Hi there. Wow, not really sure what to say. The Renegade's Path is my first fanfiction, a story which I plan to expand A LOT if the reaction is positive.

This first chapter will serve only to introduce the main character, Marcus Du Couteau, father of Katarina and Cassiopeia Du Couteau, former General and second-in-command of Grand General Darkwill, the previous ruler of Noxus, I always found his character to be one of mistery and intrigue, and one day I decided to make a judgement about him if he was to be a champion in the League of Legends. I got excited about the character enough that that judgement turned into a lot more, and this first chapter is the adaptation of said judgement. This story is to be as lore-friendly as possible, and there will be many references to events already established by official LoL lore, so pay attention, summoner! :D

Althought this seems like a lot to commit for a first timer, I want to take you into a journey, one that will explore what being a Noxian truly means. Do you accept my invitation?

Disclaimer: This is a non-profitable story. All characters and locations belong to Riot Games.

Chapter I

First steps

A hooded figure walked through the Institute, his footsteps echoing through the filled corridors. The hood was a necessary step to hide his identity, as he did not want to reveal his presence too soon, not before the League would accept him as a champion. He could not afford to blow years of work and plotting just because some hotheaded moron wanted to get vengeance.
Suspicious looks fell upon him as he followed the path to the inner halls. His sword lied in his belt, and his vestments reflected the image of a renegade, a warrior.

As he reaches the deepest room in the Institute, the one when champions only enter once, his vision centred in two massive doors. As he approached, he notices markings, words, famous for their mysteriousness, even if they are apparently so direct. He heard them many times, considering they are very popular through out Valoran, and the fans of the League wonder their true meaning.
He slowly opened the doors, and as he walked towards the dark room, he could not stop but to think about those words. They echoed through his head, upsetting his thoughts.

"The true opponent lies within"

As he entered the room, the doors closed behind him, powered by a magical force. Inside, it was dark as night. The warrior stood still as he waited whatever the summoners had in mind for him.
Suddenly, a flash of light blinded him, catching him by surprise and making him lose balance. He placed his arm in front of his eyes, trying to block the rays.
His surprise only increased more as his nose captures a scent too familiar to him to be comfortable. The smell of trees and open fields, of pure air and clean water. The characteristically pleasant scent of nature. He could recognize it anywhere. Ionia.

He regained his balance as he watched the scenario that to this day still haunted his nightmares. He stood at the top of the hill, watching the battle between Noxian troops and the Ionians elapse. Far away, the city of Galrin, still untouched by the invaders, and he immediately recognized this dreadful scenario.

"No" – He said, out loud, not afraid of any of the high-ranking officers hearing him. He knew this entire scenario was just the League's way to judge their candidates, so he wouldn't be bothered by manners when voicing his feelings. "Don't make me watch this again"

His words were ignored, for the actions he didn't want to bear witness again unfolded before his very eyes.

Galrin was bombarded by some kind of weapon. Both Noxians and Ionians stopped battling and stood still, as they watched Noxus' long range artillery fire the bombs through the skies to land on Galrin's every corner. But there was no explosions. There was nothing for a few seconds as silence invaded the battlefield.

He remembered the surprise he felt when the barrage started. He had not ordered such weapons to be used. He had seen the cannons in action, and he disproved its usage himself. These were not the models he had seen. The lack of apparent damage to Galrin's buildings and structures only served to aggravate his inner doubts.
However, currently, he knew perfectly well why the cannons failed to damage the buildings, and the surprise he once felt was replaced by grief, anger and sorrow as he begged one more time.

"Please… don't"

A cloud of green smoke covered the city's skies, and as the soldiers watched, paralyzed, the Noxians at awe, the Ionians in fear, the screaming began. Pain-filled screams echoed through the air, as the inhabitants closer to the city's doors ran towards them, trying to escape the venom, which infected everyone. Their attempts where met with failure, as, to their great terror, the nocive effects of the gas revealed themselves.

Their skin started to slowly melt, falling from their bodies, revealing their flesh, burning without fire and gargling as the poison ate through them. Their eyeballs started to swell and burst out of their cavities, their hands fell from the arms as the body consumed itself, and hairs fell from their head and left them bald.

Although he was very far away from this dreadful scenario, he could still somehow see them, ear their screams as they slowly died. He closed his eyes, not wanting to see it no more, but his mind reproduced the image time and time again. The screams, pleas for mercy to a higher power who never showed up, the agony of the innocent, whose torment was slow and dreadful, and the crying of the children.
Any other man would have fallen to despair when faced with the guilt he had to live in, and to see it again happening, so vividly. But this man was not like any man. He hold himself in the conviction that as long as he lived with these visions, he would keep faithful to his quest. But seeing this event again affected him anyway.

"No. I have done many bad things in my live, things that I am not proud of. But this… barbarity, this madness. This was not by my hand."

"It wasn't, wasn't it?" – A familiar voice, yet strange in this memory, talked behind him – "You never really had the guts to do what was required, Du Couteau. Just like Darkwill." - Marcus turned to the source, but he knew who the voice belonged to before catching a glimpse of the person behind him.

"Jericho Swain." – He said, his voice betraying disgust – "I heard you are now the Grand General. That explains why that brute Darius and his arrogant brother Draven were allowed in The Institute."

"Now, now, there's no need to insult their skills, Marcus. They are the perfect specimens of the exemplar Noxian."

"What do you know about an exemplar Noxian, you monster? You played with the entire Council, you plotted the events that started this fucking war, and you hired the Zaunites who created these weapons. You smeared a stain in Noxian honor. What authority have you to speak about examples?"

"The authority of one who rules Noxus."

"Your ruling will not last, Swain. As long as I live, I'll make that my quest."

"Well, we can take care of that easily."

Du Couteau finally fell to the Master Tactician's taunts. He took his sword with lighting speed, preparing to execute a killing blow against the crippled man.
To his great surprise, Swain blocked the strike with his cane, with unnatural swiftness. The Grand General then fired a bolt of green energy from his free hand, the ability the League nicknamed Torment.
Du Couteau took three steps back, pain invading every part of his body. He quickly repositioned himself to counter attack Swain, launching himself against him in an attempt to strike him down. Swain responds by jumping back and dodging his strike. Du Couteau launches a knife strapped with a chain in the Grand General's direction, hitting him right in the chest. The wound is clear, and blood can be seen dripping from it. Du Couteau thought he had him, not expecting what would happen next.
An explosion of black feathers reveals the winged beast Swain has become, ravens coming out of his body, and flying in the General's direction. Distracted by the creatures, he drops the chained knife and begins swinging his sword at the birds. As he hits them, they let no blood spill, and quickly vanish into dark smoke. The Grand General took his distraction as an opportunity, and with a movement of an hand, he used his Nevermore. A dark mark appeared below Du Couteau's feet, and, distracted by the birds, he wasn't fast enough to leave before mystical talons erupted from the ground, snaring the general in place. He assumed the best defensive position he could, but for his great surprise, Swain did not attack. When Du Couteau looked at him, he was back again in his human form. But what the Noxian Renegade found stranger wasn't that. It was his eyes. They were no longer the blood red, they were now dark green.

"Why do you want to join the League, Marcus Du Couteau?" – Swain asked.

"To fix the evil you've done, to show everyone your true colours, and to restore the Noxian honor. Valoran will eventually know the truth, I will find proofs to confirm my findings. And when I do, I swear to you, Jericho Swain, that I will personally kill you"

"How does it feel, exposing your mind?"

In a blink, every thing was gone. Ionia, Swain, Du Couteau's own wounds. There was only darkness. Seconds later, which felt like hours, the doors of the Inner Hall opened.
Du Couteau wondered what others thought after being through this process. Having their minds probed by magicians of great power, reliving their darkest moments, while giving their most well kept secrets to complete strangers. For him, the process only served to strenghtn his resolve. He will restore Noxus to its former glory, he will stop Swain from corrupting his beloved city. And he will get his revenge.

This first chapter is small compared to the one which will follow. I'd love to see some reviews, because considering this is my first fanfic, I have no idea whatsoever of what I am doing wrong/right.

Hope you apreciate my story, and I promise you the best is yet to come.