Chapter 11


Piltover.

The City of Progress.

A place where technology thrives and inventors & scientists come together to create a brighter tomorrow. A city where magic is discarded and true value lies in the ideas that embed themselves in one mind and what one can make with their own hands. Medicine, advanced weaponry, and items for everyday use are invented and manufactured here. However, with the city's drive for a healthier future, all pollution is controlled and contained, ensuring that the air is fresh and the sun can shine as bright as ever. It was this beautiful city, that two young travelers found themselves to be in. Two young adults, walking alongside a riverbank, who were taking in the sights and smells of the marvelous city that was interrupted by a-

KABOOM!

"Ahh! Outta the way, outta the way!" someone screeched.

"Huh?"

CRASH!

"Ow... that hurt..." Ryou groaned, rubbing his head.

He opened his eyes to look at the person who collided with him... to a strangely armed blue-haired girl straddling him and a very angry fox girl towering over them both.

"R-R-Ryou!" Ahri blurted out, her face burning with jealousy and embarassment. "What are you doing, you disgusting pervert!?"

"I swear I didn't do any-"

"Owwwww, stop yelling, that hurts..." the girl moaned, making the two freeze.

She grabbed her rocket launcher and began moving its mouth like it was talking.

"I told you to watch out," she said in a deeper voice.

"Oh yeah!? I can't look forward and backward at the same time!"

"Maybe if you paid attention more!"

"Don't be a smartass, Fishbones!"

"I'm not be-"

"Ahem."

The girl looked down at Ryou as if noticing him for the first time.

"Hiya!" she greeted happily. "Whatcha need?"

"Well, Miss Jinx, I'd appreciate it if you got off me," Ryou replied, motioning to their position.

"Oh. Right. Sorry."

Jinx leapt up and brushed herself off. As Ryou picked himself back up, he got a surprise hug from the nutty female.

"Thanks for breaking my fall!" Jinx told him cheerfully. "You're cute! I'd love to stay and chat but I gotta run, guess this'll do for now!"

Both Ahri and Ryou froze as Jinx leaned up and gave Ryou a kiss on the cheek.

"Bye now! Let's go, Fishbooooonneeessss!" she yelled, sprinting away.

Both travelers watched the erratic girl speed away in shock.

"Did you just-"

"Get a kiss from one of the most unpredictable champions in the League? I think so- AAAHHHHH THAT HURTS, THAT HURTS!" Ryou yelped as a jealous gumiho pinched his ear.

"You talk about that so easily and happily..." she growled, making Ryou freeze in fear.

"Eh... Why are you so angry about it?"

The fox girl threw the boy off in a rush, blushing furiously as she tried to cover up her mistake.

"N-nothing! Just making sure you don't become a full fledged sex offender!"

"... do you really have that low faith in me?"

"Yup."

"Never mind. Anyways-"

"POWER SLAM!"

"AAAHHHHGGHHH!"

Ahri watched as Ryou sailed over a nearby bridge and landed in the river with a splash.

"For a brick... He flew pretty good..." she marveled.

She shook her head and turned her attention to the two champions who had just arrived on the scene.

"Where'd she go!? Dammit, don't tell me she got away again!" Vi complained.

"Please, this was because you stopped to help the cat stuck in the tree," Caitlyn sighed, rubbing her temples in exasperation to her partner's lamentation. "We honestly could have saved it when we came back..."

"But it was sooooo cute!" Vi cooed. She then noticed the other champion standing near them. "Speaking of cute, hellooooo gorgeous!"

"Um, hello Vi, Cait," Ahri greeted nervously, backing away from Vi as she advanced towards her.

"Hey, Foxy, you didn't really take to heart all those times I beat you to a pulp in the Rift, right? Right?" Vi drawled, a bit of drool leaking from the side of her mouth.

"Um... Eh..."

"You know, an 'excuse me' would have been just fine!" Ryou yelled, shaking the water out of his ears.

Cait kept a hold on the enticed Piltover Enforcer and examined her nails nonchalantly.

"My partner has a tendency to barrel into things. My apologies on her behalf."

"You don't sound very apologetic..." Ryou replied, deadpanning.

"Do I? I tend to have that effect on people. Now if you'll excuse me, my partner and I have some WORK to do."

"Oh come on, Cupcake!" Vi complained. "Can't I just hug her once?"

KABOOM!

"Okay, okay, I'm going. Hit me up later, Foxy!" she called back with a wink.

The two cops sped away towards the next building Jinx had managed to explode. Ahri and Ryou watched them go with only bewilderment.

"What goes on in this city?"

"You don't want to know."

Ryou stared at Ahri for a good moment.

"What?" she asked, feeling self-conscious all of a sudden.

"I thought you said your charm only worked on men."

"Well, it works on all those who would be attracted to me..."

"Ah."

"Yeah."

After a few moments of silence...

"Wait, why wasn't Cait affected!?" Ryou burst out, the realization just hitting him.

"Actually," Ahri squirmed with embarassment. "She was."

The kitsune showed him a rifle bullet with "Contact me~ 3" etched on it.

"She tossed it to me before they left."

"Women are scary..."


Rest of the visit to Piltover was disappointing to say the least. Heimerdinger was far too busy to help with the duo. Jayce was too distracted having "personal time" with his Mercury Hammer. Ryou recalled that sight with a shiver. Orianna just couldn't understand the severity of Ryou's situation and kept offering to dance. All Blitzcrank was interested in was how compatible Ryou and Ahri were through his "Fleshing Compatibility Services". Ryou swore he could still feel the blush on his cheeks. He sighed. Too bad that could never happen. Could it? He turned to look at my the gumiho sitting on the bench beside him. She looked so happy sitting there soaking in the warm rays of the sunset. Then she caught his eye.

"Hm? You need something?"

"Ah, no. Nothing," he replied, looking away quickly. "You just-"

"Hey babe! You willing for a date with the best explorer in all Runeterra?"

"Oh no, here comes trouble," Ahri muttered under her breath.

"You know, if you were gonna visit Piltover, you should have told me first!" Ezreal demanded cockily. "Who's the scrub with ya? I could show you real skill if you know what I mean."

Gritting her teeth, the kitsune glared at the Prodigial Explorer and replied, "I'd take him over you in a million years. Besides, where is Lux?"

Ryou nearly fell off the bench. Did she just defend him much less confess? His heart was doing backflips by now.

"Ah, don't worry about her, worry about you and me!" Ez leaned close, making Ahri shrink away.

Ryou grabbed Ez roughly by the collar.

"You know, I think you should leave her alone," he warned, giving Ezreal a light shove.

"Haha, don't try getting in my way. I'm simply the best, and I deserve the best."

"You know," Ahri started, rising from her seat. "I have better things to d-"

Ryou saw the sparkle of light just in time. He grabbed Ahri and dove for cover as the air was split by a- "DEMACIAAA!"

BOOOOOOM!

Ezreal was slammed into a nearby wall by the power of the Final Spark. A furious and crying Lux made her way over to the fallen Explorer, and slapped him out of his stupor.

"You!" she cried, slapping him with each word. "I. Trusted. You! I gave my heart to you! How could you do that to me? How!?"

"Hey..." Ahri began, wincing at the force of the infuriated girl's blows. "Don't you think that you're being too harsh?"

"And YOU!" Lux screamed, startling the fox girl. "Just leave me alone! How can you even understand what I'm feeling right now? This is all your fault! All you do is ruin peoples' lives! The least you can do is just DISAPPEAR!"

Something snapped. Ahri slumped to the ground, her shoulders drooping with guilt. Lux gave Ezreal one final punch, knocking him out. She then turned and ran, bawling uncontrollably.

"...well. That was some breakup," Ryou commented, trying to lighten the mood. "Ahri? A-"

"I... really should disappear, shouldn't I?" she spoke, audibly holding back tears.

"What are you talki-"

Ryou then noticed she was shaking uncontrollably. He reached out and touched her shoulder but she swatted it away instantly, afraid she would somehow hurt him too.

"I did it again. I ruined someone's life again."

"Ahri, don't talk like that," Ryou replied, getting serious.

Ryou could only stare as she stood up and began walking toward the guard rail.

"I hurt another person," she continued. "I keep doing that."

The tears began to flow.

"...Ahri? Stay away from there."

"My life has been nothing but causing people pain."

Step after painful step.

"Ahri, stay back, that's at least a hundred foot drop!"

"Why does my life matter anyway?"

She choked out her sobs between her words.

"Ahri, don't ignore me."

She looked over the rail. The street seems so far down...

"This is goodbye."

"AHRI!"


.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Okay, that was dark. Sorry, not sorry. Also, hope you liked the subtle Halo reference. Not much to say this time around, this chapter was one I was a bit hesitant to write. Thank God for cliffhangers.