Almost done. As you guys probably noticed, the rating went up. Yi's isn't as bad as the others(and unless I get some idea for Yas his won't be either). It's Leo's that going to be bad. Viktor's had it with her rebellion and wants a special torture for her. Anyway, this one was tricky (as I don't play Yi, don't know much about him...) but I hope you enjoy it.

Chapter 9

Startup Sequence: Yi

Fiora, Zed, Lucian…it wasn't looking good for the remaining three Champions. Every moment was one of fear. Fear that those doors would open and another would be taken from their rapidly dwindling numbers. The three Projects stood completely motionless, as if they were awaiting orders from someone or something.

The three human Champions were quiet, Yi and Yasuo ever so often signing to each other to speak…but they couldn't really talk to Leona, who never learned the intricate language.

"Who do you think is next?" Yasuo signed.

"I don't know," Yi admitted, "but what I do know is that all of us will become that. There isn't any way out of this my friend. Leona's about spent…she won't be able to save us if they came for us because of that,"

The Unforgiven gave a very heavy sigh, bubbles exploding upwards.

"We're doomed then. Great,"

Yi raised his hands to answer…right as the doors opened again.

The three Champions froze, fear rising in their chests as the trench-coated figure stalked through. It was time…one of them wouldn't be coming back as themselves in just moments.

They didn't want to do this again.

"So, which one which one…" Viktor hummed, standing before the three tubes and reveling in the fearful gazes he received.

He jabbed a finger at Leona, making the red-head stiffen, fists clenching and muscles cording as she readied herself for a fight.

"Not you," he told her, "Not yet…I want to wait for you,"

Leona visibly relaxed…but he could still see the tension in her body as she knew another of her charges was going to 'die'. He turned to Yi and Yasuo, the two Ionians gave low rumbling growls that reverberated through the water around them and shaking the glass slightly. Yasuo's dark gaze flashed angrily as he pounded his fist against the glass, Yi calmly glared daggers at the Machine Herald, watching for any weakness the monster before him would show.

Viktor gave a smile behind his mask, closing his eyes and randomly hitting a button. When he opened them…he saw the water level in Yi's container lowering. Fear glazed the Wuju Bladesman's eyes as his head cleared the water. He clawed at the breathing apparatus, tearing it off his face as it twisted into a snarl. He set his feet, ready to fight, to dash out and destroy the monster with his innate abilities…

He forgot that he hadn't stood on his own two legs for a long, long time. Yi collapsed to the floor, struggling to stand, listening to Leona's panicked cries as Viktor roughly grabbed him and started dragging the Ionian towards the back. Yi looked back at the scared Champions and gave a reassuring smile.

He was at peace for two reasons. The first: by him going now…there was a chance that Leona and Yasuo would escape…

The second?

The second reason was that with him being changed…he wouldn't have to see his two remaining friends die.


Yi, like the others before him, had screamed horrifically when the Professor started his work. First the man had started in on Yi's legs, having the instruments shear them through muscle and bone. He then moved to Yi's arms, taking them like he had taken Leona and Lucian's. Yi's dark gaze was glazed with pain as his chest heaved. He strained, trying to break the metal cuffs that held him, crying out as the Professor stabbed a needle into his arm.

He hated needles…there had been a sickness that swept over the Institute and the Summoners had the Champions get immunizations from it. Yi wasn't ashamed to admit that he bolted when they brought the needle out…that thing was huge! And the one currently drilling into his arm, causing a lot of pain was even bigger. Yi thrashed, screaming out as the Professor dug the needle in deeper before pulling it out.

"That the best you have?" Yi snarled, shuddering from the pain.

The Professor grabbed Yi's chin, forcing the Champion to look up at him as he tilted Yi's head back and forth, looking for any sign that the Wuju Bladesman had broken. But every time the Professor tried something to do so, Yi had closed his eyes, firmly fixated on his home in Ionia, on the cherry blossoms spinning in the spring breeze, on his village before Singed's terrorist attack, on his student Wukong's smiling face as he mastered another technique, on his family before they were so cruelly taken from him.

"You're a tough one to break," the Professor murmured as Yi grit his teeth from the pain, clenching his now metallic fists and shuddering violently at the scraping sound his fingers gave against his palms.

"A spirit cannot be engineered, Stanwick," Yi growled, eyes flashing in triumph as the Professor frowned, "Your name is known to me…as it is to many others. But there is a difference between you and I, Professor, I still have my soul!"

The Professor's lips twisted in a snarl and he jabbed Yi with the cattle prod, making the Ionian shriek in pain, twitching as the cybernetics implanted in his body spasmed.

"Let's see how well your perception is…when your eyes can't help you anymore," he snarled, grabbing a scalpel and made a cut.

Yi screamed in pain as blood sprayed through the air and his vision went dark, covered with deep crimson as the taste of copper filled his mouth and its metallic sent filled the air.


Yasuo watched the doors carefully, uneasy. Yi was one of the few that actually took care of him when he was running for his life. The Wuju Bladesman actually helped rein in the younger man's temper years ago right after Yone died.

He closed his eyes, giving a pained smile as he remembered.

I was starving…I hadn't eaten in days and I ran out of food long ago. The road had not been kind to me these months. They had sent three warriors after me. Mikio, the man who I had seen cleave a tree in two with his blade…he couldn't stand against me. Then came Kasumi, I'd seen her outrun the foxes in the woods but she couldn't outrun me. Then they sent Yone because none of the others came back. And I put my sword through his chest. He told me they were chasing me because the elder's killer used a wind technique…something only I was able to do. I buried my brother under the rising sun and went farther away from my village.

Now I was starving, tired, and alone.

I stopped, smelling the air as the fragrance of something sweet wafted through the wind. Never had food smelled so good to me! I followed the wind, coming to a small home, and peered through the window just to see a pie of sorts cooling just out of my reach. I quickly looked from side to sid, seeing no one…

And I snuck into the humble abode.

Trying to steal food from the kitchen of another is normally not a good idea. But I was going to die if I didn't. I crept into the kitchen, reaching up to grab the pie and run out…when I was tackled by a mound of fur and then promptly whacked over the head with a staff.

"Wukong, my student, let the man up," a voice started and whoever, whatever tackled me got off.

"I caught him stealing, teacher," the other, a Monkey of all things stated, whirling his staff so that it came near to clipping my jawline.

"A starving man looking for food is not a thief, Wukong," a man with dark hair and dark eyes smiled as he offered his hand to me, "But a guest. I am sorry, my friend, my student is a little eager. My name is Yi…tell me, what is yours?"

I paused for a moment, my true name or the one I'd come to call my own? I hadn't been Kenshi in a very long time. I looked up at the man.

"My name is Yasuo," I told him, making him nod.

"Well, Yasuo, you must have a very good reason for being here. Why don't you tell me your story over dinner? You are my guest, stay as long as you would like,"

I gave him a grateful look and smiled.

"I would like that, very much so…"

A thudding sound knocked Yasuo out of his memories and he looked up to see Leona tapping the glass before turning a sad gaze towards the door.

Yasuo followed her gaze and his heart dropped as they dragged Yi in, the Wuju Bladesman's dark hair was put up into its characteristic pony-tail, falling down his back as his metal shod feet made screeching squeals against the floor, sending up sparks every so often.

The Unforgiven watched as the six pale yellow dashes on the poor man's faceplate started flickering, as Yi lifted his head and looked at Yasuo. The doomed Champion weakly put his servo on the glass…right as lightning blazed through the container. Yasuo immediately jammed his fists in his ears, squeezing his eyes shut and nearly biting off his tongue as Yi shrieked and screamed…

But it couldn't block it out.

Nothing would ever block out the horrible screams from Fiora, Zed, Lucian and Yi as they had been transformed. Yasuo didn't even look up as what used to be his old friend collapsed to his knees, outside the container only to mechanically stand up and let Viktor run his inspection.

He didn't look up when Viktor lay his yellow gaze on him, smiling behind that metal mask. He didn't know that he, not Leona, would be the next victim.

Yas is next. We're told that Yasuo isn't his real name, so I made one up for him. Kenshi actually means 'swordsman' so I thought it fit. If you guys have ideas of what you want to happen to Yas, let me know...I'd like the help. This one was a struggle.

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.