Chapter 1

How long had he been here? It didn't matter anymore. The only thing he felt was a dull sensation of aching pain that dominated every facet of his life. A small groan emanated from the man as he shifted ever so slightly, the rattle of chains following his movement. His blue eyes opened into a narrow glare as he glanced up at the sound of a familiar, yet hated, voice coming from outside his cell.

"Well Jayce," Viktor rumbled, his voice as mechanical as his body, "I think you'll be happy to hear that I'm a forgiving man. My offer still stands. You may want to think about it."

"I'll never join you, you bastard," Jayce retorted, desperately trying to keep some strength in his voice. "You just made a deal with Noxus the moment they took over the League, you scavenging vulture. You wouldn't be able to survive without someone holding your leash and feeding you!"

"Ah, but I am surviving," the mechanized man chuckled, unperturbed by his Piltover captive's outburst. "And you can, too. Join me, and we can make the Glorious Evolution a true reality. This time, however, it's not just about a crystal. It's about your life."

"I'd rather die than make others succumb to your twisted ideals," Jayce spat back.

Viktor sighed dramatically, as if he cared. "You know, I was ordered to eliminate you if you weren't useful. And by the way, my plans will come into fruition whether you like it or not. It just depended on how long it would take to implement. Yours is a very unique mind. Such a waste."

The captive man shook his head at the madness of Viktor's goals. "Fine, I don't care if I die. I've left Piltover with the best defenses against Noxus, and you will never know where the Mercury Hammer is."

"Ah yes, yes. Piltover, the last hope against the evil empire of Noxus." Viktor chuckled. "Have no fear, those pathetic rebels will fall soon enough. And as for your hammer, I could hardly give less of a thought to that thing. I can construct much more fearsome weapons than a transforming hammer. Oh, and your execution is scheduled for tomorrow at nine in the morning. Get some rest... if you can."

Laughing, the augmented scientist turned away from the bars and headed out into his laboratory, undoubtedly creating more horrors to leash upon the people and refugees of Piltover.

"Jayce, you can't go alone!" Caitlyn shouted, guards holding the sheriff back. Vi pushed her partner further from intervention with one gauntleted hand, her eyes also filled with agonized indecision.

"I'll buy time for you all to escape," Jayce yelled, firmly grasping his hammer in his hands. "You have to protect everyone!" Turning around before Caitlyn's tears and cries would make him go back, he faced the horde of incoming Noxian soldiers, knowing full well that his death could be upon him.

"Cait, come on," Vi hissed into the distraught woman's ears. "He's not doing this to have you die alongside him. You're putting everyone in jeopardy!" Caitlyn glanced around at the terrified stragglers they'd found. Finally, she took a deep breath and nodded shakily, shrugging off the restraining hands of the guards. "Let's get to Piltover quickly," Vi's tone became gentler as Caitlyn regained her sense of duty.

The sheriff took one last glance at Piltover's defender, standing alone among the oncoming onslaught of enemies. "I love you," she whispered before turning away, one last tear hitting the ground before they departed.

Jayce awoke, not to guards coming into his cell to prep him for his death, but to the pining of his stomach, whining in earnest for some sort of nourishment. "Damn this..." Jayce muttered under his breath, his arms quite sore from hanging from the ceiling for so long. The encumbered captive wriggled around for about half a second before pain overrode his senses once more.

"Oh for Nashor's sake," Jayce groaned. What in Vilemaw's name was wrong with him? He took a few moments to examine himself as best he could. Jayce tilted his head up, peering at his arms. His wrists, of course, were bound tightly together and chained to the ceiling. The sleeves of his jacket had been mostly torn apart, and his skin was dotted with bruises and cuts. Looking down, his once-handsome overcoat had practically been shredded to rags, and the only thing intact about his attire was the shirt he wore underneath. A rather nasty cut made its way from Jayce's top left thigh diagonally downward, stopping right before his knee. A thin trickle of blood still ran from the mostly clotted wound, running down his leg and soaking through his baggy black pants.

"Well... that explains it," Jayce sighed, quite sure that there were more invisible bruises beneath what remained of his clothes. Suddenly, a bang emanated from where the door was, and he looked up to see Viktor stomping towards him.

Before Jayce could inquire of his captor's glare, Viktor snarled, "You're lucky, Jayce. Noxus believes that you could be a bargaining chip in crushing these worthless rebels."

Jayce was silent for a moment, before replying, "Wait, yesterday you said you had orders to eliminate me."

Viktor brushed the inquiry away with a wave of his hand. "It was merely a ruse to see if you would change your mind," he said dismissively. "You're to be transported to the Noxian High Command in ten minutes. Just remember, Jayce," the scientist hissed. "You may regret not joining me when you face what horrors they have there."

He stepped forward and unlocked the cell as two guards came in. They were equipped with stun guns and a variety of people-catching objects, the least imposing of them a net-shooter.

"Get off, I can walk on my own," Jayce snapped as the guards finally undid the bindings from his wrists and lowered his body to the ground. As his arms swung down, the inventor winced at the soreness in his shoulders. They were most likely pulled or strained from holding his body up for so long, but nothing that would totally impede him. The guards glanced at Viktor, who was right in front of them.

"Oh yes, let him walk, but any funny moves and a laser may just split your legs from your body," Viktor answered their looks, though his gaze was directed at Jayce.

"I'm not so idiotic as to waste my life," he answered quietly, allowing himself to be led from the Zaunite's laboratory and into the street. He coughed as smoke and haze surrounded him almost immediately, eyes watering at the pollution of unchecked magic and techmaturgy. "Nashor eat me," Jayce complained. "Don't you Zaunites know what the environment is?"

"Nothing gets in the way of scientific advancement," Viktor replied coldly. "Put him in there and make sure there's no funny business. If anything happens during the transfer, I'll make sure you are the ones I experiment on next. Am I clear?"

The guards looked at each other, then back at Viktor, and nodded hurriedly. Jayce scowled at what he'd be put in; a rather small, floating cage with force fields for walls, virtually unbreakable and only accessible with the switch. Viktor caught the prisoner's apprehensive glance, and would've smiled if he could. "That one's a bit special," he said mysteriously, but refused to explain a little more.

"Oh, so here we have the mighty Jayce," an unexpected voice came from behind the portable prison.

"D-Diana?" Jayce replied, taken aback by the Scorn's presence. "Don't tell me you're working for them."

"Nothing personal sweetheart," she sneered, walking around the prison to make her appearance. "They just have a better grasp of my power than those wretched Solari ever did."

"And what did they promise you, Leona's head?" Jayce growled back. "I hope revenge is worth selling your soul and morality to the worst bunch of wraiths you'll ever find in Runeterra."

Diana laughed derisively, her cold, dark blue eyes fixed on Jayce's. "I wouldn't expect you to understand," she answered with a devious grin. "Let's get you on your way, shall we?"

"Do make sure he arrives... in mostly pristine condition," Viktor told Diana. "Wouldn't want both our heads to be on the line."

"Oh, there won't be any problems there," Diana glanced at their prisoner, who had been shoved unceremoniously into the cage and was now burning holes into the Noxian collaborators with his eyes. "That's why I'm here." She turned to the guards, who had assumed positions behind the prison, and took one more look at the haughty Jayce.

"Don't look so worried," she laughed. "This is going to be fun."