Hello everyone! This is an AU fanfic featuring Dota 2 characters in a modern setting. The main heroes are: Traxex (Drow Ranger), Magina (Anti-Mage), Mortred (Phantom Assassin), Carl (Invoker), Nortrom (Silencer), Lina (Slayer), and Akasha (Queen of Pain).
Warnings: Violence, supernatural elements, heavy language, some dark themes. Sexual content after chapter 50.
Disclaimers:
- I do not own Dota, Dota 2, or their characters. Valve owns them. Some names have also been borrowed from Blizzard's Warcraft series.
- All characters, places and events are fictitious. The views of the characters are their own and do not represent the views of the author.
Translations: I am aware that the first few chapters have been translated into Russian. These are definitely welcome; do drop me a note to let me know.
Art: Many thanks to MoonMoone and TheStrahl for their drawings.
Reviews: Always welcome and appreciated, of course. Many thanks to all reviewers, especially to Coincidencless.
Chapter 1: First Day
Traxex parked, or rather, threw her bike onto the bike rack next to the entrance of the school. Casually decked out in a navy blue hoodie and gray jeans, the teenager pushed open the front doors and headed for the office. Loose locks of pale hair fell over her eyes; there hadn't been time to comb it and so she had tied it in a loose ponytail. The morning had been a mad rush as she'd had to prepare breakfast for all fifteen members of her foster family, as well as clean up the mess after that.
The school bell rang, causing her heart to beat even faster - it was really not a good idea to be late on her very first day in a new school.
"Here you go, sweetheart," a plump, motherly looking receptionist handed her a schedule and a map of the sprawling school compounds. "Have a nice first day here at Dota High."
"Thank you, Miss …" Traxex strained to read the name on the receptionist's desk "… Arachnie."
Feeling something brush against her leg, she glanced down and saw three toddlers running around her and Ms. Arachnie.
"Brought my youngest ones along for work today," the receptionist explained. "Do you need someone to show you around?"
"I'm fine, thanks," the teenager declined politely and left the office, preferring to make her way to the classroom on her own. She was comfortable being a loner; there were some good things that came out of that - for example, she didn't miss her old school as she hadn't made any friends there.
Half-walking, half-running through the crowded halls, Traxex pushed her shoulders back, reminding herself not to slouch. Slim and willowy, she stood a head taller than anyone else at home, and had been made to feel self-conscious over it ever since she was little.
Soon, she arrived at room 204 and after checking her schedule to make sure it was the right one, she knocked on the door tentatively. A rather diminutive man in thick glasses opened the door.
"Good morning, sir," she said barely audibly. "I'm Traxex, the new student."
"Ah, you found your way here. Come on in." The man had a high-pitched voice and looked genial enough. As she entered the classroom, she felt about twenty pairs of eyes fix on her.
"Everyone, we have a new student joining us today," the teacher announced. "Her name is… track- sex," he pronounced hesitantly. "Please welcome her and help her find her way around."
She thought she could hear a few faint snickers, presumably at her name, but mentally shrugged it off. That kind of response was something she had gotten accustomed to. Her eyes quickly scanned the room, finding three empty seats, one in the middle and two at the back.
"Grab a seat and take your time to settle down. By the way, I am Professor Boush, your physics teacher."
Traxex walked down the aisle and placed her backpack beside the seat in the middle row. She decided to avoid the back row as one of the guys there looked a little odd. He had mohawk hair dyed in maroon, some kind of purple face paint matching the tight purple vest and ripped-up jeans he was wearing. Black heavy boots and two circular earrings in his left ear completed the punk look. But what kind of punk wears all purple? She mused.
"Okay everyone," Dr. Boush resumed his lesson as Traxex settled in her seat and pulled out her stationery and textbook. "Let's move on to the next physics problem. A meteor falls onto Earth and strikes the ground at a speed of eleven point two kilometres per second. If the meteor has a diameter of about three meters and a mass of two point three times ten to the power of five kilograms, what is its kinetic energy at the instant it collides with Earth's surface? Does anyone here know the answer?"
"Sir, may I?" A young man with platinum-blond hair, seated in the first row, raised his hand.
"Yes, Carl. Please go ahead."
The blond named Carl stood up and proceeded to the board where he scribbled some calculations. He wore a long white coat with gold trimmings over black jeans, and his silky shoulder-length hair reflected sunlight, which Traxex found somewhat distracting.
"Hi!" A bright, cheery voice called out to her. Traxex turned to her right to find a girl with wavy ginger hair and vivid green eyes that reminded her of the forest. "Can I call you Tracie instead?" She giggled.
"Um…. Yeah, I suppose."
"I'm Lyralei. You can call me Lyra for short!" The girl said, stealing a peek at Traxex's schedule on her desk. "Oh, it looks like we share lots of classes."
Traxex half-smiled, taken aback that someone had taken the initiative to befriend her. Flipping the pages of her physics textbook, she peered around her. Except for those in the front row, most of the students were talking or blatantly doing their own things, some reading or even taking naps. Professor Boush did not seem to care.
"That is correct. Thank you, Carl." She looked up when she heard the teacher's voice. The bleach blond was returning to his seat, and Traxex caught a glimpse of his face. He had delicate, almost feminine features and eyes almost as pale as his hair.
"Carl is our top student," Lyralei explained, as if sensing Traxex's curiosity. "Many of us don't bother paying attention during class because he'll let us copy his homework after school," she chuckled, her emerald eyes sparkling. "Magina is the only one who doesn't want anything to do with him," she added, nodding towards the purple punk seated at the back. His face was now buried in a magazine, one leg propped up on the desk. "He totally hates Carl."
Magina? What kind of name is that? Finally, there was someone whose name sounded worse than hers. Traxex then turned her attention to the two girls sitting on either side of Carl. The one on his left was dressed in a red turtleneck top with bright orange hair like Lyralei's, and on his right was a blonde in a sapphire hoodie.
"The three of them: Carl, Lina and Rylai," Lyralei added. "They think they're smarter than everyone else."
Traxex shrugged, already mentally distancing herself from the group. Her results had always been average.
She tried to concentrate on what Professor Boush was saying, but the chatter around her made it difficult. It seemed like barely any time had passed when the bell sounded, signalling the end of the class. Her classmates began spilling out of the room, but she took her time to pack up and observe the people around her.
Lyralei was now talking animatedly to two students as they made their way towards the next class. One was a tall, tanned and athletic-looking male, and the other, a chestnut-haired girl wearing a short, royal-blue designer dress that revealed a little cleavage and looked like it cost fortunes. A sparkling crescent-shaped jewel hung from a silver chain around her neck.
For some reason, Traxex was glad that the girl didn't seem to have noticed her.
The next class was Math, and the teacher wasn't there yet. Traxex recognized some faces from her previous class as everyone streamed into the room.
Lyralei plopped herself next to her again and started a conversation. Traxex wondered when she would ever stop talking. The ginger was starting to get on her nerves, but as a new student, there was nothing she could do but listen, or at least pretend to be interested. Her mind began to drift off when the two words "archery club" caught her attention.
"Sorry, Lyra, what did you say again?"
"I said, I'm in the archery club."
Traxex's eyes lit up for the first time that day. "I was in the archery club in my previous school. Can I join you?"
"Sure! We have practice every Friday at our indoor range."
"How do I join?"
"You can sign up at our club room after school today. Mirana will be there too!" Lyralei nodded towards the posh girl seated to her right.
At the mention of her name, Mirana turned her head towards Traxex's direction, locking her brilliant blue eyes on hers. Her high cheekbones made her look elegant, yet intimidating at the same time.
"Another movie-heroine wannabe who thinks she'd look cool posing with a bow and arrow?" Mirana smirked, contempt curling her lips.
Traxex could feel her cheeks growing warm. "I think I can shoot decently," she said defensively.
"Okay then. Let's see how good you are before we accept you as a member."
"Sure," Traxex shrugged.
A stern voice cut in from the front of the classroom.
"Shut up, all of you." A bespectacled man strode into the room and slammed his file on the teacher's table. He was clad in black pants and a dark purple jacket with yellow stripes, and looked to be in his early thirties, with strong jaws and a no-nonsense expression. Another fan of purple? Traxex thought.What a kaleidoscope this place is. But amusement turned to awe as a subdued hush fell over the entire classroom and everyone literally scrambled back in their seats. Even the punk was paying attention with both his feet on the floor. Woah, that is one hell of a teacher.
"Traxex." She gave a start when the teacher addressed her, his blue eyes piercing through hers. "The new student eh? You were late and missed homeroom."
"Sorry," Traxex bolted up nervously, dismayed that her lips were unable to from a coherent sentence.
"Since you're new, I'll let you off with a warning this time. Sit down."
"Thank you, sir."
"You may call me Mr Nortrom. I am your math and homeroom teacher. And as your friends will tell you, I have a very low tolerance for noise during my lesson. You are to remain silent throughout the lesson and speak only when spoken to. If I so much as catch a whisper –"
Traxex waited for him to complete his threat, but he turned around and began writing the lesson topic on the board, leaving her wondering how he managed to get all the students under his control. Whatever the case, she decided this was one teacher she didn't want to get into the wrong side of. She only wished that Math wasn't her weakest subject.
Mr Nortrom launched into a trigonometry lesson and again, Carl offered most of the answers to his questions, with the remaining answered by the two girls flanking him.
An hour flew past, and the bell rang. Upon dismissal, the students fled the classroom like prisoners being released from captivity.
"God, I hate Mr Nortrom," Lyralei grumbled as they walked towards their lockers. "His lessons are a torture. I hate it when I can't talk in class."
I like him though, Traxex almost said it aloud, but stopped herself for fear of ruining their new friendship. Lyralei seemed to be the only person she could get along with, at least for now. She didn't even want to think about approaching the others.
(End of Chapter 1)
Heroes Featured
Traxex = Drow Ranger
Arachnie = Broodmother
Boush = Tinker
Carl = Invoker
Lyralei = Windranger
Nortrom = Silencer
Magina = Antimage