"Welcome to the HAUNT."
The man's voice filled the room with a sense of dangerous authority. Everyone stared quietly at the podium, no one daring to interrupt him.
"I am Captain Titanius. I have been designated to become the head general when the war begins, and I have the authority to rule over anyone on the battlefield."
Urie stood on her toes, trying to get a good look at the captain. Taller people stood in front of her, obstructing her view. She could see Alba doing just the same next to her.
"This is your orientation. All of you have been selected because you have met at least one of three categories: you were involved with the first Evolution, you are in peak physical and mental condition, or you found out by mistake and stuck by it."
Alba and Urie looked at one another, amused.
"Today, I will introduce you to the complex. For those who are unaware, we are underneath the PAC complex. The train you rode to get here is built into the old sewer system of the complex.
"Now, let us begin."
Titanius walked out of the room, and everyone followed in unison. He walked down the corridor silently until it opened into a large, empty room. Large didn't even to begin to describe it. If you took about 30 of Alba's apartment, then it might be enough to describe it.
Titanius turned arounto speak once more. "This is the Chamber. All important meetings concerning all HAUNT members will be held here. This will also act as a mess hall."
They walked all around the underground complex. It was a massive structure. If it was brought above ground, it could become a small city of its own. Starting from the mess hall, the entire complex held a supply warehouse, an entire wing dedicated to education of HAUNT members, the hive-like structure under the Greenhouse, to a shooting range. The tour was going smoothly until they reached the housing areas.
Titanius began to speak again. "This is the housing area. When the-"
"Titanius?" A voice called out.
From the distance, Vi walked into sight, approaching with footsteps weighed down by her massive gauntlets. She walked up to Titanius and stood, staring him eye to eye.
"Caitlyn wants to see you. I'll take over the rest of the orientation."
The Captain narrowed his eyes, as if he disapproved Vi's ability to complete what he started. "Alright."
He walked off from the way Vi came, down to the Chamber. Meanwhile, Vi turned to face them.
"So! I assume he hasn't covered the housing area yet."
"No" somebody said.
"Aight then. So this is the housing area. You won't be using this place until the war officially starts. When it does, you guys are going to be moved from your place to here, and until it's over, you'll live here."
She turned and began to walk. When she didn't hear footsteps trailing behind, she turned around to face them. "Come on. You guys probably don't have all day, and I sure as hell don't."
Vi, while still possessing an aura of authority, didn't seem as strict and rule-abiding as Titanius was. She had a much more laid back attitude, and talked in a much more casual manner. She still looked intimidating with her size, but she seemed much more friendly than Titanius was.
Another hour or so later, their orientation ended. "Now, your orientation is officially over. It's late, so I'll try and end this quickly. This week is all training. Starting tomorrow, you're going to get some training in everything from handling guns to basic tech stuff. When the war actually starts, you'll be placed into a job, depending on what you're good at. So, any questions?"
Someone's hand shot up.
Vi pointed at it. "Shoot."
"Do we come back same time tomorrow?"
"Mhm. Maybe not the exact same time, but same place. You guys aren't the only people for the HAUNT, you know. Other people are in too, they just had orientations on different days. Any more?"
Silence.
"Sounds good then. All of you guys are dismissed, and the train should get here sooner or later. Just remember, when you guys leave, don't all leave at once. Maybe in groups of three or four at a time. But besides all that, I'll see you folks later."
Vi turned and walked away, and, as if on cue, the train rolled its way to the platform where they had ended the orientation. They filed in, one by one, and the door slid shut behind them.
Alba looked to Urie.
"Cool place, huh?"
"It's big. Really big."
"That it is."
The remainder of the ride went quietly, everyone exhausted from the late night orientation. Urie sighed, disappointed when she realized she'd barely get any rest within the near future. It wasn't all negatives, however. At least she was spending her time doing something productive, and she wasn't alone when she was doing it.
EEveryone made it home safely that night, mingling in with the late night partygoers and drunks. Alba, Urie, and all other members of the HAUNT slept that night, all basically passing out with exhaustion.
BBack in the complex, a meeting was held with some of the high ranking generals in the HAUNT. Vi walked in and took a seat, which signaled for the meeting to begin.
Caitlyn stood at the front of the room, next to a large screen. The screen displayedan overhead view of Piltover, with several large, red circles marking the map.
She began to speak on her accented voice. "Welcome. As you may be able to tell, this is a bird's eye view of Piltover. And recently, we have received more intel on the attacks.
"These red circles are potential danger zones. They have a high likelihood of being attacked,whether it be by a bomb or by a direct invasion. Nevertheless, we must prepare ourselves.
"Due to the uncertainty of the attack's location, we can only prepare the HAUNT for it, but not the people themselves. Evacuating the areas will cause the attacks only to be moved to another location, and so on and so forth. For the long run, some sacrifices must be made.
"We have plans to retaliate the attack by sending a secret operation to Zaun to return fire. The same form of attack will be returned. If they bomb us, we will bomb them. If they invade us, we will invade them. We must exchange blow for blow, until an ultimate battle ends everything.
"The purpose of today's meeting is to familiarize all with people and their positions. Well begin with captains."
The screen changed to show the pictures of four people.
"I will be placing Rari, Titanius, Sidewater, and Knear as generals. You four will lead the soldiers on the frontline, and each will be assigned their own troops."
The screen changed again.
"These are our strategists. I have appointed Kanei and Ezreal. You two will be mostly at base, devising strategies to utilize in combat. If need be, you two will fill in for captains."
Another screen change.
"While they are not here, Ziggs, Elmore, and Heimerdinger will be our chief researchers. They will spend their times developing new weaponry to be used in the war."
Another change.
"Lastly, I will appoint my deputy. It may seem quite obvious, but I would not trust anyone with that position more than Vi."
The screen blinked off.
"So. Any objections or questions?"
Silence.
"I expected so. For the time being, you will all need to pitch in on the training until we are able to locate permanent trainers. Your duties will be assigned by tomorrow morning. Until then, this meeting is dismissed."
Everyone stood up and left without a word, with the exception of Vi. Even after everyone had left she sat in her chair, legs propped up against the table.
"I'm worried."
Vi looked up as Caitlyn began to speak again.
"About what?"
"I don't know if some of the people we picked can handle all this. Once the war starts, they need to leave behind everything of their regular life and dedicate solely on winning."
"Mm. I think they're going to be fine."
"And why do you think that?"
"They all seem capable to me. I mean, everyone's got quirks we gotta deal with, but besides that, we're gonna be fine."
"Everybody's got quirks?"
"Everybody."
"Alright then." Caitlyn leaned across the table. "What's mine?"
"You have that habit of tapping your nails against your gun when you're lining up a shot."
"That's it? That's my quirk?"
"Mhm."
"Well then..."
Vi looked at the clock. "It's two in the morning. We better go."
"We better."
Vi began to walk out the door, then, at the last moment, poked her head back inside. "You want a ride?"
Caitlyn looked a little startled. "Uh... Alright."
"Follow me, then."
Vi led Caitlyn to a donor she didn't know existed previously. It was hidden within the shadow of a balcony in the Hive, which made it hard to spot unless you were absolutely concentrated on finding it. Vi opened the door to a small staircase.
The staircase was dark and a little narrow. Small scraping noises could be heard when Vi's gauntlets bumped and scratched against the wall. The staircase seemed to go on for miles as they walked up, until it finally opened up.
The opened room was still dark, until she heard a small clicking noise. A light flickered on overhead to reveal that they were in some sort of a garage. Tools hung from the wall, there was a lift placed on the ground, and what looked like a retractable door on one end.
Caitlyn seemed a little baffled by its existence. "I didn't know this place existed."
"I only found out recently too. I was taking a ride along this area last week until I noticed what looked like a door. I lifted it open, and voila. Look what I found. It must've been like aan old employee's garage or something. Anyways, it's mine now. I had to repaint the whole door to match the walls around it, so no one can see that this exists from the outside. Only I can open and close it."
A motorcycle stood in the center of the garage. It was Vi's preferred mode of transportation, since the Piltover police cars caused her and her gauntlets to become cramped into one seat. Caitlyn had always seen her arrive to a crime scene on it, but she had never ridden on it before."
Vi sat on and looked at Caitlyn. "Get on."
So she did.
The garage door retracted to open up to a small alley. The bike revved and then they were off.
As much as Caitlyn hated to admit it, she actually felt herself become excited as they raced down the city streets. The wind on her face, the people blurring past them, and the sheer speed they were going at caused a sense of adrenaline to course through her veins.
And as much as she enjoyed it, she was also disappointed when they slowed to a halt at Area K. She got off the bike, and Vi got ready to accelerate once more.
Before she left, she turned to Caitlyn and spoke. "If you liked the ride that much I can drive you around more often."
She felt her face turn a slight tinge of red. "It's alright. I prefer the cars, for the bike seems to dangerous."
"It is SO obvious when you lie, Cait. I could see you smiling in the side mirror."
And then she sped off.
The next morning, snow had fallen even more. But the bad weather was on no one's mind, as everyone was excited for the grand annual celebration at the Explorer's Square. Everyone would gather to celebrate that year, have a good time, and get terrible hangovers as one.
As much as Alba wanted to go, she was preoccupied. While her classes were canceled for winter break, she still had work in the morning and training at night. In fact, her entire week was filled with nightly HAUNT training, leaving her exhausted.
But Urie had it worse. Her job lasted for longer hours in comparison to Alba's, and she only had maybe 3-4 hours between her job and the training.
Nevertheless, spirits were still high throughout Piltover.
At 6 PM, every HAUNT member's watch buzzed, delivering their training schedule for the night. Everyone's was fairly similar for now, as their aptitudes had yet to been found, giving them no ideal focus in training.
Once 10 PM struck, all the trains in the old sewer system rolled into action, picking up both eager and exhausted member's and delivering them to the underground facility. Everyone gathered in the Chamber, awaiting orders when Caitlyn appeared at the front, with a small mic attached to the side of her face.
"Welcome to the first day of HAUNT training. Everyone should have received and read their schedules for training. Until further notice, that is your training schedule for now. You will all focus on a topic a day, and once your aptitudes have been decided, then we will place you into intensive training of that subject."
WWhile her words seemed incomplete, her tone indicated that she was finished. As she walked through a corridor on the far end, the crowd dissipated, looking for their training facility.
Alba walked over to Urie."What do you got for today?"
She looked down at her wrist. "Weapons introduction."
"Damn it, I got combat strategizing."
"You know what this is exactly like?"
"School?"
"How'd you know?"
"Because people are going around asking about other people's schedules on the first day, just like school?"
Urie cleared her throat, slightly embarrassed that she her thoughts were so predictable. "Well, we have to go. I'll see you in a bit."
"Right back at you."
Urie walked off into corridor A, the Military corridor. According to yesterday's orientation, this corridor had everything from the weapons training facility to the shooting range, a weapons storage, to a battlefield simulator. It contained more, but she wasn't too intrigued by the rest.
She strutted into a room with about three dozen more people within, all waiting around. There were a few crates up front, but nothing else besides that.
Then, a large figure walked in. It was Titanius, the strict general form yesterday.
"This is weapons introduction. In here, you will learn the basics of all gears you will be utilizing in combat, from guns all the way to knives."
He pulled out a green and silver gadget out of is of the crates and held it up. It looked almost like a giant key with a trigger on it.
"Thisis a standard issue hextech gunblade. It will, under most circumstances, your primary weapon of choice. It excels in both melee and ranged combat, and can suit any form of combat from aerial to underwater.
"I will demonstrate how it works."
He held the gunblade with two hands, one on the trigger and one under the barrel. After a brief second, he fired, blowing a hole through a target on the wall.
Then he pointed to a small protrusion on the top of the gun. "When aiming, always look at what is on the tip of this. Due to the lack of recoil on this model, it will almost always hit the target you spot, given that they are not constantly moving."
"While it is still possible to use the gunblade with only one hand, it is recommended you use both. The steadiness of your aim decreases along with the amount of stress your arm can handle increasing."
He proceeded to explain many other weapons too, from the hextech revolver to a grenade, to the difference between a Krug knife and a Raptor knife( Krugs stabbed better, Raptors slashed better). To Urie, it sounded like he was just rambling for the next several hours, pulling out interesting gadgets now and then. But what caught her attention the most was the last contraption.
Titanius pulled out a small, black case. "In here lies a very volatile device. We call it Timed Death."
Urie's mind snapped back into focus at the name.
"Timed Death is essentially a bomb. Within the case is a small, glass sphere. When you unlock the case, pull it out, and smash the sphere, a countdown begins. 10 seconds after it has been smashed, it detonated, destroying everything within a 100 yard radius. When you enter combat, you will be given one of these, to use as an absolute last resort. If you are cornered down by several enemies with no backup, you use it then. If you've been taken hostage, you use it then. If you are in an irrevocable predicament, you use it then.
"And that concludes weapons training. All of those in this class will be moved onto physical training with weapons at the range. But for tonight, we are done. All of you are dismissed."
Everyone seemed to wake up from a trance at those words, and looked unsure of what to do next. Urie, not being one of them, walked out.
Almost all the members had completed their first day of training and sat around in the Chamber. Urie found Alba leaning against a wall, raising her phone at odd angles.
"What are you doing right now?"
Alba flinched, as she wasn't aware of Urie approaching.
"Oh. I can't get any good reception down here. I guess I am underground, so I really shouldn't expect much. How'd your class go?"
"It was so dull you have no idea. I got the captain guy from yesterday, you know, the scary guy."
"Better than what I got. I got this guy named Ezreal. He's like maybe 5 years older than we are, but he's going around hitting on every girl he could sniff out."
"Did he hit on you too?"
"He was moving around the classroom to do it, so I just made sure I stayed on the opposite end of him at all times."
"Good for you."
"Hey, you going to the thing at the Square tomorrow?"
"We have training again tomorrow."
"I was thinking of skipping it. I haven't missed it once this last seven years, and I don't want to break the tradition."
"You sound old."
"You bet I do. I'm planning on getting old and getting in everyone's ways."
A loud tapping noise silenced all conversations, leaving the room with an eerie silence. Caitlyn stood at the front.
"Now, I am aware of the celebration at the Explorer's Square tomorrow night. I am also aware of how many of our members want to go. So tomorrow, training is canceled. Unless an emergency rises, everyone gets a day off."
When she mentioned that tomorrow was off, a loud cheering abruptly erupted. Everybody was clearly overjoyed at this news, Alba included. Her annual "tradition" would continue at least a year longer.
"And with that, everyone is dismissed. Have a good night, and enjoy yourselves tomorrow."
The excited crowd divided and exited the Chamber in smaller groups, more than ready to get home. Caitlyn turned her mic off and took it off, holding it in her hand as she walked down to her office.
Her office sat in Corridor D, the Organization hall. All meetings were held in this hall in conference rooms, along with a few offices. For security measures to combat spying, the meeting rooms had no windows, no security cameras, three alloy locks, and were built with soundproof walls. They were one hell of a secure meeting room.
Her office, in comparison to what she had above, was shabby. All that sat there was a desk, a chair on each side of the desk, and a computer. Her rifle, instead of being hung on a shelf behind her like her old office, leaned against the wall behind her.
When she entered her office, she saw Vi sitting in her chair, examining her rifle. Caitlyn suddenly grew nervous as she saw those massive gauntlets holding her thin gun.
"Hey, Cait."
"Put down the gun. I don't want you breaking it."
"Fine."
She put it down, her body language displaying disappointed amusement. She leaned back in the chair, arms crossed behind her head. "So did you give them the day off?"
"I did. I couldn't deprive them of a huge celebration like that."
"Congrats. They won't hate you forever."
"Ha."
Caitlyn sat down and placed the mic on her desk, crossing her legs. "Did we get anymore intel?"
"Nope."
"None ever since the last attack?"
"You act like Ekko is some sort of a miracle worker. We're just paying him to do the searching for us."
"How did you find Ekko anyhow? You've never told me."
Vi hesitated, and Caitlyn instantly realized she had hit a nerve. Vi was always assertive, and never was uncertain.
"Back when I used to live in Zaun as a kid, I roamed the streets with him. We got into all sorts of antics together, but we always got out. Except once.
"One day, me, Ekko, and a couple of other kids were stealing from a store. But we got caught while doing it, and the cops that were chasing us shot at us. Only me and Ekko survived. I remember Ekko holding a kid in his arms as he died, trying to save him, but it didn't work.
"Since then, he got obsessed with rewinding time. He got into some shady places and met some strange people. I got scared of him, looking at him like that. So I ran.
"I guess he succeeded in rewinding time. But I think he can only rewind the time around him, noteverybody else. I always kept him in mind in case I needed something from Zaun, and I guess the time was right to call on him."
Vi stood up and stretched. "Well, I'm going home. You want a ride again?"
Now it was Caitlyn's turn to hesitate.
Vi smiled. "Come on, I know you want a ride."
Sighing, Caitlyn stood up and Piltover's Finest walked down the corridor together.
A/N: End of chapter 4, yippee. A little shorter than I'd like, but I thought the ending was a good place to stop the chapter. I realized if I was gonna write a League fanfic, even if it's OC, I still need to have League characters involved. I think last chapter, I mentioned Janna once and that was it -.- also, for those who didn't realize it yet, I'm naming every chapter starting with an F word(except for that one). I'm pretty sure it's a gimmick done to death, but I'm still doing it and you can't stop me :D also, if you haven't figured the chapter name out yet, hint: I wrote this one mostly on Caitlyn, so it must have to do with what she wants to be (!)