rest of his life, and being burned by Viktor was no exception to the rule.

“I know what it’s like, you know,” Vi said, doing her best to speak with a softness she hadn’t used in quite some time for anyone other than Caitlyn. Jayce warily eyed Vi as she leaned in. “Loving someone you can’t change, someone the world thinks isn’t worth saving. It’s unforgiving, Jayce, and thankless work. Even the person you love doesn’t see what you’re giving up to love them. And it hurts more when you’re somebody people look up to for guidance, for strength. Someone close to me used to say being strong means knowing when it’s time to walk away.”

Jinx. Vi was talking about Jinx, the person she loved and couldn’t change. Jayce couldn’t help the itch of annoyance at Vi’s pitiable attempt to relate to him. Jinx and Viktor were worlds apart, and the situations keeping the two sisters from each other was nothing like what had happened between him and Viktor.

“Spare me the pep talk.” Jayce paused, hesitating for only a second. Then, he sneered, doubling down on the nagging bite of irritation in his gut. “Don’t you have an excessive force case to catch somewhere?”

Vi’s face went red, caught off guard by Jayce’s outburst before she recognized it for what it was. As always, Jayce was pushing anyone who got too close away, keeping them at bay with the things he said, purposefully pointed, as if the only way Jayce knew how to move in life was on the offensive, to make it hurt as much as possible at first so it didn't hurt later.

Still, Vi couldn’t let it slide. She scoffed.

“I thought you might actually let your guard down for once. Stupid of me.” She almost kicked herself for admitting it. Then she said, “Go to hell.”

Jayce waited, listening as Vi’s footsteps disappeared into the distance of Piltover’s soft hum of traffic and chatter. He waited, for as long as he could, staring at the ground and resisting the urge to break down right then and there, to allow himself a moment to scream and wail, scrabbling at the tiles of the Council room’s floor until his fingers were bloody and raw.

He did not break down. Instead, Jayce retreated to his lab. He did not reach out to Caitlyn to ask why she wanted to speak, and when he heard the sound of somebody knocking at his apartment door later on, he did not move from his spot in bed as he buried his face in the pillows and willed himself to sleep.

Jayce allowed himself one day. One day to wallow around in self-loathing, kicking himself for ever thinking things could have been different when he stepped foot back in Piltover, for lying to Viktor again, for believing in the humanity of the Council and hoping they would allow the girl to stay. Much like yesterday’s verdict, a younger version of Jayce had half-expected the Council to take pity upon Viktor when he had reported his misconduct, as if they had not been actively looking for reasons to kick Viktor out of the Academy. 

Now, he couldn’t even stop by the hospital to see the girl without potentially landing himself in more hot water.

One day to feel bad for himself.

At the dawn of the following day, Jayce immediately drew up schematics for a brace, finalizing the design and moving with a focus unlike any other before. Before the sun fully rose overhead, Jayce had managed to forge a brace not unlike the one he had helped Viktor design all those years ago in the Academy, though he guessed “helped” was a bit of a generosity. He remembered looming over Viktor’s shoulder, commenting on the practicality of the brace and how Viktor missed integral details, all while Viktor struggled to cover his designs, angrily shooing Jayce with a kick to the leg and bitten back annoyance. 

Now, Jayce ignored the sting of tension he felt crawling under his skin as he curled his fingers around the latches of the brace, as if he could feel Viktor’s hands on his own, guiding them to the correct positions. He locked the brace into place around the joints of his leg and grunted only slightly when he felt it already pushing his leg into position with a dull ache. Not perfect for a few hours' work, but it would work for now. While he could have imposed on the forge workers to help him in building the brace, Jayce figured he had already stirred up enough drama in Piltover to last him quite some time now.

With the brace fully fastened around his leg, Jayce then focused his attention on the following project at hand: fixing the damage done to the Blitzes and rebuilding them. Despite spending the better half of the day before beating himself up, Jayce had also taken the Blitzes apart, setting aside the pieces of them still fully functioning and tossing the pieces too damaged from Caitlyn’s snap traps. His communicator was buzzing incessantly with messages from people he could not have cared less about, trying desperately to figure out just where he had been for the better half of a month. He had no interest in speaking to them, so he kept his communicator silent, flipped over on his desk, and tucked away under a few piles of papers and schematics.

Minutes blurred into hours, as Jayce focused only on the feel of metal under his fingers, the quiet hum of machinery as he worked and pieced together bits of technology he recognized as uniquely and only Viktor’s, all of his handiwork, all of the hours he spent in putting these golems together, gone in an instant the moment Caitlyn arrived in the lab. Soldering wires together and feeling the twitch of life under his fingers, Jayce stopped only when he heard the sound of knocking at the door of his apartment. Unlike the days prior, where Caitlyn announced herself or begged Jayce to open the door, the knocking this time began, continued, and did not stop. Jayce huffed, pushing his goggles over his head.

“Beat it!” Jayce shouted. The person behind the door paused for a moment and then began knocking again, with a renewed fervor, bringing their knuckles down on the door louder. Jayce couldn’t believe this, pushing himself out from his seat and throwing down the wrench in his hand to head towards the door.

“This better be good or you’re going to have hell—”

Jayce swung the door open in one swift movement, eyes searching the hallway in front of him as he grumbled and groused. Instead, after he heard the sound of somebody clearing their throat, he darted his gaze down, where Amaranthine stood in front of him, her large, hazelnut brown colored eyes staring up at him expectantly. She was so different now in comparison to the way they first met, how she used to avoid his gaze and only dared to speak comfortably after Jayce had fully made an ass of himself.

All this time back, Jayce hadn’t thought of her once. He felt a weakness in his knees at the sight of her, the way she stood so gingerly, a parasol neatly folded up at her side, and the soldier doll he had repaired for her in her other arm. She had grown a bit, her face lacking the pudgy softness she had had the last time he saw her. She looked so big. 

“Hi, Mister Defender,” she said, rocking back and forth on the heels of her boots. Jayce immediately felt the sting of tears burning in his eyes as soon as she spoke, her voice quiet and caring.

“Ammy, you’re... you’re here. Where’s your dad? Did you come here alone?”

“Dad’s working,” she said, as if it were enough explanation. Jayce knew from experience how Amaranthine had grown used to the layout of Piltover, how she hustled through the streets and tucked herself away from the prying eyes of enforcers when needed. She was resourceful and quick, and carried herself with an air of maturity a little girl should never have needed at her age. Her father worked for clan Tariost at the docks. He was nothing more than a blue-collar worker who worked arduous hours to make ends meet to keep Amaranthine in Piltover. Jayce had offered countless times to help in paying for her education, or even partially paying the monthly rent for their apartment, but her father refused every time. He was a proud man and wouldn’t take handouts, as he called them.

Jayce couldn’t help but fall to one knee in front of her, shakily reaching his hands out towards her. With one hand cupping her cheek, he used the other to mess with her hair, an action she always complained about as she whined and batted his hand away, albeit playfully.

“I knocked on your door a lot, you know,” Amaranthine said. “Where were you?”

Tears spilled over as Jayce sniffled and tried to bite back the feeling overwhelming his chest.

Amaranthine furrowed her brows, reaching out to wipe away the tears from Jayce’s cheek. She hummed. “Don’t cry, Mister.”

Despite her reassurance, Jayce only cried harder, pulling her into his arms and squeezing her tight. She let out a quiet oof!, her dress puffing at the action as she smoothed her hands over it before hugging Jayce back.

“I missed you a lot,” she said.

“I missed you, too, kid,” Jayce mumbled. “Your hair’s a mess.”

“Hey!” Amaranthine protested. Jayce laughed, wiping his eyes and allowing her to wriggle out of his grasp as she eyed him warily. Her eyes trailed over to the brace on Jayce’s leg, brows raised as she pointed at the brace. “You’re hurt.”

“I was,” Jayce said, pushing himself off the ground and leading Amaranthine into the apartment. He closed the door behind him, as Amaranthine waited for Jayce to walk her in, as she had done so many times before. “Now I just need a little help walking around. No biggie.”

“No biggie....” Amaranthine echoed, following Jayce into his living room and immediately heading towards the small desk he supplemented for a lab table. Jayce sat down as Amaranthine took in the sight of the brace around his leg. She hummed, leaning forward and tapping her finger against her bottom lip with a pensive expression on her face. Then she nodded. “It looks good.”

“Thanks for your approval, master builder,” Jayce said with a laugh. Amaranthine eyed the Blitzes on Jayce’s desk. Jayce picked her up, lifting her to sit on his desk as she scooted back on the desk and made herself comfortable. They had done this song and dance so many times, it was second nature for her and Jayce to talk about what he was working on while she was there.

“What’s this?” she said, pointing at the Blitzes, who were half put-together. Jayce hummed.

“What’s it look like? Robots. Little ones, anyway.”

“Is this what you were working on instead of answering the door all those times?” Amaranthine said. Jayce laughed again.

“No, Ammy. I was in Zaun. I got hurt and couldn’t come back up without some help from the sheriff. But these robot guys helped me out a lot when I was down there, and... well, you can see they’re broken. So I’m trying to put them back together.”

“Oh, so they’re friends,” Amaranthine said.

“Yeah. I guess they are.”

Amaranthine watched Jayce work, not asking any more questions and only taking in the sight of the Blitzes slowly coming back to life. Jayce finished his work on one, connecting two wires with a soft sigh.

“Close the panel,” Jayce said, pushing the first Blitz over to Amaranthine. She warily reached her hand out, closing the panel shut as it let out a soft squeak of life, the Blitz immediately jumping to attention and pressing itself against the wall behind Jayce’s desk. It sounded off an alarm, albeit muffled and crackly. Jayce grimaced and reached for it. The Blitz flinched away, the alarm growing in volume for a brief second until the speaker pitched and the alarm went silent, fizzling out.

“Must be scared,” Amaranthine said, reaching her hand out towards it with the click of her tongue. “It’s okay. You’re okay.”

Jayce watched as Amaranthine soothed the Blitz until its eyes registered Jayce, pointing at him with a rush of excitement.

“Maybe it remembers you,” Amaranthine said. Jayce bit back the urge to cry again, instead nodding his head once and giving the Blitz a brief smile. Then he went back to work on the other. Amaranthine reached her soldier doll out to the Blitz, sitting it down beside it and smiling. “He’s going to fix your friend,” Amaranthine explained to the Blitz. 

Jayce continued his work on the second Blitz, not allowing himself even a second to stop.

“Who hurt you?” Amaranthine broke the silence after a while. Jayce hesitated to answer. She wasn’t stupid— far from it. Despite Jayce teasing her like an older brother and calling her silly names to get a rise out of her, she was smart beyond her years. He wondered just how much she had heard through the streets of Piltover already, how quick the gossip train was to take off when things like this happened.

“Bad guys,” was all Jayce could bring himself to explain. “I had to stay in Zaun and hide from them while my leg got better.”

“With Viktor?”

Jayce sputtered at that. Gods, he hadn’t expected the rumor mill to work that fast.

“Who did you hear that from?”

Amaranthine blinked.

“You talk about him all the time, Mister.”

Jayce flushed, his face a beet red as he furrowed his brows and pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. Amaranthine held her hands up in surprise.

“You haven’t been going around telling people that, have you?” Jayce said. Amaranthine scoffed, pressing her lips together in a pout and narrowing her gaze towards Jayce.

“Who would I tell? Nobody listens.”

“Good,” Jayce said. “Not the nobody listens part. That’s not good. Just— just don’t go telling people you think I stayed with Viktor. I didn’t. I mean, I did, but not on purpose. Not because I wanted to. I—”

“Your face is red.”

“I know!”

Jayce refused to acknowledge the conversation further than that, finishing the last of the touches on the second Blitz and pushing it towards Amaranthine, who closed the panel and waited. The second Blitz, the one who had been damaged more thoroughly by Caitlyn’s snap trap, didn’t react when the panel closed. Jayce bit the inside of his cheek.

“Damn.”

“Hold on, it just needs a second. I know it,” Amaranthine said. Jayce shook his head, pushing his goggles off his head and throwing them on the desk with a huff. Amaranthine didn’t so much as flinch, so used to his flair for the dramatic and his outbursts.

Jayce stormed off in the direction of his kitchen, searching for anything he had bought in the last few days that Amaranthine would like. He hadn’t considered a visit from her, so most of what he had was snacks and premade dinners. He couldn’t be bothered with eating most nights, let alone cooking. Gods, his fridge was barren. 

From the desk, Amaranthine let out a whoop of excitement, the Blitz echoing her sentiment as the two of them cheered. Jayce rushed out of the kitchen, finding the second Blitz pushing itself up on its feet and catching its balance with wobbly hands.

“Told you so!” she shouted in glee, the two Blitzes excitedly pulling one another into a hug. Jayce felt his heart twist, a mixture of warmth and bittersweet excitement at the sight of them working. He wondered if they remembered. If they were scared of him.

For now, he allowed himself the moment to celebrate, scooping Amaranthine up in his arms.

“How’s about we fix your hair, and then we’ll grab some dinner?”

“Something for dad, too?”

Jayce nodded, already letting Amaranthine down to run for the hairbrush and ponytail holders Jayce had invested in (see: asked for Caitlyn’s help in buying), as the Blitzes excitedly chased after her.

At the desk, Jayce’s communicator sat, face down, buzzing with frantic alerts.

Jayce wasn’t sure what time it was when he heard frantic knocking at his door. There was no sun spilling through his room the way it would after dawn, so he figured it had to have been the wee hours of the night. Regardless, he had no time to figure it out as he swung his legs over the edge of his bed, a dull ache in his muscles as he pushed himself out of bed with a grunt.

Walking out of his room, Jayce paused as he heard muffled voices from behind the door, hushed, before the pounding began again. This time, it was accompanied by somebody calling his name.

“Jayce? Jayce, wake up! Gods, he’s not answering his communicator either. What if he’s not here, Vi? What if he... went back?”

“He’s here, Caitlyn. Here, move over,” Vi’s voice came shortly thereafter, muffled and clearly irritated. Before Jayce could reach the door, Vi brought her fist down on the door, the sound of it booming as he grimaced and brought his hand down on the doorknob. He jerked it open, brows furrowed.

“What the hell is wrong with you two? Do you have any idea what time it is?”

Jayce himself had no idea what time it was.

His voice trailed off at the frantic expression upon Caitlyn’s face, her brows knitted together with concern. He parted his lips, flickering his gaze to Vi as she looked away, her eyes darting to the ground.

“What’s wrong?”

Caitlyn hesitated, looking to Vi for resolution. Neither of them could bring themselves to make eye contact with Jayce, despite having practically beaten his door down just a moment prior. After a beat, Caitlyn took a deep breath in.

“There’s something wrong with the girl.”

The moment she spoke, Jayce’s heart fell to his stomach, twisting in knots.

“The doctors haven’t been able to stop it. She’s just getting worse, and I don’t– I don’t think she’s going to—”

“What are you talking about? I thought she was okay, I thought she would get better.”

“The doctors have been trying everything, Jayce, but there’s something wrong. It’s like– like her body just....”

Vi cut Caitlyn off with a squeeze to her shoulder. Caitlyn couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence, her feet moving faster than her mind could process as she walked away. Vi looked up at Jayce, the two of them making eye contact for the first time since the Council’s meeting.

“I’ve been keeping an eye on her. It doesn’t look good.”

“But what’s wrong? I don’t understand!” Jayce said, his mind racing through the possibilities. The augments had been in her for far too long for her body to be rejecting them, and Viktor had mentioned heightened white blood cell counts, but Jayce was sure the doctors in Piltover were treating her with antibiotics. It was basic medicine! And with how Vi and Caitlyn both avoided describing just what was happening, he supposed the only way he could understand would be to see the girl.

“You should get changed. We’ll meet you at the hospital.”

She said it with finality, a complete thought. Jayce’s stomach burned with nausea. As Vi headed down the hall after Caitlyn, he turned back into his apartment, closing the door behind him, and mindlessly, almost like a zombie, changed his clothes.

Once changed, Jayce moved through Piltover with urgency, the streets mostly quiet, sound for the workers from Piltover and the undercity both who ambled the streets, half of them drunk and going home, the other half awake early for their shifts as they headed in for a long workday. Jayce rushed through the streets, barely able to think beyond breathe, move, run faster, get there sooner. Before he realized it, he burst through the doors of the hospital. Vi stood at the lift at the far end of the lobby.

“Where is she?” he rushed out.

“Sixth floor. Come on.” 

Vi gestured towards the lift, but Jayce was sprinting towards the stairs before she could even process it, following him close behind once she saw him rush through the door to the staircase.

“Jayce! Jayce, hold on!” she panted after him, leaping over steps just to keep within a flight of stairs behind him. Jayce barely registered the sound of her voice, the way she begged him to slow down as they reached the sixth floor. Looking right, then left, Jayce felt Vi’s hand on his shoulder after a desperate moment. “This way.”

Before they could take another step, a blood-curdling scream echoed through the hospital hallway. Jayce froze, his entire body going cold as he looked at Vi. It didn’t sound like Caitlyn. No, this scream was ragged, scratchy and desperate. A death knell.

Jayce and Vi raced to the end of the hall, turning the corner and Jayce practically falling over himself as Caitlyn stood in front of a room, holding her hand to her face. As soon as she heard Jayce, she turned away from the room, fingers trembling against her bottom lip. Vi rushed over, catching her breath as Caitlyn shook her head.

“She’s– she’s—” was all Caitlyn could bring herself to say, her voice quiet, barely audible over the sound of Jayce’s footsteps thudding through the hall, reaching the room and turning to the observation window. The curtains were drawn, billowing with activity behind it.

“What happened?” Jayce rushed out. Caitlyn shook her head again, practically curling in on herself as Vi tried to calm both of them down.

He couldn’t wait. Not a single second longer. He had already abandoned her for days, out of his selfish need to wallow in self-pity, to feel bad for himself, as if he had any right to leave her like that. He promised.

He swore it.

He said he wouldn’t leave her to Viktor so many times.

He lied to her, too.

Jayce shoved the door to her room open, the doctors hurriedly shuffling around one another as they rushed to move her lifeless body to a gurney. All at once, Jayce felt hands on his body, nurses trying to push him out of the room, their voices rising in pitch and volume the moment they noticed him there. 

The only thing Jayce could hear was the high-pitched, whining tone of her heart monitor flatlining, over the chaos, over the doctors begging him to let them through, the gurney shoving past him and out to the hallway, where Jayce only caught the faintest glimpse of the girl, her face devoid of color and replaced with a vague green and purple hue under her skin. Her lips were black, thick, coagulated blood dripping past them, and her eyes—

Jayce couldn’t stop himself from chasing after the doctors.

“What’s happening to her?” Jayce shouted.

“You can’t follow us back here!” one of the doctors replied, hurriedly pushing the gurney into an elevator.

“Please! Please, I promised her, I—” Jayce felt hot tears welling up in his eyes, spilling over as he turned the corner with the doctors. The girl’s body moved with the swiftness of the gurney, no will, no strength. Her eyes stared up at the ceiling, and Jayce could only put the word agony to the way her eyebrows were drawn together. There was no life behind her eyes, only a dullness Jayce had seen one too many times for his own good.

“Nurse!”

Just as the doctors entered an elevator at the far end of the hall, a nurse threw himself at Jayce, holding him back long enough for the doors to slide shut.

Just before he caught what would have been the last glimpse of her, a thick, almost black, drop of blood hit the ground.

Jayce waited.

Caitlyn and Vi arrived to drag him off in the direction of a waiting room, per the advice of the nurse who had stopped Jayce. As they sat, Caitlyn busied herself with coming up with an explanation she could give to the Council as to why they had broken the stipulations of Jayce’s brief, albeit rushed, trial after returning from the undercity. Truthfully, it was the last thing on any of their minds, but Caitlyn knew somebody had to play recovery, and if it was going to be anybody, it would have been her.

Despite knowing she had seen what happened to the girl as he and Vi struggled to make it to her room, Jayce could not bring himself to ask her what she had seen. It wasn’t just fear crawling deep under his skin, but dread, deep and suffocating in his chest. Jayce wasn’t even sure he remembered how to breathe, how to think, how to do anything but imagine the way her skin looked, her lips, her eyes, death on the tips of her fingers, that animalistic scream as he and Vi hesitated for just a second too long.

There were so many questions. So many things Jayce couldn’t understand. How she had gotten exponentially worse than when she was with Viktor; how her skin turned from its healthy flush of pink to the decaying sour of purple and yellow; how long had she been suffering in the hospital? Was this what Vi had come to talk to him about the other day, after the Council meeting? He had let his stupid pride get in the way of remembering what truly mattered, ignored Caitlyn knocking at his door, begging him to answer. How long had she been suffering?

How would he explain any of this to Viktor?

The thought of him made Jayce’s skin prickle with anxiety, a deeply unsettled nervousness resting in the very foundation of his body. Jayce stole the girl away, only for her to get worse in Piltover.

He held back another wash of tears. Jayce wasn’t sure how much longer he could hold back.

The sun began to rise over the horizon of Piltover. Beams of light spilled into the room, licking at the corners of it and warming it up as Jayce heard the muffled sound of voices. It was only after a beat that he realized the sound of his heart had completely overtaken his senses, unable to focus until he felt Caitlyn’s hand on his shoulder, pulling him out of his stupor.

“Jayce,” she spoke. Despite not saying a word, Jayce’s entire body felt the meaning behind it. He blinked, eyes meeting Caitlyn’s own as she bit her bottom lip, worrying it under her teeth. A doctor stood behind her, face shielded with a mask, brows drawn upwards.

“Are you her next of kin?”

Jayce’s stomach burned with acid. The words sounded foreign, like another language, like they were just out of his grasp of understanding.

“I’m afraid I have... difficult news,” the doctor said, allowing Jayce the briefest of moments to hone in on what he was saying. “We did everything we could for her, but her body just... couldn’t make it. The condition she was in made it difficult for us to diagnose any one thing that led to... this. It just seemed like her body....” The doctor couldn’t bring himself to finish the sentence. “She fought to the end.”

Silence. A pause. The air was heavy on Jayce’s shoulders, his body betraying him as his shoulders trembled under the weight of the room crashing down on him.

“I’m so sorry, our Defender.”

“Was she in pain?”

Caitlyn clenched her eyes shut, looking away from Jayce gritting the words out. He knew. He already knew it hurt. She died alone, in pain, in Piltover, after Jayce stole her away from her best— her only chance at living. He killed her twice.

The doctor hesitated to answer, searching for something in Jayce. Then, after a pause, he spoke.

“She was in pain, yes. But she held on longer than we expected. Far longer, Defender. We....” He stopped to wet his lips, clearly unsure if he should continue, “We don’t want you to feel as though we neglected to treat her. We tried everything, anything to treat the source of her condition, but.... Well, sometimes medicine isn’t always enough.”

The doctor stepped back slightly, wringing his hands at his coat’s hem. It was emotional in a way Jayce had not expected. He wondered just how unbearable the girl’s death had to have been to warrant this sort of reaction from a doctor, of all people, from someone who had seen death more times than he could count.

“I’m sorry for your loss.”

The doctor exited the waiting room with Vi in tow, the two of them exchanging details as Caitlyn turned to Jayce. 

“Jayce....”

Caitlyn spoke with tenderness, a careful warmth. He couldn’t take it. He couldn’t handle tenderness, nor did he deserve it. He needed a hard edge, a cut to the skin, a sharp kick to the gut. He needed Viktor.

He wanted Viktor.

“I should have left her,” he said, finally. Caitlyn shook her head.

“You don’t know that. You don’t know that moving her is what led to this.”

“I’m supposed to save lives. I’m supposed to protect—” A bitter, sad laugh escaped him, as he pushed himself up to his feet, running his hands through his hair. Caitlyn watched warily.

“Jayce.”

“I killed her. She had a fighting chance, and I killed her because I couldn’t handle Viktor being right, couldn’t admit sometimes the augments are right, that—”

“It’s okay.”

“—that I couldn’t help her alone, and now she’s dead, she’s dead.”

Jayce’s voice shook with realization.

“She’s dead.”

His knees went weak underneath him, collapsing under the weight of his body as he sank to the floor. Hiccups and sobs spilled past his lips, barely controlled, barely able to breathe. He could distantly hear the voice of Albus Ferros in the back of his mind, barking at him as tears trickled down his face. Is that the way a hero acts? Is that the way the Defender of Tomorrow looks? Pathetic. Get up.

Jayce buried his face in his hands, keeling over and wailing outright.

Then came the voice of Amaranthine, a soft, comforting lilt in her voice as she teased him.

No crying, Mister. There are more people to save, you know.

A pair of warm hands scooped Jayce off of the floor just enough to pull him into their lap. He gritted his teeth, his sobs oscillating between heaves of breath and groans, like an animal in pain, a gutwrenching aching grief rolling through his body in waves.

Finally, Viktor.

Must you always make it worse?

Jayce could barely hear him over the sounds he made, ugly, visceral sobs torn from his throat.

It was Vi. Vi’s hands on his face, swiping away tears. She pulled him closer, as he melted in her lap, his hands holding tightly to her pants, her shirt, anything he could get a grip on. Caitlyn sat down beside Vi, leaning her forehead on Vi’s shoulder and stifling a few quiet cries of her own. Her hand found solace on the back of Jayce’s neck, squeezing and rubbing comforting circles in the skin with her thumb.

None of them spoke. Jayce cried until his throat was raw, ragged, until the only thing he could do was desperately suck in air and fight to stop the tears spilling forward. His eyes stung, barely able to keep them open long enough between one second and the next.

The girl died in the morning. 

Yet the sun dared to rise.

Notes:

hey guys _(:‚‹」∠)_ how we feeling

again, i really appreciate everyone's patience and kindness while i wrote this chapter! also, thank you all so very much for 3k hits! i'm beyond touched people enjoy the fic enough to keep up with it, let alone commenting, subscribing, leaving kudos. i hope y'alls pillows are cold on both sides when you go to sleep and your blankets are always cozy and warm.

see y'all for the final chapter! no ETA on it yet, but i promise the fic will be completed, come hell or high water. as always, please feel free to check me out on bluesky or discord if y'all wanna chat!

Chapter 8: The Heart Wants | The Heart Needs

Notes:

wow hello! update ahead! tags have been updated to reflect warnings of what lies ahead, just in case y'all need it. see you all on the other side!

4:52 AM. 

That was when Jayce managed to fall asleep.

He lay in bed for hours before that, staring at the ceiling of his bedroom, the shadows of the night growing and stretching across the room, desperately clawing at the edges of his blankets to pull him into the cold embrace of sleep.

But no matter how hard Jayce tried, he could not allow himself to close his eyes. Every time he blinked, every time the room came to be just a touch too quiet, he heard the sound of his heavy breaths, the way he struggled to climb those stairs in the hospital. If he had just picked up the pace, or maybe if he had taken the lift like Vi suggested, or— gods, if he had just brought the cane from the undercity, the one Viktor had given him, then maybe... maybe he would have made it a second earlier.

What difference that would have made, Jayce truly wasn’t sure. With each slow blink, he could see the purple and yellow blooming under the girl’s skin, the sign of rot and infection and whatever it was that took over her body like a plague, and he knew no matter how early he had been there, he wouldn’t have been able to do anything to save her life. He was days too late, had been so focused on his own selfish desire to return to normal and perhaps give in to the Council’s injunction from the hospital, that he hadn’t even listened to Caitlyn and Vi’s desperate imploring at his door. Nothing he did yesterday could have changed anything.

Except, maybe... bring her back to Viktor.

His stomach turned with nausea, but he no longer rolled out of bed to relieve himself of the feeling. There was nothing left for his body to expel; he hadn’t eaten all day, despite hearing the nagging, overly caring voice of Caitlyn in the back of his mind. He had barely drunk water, if not for the wave of dizziness that overcame him just before he slipped into bed.

Vi was the only reason he made it home in the first place. He remembered almost passing out on the hospital waiting room floor, how Caitlyn couldn’t bear to stay longer than she already had with Jayce and Vi, and so Vi stayed with him until he stopped sobbing, until his breathing leveled out into small hiccups and a desperation to give out. Then, Vi slung Jayce’s arm over her shoulder, lifting him as though he weighed nothing. In any other setting, he may have had the mind to thank her. As it was, he could barely acknowledge her quiet reprimands, her praise when he listened to her, the way he leaned on her for strength, and how it came to her so easily.

Jayce remembered 4:52 AM.

Sleep gave him no reprieve. As soon as his eyes slid shut, Jayce felt his mind slip into a fuzzy brown and grey nightmare, someplace familiar, someplace hard, someplace where it hurt. In the nightmare, he fell from the ceiling onto the floor, onto that makeshift bed the Blitzes had made up for him. Surrounded by dirtied bandages and infection and a sickly smell thick in the air as he crawled towards the hospital bed the girl sat in, Jayce found every inch he moved forward, she seemed to move miles away. There was a bite of sickness at his ankles, pulling him back. Jayce fought until he was exhausted, until his bones ached, his teeth were sore, until his jaw was set and locked in place from his efforts.

He screamed, his hands reaching for the girl’s shoulders, and when he pulled them away, they were covered in her blood. She did not awaken, no matter how loud he was, how much he shook her, and ignored his blood soaked fingers. Her flesh gave way under the pressure of his hands. He reeled back in horror, fell into the arms of Viktor. He tried to speak, but his voice was muffled, deep in the pit of his chest, and Viktor’s eyes were dark, his mask, his body no longer aglow with augments. 

The claw on Viktor’s back darted for his neck and held Jayce in the air as he kicked and fought for release. At Viktor’s side came the girl, her hand held up similarly as the claw, and when she squeezed, the claw tightened.

“You turned your back on me,” Viktor’s voice came, but the girl’s lips parted in tandem. The sound of Amaranthine’s voice came in the undertow as she spoke, Jayce’s mind supplementing pieces where it could, as he had never heard the girl speak before, “just like everybody else.”

They held Jayce over the ledge as his body felt the weight of gravity increasing on his body, until his limbs went limp at his sides, and then at once, they released their hold on his throat. The darkness pulled him in hungrily, mysterious hands from the shadows groping at his body and refusing to let go. He opened his mouth to scream, but nothing came.

He sat up in a cold sweat at 7:13 AM.

The girl could not be buried in Piltover.

Caitlyn arrived the morning after she passed to bear the news. Jayce was not surprised; the Council hardly wanted the girl to stay in their hospital. It would make sense that they did not want her to be buried in their land. Caitlyn explained it was due to the nature of her death that they expressly denied her request to bury the girl in her family’s plot, despite Caitlyn’s efforts. Jayce wanted to thank Caitlyn for all she tried to do for the girl, but the opportunity never came.

Vi stood behind Caitlyn at the door as she explained their options. He had invited them in, but Caitlyn appeared more than uncomfortable at entering his apartment, and Vi made no moves to recognize his invite, so they stood in the hallway, awkwardly discussing their choices. Passers-by regarded them both with short, curt nods, rushing past them to avoid the topic of their conversation.

“The Council has agreed to provide a procession for the girl, and—”

“A procession consisting of who?” Jayce said, letting out an incredulous scoff. “I have no idea if she has any family in the undercity, and even if she does, what makes the Council think they want any part of a Piltovan funeral for a Zaunite girl?” Jayce huffed, pinching the bridge of his nose and furrowing his brows. “Did the Council say anything about cremation?”

“No cremation.”

Caitlyn and Jayce both startled at the sound of Vi’s voice interjecting in their conversation, a harsh sharpness to her tone. She cleared her throat after a moment.

“We... we don’t cremate our people,” she said, averting her gaze from Caitlyn’s observing eyes.

“Okay. May I ask why?”

Vi hesitated, as if shame flushed hot beneath her skin under the weight of their gazes. “They say in Zaun that fire is like... like a thread that binds all things together: lovers, rivals, warring countries. So burning the dead is like binding their spirit to the ash. They can’t move on to the afterlife, so the wolf comes for them, hunts them because they’re—”

Vi stopped herself short when Caitlyn and Jayce both had quirked brows at her explanation.

“Would you both stop looking at me like I’m crazy? Okay? It’s a myth. But she’s from Zaun. She should be buried in her home. Take her back to where she belongs.”

Jayce set his jaw with a terse nod, looking back at Caitlyn as she sighed in resignation.

“Okay. No cremation. Truthfully, I’m not sure they would have cremated her to begin with.”

Before Jayce could ask Caitlyn just what she meant by that, her communicator went off with an alarm, Vi’s chirping only a moment afterward.

“Damn,” she muttered, silencing the communicator and looking back at Jayce. “Look, I’ll handle all communication with the Council, but.... You should stop by the funeral home. The sooner she’s laid to rest in the undercity, the sooner we’re done with all this, the sooner—”

“Done with all this?”

“Cait, come on, we talked about this.”

Vi and Jayce spoke at the same time, as Vi set her hands on her hips and sighed incredulously.

“What? What did I say?”

“Caitlyn, we have got to get going before you say something else we both regret,” Vi said, turning to Jayce with an apologetic expression on her face. “Sorry. She, uh, means well. Keep us posted after you stop by the funeral home. We’ll be back as soon as we can.”

Caitlyn and Vi devolved into bickering as they left Jayce’s building, and Jayce returned to the solace of his apartment once more.

In the end, Jayce organized for the girl to be buried on a Sunday with no procession, no service, no dramatics from Piltover’s religious factions. Vi offered to connect Jayce with a spiritual man from the undercity, but he declined. Don’t know if the girl’s family believed in all of that, he had said, as if he was allowed to ponder upon her existence before he destroyed it.

They posted ads in the papers, and asked Ekko for his help in locating the girl’s family. Jayce had even taken to walking in Zaun on foot, just on the off chance he would be able to find the girl’s missing family. Nobody responded to the ads, and Ekko, while hesitant to help, had no leads despite all his efforts. Jayce wasn’t sure why he even bothered walking around Zaun the moment he began his search. People in the undercity didn’t want to spare him so much as a look, let alone speak to him.

It was cloudy outside on that Sunday, a storm having rolled into Zaun just a few hours prior. Jayce tried not to think too hard about its timing as he dressed himself in the morning, in a black shirt and tie, slacks to match. He shaved, preened at his hair in the mirror, tried to remember what he looked like before all of this, before everything became just slightly off. He looked in the mirror, but never in his own eyes, as he finished cleaning himself up and making himself presentable.

Caitlyn waited outside Jayce’s apartment building for him. She matched Jayce in the dark clothes she wore, her rifle slung over her back. Always at the ready. She hesitated to smile, instead reaching her hand out to squeeze Jayce’s shoulder in comfort.

From the moment they set foot in the undercity, it felt like a blur. Caitlyn had a point of contact to take them to a Zaunite cemetery, as Vi had made it abundantly clear they would not be allowed in without an escort. He spoke very little to either of them, uttering one syllable words when they dared to ask a question. Jayce was fine without conversation. The closer they drew to the cemetery, the more his stomach churned with unease, his nerves as his heartbeat fluttered in his chest.

They arrived with a rumble of thunder, the storm booming closer than they anticipated as they followed the path towards a secluded plot of land. Caitlyn cleared her throat when they approached an open space, a small casket suspended over the freshly dug grave. Jayce’s throat tightened, a ball forming in the pit of his belly. He swallowed hard, closing his eyes and turning away from the casket towards the funeral director, who regarded Jayce and Caitlyn both with a short nod. She stood before them, her silvery hair pinned atop her head, and a long black coat hanging down to her ankles. Despite her appearance, her eyes were tender, warm.

“Defender. Sheriff,” she said, her voice quiet.

“Jayce,” he said, surprised by the sound of his own voice. “Please.”

“My name is Iza. I’m the funeral director. Sheriff Kiramman informed me of... the circumstances.”

Jayce nodded.

“Will there be anybody else joining?”

“No. I.... No. Just us today, ma’am.”

Iza gave Jayce a comforting smile. It felt so genuine and caring, it nearly made Jayce sick to his stomach.

“What you’re doing is very kind, Defender. You know, despite how people may feel about you in the undercity, many of us see the good you are doing.” Iza reached across the space between them, her hands sliding over Jayce’s own and squeezing softly.

“I suppose all my good would count for something if I could do right by the undercity now and again, too. I’ve heard I need to build a proper electric grid down here,” Jayce replied, poking fun at his own missteps. Iza’s brows raised in surprise, perhaps at his own awareness, though he couldn’t give himself the credit for it. In the back of his mind, he could feel Viktor’s eyes on him, all heat and irritation behind them. “I’m sure the way people feel about me is warranted.”

Iza hummed, holding her hands around Jayce’s once more.

“One step at a time,” she said, comfort in the undertow of her tone.

Caitlyn held a bouquet in her arms, having carried them through Zaun while their point of contact led them to the cemetery. Now, she reached her hands out towards Jayce, allowing him the option of taking the flowers. He stared down at them, an arrangement of white lillies, baby’s breath, and a singular pink rose in the middle of it, as he inhaled sharply and took the bouquet.

“Would you like to say a few words?” Iza prompted.

Jayce furrowed his brows, staring at the closed casket and contemplating just what he could have said.

“It’s all right if not.”

After a moment of contemplating, Jayce swallowed hard and shook his head. His eyes already burned with the sting of tears budding in them, his voice caught in his chest. Just as Iza nodded and made to lower the casket, Jayce reached his hand out for her elbow, stopping her short.

“Could... could I see her?”

Caitlyn bristled at this, stepping forward.

“Jayce,” was all Caitlyn could say, a careful warning in the tone of her voice.

Jayce’s brows drew upwards as Iza met his gaze and parted her lips around a sigh.

“I can’t let the last time I saw her be... in the hospital, the way she looked. Please.”

Iza hesitated, but nodded after a beat. She crouched beside the casket, reaching out her hand to the seal at the side. As soon as she unlatched it, she carefully pulled the lid open.

Jayce felt the wind knocked out of him the moment he saw her.

In the casket, nestled between the white cushions of the sides of it, lay the girl. Her hair was curly, curlier than Jayce had ever seen it. Her skin, while paler than it had been before, was evenly toned now, no longer hued with that sickening shade of purple and yellow illness, the way it had been in the hospital. No blood dripped past her lips, no bruises on her skin, no tubes or IVs or pulse monitors attached to her skin, just... a girl, freckle-faced and pure.

Jayce took a few steps towards the casket, stopping just at the edge of it and feeling his knees give way. He fell to the dirt as the flowers in his arm tumbled to the side. Her eyes were shut, the tension in her face relaxed in a way that made her look... peaceful. He had never seen her look so calm, so whole, so entirely... herself. A shaky breath escaped him, his hands trembling against the edge of the casket. He wanted so terribly to reach out, to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear, but all he could do was look at her.

“Jayce....” Caitlyn’s voice came from beside him, as she crouched and reached her arm out to curve around his shoulder. Jayce held onto the casket tighter, his fingers going white at the edges as he parted his lips to speak.

“I’m... sorry.”

In all the time Jayce spent at her bedside, watching her, hoping she would somehow snap out of the coma she had fallen into after the surgery, Jayce had never once apologized. Call him superstitious, call him a terrible martyr, call him whatever people wanted to call him, he thought apologizing meant conceding, admitting defeat, giving up. He couldn’t give up on her, which meant he couldn’t apologize, either. Now, it was too late. 

“I’m sorry,” he repeated, leaning closer and resting his forehead on the edge of the casket. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m s-so sorry.”

Iza watched as Jayce bit back tears, reaching his hands out for the girl’s and shuddering at how cold she felt. He squeezed, encompassing her hand in his as he gasped and felt a rush of emotion in his chest, bowling him over and threatening to suffocate him. He lost track of just how long he sat there, forehead pressed to the side of the casket, his hands around hers. It felt like a lifetime, and somehow still not long enough to absolve him of his guilt.

He apologized until Caitlyn’s hands gently curved around his shoulders. He took a deep breath in, composing himself, wiping away the tears prickling at the corners of his eyes. When Caitlyn got him to sit up, she gave him an understanding look, all tenderness as she pushed his hair from his eyes.

“It’s time, Jayce,” she said, as he felt that heavy weight in his chest again. After a moment of hesitation, he nodded, but moved to place the bouquet in the casket beside the girl. Carefully, he pulled the singular pink rose from the array of flowers, tucking it neatly behind her ear. For the briefest of moments, he thought she smiled. Then Iza closed the casket once again.

Jayce pushed himself off the ground, wiping his knees off and allowing Caitlyn to fix his hair. Always have to have the best image, always be put together, our Defender. He could hear her voice as she wordlessly preened at his appearance.

The cemetery was empty, quiet. Despite this, Jayce couldn’t help but feel as though somebody was watching him, goosebumps littering the back of his neck as he sighed and turned to Iza. She stood up with a careful sigh, meeting Jayce’s gaze after she gathered herself. Without needing prompting, she spoke.

“You may stay for the lowering of the casket, if you like.”

Jayce glanced back at the casket, and still could see her face through the closed latch as if she was still right there, just within his reach. His brows drew upwards before he shook himself of the feeling. He wasn’t sure he had any tears left to cry.

“No. No, I trust you’ll lay her to rest.”

“Of course, Defender.” Iza paused, a smile gracing her face. “Jayce, I mean.”

Jayce gave Iza a quick peck on each cheek when she circled the casket to bid him farewell, a delicate pink flush adorning her face as she pulled him into her arms. In all the instances where Jayce unfortunately had to attend a funeral, he had never met a funeral director so cordial, caring, and mindful of her client’s emotions and reactions. He supposed it had something to do with him and Caitlyn being the only two present, but regardless, she was far more attentive than he had expected.

“Jayce,” Caitlyn said, catching his attention. “I have to go. There’s... an emergency Topside.”

“An emergency? Let’s go.”

“No. No, there’s no need for both of us to go,” she rushed out, too urgent to be casual. Jayce furrowed his brows before Caitlyn pressed her lips together in a thin line. “It’s best you stay home. Rest.”

“I’ve been resting, Cait. I’ve been resting for almost two weeks. I—”

“Jayce, please. I’ll... I’ll stop by to see you after, okay?”

At a loss for what to say, Jayce nodded, but not before he insisted on walking her to the entrance of the cemetery, at the very least. The two of them walked in tandem down the familiar path, as Caitlyn avoided Jayce’s gaze. At the end of the path, Caitlyn gave Jayce a short hug, promising to visit him sometime later that day, before she picked up her pace and disappeared out of sight.

He sighed once she was out of hearing distance, his hands in his pockets and a chill running down his spine. It was almost as if she was purposely keeping information from him, something that didn’t sit well in his body as he watched her try to navigate day-to-day interactions with him. He wasn’t made of glass. He wouldn’t break if he found out whatever it was she was keeping from him. And if it had something to do with the girl, or Viktor, whom Jayce still hadn’t heard from, or about his own position in Piltover, then he felt he had a right to know.

He headed back up the path to say his last goodbye to the girl. While he knew he would visit her grave soon to leave a fresh bouquet, the moment felt like it deserved some finality. As he approached the grave, he realized Iza was nowhere to be found, having seemingly disappeared. He supposed she was not personally responsible for the lowering of the casket, but it was still a little unusual.

Jayce reached the casket, his eyes narrowing on an object sitting atop it.

A beaded bracelet sat on top of the casket, beads of pink, yellow, and green, only contrasted by the subtle, very haphazardly cleaned blood from the surface. Jayce crouched, taking in the sight of it, wondering just where he had seen it before, when the memory hit him all at once. It was a bracelet the girl had been wearing the first night, the night of the raid. Jayce only remembered it because after he... after she fell off the catwalk, he had darted his hand for her wrist and had to push the bracelet away from her wrist to feel for the faintest pulse.

His eyes went wide, darting around as he stood up, faster than he should have, as pain shot through his leg. Despite the pain, Jayce did not show it in his expression, instead searching the empty landscape as he took a shaky breath in. There was only one way the bracelet could have ended up there. Only one person could have had it, brought it here, but... Jayce hadn’t even told him yet.

“Viktor?” he said, his voice far too soft for anyone to have heard him. He felt his eyes stinging with the threat of tears, his throat burning with that familiar ache of a sob coming to the surface. “Viktor, is... is it really you?”

Jayce wasn’t sure what he was waiting for. An answer, he supposed. An explanation. How Viktor knew not just where and when the girl was being buried, but that she died to begin with. Jayce clenched his fists at his side, closing his eyes as he turned his face to the ground. Stupid. He was stupid to even consider the idea of Viktor being there. It was a coincidence, maybe a keepsake Caitlyn had found in the lab and left without Jayce noticing, or even a common Zaunite offering Iza had left behind before taking her leave.

Without calling out for Viktor’s nonexistent presence again, Jayce walked down the path out of the cemetery, didn’t bother looking back even once.

In the distance, behind a familial tomb, Iza stood with a cigarette between her fingers, smoking the last of it before she blew out a soft exhale of smoke.

“He’s gone,” she said.

Viktor pushed himself away from the wall of the tomb, peering over the edge of the wall to see if she was telling the truth. To her credit, Jayce was nowhere to be found.

Wordlessly, they walked to the casket. The storm had begun to settle on Zaun, raindrops filtering through the clouds and hitting the stone path with a soft pitter-patter.

Iza watched as Viktor crouched beside the casket one last time, pulling a stopwatch from his pocket and carefully laying it atop. She snuffed her cigarette in the path behind her, stuffing the butt of it in her pocket with a quiet huff.

“You will forget I was ever here,” Viktor said, intimidation in the undertow of his voice. Despite this, Iza quirked a brow.

“For whose sake?”

Viktor glanced at her, narrowing his gaze on her expression. She seemed just as kind as she had been with Jayce, but he didn’t need her kindness. There was nothing she understood beyond whatever Caitlyn had explained to her.

“Yours.”

Iza conceded with a short nod. Before Viktor took his leave, she cleared her throat to catch his attention.

“Would you like to stay for the lowering of her casket?”

Viktor contemplated it, staring at the ground as the rain grew more intense.

“I’ll stay,” he said. “I failed her once. I won’t let it happen again.”

The wind intensified the moment Iza began to lower the girl’s casket. Viktor did not look away until the casket settled at the bottom of the grave, as a gravedigger walked up the path of the cemetery to join him and Iza. Viktor did not exchange niceties with them once her casket was entirely lowered. He left without another word.

Once under the shelter of an awning, Viktor dared a look back at the cemetery. He swore in the dark stormy light, he could vaguely make out the form of a spectral woman, her hands reaching out towards the faceless figure of a young girl dancing in the wind with her.

Despite having promised to return later that day, Jayce did not hear from Caitlyn for a day and a half. Jayce had a meeting with an important figurehead of clan Ferros and stopped by the forge to chat with his favorite workers after not having seen them for almost a month and a half at this point. It felt nice; normal in a way Jayce wasn’t sure he would have been allowed to feel after everything was said and done. While thinking about the girl still made his gut feel empty and twist with nerves, he knew there was a part of him that could move forward, keep her with him in everything he did, but progress the way he knew humans always could.

He had just settled back in his apartment when he heard a knock at the door. When Jayce opened it, he found Caitlyn standing in the doorway, wringing her hands in the material of her coat like she wasn’t quite sure what to do. Then all at once, she threw her arms around him, squeezing tight.

“I’m sorry, Jayce. I’m sorry I couldn’t stay. And I’m sorry it took me so long to get back.”

Jayce couldn’t bring himself to speak, so he said nothing. He brought one arm around Caitlyn, holding her for only a second before she pulled away. She searched for something in his eyes before she sighed and let herself into the apartment. Jayce followed her in, closing the door behind him with an unexpected slam. The Blitzes tottered out from Jayce’s room, chirping quietly to one another as Caitlyn glanced their way. She frowned, turning away from them as one registered who she was and rushed back to Jayce’s room.

“Coffee?” she asked as though it were her own apartment. 

Jayce nodded, sitting at the island in his kitchen as she began to brew herself and Jayce cups of coffee. The kettle on his counter simmered to a start, as she ground fresh coffee beans and allowed herself a moment to enjoy the aroma. Jayce watched as she dumped the grounds into a press pot, shaking the grounds to even them out. Then she poured hot water in delicate circles, her eyes never leaving the task at hand until it came time to let the grounds steep.

“Are you hungry?”

“Caitlyn,” he said, catching her off guard with the scratchy brusqueness of his voice.

“R-right. Sorry. I just.... I’ve never had to do this before, you know. I don’t know how to approach....” She trailed off in a way that said death without verbalizing it. Jayce knew that was the truth: beyond her grandparents, who died when she was young, Caitlyn had been fortunate enough not to lose any of her immediate family. The Kirammans had Piltover’s many medical advances to thank for that. She was doing her best to comfort Jayce, given the circumstances. Jayce let out a sigh.

“Don’t... don’t be sorry.” He could feel his hackles rising, even though he knew it wasn’t a rational response to have to the kindness and concern of others. But he never prided himself on being a rational man. Jayce only knew how to be on the defensive, to have his teeth bared, to growl from the back of his chest like a beaten dog cornered. One too many soured instances of broken trust between him and Viktor left him fractured and piecing together the parts of him to make some semblance of a functional human, and now he felt like an exposed nerve.

Caitlyn wordlessly reached into a cabinet and set down two mugs, pouring Jayce’s coffee first, then her own. Jayce watched as she opened his refrigerator, a surprised expression upon her face as she pulled out a carton of milk and smelled it, her brows drawing upwards and a grimace tugging at her lips as she turned to the sink and poured it out. It was so absurd, silly in a way that almost made Jayce laugh if it weren’t for the way Caitlyn seemed to be so desperate to make things go right, even though everything was going so, so wrong.

“Hope you like it black?” Caitlyn said, pushing the mug towards Jayce. He took it in hand, staring down at the coffee as he allowed the heat of it to warm his fingertips. He couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at the corners of his lips as Caitlyn took a sip of her coffee and resisted the urge to frown. Apparently, she didn’t like her coffee black.

“Viktor used to make fun of me for taking my coffee with cream and sugar,” he began, unsure what prompted him to start talking about Viktor in front of her. Caitlyn’s brows raised in surprise, holding her mug in front of her face as though it did anything to shield her expression. “He was always such a dick about it. You drink your coffee with more sugar and milk than anything else, Jayce. What’s the point of drinking it at all, Jayce? Drink the coffee the way the earth intended it, Jayce.” He paused, taking another sip of his black coffee and humming. “But he always made it the way I liked it, regardless.”

Unsure of what to say, Caitlyn allowed the statement to sit between them. Viktor was not a subject Jayce brought up with anybody, let alone Caitlyn. It was worse than a sore subject: more like an open wound that Jayce tried to keep hidden under bandages and wraps, bleeding through now and again until he disappeared for a few days to change his dressings and stuff gauze in the gashes Viktor left behind.

“For a second....” Jayce furrowed his brows, clenching his eyes shut with the realization that he was verbalizing this not only to himself, but to Caitlyn. “Being down there in the undercity, I thought... this is what I missed out on.”

“‘This?’” Caitlyn said, an incredulous tone in the singular word. “What, leg injuries and infection? Sleeping on the ground? Forcing yourself to be around him?”

“Well, the ground wasn’t all that great. But... for a second— for a brief moment, Viktor and I were partners again. I forgot how it felt, what it was like. It had been so long, I– I don’t know.”

“You’re crazy,” Caitlyn said, the moment escaping her as she shook her head in disapproval.

“I didn’t say it was a good thing,” Jayce countered, taking another gulp of his coffee and setting the mug down. His stomach turned. Maybe drinking coffee on an empty stomach wasn’t his best idea. “Everyone thinks Viktor and I are so different, like we aimed for different things, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. We both wanted good. There was a reason we worked so well together for so long.”

“You told me all you two would do is bicker and argue,” Caitlyn interjected. “Doesn’t sound very healthy to me.”

“Because we challenged each other to be better. Yeah, it pissed me off every time he acted like he was so much smarter than I was, like he was doing me a favor just speaking to me sometimes, but... he understood me. And I understood him. I think I still do, in a way.”

“You’re nothing at all like him,” Caitlyn objected.

“Maybe,” Jayce placated, his voice surprisingly soft. “I’m not so sure.”

“No. No, Jayce, you’re better than he is. You care about people, you care about humanity. He doesn’t care about anyone but himself, his stupid evolution, turning people into things and objects. He’s a monster.”

“That might be true. But he cared for her.”

Caitlyn went silent, clamping her mouth shut and tensing her jaw with a frustrated sigh.

“Jayce, you are being so unbelievably hard on yourself for an accident. That’s all it was, right? An accident? The girl just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. You aren’t a murderer for trying to do something for the greater good and making a misstep along the way. And you’re certainly nothing even remotely close to a monster like Viktor, even— even if he cared about her and tried to save her life. You have to forgive yourself. You....”

Caitlyn stopped herself when she realized she was getting nowhere with Jayce. She huffed, pulling her coat open to reveal a folder hidden inside it. She pulled out the folder and tossed it on the counter. Jayce stared at it, unsure of what to make of the stack of papers spilling out of it as he furrowed his brows and reached out for it.

“What is it?” Jayce said, flipping the folder open immediately to find the name Jane Doe upon the pages before him. Records. Medical records. He took a deep breath in, closing the folder and pushing it back towards Caitlyn. “What the hell, Cait?”

“Jayce—”

“What difference do these reports make?” he said, pushing himself out of his seat with a frustrated grunt and turning his back on Caitlyn as she rushed after him, leaving their coffee on the kitchen island. Caitlyn snagged the folder from the counter. “She’s dead. There’s nothing I can do to change that. There’s nothing in here that changes that.”

“I know, but—”

“But what, Caitlyn? What could you possibly have in here that would make anything easier? Make it hurt any less? Is this going to bring her back?”

Caitlyn sneered, throwing the folder at Jayce’s feet with a petulant huff.

“You don’t get it! This isn’t about making anything easier, Jayce. None of this is about making it easier. I know you’re in pain, Jayce. I know it hurts more than I could ever fathom. I wish I could take the pain from you, but– but I thought you would want the truth over everything else.” She paused, furrowing her brows and storming towards the door, gathering her coat. “She’s not coming back. I know that. You know that. But this,” she gestured towards the folder, “is what’s left. Retribution. Answers. And they might not be the ones you want. But you owe it to her to understand what those records mean.”

A long silence stretched between them. Caitlyn lingered, as if allowing Jayce the grace to say something, but he kept his silence, glaring at the folder on the floor. She turned her back on Jayce and walked out— no slamming doors or stomping down the hall; just silence, and Jayce alone with the girl’s medical files before him.

He waited. For hours, he waited, never able to look at the folder that sat upon his desk for any longer than a few minutes. Jayce paced the room, left, and did his best to take his mind off what Caitlyn said. What could she have possibly meant by any of it, he thought to himself, as he huffed and tried to focus on something, anything other than—

The folder: papers spilling out of it; the girl’s name, or lack thereof; the way the reports seemed to grow in size and detail towards the back of the file.

Retribution, she said.

Answers.

They might not be the ones you want.

Jayce sat down at his desk, scrubbing his hands over his face. When he pulled his hands away, he found he was shaking, trembling like a leaf. He couldn’t steady his fingers for any longer than a few seconds, his eyes struggling to focus on any one thing.

As if his brain already knew what lay within the folder, as if his body refused to acknowledge that fact.

Slowly, he opened the folder.

The medical reports began as any other would: intake forms, a description of Jayce and Caitlyn’s rescue mission, vitals, and the girl’s blood type. Jayce flipped through the pages and scanned over the details of her condition, how her body struggled to supply enough oxygen, and the heightened white blood counts Viktor had mentioned just before Jayce stole her away. He let out a quiet breath when he noticed the first few reports, in which the doctors mentioned her condition improving. She had even opened her eyes and briefly spoke to a nurse. Jayce had missed it. Sitting at home, wallowing in his guilt over betraying Viktor and jeopardizing his position in Piltover, he forgot what truly mattered.

Within a few hours of her improvement, Jayce read the reports in which she gradually began to worsen. 

“Bruising of the skin, purpling of the eyes, mottling of the skin. Seizures. In the brief moments the patient shows lucidity, she experiences intense confusion and impairment.”

Jayce looked away from the reports, clenching his eyes shut and doing his best to tamp down the images of her in that moment just before the elevator doors slid shut, that anguished scream echoing in the back of his mind.

Page after page revealed the bevvy of tests the doctors put the girl through, all while desperately trying to diagnose her condition. It was only after a round of thorough blood tests that the doctors  made note of an irregularity in her blood, initially hidden by her heightened white blood cell counts.

“Tissue and bloodwork samples revealed traces of what appears to be an unregistered growth serum based around chemical tech, otherwise known as Chem-Tech, likely of undercity origin.” 

Jayce furrowed his brows. Could Renata have been experimenting on these kids, injecting them with Chem-Tech for... for what, exactly?

“The serum’s effects show similarities to early-stage regenerative therapies in Piltover designed to stimulate rapid cell growth. Given the presence of mechanical based organs, we may conclude the serum was used to support acceptance of said organs.”

Jayce couldn’t bring himself to read through the rest of the medical jargon, barely able to process just what was before him as he flipped through more pages, skimming over paragraphs of information in regards to the serum present in the girl’s blood and tissue.

“Upon further research and isolation of the serum’s makeup, it is our research team’s opinion that the serum must have been administered via continuous dosage before her admittance to Piltover Medical, either through an IV drip or a scheduled, injected dose. Without the consistent dose, the serum then destabilized. Due to the serum’s nature in which it attached to the DNA and thusly changed the patient’s DNA, absence of the serum triggered hyper-apoptosis, or rapid cell death across the patient’s multiple systems.”

It took Jayce a moment to register his fingers trembling around the page, his grip going tight, fingers white as he dared to read more. His stomach twisted in knots, an anxious kick in his heart every time he brought himself back to the papers in his hand.

The following pages were photos of the girl. Jayce tried to keep himself from looking, remembering how she looked in the casket, willing himself to allow that to be his final memory of her, but he could never turn away from the truth, from the images laid out before him. The photos showed the signs of the rapid cell decay, her skin purple and blue, her teeth that had fallen out of her mouth, severe hair loss— he threw the pages down to keep himself from looking at them any longer. Instead, he read through the final reports from her primary doctor.

“Patient’s pain response centers showed sustained activity until shortly before her death. She remained conscious throughout most of the deterioration— medical intervention was not possible due to a lack of familial relations able to give input on her treatment.

Decedent died as a result of exposure to the regenerative serum, administered to counteract the body’s initial rejection of biomechanical augments. The patient’s primary cause of death is systemic cellular collapse due to withdrawal. Death occurred approximately seven days after cessation of serum admittance, following signs of acute metabolic collapse, multi-system failure, and profound cellular necrosis.

Autopsy report as follows....”

As Jayce finished reading the report, he set the pages down on the edge of his desk, a quiet realization washing over him. 

All those reports Viktor had, the comments he made on her body not accepting the augments, how her oxygen consistently began to decline, the panic in his voice when the storm knocked the power out: he wasn’t just afraid of her body losing oxygen, but of her body entirely rejecting the augments, of proving Jayce right, and— and it would be just like Viktor to use something like an experimental serum to try and prove his point, as if her life was nothing more than a game, a competition between the two of them.

And it was what ended up taking her life.

Jayce ran to the bathroom, barely able to keel over his sink as he heaved and brought up bile. His throat ached with the burn of acid, resting his forehead against the porcelain edge of it. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and he gritted his teeth against the urge to heave again.

This wasn’t an accident, a terrible byproduct of Jayce betraying Viktor’s trust and bringing her Topside against Viktor’s wishes. No, this was Viktor’s doing. He hid his intentions just as much as Jayce had, and it led to— to this. 

Jayce pushed himself upright, wiping his mouth with the back of his shaking hand. The sight of himself in the mirror felt not foreign or strange, but animalistic, a rage cresting in the pit of his belly as the guilt he once held onto twisted into something sharp, hot, and unforgiving.

Jayce didn’t bother checking his appearance in the mirror. He didn’t wipe the sweat on his brow, fix his hair, make sure the clothes he wore were suitable for public appearances. He hardly stopped to catch his breath.

His communicator chirped to life on his desk as he sent out a message to Viktor, closely followed by another to Caitlyn. If anybody had asked him what they said, he wasn’t sure he would be able to relay the messages, other than the finality of the last line he sent Viktor.

Meet me at our old lab. Midnight.
J.

Jayce had not been to the lab in years. He found only ghosts remained in the broken down rubble of that building, and while he had considered tearing it down on more than one occasion, always in the name of progress, there was something within him holding him back from committing to do so. So instead, he always gave a healthy chunk of his monthly stipend to keeping it open, keeping it exactly the way he and Viktor had left it all those years ago.

As Jayce walked in, he carried the Mercury Hammer over his shoulder, his footsteps against the delicate concrete kicking up dust and memories of battles, aching scars under the material of his coat. Jayce frowned, a sneer tugging at the corner of his lip as he faced all of it, the weight of the lab on his shoulders. A quiet fog settled on Piltover, a chill running through the air, as if Janna herself knew what had happened, as if she could feel the intensity of Jayce’s rage in the atmosphere, sparking across the landscape with the rumble of a storm.

When he reached the center of the lab, where all their research, all their fighting, all their differences came to a head, Jayce slumped over, standing the hammer up on its head and clenching his eyes shut, as if closing his eyes to the scene before him would change anything. His fingers trembled around the handle of the Mercury Hammer, as he took a deep breath in and smelled the rich scent of ozone.

Parsing through his memories, Jayce searched for any sign he had missed, anything Viktor could have said that would have signaled Jayce to be alarmed, but all he could remember was Viktor’s eyes when he removed his mask, the way Viktor ruthlessly cleaned his wounds and brought him food, bandages, and willed Jayce to survive for the girl, only to—

His head ached with a migraine that had been building from the moment he found out the truth, the moment he read the lines in the report addressing the serum in the girl’s body. He swallowed down the pain, clenching his jaw through the pain and pushing himself back up to his feet as the sound of footsteps echoed through the empty lab, accompanied by the sound of wind whipping through the broken down walls of it.

For a moment, there was silence between them. The mechanical thump-thump-thump of Viktor’s footsteps slowed, and Jayce swore the ringing in his ears became too loud for him to register even the sound of his own heartbeat. His palms were sweaty against the handle of the Mercury Hammer as he refused to turn around and acknowledge Viktor’s presence.

Then Jayce swallowed hard against the dryness of his throat, like glass shards on his tongue. He parted his lips to let out a shuddered exhale.

“Defender,” came Viktor’s voice first, breaking the silence between them. Jayce closed his eyes, barely contained rage spilling over the seams. Defender. Defender, Defender, Defender, never Jayce, not even in their shared betrayal, could Viktor ever bring himself to be himself. He couldn’t even turn to face Viktor, let alone look at him, so he stood still. “Why have you brought us back to this place?”

When Jayce didn’t answer him, Viktor instead took in the sight of their lab, his eyes scanning over the ruins of their old lab. How many nights had they spent side by side, working tirelessly on their projects, on work that would earn them funding and the trust of the Piltovan people— how many nights had Viktor and Jayce leaned on one another for a second too long, but not long enough, searching for respite in one another? Viktor furrowed his brows behind his mask, letting out a soft sigh hidden by the modulator of his mask, before he turned to Jayce. Still, Jayce was unmoving, unwilling to face him.

“I thought we could come back to where it all began,” he said, his voice barely recognizable, something animalistic in the undertow. Viktor knew that tone of voice. He had heard it in his own many times, usually brought on by Jayce’s taunting. Viktor felt the muscles in his body tense on reflex. He was never quite able to carve out that fight or flight instinct so deeply ingrained within him.

The silence fell between them once more. Viktor had never felt such a suffocating, crushing weight of tension. Jayce was always theatrics, all big boasts and a smarmy smile to get under Viktor’s skin— he carried himself with a pompous air that Viktor knew better than to buy into, and couldn’t help but hate all the same, not beccause of the energy itself, but because he knew that wasn’t Jayce at all, but what was expected of him, who he was expected to be. He knew Jayce inside and out, and seeing him put on a song and dance for the people of Piltover made Viktor’s skin crawl with loathing for just who they wanted him to pretend to be.

But Jayce now, the Jayce that stood before him, was nothing like that. There was an innate danger in the air, almost as if Viktor took a step the wrong way, Jayce would pounce on him, so he did not move.

“Why?”

Viktor failed to process the question the first time. He only heard the desperate claw of Jayce’s voice against his throat, the way he seemed to fight to choke the word out in a way that sounded human. Jayce’s frame trembled, all the strength sapped from his body and leaving him standing upright in rage, in hatred.

“Why, Viktor?”

The sound of his name brought Viktor back to the scene unfolding in front of him. Jayce still faced away from Viktor, but his voice bounced and reverberated off the half-torn walls of their lab, which made it sound like he surrounded Viktor, behind him, beside him, on top of him.

“Why, what?” Viktor said, feigning ignorance in exchange for Jayce finally rearing on him, shooting a glare so intense over his shoulder, Viktor nearly flinched at the heat of Jayce’s gaze. He swallowed hard, hoping his augments hid the action as he parted his lips and let out an audible exhale of surprise. Jayce’s teeth were bared around a snarl, his pupils blown wide as he focused on Viktor alone.

“Why did you kill her?” Jayce said. Viktor felt his heart lurch in his chest. The girl. “You murdered her.”

Viktor could not bring himself to say anything of merit, anything that would keep Jayce from holding him over the precipice of conclusion, so he kept his silence. Jayce furrowed his brows, disgust in his expression as he continued.

“And then you have the nerve– the audacity to come to her grave to leave gifts for her, like you weren’t the reason she ended up there?”

“I was not the one who struck her in Renata’s warehouse,” came Viktor’s cold, calculated response. Jayce felt his hackles raise. “I was not the one who nearly killed her and came begging for salvation.”

“No. No, I know my part in all of this, Viktor. I know I almost killed her. I brought her to you selfishly, because I couldn’t stand the idea of having to look at myself every day for the rest of my life and see a child murderer, but I never thought you would have signed her death sentence.”

Jayce waited again, as if Viktor would have offered an answer so easily.

“I’ll ask you one last time,” Jayce said, reaching for the Mercury Hammer, swiftly holding it in front of him as it clicked and shifted to life, the blue glow of the Hexcrystal within it illuminating the sharpness of Jayce’s expression against the darkness of the night sky, the fog of the landscape. Viktor’s claw whirred behind him, that familiar tug of survival settling in his chest as the claw clicked and chirped, zoning in on Jayce’s form. “Why did you do it, Viktor?”

He contemplated his choices. No matter his answer, Viktor was sure Jayce was going to attack him. The incensed look in his eyes said so. Regardless of all of the honesty in the world, there was going to be a battle between the two of them. So Viktor took a deep breath in, readying himself as Jayce did the same, taking his stance and hauling the hammer over his shoulder.

“It was necessary,” Viktor said, his voice deceptively calm. “Progress demands more than ideals. It demands sacrifice. It demands risk.”

The wind warningly pulled at Viktor’s cloak, as if Janna herself willed Viktor to step down. Regardless of her warnings, he was unflinching under the weight of Jayce’s glare.

“Sacrifice? Risk?” Jayce said, an incredulous laugh bubbling over, past his lips. “Tell me, then, what did you sacrifice, Viktor? What did you risk? You want to act like you cared about progress, when all you did was— was damn this girl to a painful death?”

“I told you she should have stayed in the undercity,” Viktor retorted, allowing his emotion to get the better of him.

“So you could keep experimenting on her?” Jayce shouted back, cutting Viktor off almost instantaneously, as if he had expected Viktor to say something like that. “Using her? Turning her into something she isn’t?”

“I never wanted to hurt her,” Viktor said. Despite Jayce’s disbelief, there was only sincerity in Viktor’s voice. “I don’t expect you to understand.”

Jayce nearly caved, nearly begged Viktor to let him understand, because he wanted so badly to see the part of Viktor who ever imagined this could have ended up in any other scenario than this, than the two of them dancing on the edge of insanity and brilliance; than the two of them ending up on the floor, bloodied and bruised and begging for the other to see them through it all. But they knew the paths they took would always lead them right back here, and now all that was left was this. 

Instead, Jayce found his resolve once more, his grip going tight on the Mercury Hammer as it hummed, an electric spark darting out from it as Viktor steeled himself.

“I wanted to believe in you, Viktor.” Jayce paused. “In us. But you made this choice on your own. You damned her for your warped sense of evolution.”

Viktor felt the heat of his claw creeping over his shoulder, his own grip on his staff growing tighter as he eyed the hammer and how it seemed to flare with Jayce’s rage.

“I won’t let you take anyone else down with you. Nobody but me. This ends here.”

Before Viktor could get a word out edgewise, Jayce leapt across the distance between them, swinging his hammer down and giving Viktor hardly enough time to react. He dodged out of the way, watched as the head of the hammer connected with the ground and smashed the concrete into bits, all force and blue sparks jumping from the head of the hammer. Viktor’s eyes went wide, letting out a quiet noise of shock. He had never seen such force exhibited from Jayce before, never against him.

Viktor landed a space away, barely able to react to Jayce jerking the hammer over his shoulder again and pointing it towards him, now shifting it to the Mercury Cannon as he aimed and took fire. A blue ray of light shot out from the core of the crystal, all heat as Viktor felt it just barely reach the edge of his arm, before he rolled away and stood in the center of the room, where Jayce had been just a moment prior. Jayce reared on him, a wild look in his eyes the moment he did so, his entire body charging for Viktor’s own. The claw on Viktor’s back latched onto a hanging piece of rebar from the mangled ceiling above, lifting him from the ground as Viktor huffed, landing on his feet a moment after.

“Fight me, damn it!” came Jayce’s harsh tone across the room, another blast from his hammer tracking Viktor’s footsteps across the floor as Viktor hurriedly dodged each shot, just barely out of reach of destruction. Jayce approached once again, swinging the hammer again and bringing it down upon the wall Viktor hid behind, the force of the explosion flinging Viktor across the floor as he landed with a loud oof!

Jayce approached Viktor on the ground, panting, his chest heaving with every gasp of air he took in. Viktor turned on his back, crawling backwards from Jayce as he took in the sight of the unhinged expression Jayce wore, his hair falling past his eyes. He huffed, red-faced and angry, his teeth bared as he spoke.

“Get up, coward.”

Just as Jayce lifted his hammer above Viktor, the claw on Viktor’s back buzzed with rage, an orange beam shooting out and skimming the side of Jayce’s torso. Jayce hissed, but his grip on the hammer did not falter. With the brief moment of hesitation Viktor won, he rolled out from underneath Jayce’s oppressive form as the hammer came down where his head would have been.

“How long did you wait, Viktor?” Jayce growled out, turning towards Viktor, who pushed himself up on shaky legs, his eyes tracking Jayce’s precise movements as he charged the hammer once again. “After I brought her to you, how long did you wait before injecting her with the serum?”

Viktor exhaled, shaky, unsure. His staff glowed as he readied himself for Jayce’s next attack, finally able to get his bearings.

“What difference will knowing make?” Viktor said. Jayce’s expression morphed into something unreadable, but bordering on repulsion. He always wore his heart on his sleeve, could never hide the feelings coursing through his body to save his life, unless it meant bringing shame to Piltover. It made Viktor sick to think about, imagining how Jayce could seem to flip on a switch in front of everybody else, everybody but Viktor. “You have already decided— my judge, jury, and executioner, right, Defender?”

Jayce set his jaw with a harsh click.

“You’re right. Knowing won’t make a difference.”

A harsh puff of steam shot out from Viktor’s sides, his systems flashing warnings as his eyes honed in on Jayce’s hands, how his fingers tightened on the hammer they had the previous times he attacked.

“It won’t bring her back.”

At the same time Jayce lifted his hammer and began to charge at Viktor, Viktor pointed his staff towards the ground behind Jayce, conjuring a gravity field with a magnet he left behind in his place. At once, the magnet activated, the force of it pulling Jayce backwards and nearly wrenching the hammer from his hand. At the same time, the claw whirred, rotating and shooting off a wide ray that began to narrow the closer it drew to Jayce.

The force Jayce used to pull his hammer from the magnet tore an inhuman growl from his throat. Using all of his strength, he pulled the hammer from the magnet’s pull and in the other direction, where it slipped from his grasp. Hurling directly towards Viktor, he barely had time to move out of the way of the hammer’s trajectory, the hefty weight of it catching his shoulder as Viktor suppressed a groan and fell backwards, caught by the claw as it held him upright against a wall.

“But I can make sure you never have the chance to do this to any human being again.”

Viktor heard Jayce’s voice drawing nearer, a panic settling in his core as he searched for another quick escape, but he was against the ledge, metaphorically and literally. Behind him, the walls were torn down, broken down to ruin from time and Piltover’s weather. He glanced behind himself. Too far to fall. 

Jayce approached without the hammer in his hands, trembling from the sheer amount of force he had to exert just to wretch the hammer from Viktor’s magnet, now seemingly deactivated as it emitted a quiet hum, pitched and whining. Viktor held his shoulder, unwilling to reveal the ache of pain settling there as Jayce finally stood before him.

“We didn’t even know her name,” came Jayce’s voice, surprisingly small for the rage bubbling beneath the surface. Another puff of steam escaped the sides of Viktor’s body, a subtle hint of smoke in it. He met Jayce’s undoing gaze. “You took her life in your hands without even knowing her name, if her family was looking for her, if somebody was missing her.”

“The means of her survival was nobody’s concern but my own,” Viktor said, gritting his teeth as he pushed himself up and released his grip on his arm. “I am the one who made sure she lived another day. I am the one who pulled her from the depths of death and brought her back to our plane.”

“You don’t think her family deserved to know? Deserved to give their input on her life, on her treatment? Who am I kidding? Of course you don’t think that. Unless it has to do with your cause, you don’t think about anybody—”

“I searched for her family!”

Viktor’s voice rose in volume, intensity, cutting Jayce off with a sharp bite. He revealed the bits of emotion he had been tamping down, telling himself to keep tucked away as Jayce broke down before him, but he could not allow Jayce to speculate on his morality any longer.

“Every day I went out, every day I was not in the lab, what do you believe I was doing, Defender?”

Jayce resisted the urge to sneer in contempt, as he bit his tongue and allowed Viktor to continue.

“Morning to night, I searched for her family, for a friend, for anybody who could tell me who this girl was.” Viktor’s voice trembled at the end of his sentence. He took a deep breath in and willed himself to calm down. “But nobody was looking for her. Nobody reported her missing. Not even Renata knew who she was. She does not know nor care for most of the Zaunites working in her warehouses.”

Jayce thought back to all the times he had woken up and found the lab empty; the time Viktor returned and found Jayce using his communicator, how he had been missing for hours on end, with no explanation or reason behind his disappearance, or the day Caitlyn found Jayce in his lab, how Viktor had only left a note and some food behind for Jayce; all at once, the memories returned, and Jayce knitted his brows together. Could Viktor have been telling the truth?

“I asked for outside help,” Viktor conceded. “But you know as well as I do that the radicals of the undercity want nothing to do with us– with me. Then the storm came. And I....”

Viktor trailed off, a hesitation in his tone as Jayce took another step closer, grabbing Viktor by the collar of his cloak.

“You, what?” he gritted out. Viktor’s hand wrapped around Jayce’s wrist, his grip tight.

“I am no better than you are, Defender. I could not watch her die.”

“You didn’t know she was going to die.”

“And you did?” Viktor said. Jayce seemed to flinch in surprise at the accusation. “You were allowed to run away because you thought she was going to die, but I had nowhere to go. And I refused to let her die.”

Jayce hesitated, enough for Viktor’s claw to ready itself behind him, the mechanical clicks of it extending and coming to attention barely noticeable to Jayce as he searched for something in Viktor’s body language, how he held his ground despite the pressure Jayce exuded.

“You want me to believe the serum was her best chance at survival? The very thing that killed her?”

Viktor met Jayce’s gaze now.

“No. You still don’t get it. After all this time, you still misunderstand.”

The claw came to Jayce’s face, his eyes going wide as it swiped at his hand upon Viktor’s cloak, separating the grip he had on Viktor as Jayce leapt away from the aim of Viktor’s death ray, the heat of it cutting across his leg and tearing through the fabric of his pants, slicing through flesh as he hissed and crawled from the line of the ray.

“The serum didn’t kill her. You did.” Viktor cracked his neck, the gears of his spine clicking into alignment with a mechanical grind from having been thrown around their old lab. He sighed, straightening himself out as he held his staff, pointing it towards Jayce with a sharp tone. “You dragged her Topside, after I practically begged you not to, after I told you she would be better off staying in my lab.” Viktor’s silhouette was framed by the hum of the staff in his hand, bright, gleaming. “You never could accept being wrong. Not then. Not now.”

All at once, Viktor brought his staff down on the rubble of their old lab, a spray of lights above Jayce. His eyes went wide, recognizing this, of Viktor’s many attacks, as the worst to avoid. It was a remnant of the Hexcrystal Viktor had managed to steal away, something Jayce had never quite been able to take back, as a rain of energy shot down from the ceiling above, one, then many, as Jayce did his best to avoid each shot, narrowly missing one that grazed his abdomen before he dove underneath an old desk, taking shelter under it and cursing under his breath.

“It’s so easy for you, isn’t it?” Viktor’s voice echoed through the lab, over the booming sound of the energy breaking apart concrete and rubble, flinging shrapnel through the air. “So easy for you to tuck tail and run back to your Piltie ways— blaming me, blaming me for everything, as if you did not have an implicit hand in this from the start.”

Jayce peeked out from the corner of the desk, Viktor’s ray immediately firing off at the edge of it and nearly taking out Jayce’s eye, if it weren’t for a burst of shrapnel from the energy firing off above, intercepting it.

“She died because you needed to be the hero.”

Viktor always knew which open wounds to dig into to make Jayce ache, to make him weep. Glancing to his right, Jayce found the Mercury Hammer lying in a pile of rubble. He could make a run for it, but Viktor’s reflexes were nothing to be scoffed at. Jayce knew he was going to take a hit, regardless of how quick he was.

After the sound of a loud, booming crash of energy to his right, Jayce dove for the hammer, feeling the heat and bite of Viktor’s ray on his leg, the same that had been injured, a sharp yell escaping him as he rolled and barely grabbed the Mercury Hammer, which thrummed to life. Pointing it directly at Viktor, Jayce shot off multiple beams of energy from the crystal. All Viktor could do was brace himself, the force of the beams shoving him into the leftover pieces of broken-down wall behind him.

“Easy?” Jayce bit back, a laugh of disbelief escaping him. “You think any of this was easy, Viktor?”

Viktor’s footsteps drew closer, as Jayce pushed himself up on two feet, his leg aching with that familiar bite of pain he had known in the undercity, by the girl’s bed, begging for salvation, for her to just open her eyes.

“You think running into that hospital, hearing her last scream, seeing her skin turn purple and blue from decay, and— and the blood, Viktor— gods, the blood. Do you think seeing any of that was easy?”

Viktor stopped in place, the bursts of light slowing to a stop before he brought his staff down once more, silencing the sound of the energy in the lab. Jayce huffed, leering over the edge of the wall he hid behind before revealing himself entirely. Viktor’s claw twitched at the movement, tracking him, but not going off the way it had before. Steam billowed from Viktor’s sides in a steady stream, all rage in his core.

“And then finding out it was you.” Jayce took a step forward. “You did this to her. You put her in that grave the moment you gave her the serum, Viktor, the moment you thought experimental Chemtech was worth putting her life at risk. How could you?”

“She was going to die, Jayce. Her body would not accept the augments without the serum. If you had just left her—”

“You’re not listening to me—”

“She would have died before she made it Topside without the serum at all—”

“You were supposed to be my partner, Viktor.”

Viktor froze at that, biting back whatever protests he had in mind as Jayce let his hand relax on the hammer for a moment, the handle slipping from his grip as he took in a sharp breath.

“W-what?” Viktor said, damning himself for stuttering.

“All this time,” Jayce began, sighing and letting his shoulders sag with the movement, “everyone has been telling me about how evil you are; how nothing you do can be good, that you don’t care about humanity. But I believed in you, Viktor. I believed you wanted her to live. I believed you wanted to do good.”

“I did—”

“And... and being around you made me feel like– like maybe we could have—”

Viktor leaned in, taking a step forward without noticing Jayce’s grip on the hammer.

“That if we were fighting for the same thing, maybe... we could have been partners again.”

Viktor felt his resolve weaken, a surprised noise escaping him as Jayce’s fingers wrapped tightly around the hammer, inching it closer to his side without alarming Viktor.

“But you were right, Viktor.”

In a rush of a swing, Jayce lifted the hammer with one arm, using the other to complete the arc of the swing and connect it to Viktor’s abdomen. Viktor let out a sharp yelp of pain, the force of the impact sending him across the room and into a pile of rebar and rubble. Jayce threw the hammer down, huffing as he approached Viktor, who coughed and let out another sharp groan, rolling over onto his stomach. Jayce knelt above him, one leg on either side of him. He pinned Viktor down, easily tearing the claw from Viktor’s back and throwing it to the edge of their old lab, the wires of it fizzling and crackling with a sickening whine. Then, Jayce flipped Viktor over, onto his back, as he looked down at him with an alarmingly neutral expression.

“I have always been too trusting,” he said. “And you are too cruel to deserve it.”

“Jayce,” Viktor barely managed to choke out, before he felt Jayce’s fist connect with his jaw, a hard blow to the bone as Viktor tried to shove Jayce off of him, but to no avail. Jayce was all adrenaline, pure unadulterated rage coursing through his veins in a flurry of emotions he could only express through his fist connecting with Viktor’s body, over and over and over, until Jayce’s knuckles were bruised and bloody, leaving behind blood with every devastating blow.

Jayce landed another blow on Viktor’s mask, a sickening crack of metal and bone, Viktor’s hands coming to Jayce’s neck and trying to push him off, the force in his touch weakening with every hard punch Jayce landed, another, another. Everything bubbling over all at once: the girl, the way she looked as Jayce carried her into Viktor’s lab— and the lingering question of why, why Viktor had done it, why he didn’t just let Jayce take her.

But also the question of why Jayce hadn’t just left her. Why he cared so deeply, why he wanted to keep her so wholly human, when there were plenty of augmented people in Piltover who were the same as they had ever been. Was he so petty, so idealistic, that he could not admit his wrongs to Viktor and just let him save her life? Was being right worth her life?

“Jayce—”

Jayce lifted Viktor from the ground, slamming him into it a moment after as Viktor let out a wail, his voice ragged under the modulator. Steel met flesh, Jayce’s knuckles splitting further until the sound of the clang of metal on bone blurred into a single, punishing rhythm. The actuator on Viktor’s shoulder sparked, his breath hitching in his throat as he choked on his own words, barely able to breathe. Jayce’s fist connected to Viktor’s mask once more, the sheer force of the hit snapping the mask in half. Viktor felt a rush of oxygen, sucking in a deep breath as a spray of blood swept across the floor beside him, unsure if it was his own or Jayce’s.

“J...Jayce!”

He was still swinging, still shaking, his entire body trembling as he held himself up and connected another hit, releasing another gush of blood. Viktor barely had it in him to fight back, his hand holding onto Jayce’s wrist, but doing nothing more than angering Jayce further, bringing his fist down with renewed strength. Viktor watched helplessly as Jayce’s other hand curved around a loose panel, damaged from the impact of the hammer, and tore it away from his abdomen. At once, Jayce’s fingers wrapped around a set of wires, Viktor’s systems sounding alarms within him at the contact alone.

“Jayce!”

Jayce felt his vision go from hazy and blurry to focused, seeing the carnage he had wrought upon Viktor. More than that, Viktor’s eyes were on him, the mask having broken in half from the force of Jayce’s hits, desperately searching for something human within him. Viktor’s lips parted, blood dripping from his upper lip into his mouth and staining his teeth red, red, red. 

Fear. There was fear in Viktor’s eyes.

Jayce felt his arms trembling as he stopped, one fist hovering mid-air, dripping blood from his knuckles, while the other held onto barely connected wires within Viktor. Each drop of blood fell from Jayce’s open wounds with a quiet noise on the concrete below. Viktor darted back and forth between Jayce’s eyes and the gore of his hand. He parted his lips to speak again, but devolved into a cough. Jayce could hardly register that he had done this, turned Viktor into this bloody, broken mess before him. Viktor was almost too afraid to move. He had never felt such fear in quite some time, deep within his core.

Boneless, his energy sapped entirely, Jayce fell forward, his body weight on Viktor as he rested his forehead on Viktor’s shoulder. Viktor let out a soft noise of pain, barely holding back another coughing fit.

Viktor’s hands came to Jayce’s shoulders, struggling to push him off as Jayce slumped to the side. Like this, he and Viktor lay side by side, staring up at the night sky above them, clouds rolling by with the wind dancing between them.

They lay in silence. Viktor’s breath came in choking rasps, struggling to breathe through the blood dripping down his throat, in contrast to Jayce’s huffing, heaving breaths in and out as the adrenaline drained from his veins.

“I—” Viktor tried to speak, but erupted into coughs, a searing rush of pain hitting his jaw as he hissed and knocked his head back against the ground beneath him. “I only wanted to help.”

Jayce couldn’t bring himself to say anything in response. Instead, he allowed Viktor to continue speaking between his coughing fits.

“Her body showed no signs of accepting the augments, but you.... You were so stubborn, I could not simply augment the rest of her body to accept them. Then I remembered.” Viktor turned just slightly, catching Jayce’s attention. He glanced at him, their eyes meeting in the space between. “The s-serum was experimental. Something Renata’s labs had been working on. It... encouraged cell regrowth at a rapid rate. I knew it was a risk, using such an immature product. But when the storm knocked out the power, I was... afraid. Afraid of her dying because her body was already rejecting the augments. Afraid enough that I used the serum on her.”

Jayce remembered the shock in Viktor’s voice when he returned that day with the battery pack in hand, how he must have just hidden the syringe he used to inject the girl with the serum. Viktor carefully lifted his hand from his side, pressing the release on his mask and removing what was left. Now, Jayce could see the way his eye was already swelling shut, red and brightly irritated.

“I knew you would not have approved, but– but she needed the serum continuously from that point on, or....” The way Viktor trailed off silently implied her death. He swallowed hard, coughing again and baring his teeth as his back arched off the ground, another shooting pain running down his body. “So I sent a message to the sheriff.”

Jayce felt realization hit him at once. The communicator. That night after the power went out, after the storm, that was what Viktor was doing when he stepped out of the room: sending off a message to Caitlyn, the same way he had when they agreed to meet with her at the rendezvous point, and Jayce wondered how Viktor had Caitlyn’s communicator coordinates.

“My message to Caitlyn never made it, did it? That was why she didn’t know about the girl,” said Jayce. Viktor nodded. “You sent her a message the night of the storm.”

“Pretending to be you. And I didn’t mention the girl. I wanted—” Viktor stopped to groan, spitting out blood and clenching his eyes shut. “I thought you would leave with her, but you’re– you’re always so persistent, aren’t you—” Viktor cut himself short, biting back a bitter laugh. “Jayce?”

Jayce lay back on the hard concrete, staring up at the sky and searching for something in the stars. Where there were no answers, only the darkness remained. Below them, he heard the sound of enforcers, a loud discussion echoing through the alleys between them. He wondered if Caitlyn had seen the light of the Mercury Hammer, if she knew something like this would have happened the moment she gave Jayce those reports, from the brief message he sent her thanking her. He wondered if she would find them like this.

Viktor continued.

“I let my guard down. You took the girl. You saw how the rest played out.”

Jayce did. He let out a shudder of realization.

“I thought I was helping her,” Jayce said. “Bringing her to Piltover.”

“I know,” Viktor said.

“If I had known—”

“I know.”

They allowed the silence to fall between them like dust, Viktor rasping through his chest as the steam from his sides turned into a gray smoke, a burning deep within him. Jayce’s knuckles pulsed with the beat of his heart, his hearing going fuzzy at the edges every time the thought of looking over at Viktor crossed his mind.

Two men with blood on their hands, and a shared guilt too heavy for words.

For a moment, Jayce truly thought he was going to kill Viktor.

A rush of nausea settled in the pit of his belly.

“Our photo is still here.” Viktor strained to speak through his injuries. Jayce finally brought himself to look at Viktor, their eyes meeting, though Viktor struggled to keep focus, a hazy unconsciousness washing over his eyes. Jayce reached his hand out, curving around the angle of Viktor’s jaw before he brought his hand down twice, lightly tapping his cheek.

“Viktor. Viktor, open your eyes.”

“From the....” Viktor’s voice trailed off, a quiet gasp escaping him when Jayce shook him awake. “The Innovator’s Competition. I kept it.”

“Hey. Hey, you have to stay awake. H-here, I’ll carry you. I’ll take you back to Zaun, we can fix—”

“Your leg,” Viktor said at the exact moment Jayce struggled to push himself up on his legs, blood sluicing through the open wound as he hissed and pressed his head against the concrete. “It’s all right, Jayce.”

“N-no. No, I just— I wasn’t trying to— Oh gods, please, look at me. Look at me!”

Viktor struggled to keep conscious long enough, barely registering the sound of booming footsteps approaching, kicking the door down to their broken down lab. He lifted his right hand, gauntlet removed, allowing Jayce to feel the warm touch of his fingertips. Tears budded in Jayce’s eyes, his voice coming out in desperate, loud shouts of Viktor’s name.

“Stand down!” Caitlyn shouted from the door, closing it behind her.

“Don’t get sentimental,” Viktor uttered. Jayce couldn’t help the sobbing laugh that escaped him, holding Viktor’s hand against his cheek.

“I can’t lose my partner again. I can’t lose you again, Viktor, please.”

A soft smile tugged on the corners of Viktor’s lips, a dark tear falling past his own eyes, down the side of his face. Jayce parted his lips to speak, at the same time Caitlyn sprinted to his side.

“Jayce, are you all right?” Caitlyn spoke urgently, her eyes trailing to Viktor, as she let out a soft noise of surprise. Their eyes met for the first time, the only time she had ever seen him without his mask. Viktor parted his lips, exhaled softly.

“Sheriff,” he said, regarding her with a weak nod.

“Look at me, Viktor. Look at me!”

Viktor’s eyes rolled back, despite his best efforts to keep them open.

“Caitlyn, please, we have to save him.” Jayce tried to stand, pulling Viktor’s arm over his shoulder as another gush of blood rushed from the injury on his leg. Caitlyn was already preoccupied, her hand pressed firmly against the wound on Jayce’s leg.

“Viktor,” Jayce choked out, searching Viktor’s face for a flicker of something: recognition, acknowledgement, anything. Jayce pulled Viktor closer, desperately trying to catch the sound of Viktor breathing. Viktor’s head leaned against Jayce’s shoulder, a short inhale hiccuping through his chest as Jayce shuddered out a gasp. For a moment, it felt as though time stopped, only Viktor and Jayce in this space. Then, a faint sound came from Viktor, more of an exhale than his voice.

“Must you make it worse, Jayce?”

Jayce sobbed, hot tears spilling down his face. Desperate to keep Viktor speaking, Jayce grasped at straws.

“Make what worse?”

“Loving you.”

Caitlyn set her expression, brows furrowed as she looked away.

“Vi!” she shouted

Jayce couldn’t bring himself to move, even when he felt strength draining, his vision fuzzy at the edges. He glanced back at his leg to find a puddle of blood underneath him. He gritted his teeth, looking back at Viktor, as if his arms around Viktor would keep him anchored, keep him here. 

“We need to get them to a hospital,” Caitlyn said as Jayce struggled to register Vi’s presence. Vi nodded.

Caitlyn watched as Jayce set his hand on Viktor’s chest, waiting, his forehead resting against Viktor’s own. She didn’t ask if he felt a heartbeat.

Hospitals always smelled far too clinical for Viktor. Like soap, iodine, backless gowns, and sickness. Viktor had had his fair share of experience in them when he was younger, before the augments, before he changed. He had vowed never to go near one again.

Until now, he supposed.

His eyes felt heavy, exhaustion keeping them shut for a moment as he heard the muffled sound of voices. He struggled to focus on any one of them, a rush of pain coursing down the back of his neck as he gritted his teeth.

“Do you know how many doctors I had to pay to turn a blind eye to his admission? How I have had to explain your absence to the Council? Albus Ferros is furious, and it’s your position on the line. For who? Him?”

“To hell with Albus Ferros and the Council. I know you’re risking everything to keep him here, but I can’t— no, I won’t just leave him.”

Caitlyn sighed, scrubbing her hand over her face and letting out a disgruntled huff.

“Don’t you ever get tired?” she said.

“Of what?”

“Of this! This— this insane game you two play. You nearly killed him and yourself in that lab. If we hadn’t shown up when we did, you would have bled out on the floor with him.”

Jayce didn’t answer. Viktor furrowed his brows, biting his tongue as Caitlyn continued.

“I would’ve found you,” Caitlyn said, suddenly sounding small. Viktor’s chest twisted at the implication in her words. “It’s not fair. You throw yourself into danger with him, and I’m the one left to pick up the pieces. If you're set on destroying yourself, could you at least try to think about how it affects the people who care about you? What about Amaranthine? Your forge? All of your work?” Caitlyn paused. “What about me, Jayce?”

Jayce sighed. “You’re right. I’m sorry. It’s not fair... to any of you. I don’t expect you or anybody else to understand just how Viktor and I are bound together.”

“I’m begging to understand. Help me understand,” Caitlyn cut in.

“He’s... he’s the only—”

As Jayce began to speak, Viktor felt a rush of panic in his chest. He let out a quiet groan, moving in the bed as Caitlyn and Jayce both looked over at him.

“Viktor!”

Jayce rushed to the side of the bed, too quick for his own good.

“You’ll tear your stitches out,” Caitlyn groused, approaching Viktor’s bed with a hesitant look in her eyes. Viktor breathed through the mask over his nose, steam fogging up the plastic as he sighed and peeked an eye open towards Jayce.

“Viktor,” Jayce repeated, reaching his hand out to rest just above where Viktor’s heart thumped heavily in his chest. “You’re awake.”

“Where am I?” Viktor said, lifting his arm to glance at the IVs running through his body.

“You’re in a secluded ward of Piltover Medical,” Caitlyn said, her arms crossed over her chest. “Under an alias.”

“How....” Viktor looked down at himself to see he was still all of himself. All of his augments in place, not a single piece out of place. “How am I alive?”

“Jayce refused to be taken care of until he was sure you were stable.”

“Caitlyn,” Jayce chided, as if he was allowed the space to be embarrassed.

“It’s the truth.”

Viktor pressed his lips together in a thin line, looking away from Jayce and towards the window. The light of the sunset spilled through the curtains. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know just how long he had been in this hospital.

“I’ll excuse myself,” Caitlyn said, heading towards the door. Viktor let out a choked out noise, catching her attention as she turned on her heel and brought her gaze towards him. She was all regality, an air of elegance to her as she faced him and nodded in acknowledgement.

“Thank you, Sheriff,” he said. Caitlyn quirked a brow, glancing towards Jayce and back to Viktor.

“You’re welcome... Viktor.”

The door closed behind her, the sound of the door locking behind her allowing Viktor to let out a sigh of relief. The moment he did, he felt the warm touch of Jayce’s hand on his wrist, holding onto him so tightly, it almost felt like Jayce was afraid to let go.

“How long was I out?” Viktor said, conceding to his own curiosity. Jayce hummed softly. 

“Three days.”

Well, that was less than Viktor had thought. He tried to reposition himself on the bed, hissing in pain when he felt the dull ache of injury in his side, where the hammer had connected. Jayce’s brows were drawn up in guilt.

“Don’t look so sad,” Viktor said, trying to sound as apathetic and disappointed as he usually did, but somehow coming across far more tender than he had anticipated. “I’m not dead.”

“You almost died,” Jayce said. “Because of me.”

“You would be so lucky to be rid of me,” Viktor replied, his tone short, curt.

Jayce couldn’t bring himself to say anything, so he didn’t. Instead, he pulled up a chair from the wall, sitting as close as he could to the bed. Viktor nearly clicked his tongue in disapproval, ready to scold Jayce and tell him he wasn’t some bedridden sick man who needed Jayce’s pity, when he heard the familiar sound of chirping, clicking, and then the clank of metal on metal, as Jayce hummed and lifted one of the Blitzes from the ground. While their bodies were still scraped and a bit dented from the force of Caitlyn’s snap traps, it seemed as though Jayce had replaced quite a few parts of their bodies, gleaming like new. He could only guess Jayce had sourced help from the forge workers, all for the Blitzes. Viktor’s eyes went wide.

“Blitz?” he said, as the first Blitz clambered over Jayce’s lap to crawl on the hospital bed. It stopped to lean over the edge, lifting up the second Blitz to join it on the bed, before they turned to Viktor with excited chirps.

“Careful,” Jayce said warningly, the two of them mindful of Viktor’s injuries. They crowded him, throwing their arms around his body as he winced, but brought his hands down to their heads, wiggling them back and forth.

“You... did this?” Viktor said, only daring to look at Jayce after the fact. Jayce nodded.

“With a little help from Amaranthine. It took some time to get them both fixed up, but... it was well worth it.” Jayce paused to cock his head, one of the Blitzes mirroring the action before letting out a few quiet chuffs similar to a laugh. “I think you could integrate a voice modulator in them. Let them speak. I’m sure they have a lot to say.”

Viktor couldn’t help the way his expression softened, holding onto the Blitzes until they decided to give Viktor reprieve, scaling the side of his hospital bed and returning to Jayce’s side with quiet, pleasant noises of excitement. Then Viktor caught sight of the framed photo of the two of them at the Innovator’s Competition at his bedside. Viktor’s mouth went dry at the sight of it, his focus lingering for too long to be casual. Jayce noticed, following the line of Viktor’s gaze and cracking a small smile when their eyes met.

“I was sure you burned that picture the day we went our separate ways,” Jayce said. Viktor couldn’t help it; he blushed. While he may have been in more pain than ever before the night Jayce had him pinned down in that lab, on the brink of death, he remembered his admission of keeping the photo in their old, ruinous lab. Now, with the photo sitting at his bedside, faced with the honesty only death could draw from him, Viktor wanted nothing more than to crawl into some dark corner and carve out the very root of the emotion within him.

“Sentiment... kept me from getting rid of it,” Viktor mumbled, unwilling to allow his weakness to be heard above a whisper.

“Did you go back to the lab often?”

Viktor furrowed his brows, refusing to meet Jayce’s gaze.

“The photo looked really well-kept.”

It was Viktor’s turn now to allow the silence to fall between them, turning to face the opposite way Jayce sat and huffing. Jayce leaned forward in his seat, resting his head in his hands and taking a sharp breath in.

“I’m sorry—”

“I apologize—”

The two of them went silent as soon as they realized the other was speaking, Viktor sighing and burying his face in his pillow while Jayce let out a chuff.

“We can’t both be sorry,” he said.

“Spare me your guilt, Defender,” Viktor replied.

“Don’t,” Jayce immediately spoke, reaching across the bed and pulling Viktor back to face him. Viktor tried his damndest to remain straight-faced, unemotional, angry, even. But in the face of Jayce’s pleading, he melted. “Don’t call me that. Not here. Not now.”

Viktor searched for something in Jayce’s eyes. Pity, maybe; a mutual place where they could share this feeling, this indelible guilt between them; where perhaps Viktor could take the weight of it and swallow it whole, gluttonous and shameful, let Jayce feel like he was the hero he always was. It was so easy for Viktor to take the blame, to always be the bad guy in their story, to shoulder the burden of their likeness. At the end of the day, it was far easier for Viktor to stomach their differences in the most obvious of ways, good and bad, than it was to consider they were not so different after everything was said and done.

But Viktor couldn’t help that human desire for absolution, to be understood, to be heard.

“I never meant to hurt the girl,” Viktor confessed. Jayce’s brows drew together. “I would have sooner given her everything within me to save her life. I only wanted to help. I only wanted to—”

“Viktor,” Jayce said, reaching out to hold Viktor’s hand within his own. Viktor bit his bottom lip, stifling the panic in his voice as Jayce rubbed his thumb over the curve of Viktor’s palm. “I know. I know you didn’t mean for anything to happen. Just like I didn’t. Even though I came to you and begged you to save her, I couldn’t forget my pride and just let you help her. I was wrong. We were both wrong. It doesn’t change anything. Doesn’t make it worse or better. Just... a mistake.”

Viktor felt the weight in his chest increase as Jayce squeezed his fingers around Viktor’s hand again.

“Is this how you felt after bringing her to me?” Viktor said. Jayce cocked his head just slightly. “Like you wanted to die.”

Jayce pressed his lips into a thin line. “Yeah. As if the only way to make up for what I did was by dying.”

Viktor sighed, staring up at the ceiling. “You should have killed me, then,” he said. “I wouldn’t have to live with this feeling if you had killed me.”

“You wouldn’t have to. But then I would’ve had to follow you.” Jayce lifted his hand to placate Viktor immediately. “You’re never getting rid of me. Not even in death.”

After a moment of silence, Viktor looked down at their hands intertwined. How long had it been since the last time they had held hands, something so innocent, so unlike their relationship had been for many, many years?

Jayce lifted his hand from his side, nearing Viktor’s face, as Viktor flinched. Jayce could not ignore the bite of guilt in his belly at the reaction, but he supposed it was the mildest reaction Viktor could have had, given how close Jayce held him over the ledge of death and made him beg for mercy. After Viktor relaxed again, Jayce allowed his hand to curve over the slope of Viktor’s jaw, cradling him in his hand. Viktor leaned in, his eyes fluttering shut after a hesitant moment.

“What are we going to do now, partner?”

Viktor practically felt the air punched out of him. He furrowed his brows, lifted his own hand to sit on top of Jayce’s own, before guiding the palm of his hand to his lips, pressing a warm, fleeting kiss to it. Jayce shivered.

“Piltover would never allow our partnership again, Jayce. Nor would Zaun. Clan Ferros would sooner disown you than ever allow you to be seen working with me. And Renata... she is merciless.” Viktor met Jayce’s gaze. “We cannot go back to the way things once were. We are different.”

“I’m not asking Piltover and Zaun to allow it. I’m asking you. I know we’re different. I just want us to be able to work side by side again, Viktor. Towards something, towards progress, together. We can figure out the details later.”

“Are you not afraid?” Viktor paused. “Of what I have become? What I’ve done?”

Jayce stood up, letting out a quiet noise of pain as he leaned over, tilting Viktor’s head towards him so their foreheads touched. Viktor took a deep breath in, setting his hand on Jayce’s neck and resisting the hot burn of tears in his eyes.

“Are you afraid of what I have become?” Jayce said.

Jayce pulled away and pressed his lips to the center of Viktor’s forehead before returning to their previous position.

“What I’ve done?”

Viktor let out a bitter laugh, couldn’t stop the tears that spilled over at the implication behind Jayce’s words, behind the way he touched Viktor, held him, as if he was something precious, something important.

“Perhaps we are both flawed,” he said. “Seeing the ugliest parts of one another and still wanting more. Something must be wrong with us.” I must love you, he left unsaid.

Jayce could read between the lines very well.

“Are you just now figuring that out?” Jayce said.

Viktor shook his head, looking down at their fingers, back up into Jayce’s eyes, taking in the sight of the slight gap between his front teeth and the peppery grey hair. Jayce’s expression softened, and Viktor couldn’t help but gasp at that innately human tug at his heart.

“No. No, I have always known.”

Outside of the hospital, Piltover and Zaun remained. The sun began to set on Piltover’s skyline, illuminating the glow of perfect, pearlescent buildings, the hum of Hextech, and the quiet rumble of Zaun’s city streets merging into one. The wind picked up, and for once, the smog of Zaun seemed to lift.

In the sound of the wind, whistling and whipping through the buildings, across rooftops, and across alleyways, was the sound of a young girl’s giggle.

Notes:

hello! i should've planned something for the last note on this, but i planned absolutely nothing. so sorry it took me nearly a month to get this update out. i won't yap about it, but it was a labor of love. i really appreciate all of the subscriptions, comments, bookmarks, kudos, and people reaching out on other platforms while waiting! you are all so kind and i hope you have enjoyed my first venture into vikjayce as much as i did ♥

the fight between viktor and jayce was inspired by these keyshots from suheb zako.

i'm sure i missed some typos and mistakes. forgive me, i will catch them all eventually LOL

as per usual, please feel free to follow me on bluesky! im also on twitter, not as active, or you can ask for my discord.

i look forward to sharing more with y'all. thank you all so much again! ♥♥♥

EDIT: check out sigridhawke's amazing art of jayce and viktor's final battle aftermath scene here ♥
also check out sigridhawke's art of viktor and jayce side by side post fight!! give them some love on bsky ♥

Notes:

as usual, please let me know of any mistakes in spelling or prose!

twitter || bluesky

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 1 of Bottom Jayce Week 2025