Chapter I
Wherein the GRAND GENERAL of Noxus prepares for a GREAT WAR
made possible by HIMSELF and THE BLACK ROSE.
The dark night engulfed the capital of Noxus, leaving darkness everywhere in the city. The honest people already left the streets, leaving only the shadier groups of the population on the streets. The dull moonlight shone through the thick windows of the Grand General's chambers. Revealing a neatly decorated room, built in the heart of Noxus itself. The chamber was lit with only one candle on his desk. His red eyes glimmering in the darkness with his bird's. As he continued to read the reports, the door gently opened, revealing an elegant figure who gently walked toward Swain.
''I have been expecting you, Matron,'' said Swain coldly, not moving his eyes from the reports.
''My, am I really that popular?'' asked LeBlanc in a low and coy tone as she made her way behind Swain and reached out, touching Swain's body playfully and moving around it with her fingers. Swain, undazed by the Deceiver's playful movements, put the reports away and stared toward the door.
''You forgot to close the door.''
''Does it matter?''
''You forgot the close the door,'' said Swain, this time more impatient and intimidating.
LeBlanc scoffed and moved to close the door and turned around to face Swain.
''I believe you have something to report?'' asked Swain, staring at LeBlanc with his piercing cold eyes.
''The preparations are done. We are ready to start phase 1.'' Swain nodded and stroked Beatrice gently with his fingers. The bird opened her wings and continued to stare at LeBlanc with her 6 red eyes. Swain let out a wry smile and returned his gaze toward the Deceiver.
''Very well. This world shall soon be ours. Start phase 1.''
He moved though the vast corridors of his mentor's mansion. He looked at his reflection on the neatly polished mosaic floor. He was wearing a dark cloak with daggers hidden inside it, as always. It's been years since his mentor's sudden departure, leaving him alone with Katarina and Cassiopeia, the two daughters of his mentor, general Du Couteau. Talon passed a few maids, that were exchanging worried glances as Talon passed by. He stopped and turned around, facing the maids.
''Is there a problem?''
The two maids looked at each other for a few seconds before one of them spoke up.
''We received a letter. It might be important, but we do not know who sent it.''
The maid gave him the letter and left his sight, leaving him alone with the mysterious letter. Was this the reason they looked so worried? He had rather expected Cassiopeia to be on a rampage again, but it seemed that wasn't the case. He inspected the letter. The letter was covered in a thick white sheet, and covered with a red stamp.
'Hold on. Not just a simple stamp… No. That isn't possible.'
He started moving quicker, only to be running though the corridors toward his fellow assassin's room. He swiftly climbed the wooden stairs and rammed through the door, only to see a messy room, with blades and clothes scattered all over the room as if the room was in an earthquake. Not like it had been different, ever since the disappearance of her father, Marcus du Couteau. He looked around once more, seeing all kinds of weapons, from neatly polished daggers to war axes, but no Katarina. Then, a muffled sound reached his ears. He swiftly turned around to see Katarina attempting to cut his throat. The dagger nearly reached his throat as he jumped back and roundhouse kicked the dagger out of her hands. She stumbled back a few steps before reaching out for a new dagger. Talon used this time get to a better position and grabbed a dagger himself. Katarina let out a shout as she charged forward and jumped above Talon and threw daggers to the startled Talon. He clenched his teeth together and parried the incoming dagger with his own. Katarina jumped forward and kicked him in his chest and sent him flying against a wall. Talon didn't need time to recover and immediately sent out a volley of daggers toward Katarina, forcing her to dodge the daggers by jumping to the other side, only to be speared down to the ground by a now angry Talon.
Katarina and Talon blushed as they realized how close their faces actually were. They remained in the same position for a few seconds in awkward silence before Katarina started speaking up:
''G-get off me.''
The 3 words took Talon by surprise but he responded almost immediately by rolling to the side, creating space between the two fellow assassins. They both stood up and stared at each other.
''So, I take it you have a reason for barging into my room?'' asked Katarina in a low voice as she pulled her daggers out of the wall.
Talon, almost forgotten why he had come grabbed the letter out of his pocket and gave it to Katarina. ''I thought you should see this.'' Katarina raised her eyebrow and looked at the letter, but froze in place as she saw the stamp. She looked up and stared at Talon, who only nodded. She shred the cover open and read the letter inside with Talon glancing over her to read the letter too.
Dearest Katarina,
Words cannot start to describe how sorry I feel. It has been years since my sudden disappearance. I am terribly sorry for leaving you all in the dark. I had a highly confidential mission that I could not even share with my own family and closest friends. I heard from the Grand General that you did not stop looking for me, which I am proud of. However, I have also heard that you started suspecting him, which I find good, because that means you have probably found something that links him to my disappearance. But that is over now. I cannot give you all the details, but I do know that it's over. The Grand General sent me on the mission, and you can rest assured, I am perfectly fine. I hope you are too. Nothing too terrible has happened I hope? Anyway, it is not yet time for me to come back home, I would like it if we could meet at the Noxian High Command? I know it is not the best place for a reunion, but I still have some business to settle, and you can ask me everything you want there. Please only bring Talon, and do not tell dear Cass about me yet, I want to surprise her personally. I will see you there then.
I am proud to remain,
Your father.
The letter felt foreign to her. After all these years, looking for him, he sends a mail back which explains everything.
''I don't like it,'' mumbled Talon loud enough for Katarina to hear.
''What do you mean?'' asked Katarina skeptical as she faced Talon.
''After all these years, we have no leads, and now we suddenly get a letter from the man himself? No, this is too obvious. You should know that.''
''Talon, what would they want to reach with this letter then? If it really was a prank, I don't see what is funny about it. And we can check it immediately, since it is in the High Command, and we can see him there. I say we should pay them a visit.''
Talon scoffed, but agreed, and the two fellow assassins made their way into the unknown future. But they were sure about one thing, it was that from this day on, everything would change.
''Sometimes, one must hurt in order to know, fall in order to grow, lose in order to gain. All because life's greatest lessons are learned through pain,'' said a heavy voice. There was chaos all over the streets, thugs killing other thugs and citizenry alike, the militia trying everything to regain order, only to be slaughtered by the overwhelming and growing group of thugs and cutthroats.
''That being said, have you ever thought of disobeying me?''
The dark figure towered above the smaller man, who was sweating all over.
''P-please! There i-is absolutely n-no need f-f-for this v-violence! I can h-help you find her!'' He pronounced the her with caution as the figure threatening him grimaced as he said it. The figure pointed his flintlock hand cannon at the man's head.
''No. You have disappointed me, greatly. And what now? You are scared of death now? You should know better than anyone else that the ones who fight, are the ones who are ready to die themselves!''
''P-Please! H-have mercy on m-me!''
''This is mercy in Bilgwater.''
A loud gunshot ringed through the air as the figure left the body of Sarah Fortune's little assistant with heavy footsteps.
Former assistant.
He put up quite a fight, he was as silent as a cat, but forgot one important thing.
No man could beat Gangplank.
Even Sarah Fortune herself, the infamous Bounty Hunter of Bilgwater will not.
He continued walking though the dark alley, shadows nearly consuming him as he paid them no heed. Bilgwater was in complete chaos now, just because that whore of a Fortune wanted revenge on him. Too bad for her, because he is still alive.
And searching for her.
As he walked on the harbors, he passed multiple sailors and thugs, who were nothing but both surprised and frightened by the presence of the former tyrant of Bilgwater. Gangplank himself. He boarded the ship he commandeered from Swain himself, the Leviathan. The pirates on the ship immediately stopped fighting as they saw their captain, Gangplank back. A young pirate, a boy decided to break the silence.
''C-captain? Weren't you s-supposed to be…'' the pirate stammered as he tried to say the last word.
''Dead? Was that what you were going to say, son?'' The boy gulped as Gangplank finished the sentence.
''You have so little faith in me? How disappointing. All of you? You all really thought I died? Let me tell you this. I never die, so you all stop fighting or I will butcher you all and feed you to the fishes myself!'' shouted Gangplank angrily as he swiftly cut through the boy's neck as if it was mere butter. The boy's head separated from his shoulders and blood spattered all over him, making even the most experienced of his crew flinch. He licked the blood from his sabre as the body fell on the deck. He walked with heavy steps toward the crew who were all staring at the bleeding remnants of their former companion.
''Listen up, all of you! Gangplank is back, and you will prepare the cannons. Is that understood?'' The crew all nodded and all swiftly scattered toward their assigned positions. ''Set sail! Find the Syren, and when you do, make sure no one aboard is spared.''
He made his way toward the captain's quarters. The room was elegantly decorated, furniture were all luxurious and banners of Noxus were hung everywhere. The smell of stale tea reached his nostrils as he made his way toward the oak desk and sat down, finally, after a few days of killing Fortune's boys, he finally managed to kill all of them who played a part in his attempted assassination. He focused his gaze in front of him on the desk, where a letter was resting. He grabbed the letter and opened it, revealing a paper with neatly written words in black ink. As the cover was removed, the letter began to turn purple and mixed together to create a purple hole in the paper. It revealed a short, lightly built, and balding man with hair that was dark yet revealing a slight grey color, clutching a cane with both his hands and a dark raven resting on his shoulder.
''Captain Gangplank, or should I say, former captain?''
Gangplank clenched his teeth in frustration at the remark of his title.
''What do you want, Swain? Your ship? Because if you do, you won't get it.''
''No, no. Let us put our rivalry behind us, captain. I have a request that will benefit the both of us.''
''Oh really? Will we see ships without sails tomorrow too?'' responded the scourge sarcastically. Swain's expression however, did not falter.
''I am about to plunge this world into another Great War, and I can use your support.''
''And what makes you think I am interested? Let alone able to help you?''
''I think you and I both know that you are perfectly capable of rebuilding Bilgwater. But in doing so, you will need help. And who other than the Noxian Military is better in building order in complete chaos?''
''And what makes you think I want your help?''
Swain raised an eyebrow, and fixed his stare at Gangplank.
''You need my help, and I can offer it to you, but I want something back. Your support in the war for Noxus.'' Gangplank started laughing, his guffaws echoing in the room. ''So the bald man wants to play general now?'' Swain flinched on the scourge's childish response, but remained calm.
''Your answer?'' asked Swain calmly. Making Gangplank's laughter stop.
''Fine. If I see your Military here, I will support you.''
Swain nodded.
''They are already here. Look at your right.''
Gangplank raised his eyebrow in surprise as he really saw Noxian soldiers charging through the streets, killing everyone that were opposing them. Order would be restored soon.
''Fine fine, Bilgwater shall support you. However, one last question.''
''Yes?''
''How did you know there was a window on my right side?'' Swain rolled his eyes.
''That's my ship you are using now, Gangplank. I hope you did not forget that.'' The hole slowly faded, leaving only a blank paper. Gangplank smiled.
He loved irritating people like Swain.
Now only to irritate the woman who tried to kill him.
A/N:
Hi guys, the idea of having a World War in Valoran has been stuck in my head for a while now. I really wanted Riot to do something like this, but I couldn't wait for that to happen (if it ever will) so I decided to write one myself! I hope u guys like it. Actually it feels more like a prologue, but not like it really matters. Anyway, comments are appreciated!