The Zephyr pulled into a clearing near Zaun, touching down on the green grass below, an odd contrast to the unnatural browns and grays that seemed to dominate the landscape of the city-state. "I am impressed, Janna. This is not a statement I make lightly." The voice of Viktor crackled over the short-wave radio. "My entire life has been spent in this city, and I knew nothing of this spot." Janna shrugged...then quickly realized that was of little use over a radio.
"Eh, when you're a homeless kid, you tend to crawl everywhere. This was just one of the nicer spots." Janna opened the bay doors to her airship using a lever to her left, and called out to the back of the zeppelin. "You're safe now, everyone out! We need to do a head count." A group of refugees stumbled out of the ship, some injured, some nauseous, all shell shocked by the loss of their home. As they milled out into the field, joining the refugees who had flown with the Screaming Yipsnakes, as well as Corki, Viktor, and Heimerdinger, Janna couldn't help but picture the City Of Progress burning. The Noxians had used their old favorite tactic, slash and burn. LeBlanc's death had sparked a fire that threatened to engulf all of Valoran. Sighing, Janna floated into the captain's chair and slumped over. It was time for a rest.
Corki's mustache rippled as he marched through the lines of refugees, looking them over. "Looks like we got everybody we could out, Dinger. Head count looks ta be at around a'hunderd." Viktor's robotic claw snapped shut with a loud crack.
"Pilot, you will escort them to an abandoned lab on the side of the hill to the north. An ally waits there. It is an expansive facility. Make do with the room you have." Without another word, Viktor turned and walked away towards Zaun, leaving Heimerdinger trotting behind him, arms full of scientific supplies.
"I say, would it be unreasonable to expect a little more tact from you, my scientific colleague?" he muttered, panting as he tried to keep up with the significantly taller cyborg. "We managed to save 100 citizens, yes, but Piltover housed thousands! Many must still be stuck in the city, at the whims of that brute, Darius! You could at least feign sympathy!" The yordle sighed deeply. "If only we could have rescued more…"
As he walked, Viktor spoke gravely. "We accomplished all we could. There was limited space in our vessels. Why would I have regrets about not being able to operate beyond my capabilities? That is the height of illogical. But this is but a weakness of the flesh. Were the whole world operating at the efficiency of machines…"
"Would that have stopped the Noxians?" asked Heimerdinger pointedly. "Would they stay their weapons if they were to cut steel instead of bone? Viktor, I believe you underestimate the organic mind you turned your back on." There was a long silence as the pair reached the gates of Zaun.
"Follow me. I have arranged a meeting." Viktor spoke quickly and walked away, once again leaving the small Yordle in his wake. The city of Zaun was an eerie locale. Wires crackled with electricity overhead, luminescent chemicals bubbled in glass tubes, spreading colored lights throughout the streets. Salesmen peddling odd goods flanked the streets, hawking everything from beakers to what appeared to be the stomachs of some unknown, but rather disgusting creature. Heimerdinger, despite having only visited Zaun a few times in the past, quickly noticed something was off.
"Professor Viktor, are we going the right way? This seems to be leading us deeper into the city...we haven't the time for sightseeing! I needn't remind you that our findings on the Void could-"
"Stop." Viktor raised a mechanical arm and looked back at Heimerdinger. "My lab is on the outskirts of town, it is true. But I suspected something after hearing about the Institute hearing on LeBlanc's assassination." He looked around, as if scanning the area they had ended up in, a back alley with a single, faint, green streetlight. "I hired someone to help confirm my theory."
"Oh, Vikky, that's just rude! Not even going to name your old pal?" A high pitched laugh echoed through the street as Twitch, The Plague Rat, emerged from the shadows. The giant rat fidgeted as he reloaded his crossbow, looking around for any possible meals.
"Twitch. Tell me what you know, and you will receive your payment. What is happening at my laboratory?" The rat sighed. "Nobody trusts me enough to pay in advance! Not that I blame 'em. But fine, you were on the money. He's there, waiting for you. That big fella with the hammer." Viktor nodded and passed Twitch a small tube, which the rat scrambled to pick up.
"An improved sight for your crossbow. I expect this is sufficient payment for your work...considering its simplicity." Twitch laughed as he affixed the new sight to his crossbow, peering through it to look around the alley, causing Heimerdinger to take a precautionary step behind a nearby trash can.
"Oh, this is nice. Good stuff. And say what you will, metalhead, the fact that you came lookin' for me in particular says alot about how "simple" this was. You need me again, you know where to call." In a puff of foul smelling smoke, Twitch disappeared.
Through his coughs, Heimerdinger managed to sputter out: "Do you mean to tell me what just happened?"
Viktor sighed. "My lab is not safe. It seems an old rival of mine is there...likely blaming me for some crime he imagines I am complicit in. His logical analysis is...lacking. But don't worry, I know another lab where we may practice in secrecy, away from the prying eyes of street rats...literal and otherwise."
Knock. Knock. Knock. Viktor pounded his fist on the door of a building marked "CONDEMNED", its metal rusted and its paint peeling. "What sort of scientist lives in a lab like this?" muttered Heimerdinger. "No sense of clean workspace, not an inkling of professionalism, it seems more like an asylum than a-"
A familiar growl came from inside, followed by an odd slurping. "ME AM COMING, NO KNOCK MORE!" Heimerdinger sighed. "Oh dear."
Slam! The door nearly flew off its hinges as a hulking purple monstrosity opened it, staring blankly at the two scientists on his doorstep. "Mundo." said Viktor, extending a hand. "We are in need of a laboratory. I understand that this...scientific hotspot is where you first developed your enhancement chemicals."
Mundo continued to stare blankly. Heimerdinger coughed and tapped his own shoulder, leading Mundo to do the same...feeling the syringe embedded in it. "Oh! You mean Mundo special power fuel! Yes, this is place! You want borrow Mundo lab? Why Mundo let you do that?"
Heimerdinger spoke up. "We have detected fluctuations within the Void, many particle variations have occured within Valoran's atmosphere that seem to be causing abnormal readings, leading us to believe that most likely, some sort of enlarging is occurring pertaining to the dimensions of the Void itself, and we require a sufficient private space in which to study the phenomena further."
Mundo continued to stare blankly. Viktor sighed. "Heimerdinger, do you realize who you are speaking to? Do you think he understood a word of that?"
"Of course Mundo did! Void is getting big, like Mundo! Bad news for peoples, you see Cho'Gath? He big enough already! You need use Mundo basement for looking at Void, Mundo let you! You have pay rent though! And no disturbing Mundo macaroni sculpture!" Noting the surprise on the other two scientists' faces, Mundo scoffed. "Pshh. Why you so confused? Mundo have doctorate, after all! Go get set up, before Mundo change mind. And hurry! Mundo missing lunch standing and talking when could be eating!"
Meanwhile, across the city, Jayce stood in front of Viktor's laboratory, wielding his Mercury Hammer. The logic was simple to him. Viktor had always hated Piltover. He was capable of duplicating their technology, or stealing it, as he had done before. The disruptor used in LeBlanc's murder was one of Jayce's own inventions. Noone else could be responsible, and he would bring Viktor to justice. In pieces, if need be.
A sudden gust of wind blew a paper object towards Jayce. He snatched it out of the air. The 4 of Clubs. Twisted Fate walked out from behind him. "Thought I'd find you here, partner." Jayce frowned. "How so?"
Twisted Fate laughed. "Well, let's just say you ain't as hard to read as you might like." But the laugh was halfhearted, wavering. Jayce looked over at the Cardmaster, concerned.
"Fate. What happened to Piltover. How is Caitlin faring?" With a heavy sigh, Twisted Fate reached into his jacket pocket and cradled the folded up hat. "Sorry, pard. She tried. But she's gone. Whole city's occupied." He drew a deep, agonized breath. "They won."
In that moment, Jayce's world fell apart. "I was supposed to protect them. I was supposed to be the future of Piltover." Twisted Fate grimaced. "Yeah, well, I have it on good authority that a city ain't dead 'til the people are six feet under with it. And you look pretty damned alive to me. Make the most of that."
Loosening the grip on his hammer, Jayce took the hat from Viktor and fluffed it out. From inside fell a small object. A partially squished, yet still well made cupcake. Despite his sadness, Jayce couldn't help but laugh. "Is this her idea of a goodbye present? You know, Twisted Fate, for being neutral, you sure do seem to care more than you let on." Jayce looked up, smirking, but the Cardmaster was nowhere to be found. Just empty, polluted air, and the setting sun coating Zaun in a bloody red.