Hello everyone, I'm back from Chicago! I wrote this basically on the trip to and trip from so I'm pretty happy. You guys voted and Kat was the winner (you do realize this means Ekko's gonna have the worst time, right?) ANYWAY! I had a little fun with this. I hope you all enjoy it!

Chapter 6

Startup Sequence: Katarina

"I really don't like the way she, it, whatever, stands…it's too still…" Tracy shuddered.

Katarina agreed. Whatever was in the container, standing in silent sentinel, wasn't human…it was just a mindless machine waiting for orders.

"What did he do with her eye?" Tracy questioned, "Kat…what if he takes it from us too…"

Katarina gave a shudder and turned to look at Ekko, who currently was curled up in a ball, sleeping with his head on his knees. Viktor had drained Ekko's container after his grafted arm started showing signs of infection, he'd brought the boy back after a few hours of taking him to his lab. A mixture of white and slate blue armor covered the prosthetic arm as well as places on his legs and his abdomen. The boy was in a lot of pain…and it seemed that sleep was the only way to alleviate it.

The Noxian shook her head.

She'd faced against Ekko so many times…it was hard to believe that he was among the youngest Champions…not even a man yet. Yet, seeing him curled in on himself like this…he looked every bit a child. Katarina's eyes narrowed in anger…this wasn't the first time Viktor had done this to a child. If she remembered right…Leona was only 17 when she was taken, all sickeningly sweet, genuine smiles and an innocent nature that often made Katarina want to shake her…but, that's just how Leona was. After the incident…the Support had become a little less trusting, a bit more guarded and distant. The pure, happy joy that often lit up in Leona's eyes had disappeared, replaced with shame. Katarina never really understood why…but it didn't come back until Cira came into the picture. That was the best part of having a Chosen…you weren't alone anymore. You'd always have someone to talk to, someone who understood you like no one else could.

A soft cry caught her attention and Katarina looked towards Ekko, who was starting to seize, shaking and trembling as he curled in even farther on himself. She kicked the container, getting a low thudding sound. As much as she hated to show emotion…Ekko was her only hope of getting home. If one of them could escape, they'd free the other and they'd get out of Zaun…or at least somewhere where Viktor couldn't get them.

Ekko gave a harsh, hoarse screech and jolted awake, his frightened gaze darting around just to see he was still stuck in the lab.

"Heh…guess it was too much to hope for a nightmare…eh Kat?" he muttered, putting his head back on his arms.

Katarina didn't reply, just looked around.

"What happened to Amelia then…?" Tracy asked quietly, "Normally, you can sense the Chosen when a Champion looks at you…but…"

She shifted uncomfortably.

"I can't sense Amelia," came the soft whisper, "Kat…what'll happen to me when he comes for us?"

Katarina put a hand on her chest, feeling the slight echoing of her heartbeat…and the slightly faster one of Tracy, almost reassuring her before giving Tracy control.

"I don't know, Tracy," she said, "But, if I have anything to say about it…I'm not letting him do anything to us without a fight. You thought I had an impressive scar…that's nothing compared to what we're going to do to him,"

Tracy gave a faint, watery smile. She wasn't sure exactly…but still…it scared her. She heard the door open and she could see David, not Ekko, push himself against the far side of the glass. She tensed, doing much the same as Viktor stopped between the two, tapping his staff against the floor before reaching out and pressing the button on Tracy's container.

The Chosen's green eyes flashed and she trembled slightly.

"It's time," Katarina told her, taking control and looking defiantly at Viktor as the water level started to drain.

Her feet touched the cold steel grate and the glass started to rise, dripping water down the side as Katarina's legs wobbled and she pitched forwards. Viktor grabbed her and started taking her away…only for Katarina to grab Viktor's staff in a swift move and rip it from his head, slamming the metal rod on his head as hard as she could and forcing him to fall over, unconscious.

"Sorry Caleb," she deadpanned, "But we're leaving,"

She went over to Ekko's container and smashed the button, sending sparks flaying as the glass rose and Ekko climbed out, slipping on the floor while his metal leg skidded on the concrete.

"Learning to walk is gonna be a pain," Ekko groaned as Katarina wrapped his arm over her shoulder and started out, giving a vicious kick to Viktor's head as she and Ekko went by.

"Sorry, Ashe, Amelia…if you're in there…" Katarina started, looking at the glowing, blue Project who watched them silently, "But you'd want us to leave,"

The door slid open and the two limped out.

"We'll get to the surface," Katarina grunted as Ekko's footing slipped again, "Get to Piltover…see if one of those stuck up brats can transport us to the Institute…"

Ekko rolled his eyes.

"Zaun's good too…" he growled.

"Yeah, but a lot of those Champions I wouldn't trust farther than I could throw them," Katarina growled as they actually left the lab and entered the streets of Zaun.

Caleb groaned as he reached for his staff.

"Viktor?" he murmured, "Ugh, what happened? I feel like I got hit in the head with a piece of rebar…"

He struggled to get his feet, leaning against a workstation as he tried to orient himself.

"Caleb…" Viktor grumbled, "I was working on a Vigilnaut schematic Singed wanted me to try…two escaped. One hit us in the head…"

"That explains it," Caleb huffed, rubbing his head again, "What'll we do?"

"That button on the consol there…it'll release the finished one," Viktor told him, "Press it…I know what we are looking for, so I will give the instructions, alright?"

"Sounds good…" Caleb nodded, pressing the button as the sound of steam and gears turning caught his attention.

He looked up right as Viktor took control…and the room filled with a cool blue light. But, he couldn't see what it was…it looked a bit slender for a Vigilnaut, more…human…

"Frost, find them and bring them back," Viktor ordered.

The blue glow surged suddenly before darting away, silent as a shadow save for a faint tapping sound as metal shod feet connected with the concrete floor.

"Viktor…what was…" Caleb started.

"One of my finished Projects," Viktor told him.

"Small for a Vigilnaut, Viktor…" Caleb growled, "Viktor! Did you do it again!? WAS THAT A CHAMPION!?"

"It was a Project of mine, nothing more," Viktor replied, "The smaller size is due to being a female before the augments. I wanted to try something different rather than the typical male template. Something small, fast, and accurate. The first of a line of ranged units. I wanted her to be more visible, hence the blue coloring. She will run distraction while the other units come in from behind and take the target out. It is not a Project like Leona or Yasuo,"

Caleb wasn't convinced…something nagged at him to press…but he knew from experience that when Viktor got annoyed, he tended to clam up and not say anything no matter how hard you pressed.

"I'm not letting this go…" Caleb growled.

"I would not doubt that," Viktor sighed, rubbing his head where Katarina had kicked him, "But I am being honest,"

"How far from Piltover?" Katarina asked.

"Not far," Ekko told her, pointing up, "Well…about a mile up. After all…Zaun kinda sank into the ground…"

She glared at him and Ekko chuckled.

"Nah, should be a shuttle around here…somewhere. We just need to be careful. I don't have my Z-Drive or my bat…and you don't have your knives, so if we get caught by a chempunk gang, we're kinda screwed a bit,"

"You honestly think I need knives to survive," Katarina snorted, "That's sad,"

Ekko rolled his eyes.

"I'm just sayin'," he grumbled, "I…"

There was a burst of intense cold that brushed by Ekko's cheek and the Boy Who Shattered Time yelped, jumping back and clapping his hand to his face. His hand came away scarlet as a thin gash cut through his dark skin.

"Uh…Kat?" Ekko asked.

Katarina stared at the wound, frowning.

"That looks like an arrow…" she whispered, "But what Zaunite has arrows?!"

"Um…I don't think it is…" Ekko blinked, pointing a shaky hand behind Katarina.

Katarina turned around just to freeze as a cold, blue glow filled the darkened square, frost spread in a cold, white blanket before the approaching figure who held a bow a chilling white metal in its hand.

It's hood was up, the gleam of a blue visor shining underneath the navy cloth that faded to a glowing, ethereal material.

"Subject: Time and Subject: Blade. You both are violating protocol," came the heavily metallic-edged, Freljordian accent that belonged to Ashe and Amelia both, "You will come with me,"

"It can speak," Katarina blinked as Ekko's leg gave out again, spitting sparks.

"I am capable of speech," the Project stated, "But that is irrelevant. You are to come with me by any means necessary,"

"And if we don't want to?" David snarled, getting back to his feet.

"Then I shall be forced to used unsavory means to bring you back to the Creator,"

"Creator!? You mean kidnapper!" David yelled, "You can tell that stuck up robot that he can take that staff of his and shove it where the sun don't shine!"

He gave a grin.

"And besides…you're in my turf," Ekko smirked, "You gotta find me if I run!"

He looked towards Katarina and motioned for her to leave.

"Two down, left then stairs," he told her, "Fastest way to there…just don't follow the wrong way…"

Katarina gave an understanding. Two up, right and then stairs. Ekko gave a grin and bolted.

"COME GET ME FREAK!" he crowed, dashing away while Katarina ran the opposite way.

Project Frost's cloak flickered and a drone detached from her back.

"AVAROSA companion drone. Command: Follow Subject Blade," she ordered and the drone flew off, following Katarina while Frost went after Ekko.

Katarina was not having a good day. Right as she reached the stairs that would lead her to the Piltover coach, she found out she had been followed…by a drone. It had to be the Project's…there was no other explanation. So, she decided to try and lose it. Unfortunately, that led her right to the Project, who was waiting with a swift smack to the head with her metal bow, knocking Katarina out.

When she woke up, she found herself strapped to a table…in the lab again. Viktor didn't look pleased at all, he still had a nasty dent in his head where Katarina had smacked him with his own staff and then kicked him for good measure.

"Aw, what's the matter, Viktor?" she sneered, "got a widdle bump on your widdle head?"

Her eyes flared a dimmer shade of green and Tracy smirked.

"Want me to give you a little kiss…" she cooed.

"Oh, believe me, I want to make this as painful as possible for you," Viktor growled, "I haven't had that much trouble since Leona…but, I believe your screams might wake Caleb up…and I just managed to get him to go back to sleep. He's starting to get suspicious so I need to step this up a bit,"

He gave a low chuckle and nodded to Katarina.

"I have everything done on you two…except one thing," he stated.

Tracy frowned and looked at herself, seeing the snowy white and silver armor that coated her frame, her now metal arms that scraped their digits across the metal table with a grating screech, the dull, dark pinkish red circuits that didn't even glow.

She looked up at him, glaring.

"You think this scares me?" she snapped, "I don't care! Do what you want…Kat and I've been trained to endure torture. We're not gonna break like some poor little Carry,"

"No, you assassin types tend to be a bit harder…" Viktor hummed, "So I have to resort to other means,"

He brought out a small speaker and held it up.

"What's that supposed to be? Your mixtape?" Tracy snarked, "Trust me…it ain't goin' to win any Grammy's anytime soon,"

Viktor glared at the Chosen before simply pressing a button. An ear-piercing shriek of pain rang through the speakers, high-pitched and feminine.

"TRACY! KATARINA! HELP! IT HURTS!" the speaker rang out, making Tracy's face turn white under the darkened visor.

"…Kate?" she whispered.

"Cass…" Katarina stammered, "Wha…no…no, Cass would turn him to stone if he…"

He pressed the button and a male voice screamed out, agonized and in pain.

"TRACE!" Tommy's and Talon's voices howled, "KAT! MAKE IT STOP!"

"You're lying…" Katarina snarled, "You don't have them! The League would…"

The button was pressed again and another male voice shrieked through the speaker. Slightly higher than Talon's, but regal in bearing with a faint English or some sort of European accent.

Katarina's face went bloodless.

"You won't hurt him…" she whispered, before her lovely face twisted in an ugly snarl, "YOU SICK MONSTER! YOU WON'T HURT HIM! YOU WON'T HURT THEM! I'LL KILL YOU! I DON'T CARE ABOUT THE LEAGUE KILLING ME! I WILL END YOU!"

Viktor gave quite the evil grin under his mask and calmly stepped up to the frantic and furious Assassin and her Chosen, clamping some tiny machine to her arm and making Katarina immediately go limp as power was leeched out of her.

"That went about as well as expected," he smiled, taking the small AI chip in his hand and inserting it under Katarina's scarlet hair into a port on her neck, "The AI will set perfectly. Who knew that a simple voice editing software would make a normal conversation turn into screams of pain and panic? Now…time to finish,"

Ekko was still nursing the myriad cuts and scrapes on his person…as well as the growing bump on his head where the Project had knocked him on the head. She was still standing perfectly still…she had that same slightly regal bearing that Ashe always had…but it was more uncanny because Ashe and Amelia were gone…there was just Frost.

Katarina hadn't returned…he figured that Viktor had taken her and was turning her as well. Soon, he'd be the only one with his human spirit…well…and his Chosen.

"I don't like it, Ekko…" David muttered, "We almost had it…how'd she find us so fast?"

Ekko gave back control to David and voiced his reply.

"Maybe we've got a tracer on us," he reasoned, "Wouldn't surprise me if these armor pieces have serial codes or somethin' that lets Viktor find us. It just makes escaping hard. We can probably do it…we just gotta be fast. The problem is that I can't use my leg very well. I'm not used to it and I don't think the Robot's gonna let me do that,"

David gave a nod as the door opened and Viktor dragged in Katarina…who was, as he and Ekko figured, changed. The only difference was that the circuits weren't lit. So Tracy and Katarina were still alive. At least…for a few more moments.

He watched as the Assassin was thrown into the tube, water filling it up as she started to stir. Tracy looked at David and banged her fist on the tube…right as lightning blazed through the air. David jammed his fists into his ears and tried to shut Tracy's shrieks out. He could see her bones through her armor…see her thrashing as her scarlet hair turned a bone white.

The water dried and what used to be Katarina and Tracy collapsed to the ground as the glass rose. Viktor gave the order to stand and the new Project did. He gave her a pink bladed knife that glowed faintly and she hurled it at something on the floor. Ekko's heart leapt into his throat as he realized that it was a mouse that she had perfectly decapitated in a single throw.

Seemingly satisfied, Viktor ordered the new Project to go back into the container. The pink Project stood with that slightly arrogant way Katarina and Tracy always had, hip cocked out slightly and her head lightly lolled to the side. Ekko shuddered as Viktor left.

There was no doubt about it…he was next.

There was no escape for the Boy Who Shattered Time.

So, anyone recognize the torture tactic? I had one of my friends help me out, but uh...this is nothing compared to what I have planned for Ekko...poor boy... *evil grin* anyways, Caleb's suspicious, Kat's been turned and Ekko knows he's next. But what's Viktor got planned for him? Heh, you'll just have to see!

Anyway, hope you liked it. If you did, please let me know!

Qui vállë tóquetë, ván tecë (If no review comes from y'all; no story comes from me)

Máriessë ar mára tecië

Farewell and fair writing

Elhini Prime signing off.