First things first, I would like to dedicate this story to Dillyane, one of my most faithful readers, whose contribution and constant support sparkled the idea of this fanfiction.
PROJECT: is the perfect fusion of one's supernatural essence with advanced weaponry and body augmentation. This linking of technology and energy allows extraordinary hosts to channel their essence into physical manifestations and, in rare cases, transcend the corporeal plane. Only subjects possessing extremely focused inner essence and exceptional physical attributes can unlock the true power of PROJECT.
But what happens next?
You loose everything. Your free will, your ability to think rationally, your ethics, and in certain cases when you are not being cautious enough, your very own soul. You become a machine, a vassal to your masters. A toy in their hands to play. A weapon formed against Valoran. This is all you are to them.
Until one day.
One day you snap out of your endless slavery when you realize you've been betrayed. You run away. And you endeavor to make them pay for the pain they caused you. Because they were under the impression you were just a machine. Does a machine incorporate feelings, though?
They were foolishing themselves, believing they had vanquished this little «malfunction», as they like to call it. Oh, how mistaken they were. And now, they are going to pay the price for it. The human soul isn't something solid you can capture or destroy. They must learn that.
And so they will, no matter the cost.
Eleven initiates. Eleven new, powerful weapons to be used in the haunt for totalitarian control. Eleven simple humans, augmented with the latest PROJECT technology, became tools in the hands of PROJECT Inc. Perfect, unbeatable machines.
Not without their glitches in their programs, however.
Those glitches were what saved Shauna Vayne from slavery. They set her free. Free to roam in the shadows, waiting to strike those who enslaved her, to bring an end to PROJECT and the technology that haunts her soul. A soul they never managed to capture fully.
Same glitches did make other initials more dangerous than before, however.
That's why Shauna Vayne emerged from the shadows to give a warning.
"Aren't you being a little overdramattic here, Vayne?"
Vayne furrowed her eyebrows in response. "You saw with your very own eyes what Khada Jhin is capable of. And he won't stop until he gets to what he truly desires, detective"
The woman standing before Vayne was tall and imposing but didn't seem to get under that thick skull of hers what the vigilante was trying to tell her. She was so stubborn and refused to listen. Maybe that's what made Vi such an effective enforcer, though.
"Look, I'm not gonna overlook the fact that Jhin is dangerous," Vi admitted. "But why do you insist on accepting that upgrade? I don't trust 'em. For all I know, PROJECT Inc are probably seeking for a new weapon after you slacked off. You said it yourself that they would stop at nothing"
Vayne signed in utter frustration. The enforcer was intelligent yes, but wasn't perspicacious at all. She couldn't see how this would benefit her long-term.
"I understand your concern, given of what I just told you. But the ATLAS gauntlets are a masterpiece designed for destruction. In wrong hands they could be extremely dangerous. If anyone can keep them safe with getting corrupted, that's you, Vi"
"You give me too much credit," Vi responded. "I'm just a cop, not some super hero dedicating their life into fighting super villains"
"A cop that has not be affected by those Chrono Agents bastards who focus only on what's happening in any other realms other than this one," Vayne growled. "Most police officers have been approached to work in the Agency and are not as efficient as they should be or they're just corrupted"
"Well, that's true," Vi admitted. "Can't count how many of my colleagues were transferred into the Agency because they pay better... Good cops are few and far between these days. In any case, I still don't think I should pick up those gauntlets. Mine are perfectly fine as they are"
"I don't doubt that," Vayne noted. "But keep in mind of what I told you about Jhin. He won't stop until he gets his hands on those gauntlets. I'd feel safer if someone of your ethics used them"
Vi raised a questioning blonde brow. "You put so much trust on my shoulders, yet you met me barely two days ago. Are you sure about that?"
"Absolutely," Vayne noted. "Think about it but hurry up. Khada Jhin can be quite unpredictable"
"Thanks for the warning and... Well, y'know. Saving my ass back there. I never really got the chance to express my gratitude towards you properly"
"Don't mention it," Vayne waved her off as she hoped on her bike and a glass appeared out of her helmet that aimed to protect her face. "In case anyone asks, you never saw or heard of me, if you value your life"
"Whoa, wait a sec. Where do you think you're going, missy?" Vi said. "Without even taking into consideration that you are a wanted deviant, I ought to arrest you for owning and using unauthorized technology"
"Are you sure this is what you really want, officer?" Vayne inquired coldly. "After all, I did save your life. I think you owe me a debt"
"Like hell I do," Vi growled. "Go before I change my mind. But next time I catch you wandering around..."
"There won't be a next time, officer. I can assure you of that one," Vayne noted. She paused "Take care, Vi"
"You too, Vayne"
And with that, Vayne accelerated and drove off towards an unknown destination, leaving Vi watch her as she dissapeared in the mist of the night, slightly more puzzled than the previous nights.
"What the hell," she murmured softly to herself as she walked away. Dealing with a deviant and a massive murder wasn't the definition of a typical evening for the enforcer. Usually, it consisted of last minute's reports, emergency calls or alcohol. She certainly looked forward for the last one but it wasn't her number one priority at that specific moment.
She needed to decide what to do.
Vayne's warnings were reasonable but what reasons did Vi have to trust her, aside her saving her life? Vayne's motives were probably aiming only on killing Khada Jhin. Speaking of the devil, he was now an added thorn in her sides she had to remove. And the gauntlets, those damn things. What she had to do with them? Accept them? Turn them in? Let the physco have them? No, she couldn't allow that, Vayne was clear. He couldn't lay a finger on them. But she couldn't throw away either. Leaving her with only one option.
The Wardens HQ was located between several other business dedicated buildings and didn't really different from those, yet it wasn't easily confused with the businesses around due to the large neon sign placed right over the entrance: «Central Police Department of Piltover». You couldn't miss it.
Vi walked casually over the entrance and the automatic doors slid open for her to pass. There weren't so many people there at the moment. Most of them had finished their shifts and returned safely back to their families. The reception was empty - if we expect the permanent hexetech android that was always ready to serve - and there were no other signs of life except the iBlitzcrank robot that was busy accomplishing its task; moping the floor. Vi headed towards the lifts, giving the golem one last glance. She had the suspicion that she shouldn't be here at that moment, considering that this was the time for the everyday cleaning up. But this couldn't wait any longer.
The lift stopped on the third floor and the enforcer rushed out of it, walking over the end of the corridor where her office was located. She passed by her colleagues' offices, taking a gleam over the windows. As she had predicted, most had already fled home but a few offices still had the lights switched on. Once she reached her office, she placed her hand over the digital recognized device and waited to have her fingerprints scanned. The procedure didn't take more than a few seconds.
"Identification completed. Access granted," the digital voice announced and the door slipped open with a slight hiss. Vi entered and the door closed behind her. She traced the wall next to her until she found the switch and turned the lights on. Pressing another switch, a shutter shut down, denying any access from the outside to Vi's office through the window. Only then she felt safe enough to approach her desk, a messy piece of furniture filled with unfinished paperwork and reports, pens and packets of cigarettes. And of course, the gauntlets. It was risky to leave them in the open space like that but she couldn't have placed them anywhere else. The drawers couldn't fit them in any way and she couldn't risk stumbling on them.
She walked over the oak desks without touching the PROJECT technology rather than admiring it. In front of her self-made gauntlets that were made literally from nothing, those babies were a total masterpiece. They were well-designed, specifically created to smash everything, even steal. The material they were made from was unknown to Vi but it did gave them a golden colour - even if they weren't really made out of gold. Also, these gauntlets were enhanced with the latest PROJECT technology, designed by PROJECT Corporation. The temptation to touch them was huge but Vi's had to restrain herself.
She needed to take consideration a few more factors.
If she accepted this gift from PROJECT, what did that mean for her? Did she immediately become a member of their Command Line? Would she be left in their mercy to decide her fate?
No, she would never allow that. She wasn't a dog to be trained and used accordingly. She was an independent entity and she would whatever the fuck she wanted with those gauntlets, even PROJECT liked it or not. And besides, to become a PROJECT trace, you needed first to be augmented in the PROJECT laboratories, right? All she had to do was refuse the augmentation and...
She shook her head. There was no way PROJECT would let a target slip like that nor they would ever allow one of their greatest technological achievements lay around like a gift. That's why they had send Khada Jhin after the gauntlets, after all, to retrieve them. It wasn't PROJECT Inc who sent those gauntlets.
"To hell with that bullshit," Vi said to no one in particular. She carefully removed her old gauntlets and picked up the new ones. The steel under her touch felt cold but that was exactly what excited her. It was time for a change.
"Here goes nothing," she murmured as she wore them. They closed around her arms with a small hiss and a release of some steam. They were ten times more lighter than her old ones and it almost felt natural having them on. She couldn't wait to try them out. But not in there.
"Hell yeah baby," she admired her new toys. "That, that's some good shit right there,"
"Analysis completed," a digital voice said completely out of nowhere. Vi assumed it came out from the gauntlets. Before she could react, a sort of metallic armor started unraveling from the gauntlets and soon it covered most of her body. She shrieked in utter surprise and tried to remove the gauntlets but it was already too late for that. A mask covered her eyesight and all she saw was her surroundings into a golden colour while she noticed that the mask functioned like a small computer that analyzed everything within its ratio. For example, when her eyes landed on an empty cup of coffee a note popped up on the screen, informing her of the type of coffee, how many sugars had been used, when and where it was produced.
"Woah," Vi was impressed and surprised at the same time. This kind of technology was known to be accessed only by superior members of the police. No wonder why they were so efficient at their jobs.
Suddenly, the screen informed her for an imminent scan on the user - herself - and before she could react to this new development, everything became dark. These things were beyond her control for the time being and her last thought before fainting was that she needed to find a way to gain control over the machine.