AN: Just an idea.
Chapter 1
Noxus is a crowded city with an unbelievable crime rate. The slums are the most suspect for danger and tonight, the gangs are trying to fill their monthly quota of stolen things...people included.
"She's just a child!" the young mother wailed.
The underground criminal spat, "A girl's never too young to sell."
"Have mercy." the poor woman begged.
The man tugged the girl, "There ain't no mercy here in Noxus."
"Maybe there is." a deep male voice with an attractive accent called through.
A flaming arrow hit one of the lackeys the gang leader had brought with him and a few more fell. When a moment of silence passed a man with a motorcycle helmet over his head jumped from on top of a building and began fighting the criminal's gang. His weapon now a sword had glowing blue runes across the surface and he fought with ferocity. He combined brute force with grace, most only had one. The somewhat hero knocked out the last lackey before moving to the head criminal.
"Give me a chance, I can change." the man went on his knees.
He repeated the words, "There's no mercy in Noxus."
A guttural scream echoed across the slums and all of Noxus.
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The mystery man flicked his cigarette lazily as he stood in front of the gates of the Institute of War. Hundreds of beings had walked up the steps into the regal building he stood in front of to fight in the league as they so called it. What he wanted to know was what the point of it all was. That's a lie, he knew what is for. To keep everyone from killing each other in real life. Mostly the Noxians and Demacians but everyone had some kind of rivalry one way or another. It was life, to be in constant battle. Whether it be internal or external.
For a moment it looked as if he was going to walk away but he straightened himself and walked to the gates. He was about to knock when the gates swung open unceremoniously. The man hid his surprise and walked through with a light step. A summoner in regal purple robes with his face covered simply waited until he approached and started walking inside. The whole institute was gorgeous, he carefully noted that architecture from all the cities champions came from were present elegantly in the city. Smart move on part of the summoners.
The summoner spoke in quiet voice, "Someone will come to speak to you soon."
He nodded and leaned against the wall of the marble waiting room. Minutes passed before a tall man entered, he was older but there was still power coming from his pores.
"The name is Septimus, pleasure to meet you." the man greeted with a friendly air.
He shook the man's hand, "Dante."
"We've heard great things about you." Septimus led him through the facility.
He chuckled charmingly, "None bad I hope."
"No, just that you were a hero, albeit a quiet one."
"I never was one for the spotlight."
"I find that hard to believe, Dante."
"Once, I enjoyed it but I've grown up."
"You're impressive enough to only submit an application, most others have to go through an interviewing process." the summoner nodded, "The league is composed of people from all walks of life but we've never had someone quite like you."
"Thank you." he bowed his head.
Septimus waved his hand, "Though all the summoners agreed, they have asked that I be the first to summon you."
"They're worried about what I'll do." he guessed.
The old man sighed, "Yes, but I have faith."
"Maybe, you shouldn't." he laughed darkly and no reply came.
At that the summoner gestured to the room in front of him, the door was made of elegant wood and opened when he approached it. His mouth dropped at the sight in front of him.
The floor was made of dark wood that was clear of any dust or stains. The elegant furniture around the room looked like it cost a fortune and he didn't even want to get started on what looked like heaven in the form of a bathroom.
"Most champions like to decorate their own rooms but because you were coming so soon I took the liberty of decorating quickly." the man he liked more and more apologized.
He shook his head, "No problem, I think it's amazing."
"I'm glad, son. I'll be going to a meeting but a champion will be sent to show you around."
Dante watched him leave before stopping him, "What do I do on my down time?"
"That will all be explained soon." Septimus said in an assuring manner then paused. "I know you're worried but just relax, everything will be fine."
He looked hesitant as he spoke, "You know of my...predicament, right?"
"Yes, son." the other man looked amused.
He blushed, "I'm trying to keep it in control but it slips."
"I'm sure a solution will present itself, in the meantime I must get going." the white haired summoner walked out.
He looked around the room before he decided to take a bath. The brunette stripped down to his boxers as the water ran and pondered everything that had happened. There was just something that had called to him at the institute. Maybe it was the service he tried to joke but that wasn't it. He just wanted to find people like him. The league was a place where he could relate to summon and maybe connect. That was all he wanted and too solve his condition.
He sunk slowly into the water and sighed happily as he felt the warm water rejuvenate his tired bones. It seemed like forever since he had last had a place to stay...or bathe.
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Caitlyn pouted as she went into this new kid's room. A summoner walking by had randomly pointed to her out of all her friends and told her to go help this new champion around. She didn't get a name or even where this person's room was. Sometimes, those summoning guys had no real common sense. The sheriff kind of understand why she was chosen, she was definitely the friendly type. More so than someone like Darius who would probably start a fight.
"Hello! Anyone in there?" the pretty girl called.
No one responded but she heard sounds coming from the bathroom. It's important to note here, that for all her crime-fighting Caitlyn had her moments. Barging into a bathroom is just one of them.
The shooter flung the door open and she gaped at the sight in front of her. A handsome man laid in the bathtub with his eyebrow quirked at her. He had messy light brown hair that was cut short, light brown stubble speckled his chin attractively, and his eyes changed colors like a kaleidoscope. The attractive new guy stood up when he noticed her and she noticed that he was tall first. The second thing she noticed was that he was only wearing a pair of boxers that made him look incredible. He wasn't huge like Garen but not skinny like Ezreal. The guy clearly had a sculpted figure and she could see his six pack abs.
"I know you're cute but at least buy me dinner first." he joked with a smirk.
Catelyn suddenly became flustered and tried to close the door that refused to shut, "I'm so sorry to barge in."
"I can't say it was the first time a beautiful woman walked in on me half naked." he tied a towel around his waist. "Call me Dante."
She followed him with an open mouth out of the bathroom. He gestured to a comfortable looking couch for her to sit on and moved to his fridge.
"Want anything to drink, sheriff?" he asked as he drank from a water bottle.
Her detective skills came alive, "How did you know who I was?"
"I've seen your picture around." he shrugged.
She sat down calmly, "Well I'll introduce myself officially, my name is Catelyn Sheriff of Piltover."
"Nice to meet you." he sat across from her. "Any reason why you're in my room?"
She stood hastily, "I'm supposed to give you a tour around the institute."
"I'll change my clothes and be right out." he looked at her expectantly.
She started to back away, "I should probably leave so you can change."
He looked amused but nodded as she left the room. When she was out of sight, Catelyn covered her burning face. She was usually so confident with herself but in front Dante she was a mess. God, she met the hottest guy of her life and completely ruined her choices. It was probably for the best, she shouldn't rush into anything.
"Let's get going on this tour, gorgeous." he stepped out in a brown leather jacket and white v-neck that hugged him attractively.
This guy was practically a sex magnet.
"So there's a swimming area right by the living quarters. It's pretty popular with everyone and next to the pool is a spa area. Lots of herbal healing and relaxation." she started the tour.
He joked, "With the battles, it's not much of a surprise you'd need some relaxation."
"Anyways, it's important to remember that everyone is still pretty politically divided here. Some feuds like Noxus versus Demacia don't just die over night. Other feuds are more one on one." she elaborated.
Dante rubbed his stubble, "That's interesting."
"We have a really nice general eating area that caters to all the needs of the individuals here. Some from the void have...interesting eating habits." she explained. "There's also workout rooms by the pools."
He scuffed his boots across the floor, "That'll be fun."
"Everyone gets pretty competitive." she smiled.
He looked at the pretty dining hall with a calm expression before she led him in. Catelyn led her to her usual group which consisted of Miss Fortune, Graves, Ezreal, Jayce, Lux, and Vi. Their group was one of the more friendlier crowds in the league. Others often joined them at their table because of all their generally friendly natures. Like how Graves might seem tough but he was a pretty big marshmallow once you got to know him.
"Hello." Dante said in his accented voice and gave a charming smile.
Sarah Fortune winked, "Who's the cutie?"
"Pretty girls get to call me Dante." he replied quickly.
Jayce laughed, "He's almost got a sharper tongue than you."
"I doubt that." Graves said in his husky drawl.
Ezreal elbowed his fellow ranged carry, "C'mon Malc, you know you love that about her."
"I'll shoot yer face off pretty boy." the outlaw threatened but it was obvious he was trying to fight a smile.
Vi cut in and lowered Grave's huge shotgun, "I think the title of pretty boy is going to the new kid."
At that, everyone laughed heartily. Caitlyn was never so glad to be part of such a group with nice people. It was a shame they didn't all go into battle together but it was for the best. You need a diverse team out on Summoner's Rift if you wanted to survive.
"That's not fair to Ez." Lux cut in for the first time.
Graves, the one who liked to tease the most in the group replied, "Sure you would think so, don't want yer boyfriend losing his looks too soon."
"You're mean." the blonde pouted and crossed her arms.
It was also a constant for everyone to tease each other about some of the internal crushes going on. Mostly Graves and Miss Fortune along with Ez and Lux.
"I like your friends, they're a rambunctious group but good at heart." Dante whispered into her ear.
She smiled in relief, "They're all great."
"Is everyone in their own cliques?" he asked carefully.
She paused, "Some of us don't mind anyone but others with those rivalries I told you about aren't quite used to things. Someone like you could probably go from group to group."
"Why's that?" he looked amused.
She went for the political answer first, "You're not aligned to anyone at the moment and you're kind of really charming."
"Is that so?" he looked highly amused. "I'll keep that in mind, sheriff."
She blushed at his use of her title and tried not to look at his enchanting eyes that had now turned a calm blue. He probably made her turn red more times that hour than in the whole year she had resided at the institute. It was kind of scary...and sexy.
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Catelyn laid across her friend Lux's bed comfortably as her mentioned friend and Sarah Fortune gossiped. Vi was joining in occasionally because she loved the rumor mill more than anyone.
"What do you girls think of him?" she asked loudly.
The other girls shared entertained looks before turning to their friend.
"He's hot, we don't really know anything other than that about him." Vi was ever blunt.
Sarah made sure her make-up was perfect, "That's more than enough."
"He seems nice enough, kind of closed off." Lux tapped her chin.
She sighed, "I made a total fool out of myself the first time we met."
"What happened?" Vi sounded a little eager.
Catelyn turned red, "I barged into his bathroom and saw him half naked."
"That actually doesn't sound too bad." the red head giggled and dodged a pillow aimed at her head.
She threw her hands up, "He didn't even look surprised, he just stared at me like I was a little kid who made a mess."
"Don't exaggerate so much." Vi teased.
Catelyn declared, "Whatever, this is just more of a signal that I was meant to be single forever, only creeps talk to me."
"Remember when Draven tried to ask you on a date?" Lux couldn't help but ask innocently and they all started to laugh.
She rolled her eyes, "Well I hope the guys are having a horrible night out."
"I'm sure they are." Sarah said with an amused look.
Lux commented, "Not with Ez and Graves leading the party."
Vi elbowed her hard and the blonde pouted. No, they were probably getting chased by wolves in the forest or something for sure.
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Dante sat with Graves, Ezreal, and Jayce for what the others called 'guy time' but mostly consisted of smoking and booze. Smoking on his and Graves part but everyone took part in the drinking.
They were in some kind of patio area with a campfire at the center. Graves had started a fire with a scary ass shot from his gun and Ez had humorously roasted marshmallows. The kid if anything, made him laugh.
"How you liking your first day, new kid?" Jayce asked in his friendly demeanor.
The brunette shrugged, "It's fine, only really met your group though."
"Too bad, there's a lot of hot babes champions and otherwise." Graves flicked his burning cigarette at a summoner walking by.
They all watched for a second as the man ran screaming as his robes lit on fire. The men all turned back to the conversation.
"Malcolm and Ez are spoken for but you and I are free to roam." Jayce winked.
Graves growled, "Ain't nothing between me and Fortune."
"Yeah, think what you want old timer." Ezreal stuck his tongue out at the other man.
He straightened the conversation, "Tell me about some of these girls."
"Sona's pretty in that ethereal kind of way, Ahri is kind of the same." the prodigal explorer put his two cents in.
Jayce pointed out, "Janna and Leona are in that category too."
"Other girls like Nidalee, Fiora, and Akali are hot in a dangerous 'I'll cut your face off' way." Ezreal continued.
Graves chuckled, "Don't forget Katarina in the special crazy hot category."
At that, all the guys other than him nodded and wolf-whistled.
"Who's that?" he asked.
Jay looked amused, "You'll probably find out soon enough."
"How does getting chosen for battles go?" he asked.
Ez explained quickly, "At first, a summoner puts you in for a mock fight. They'll test you out against other champions to see how you fair."
"Really? A summoner I met said he would be putting me into direct battle?" he looked confused.
They all looked at him so Graves elaborated, "No one else has ever been thrown into battle like that."
"You must be something." Jay teased.
He rolled his eyes, "You guys are killing me."
"If that's the case, each month you're put into a team with a captain. The captain can only pick one other member and the rest of their teammates are random. It's important to note that however random they are, all teams are well balanced." Ezreal played around with his goggles a bit as he spoke.
Dante leaned forward, "How do I find out what team I'm on?"
"The captain'll find you sooner than ya think." Graves grinned evilly.
He couldn't help asking more, "How are captains picked and what's up with summoners?"
"Captains are champions who have good kill rates over the month and compliance with the rules. Although some don't follow anyone's rules." Jayce looked thoughtful. "Summoners only have one champion, that's why we're in such high demand."
Ezreal made a face, "I had to stop exploring so much because my summoner was pulling me in every hour."
"Champions are usually the ones who choose to switch summoners. Who did you get?" the defender of tomorrow asked.
He casually took a drag from his cigarette, "Some guy named Septimus."
They all blanched and looked at him with shocked looks.
"What?" he said in confusion.
Graves spoke first, "That guy is second in command of the institute. He don't have time to summon a kid like you all day."
"I didn't know he was anything special." Dante admitted.
Ezreal accepted the cold beer Jayce tossed him, "Understandable, he seems like any other frigid summoner but he's one of the nicest."
"A toast to our new buddy Dante, may he kick ass." Graves announced in a faux regal tone that got them all laughing.
They spent the rest of the night drinking and generally getting wasted. You can only imagine how bad their hangovers were the next morning, especially when the men had entered a contest to see who could drink the fastest. Not the smartest move on the men but that was never the point of guy's night out.
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All the guys entered the brightly lit cafeteria sluggishly. Dante looked ever the cool guy in a pair of aviator sunglasses and black leather jacket. Jayce wore a ragged white shirt and tried not to stumble too much. Ezreal had his hat/bandanna pulled over his eyes and Graves actually looked pretty normal. Maybe it was because the outlaw had a hangover every morning. Either way they were all suffering.
"What happened to you guys?" Vi asked.
Dante groaned and stole a piece of toast from Catelyn's plate, "Too much beer, whiskey, and vodka."
"Way too much vodka." Ez mumbled.
Graves shoved Dante lightly, "This kid actually drank me under the table."
"You were a worthy adversary." he bowed sarcastically. "Can't say much for these other two sorry bastards."
Jayce raised a hand but just slumped, "I don't even care."
"You actually don't look that bad." Fortune pointed at Dante.
He lit a cigarette coolly, "I never do."
"I don't like you so much right now." Ez glowered.
He winked, "You'll all love me again later, it's just a natural process of life."
"I saw your name on a roster." Lux said happily to him.
He tilted his head, "I guess that means I'm going into battle."
"You didn't even train first." Caitlyn frowned with worry.
Dante put a reassuring arm around her, "Don't you fret about me, I've gone through worse."
"I think she just turned red." Vi said in amusement.
Jayce held an apple near her face, "The color matching is uncanny."
Everyone had a laugh at Caitlyn's expense when a particularly dangerous looking man stalked towards the group. He was a hulking figure dressed in armor proudly showcasing his Noxian background and the weapons at his side looked like it caused more than a little pain.
"My name is Darius and you're on my team." the general pointed at Dante.
He nodded, "Dante."
"Our battle starts in ten minutes, don't be late." Darius glowered and stalked off.
"Is it a bad time to tell you that Darius hates losing." Ez looked happy.
Dante slid down his chair, "I hate life."
"You'll hate it even more after your first battle new kid." Jayce said with a new bright smile.
The only thought going through his mind? Damn
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Dante nervously lit a cigarette as he moved to the summoning room. What was Septimus thinking? He wasn't fit to battle, hell, he didn't even know all the rules. The brunette sighed and fixed his t-shirt. Maybe, he should have put armor on, if he got hit with something half the size of Darius' sword he was done for. Actually, he was made of tougher stuff than that. He could take two hits than die.
"You're here." Septimus said in relief.
He nervously rubbed his hands on his jeans, "I'm here, alright."
"Meet your team." the summoner gestured to a group.
A cute fox like creature waved, "Ahri."
"Names Thresh, the chain warden." a skull with a blue flaming skull greeted with a grin that gave him chills.
He pulled from something deep within him and calmly shook the man or creature's hand, "Dante."
"Tougher than you look." Thresh said in surprise when he shook his hand.
A seductive voice teased, "And how nice you look."
"Introduce yourself assassin." Darius looked bored.
A gorgeous red head appeared in front of him suddenly, "I'm Katarina pretty boy."
"I did hear that I stole the title from Ezreal." he replied with charm.
Katarina laughed, "I like him."
"Everyone does." he winked.
Thresh clapped him on the back...hard, "I like you to, I won't take your soul."
"Thanks?" he said more like a question.
Darius stood tall, "The chain warden and I are taking top, the assassin is mid, and new blood is with the fox."
"I feel like he doesn't call us by our names because he didn't bother to learn them." Kat tapped her chin.
Thresh grinned, "I respect that."
Before they could talk more a summoner in green robes stepped forward.
The man spoke, "The blue teams consists of the team captain Darius the hand of Noxus, Ahri the nine-tailed fox, Thresh the chain warden, Katarina the sinister blade, and Dante the dual blade."
They went in a line to the center of the room. He kind of liked the name, it sounded cool.
"On the purple team is the captain Volibear the thunder's roar, Xerath the magus ascendant, Twisted Fate the card master, Gangplank the saltwater scourge, and LeBlanc the deceiver." the man continued.
The other team stood so each champion was face to face with another. He was currently looking into the mischievous eyes of the card master. Dante vaguely remember Graves complaining about a man with too many cards during their drunken night. He agreed, the man looked like he could slip right through your fingers and he didn't like it.
The regulator finished, "A fair fight is expected and we will be watching closely. See you on the fields of justice, my friends."
At that he felt a tube like sensation and he was flying through some unknown void at breakneck speed. In the end, he was in a rune area where he could feel his life energy being healed. He stumbled a bit but stood up straight quickly.
"Get to your point quickly." Septimus told him within his head.
He looked around confused until Ahri grabbed his arm. Dante looked down at her expectantly and she tugged him to the right pathway. Realization struck and he kept up with her easily as they ran quickly to some kind of tower.
"Your tower will protect you from enemies, but their towers will do the same. Minions will help you destroy them in order to get to the nexus. Which is the giant gem in each camp. You need to destroy the other team's to win."
He nodded and took out his gleaming blade. Ahri stood behind him as he moved through the bushes to find Twisted Fate and Xerath in front of him. Dante instantly engaged in combat and was coming close to finishing of TF when Xerath lowered Ahri's attack enough for him to jump and battle the spectral creature. This was the exact moment that TF sprinted off to heal.
The battle waged on in the same manner, with Twisted Fate barely slipping through. It was infuriating to say the least but he didn't have it in him to leave Ahri to the wolves. She aided him well and they took two towers when Katarina was ambushed on. Thresh first went to help and barely died, taking Gangplank with him. Darius refused to leave his post and yelled at him through their communicators to help Katarina.
"On it." he muttered and sprinted through the woods until he was in the mid lane.
Dante pushed TF, Volibear, and LeBlanc back best he could but he was still new. He wasn't used to having to defend himself, the towers, and his teammates. It was a little hard to handle. When Xerath jumped him from behind, they were in an intense battle when he saw Kat go down. He jumped to where her body lay and it made him sick. Only the realization that she wasn't actually dead somewhat helped ease his mind.
"It's four to one new kid, give it up." Twisted Fate held his cards out threateningly.
He shook his head, "I don't think so."
At that moment, Darius jumped out along with Gangplank. He had some weird moment of mental communication where he and Darius started to take out the other team one by one. When TF was the only one left, his sword turned into a crossbow that delivered the killing shot. They had an ace and an opening.
A minute or two passed where his whole team gathered at the enemy base. They quickly went through their the mid turret and inhibitor when the team started to regenerate. He watched in disappointment as his team began to fall and they all ganged up on him. The brunette killed LeBlanc quickly and came extremely close to taking out Volibear when he died. That was weird, saying that he died. It felt like he was being washed clean of everything to awaken new. He bought several items before proceeding back, albeit reluctantly.
His whole team banded together for the win and managed another ace. After, the team celebrated at a bar near the institute happily. Except for Darius of course, he was never too much fun.
"A toast to our new teammate who practically ran this win." Thresh declared.
He blushed a bit as he raised his glass of scotch, "It wasn't all me."
"I don't know about that, you certainly saved me more times than I can count." Katarina ran a hand down his strong arm.
Dante leaned in closer to her, "My pleasure but you don't seem like much of a damsel in distress."
"I'm not, but I'll make an exception for you." she moved so they were nose to nose.
Ahri suddenly pulled him close to her, "Thank you for saving me."
"No problem." he gave her a charming smile.
The brunette was still kind of wary though, he knew what the fox was capable of. Through the whole night, he watched in amusement as his teammates got drunk. Because he had gotten wasted the night before he wasn't really interested in doing it again.
The bartender announced, "Sorry folks but I have to close up."
Everyone groaned but left as quickly as they could. His team seemed to scatter in several directions so he was left with only Katarina. That was kind of scary and exciting.
"Walk me home?" she asked with only a slight slur in her voice.
He nodded, "Of course."
"You know what I thought when I first met you?" she asked after a few minutes had passed.
He looked amused, "No."
"I thought you were incredibly sexy and mysterious. A perfect guy for some kind of trashy romance novel, you know?" the red head stumbled so he caught her.
Dante supported her as they walked, "I'm just a regular guy, Ms. Du Couteau."
"Don't call me that, call me Katarina." she complained lightly.
He was kind of curious, "Why? You're family is Noxian royalty."
"Things are never as they appear." she said darkly before leaning more into him.
He couldn't help but open up a bit, "I know what that's like."
"Really?" she asked.
Dante looked at the stars passively, "My parents were on opposing sides of a war but they fell in love. They were both great warriors and generals so when they abandoned their posts, their former bosses went after them but they just couldn't be killed. The two couldn't be caught and one day, they poisoned something my mother drank so she could never have children."
He realized that Katarina had closed her eyes and was practically lying on him. The new champion smiled and carried the assassin in his arms, bridal style.
"My mother was devastated, she was so in love with my father that she didn't know what to do. My father was also heartbroken but he sought a way to cure my mother. One day, a mage told him of a hidden temple that was the burial spot of King Lucian the incubus. A sexual male creature opposite of a succubus. My parents went to this temple and managed to go through to the center where a statue of the king stood. My mother touched the statue and the temple collapsed within itself. Nine months later, I was born." he continued his story. "Maybe I'll tell you the rest some other time."
They had made it to the institute but he had no idea where her room was. Seeing no other choice, he dragged her to his own room and gently lowered her onto his bed.
"Sleep well, Katarina." he pulled his covers over her.
Dante tiredly pulled his jacket off and laid down on the couch. He had only been at the league for two days and it already felt like an eternity had passed. It was weird to finally be in one place so long, he was so used to travelling anywhere he wanted. Yet, for all his reservations, it was nice to sleep in the same place every night. Actually having friends was turning out well too, now that he thought about it. He just hoped his condition didn't break through with all these woman. At that, he closed his eyes and felt the realm of Morpheus draw him in.