Like I said earlier, I've been working on this for a while. This first chapter just needed some polishing. I'm notorious for my short first chapters, so that's what's going on at the moment. First chapter's short, later chapters not so much :) Anyway, I present to you We Are Warriors: The Project Initiative.
Chapter 1
Anniversary
"Something's bothering you, isn't it?" Cira Noble asked, putting down her mug of hot chocolate, "You're normally saying something about home right about now,"
It took a few seconds, but a soft, sun-warm voice replied.
"Nothing's wrong, Cira," Leona, the Radiant Dawn, replied, "I'm fine, everything's fine,"
"Then why do I get the feeling that nothing is?" Cira pressed.
"I said I'm fine,"
"Leona, we've been like this for over two years now…tell me what's wrong,"
Two years, it was hard to believe that it had been over two years since the horrible accident that nearly took her life. Two years since she became the Radiant Dawn, a Champion of the League of Legends. Became more than just human.
Cira looked at her hand, watching as the pale skin flickered and glitched, revealing a silvery metal servo in its place. She looked away, still slightly unnerved by the robotic appendage, something that didn't escape Leona's notice. It never did.
"I…I don't want to talk about it," the Radiant Dawn mumbled, "It's painful,"
"Leona…"
"Cira, please don't…"
"Tell me," Cira ordered, "I can handle it, I can probably help,"
"No,"
"Leona!"
A sharp pain, akin to a horrible burn, erupted between Cira's temples, making the young woman shriek and grab her head.
"…Leave me be," Leona warned, "I don't want to talk about it, Cira,"
Cira didn't say anything more. She was still reeling from the burn, she could feel Leona's pain from causing it. She didn't want to hurt Cira, it went against her moral code, but there was no other way to make her stop prying.
Fine then. If Leona didn't want to tell her what was going on…Cira'd just have to find someone who would.
It was time to pay Andrew Summers a visit.
"I was wondering when I'd see you again," Andrew started, looking up from his desk at the red haired, golden armored young woman before him, "Haven't had a new Chosen in a while,"
"Care to tell me why Leona's all of a sudden turned antisocial?" Cira deadpanned, "Or better yet, why I can't ask her what's wrong without getting burned?"
Andrew frowned.
"That…isn't in Leona's nature," he blinked, "She doesn't hurt people unless she absolutely has to. What did you do?"
"Me!?" Cira sputtered, "Why do you all of a sudden assume it's me?!"
The door creaked open and a young woman of average height and short black hair with a red streak strode in, dressed in white while a blue cape fluttered over her left shoulder. An elegant rapier rested at her side and boy did she look mad.
"Andrew," Victoria Meraux growled, "We 'ave to talk. It's about Fiora,"
The door banged open once again and a tall man dressed in bright armor, but with shadows writhing around him stalked in, his scarlet eyes blazing angrily.
"Care to explain why Zed's gotten even more hostile than ever?" Zayne snarled, his blades flashing out with a subtle clicking sound.
"Why is it all of a sudden something's wrong with the Projects?" Andrew grumbled before freezing and looking up at Cira, "What day is it?"
"Tuesday," Cira deadpanned.
"What date?"
"December 21," Victoria told him, "What's so special…"
Andrew pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Because that's the anniversary of when six champions were kidnapped from the Institute of War and turned into the Projects we know them as now," Andrew sighed, "It…it was a traumatic time in their lives and ours too…but for them…"
"Imagine being taken apart, ripped to pieces and roughly installed with cybernetics," Leona finally spoke, bitterness and pain lacing her voice.
"And in ze end…you remember nothing," Fiora added sadly.
"Only two are cursed with knowing…or gifted if that is how you see it," Zed growled.
"I remember," Cira shuddered, grabbing her arm as her form flickered, revealing the silver armor, golden visor and her long white hair that cascaded down her back.
"Me too," Victoria nodded, her own form flickering and revealing her own cybernetic form, her shorter white hair slicked back while her pink visor flickered dimly.
"Same," Zayne replied, his armor flickering and changing just as his fellow Projects did, he'd gotten better at keeping Zed under control, so there was no fear of the Master of Shadows lashing out.
"What happened to them? To us?" Cira asked, looking up at Andrew, "Leona won't talk about it…I bet Fiora and Zed are the same, right?"
"I feel like I'm getting my brain poked with something sharp every time I do," Victoria nodded.
"Heh, that's an understatement," Zayne snorted.
"I knew this would come," Andrew sighed, "And if the other Projects find Chosens, they'll want to know too. Come here, there's something you should see,"
He gestured to a screen and he pulled up a security feed.
"Contrary to what most think, we monitor our Champions closely. That day wasn't an exception," he said.
All three Chosen stiffened, Cira's eyes flashing gold while Victoria's turned a stunning icy blue and Zayne's dark eyes flaring scarlet.
"THEN WHY DID IT TAKE YOU SO LONG TO FIND US!?" Zed, Fiora and Leona roared.
"Patience and you'll see," Andrew tried to placate them as he started up the feed.
Cira, Zayne and Victoria reasserted themselves and watched the feed quietly, watching as five Champions: Yi, Yasuo, Lucian, Leona and Fiora all walked down the hallway leading to the transport platform for the Rift.
"That was a good match," Yasuo grinned, "I haven't had that much fun in a long time,"
"Says the man who died five times," Yi countered, making the Unforgiven shoot him a dirty look.
"Coming out of the jungle like that with your Alpha Strike was not funny, Yi,"
"I thought it was," Yi shrugged, "And Fiora did as well. The look of surprise on your face was…very humorous,"
"I can agree with zat," Fiora grinned, "'earing you scream like a young girl was amusing to me,"
"Oh, you mean like this?" Yasuo teased, grabbing Fiora and making her give a light shriek as he started rubbing his knuckles on her head.
"Stop it!" Fiora yelled, struggling to get away while the other Champions laughed, "Yasuo! Zat 'urts!"
Unnoticed to them all, a faint green mist wove its way through the hall, weaving its sickly tendrils through their ranks. Leona, however, was the first to feel the effects of the mist. She shook her head, trying to clear away the fog that had entered her vision and she stumbled a step or two.
"Leona, is something wrong?" Yi asked, putting a hand on the young Solari's shoulder.
"Huh?" she blinked, "Oh, no…I'm fine,"
She shook her head, putting a steadying hand on her shield as she leaned against it.
"I…I think I'm fine anyway…" she murmured, "Just…just very dizzy,"
"It cannot be ze battle, can it?" Fiora asked, "Leona, I think you might have gotten bashed in ze 'ead a few times,"
"Taric didn't even touch me," Leona countered, "Lucian made sure of that,"
"Tch, if anything, Taric's the one with a headache," Lucian chuckled, "Oh the stuns. Leona didn't let him get near enough to stun me or let Fortune get me,"
"I had good guidance," Leona admitted, "We had a good team of Summoners,"
"That we did," Yasuo grinned, "We all did well,"
"Even though we were on separate sides," Yi added.
"I didn't know Fiora could move that fast," Yasuo grumbled, making the head of House Laurent laugh loudly.
"It is not my fault you could not keep your vulnerable side away from me, Yasuo," Fiora teased, "But I will admit, Zed was frightening. I lost count of 'ow many times Ryze died to him,"
"As I should be," a low, dark voice replied, making Fiora jump high into the air, a hand on her rapier as she spun to face the Master of Shadows himself.
"Zed!" the Grand Duelist hissed, "Do not do zat to me!"
"Scared?" Zed teased, grinning malevolently behind his faceplate.
"Not of you!" Fiora snarled, unsheathing her blade and starting forwards only to get grabbed by a golden hand.
"You know what the League will do if you kill him," Leona warned.
Fiora opened her mouth to protest…just to watch in horror as Leona's knees gave out and the Radiant Dawn crumpled to the floor, groaning slightly.
"What's going on?" Yasuo demanded, catching the young warrior and gently laying her down as Lucian put a hand to his forehead as well.
"I…I have to agree with Leona," he murmured, "I don't feel well either…"
He gave a soft grunt of pain as he too pitched forwards, only for Yi to catch him.
"Something is not right," the Wuju Bladesman started right as Fiora's blade dropped from her hand and she too fell to her knees.
Zed started to back away, his hands in the air.
"It wasn't me," he protested, "I…"
There was a loud explosion and clouds of smoke filled the room…
And the tape fell into static.
"That's it?" Cira asked, "That's all you know?"
"We managed to locate them months after that…but it was too late, they'd been changed," Andrew told her, helplessly, "Quite a few of them almost killed us when we found them. We still don't know who did this to you all…I have my suspicions…but no one would believe me anyway,"
He gave a sigh, looking at his desk before looking back up at the three Chosens.
"The Projects always get moody around this time. They start acting up and a lot of the time we have to let them rest by taking them out of the League," Andrew explained, "If Yi, Yasuo, and Lucian choose their Chosen, then I'll explain everything to them too. Now, it's getting late, why don't you three go home?"
The three Chosen nodded and started out of the building. Cira froze as Leona spoke up.
"Let's not go just yet. I want to see something…you don't mind, do you?"
"Winter Break remember? Of course not," Cira nodded, "Where to, Leona?"
"I will take us there,"
The transportation crystal warmed in Cira's palm and her world exploded into brilliant particles of sunlight.
So, next we'll see where Leona's taken Cira, I won't lie, quite a bit of this will focus on Leo. My reasoning being, she has the most complete memory...you'll see why. Depending on how sadistic I feel like getting, the rating may go up a bit. But for now, I'm letting it set at 'T'.
Anyway, hope you liked it. If you did, please let me know!
Qui vállë tóquetë, ván tecë (If no review comes from y'all; no story comes from me)
Máriessë ar mára tecië
Farewell and fair writing
Elhini Prime signing off.
