Jayce stood over his workbench, thoughts and emotions of the past few days raced through his mind while he tinkered with his weapon. "Come on… come on, come on, come on…" Jayce muttered as he tried to charge up the cannon. "Just work for me will you?" The hum of energy pulsing through the Hextech Capacitor crescendoed as a blue sphere of plasma grew in size. The orb illuminated the dimly lit room as it grew only to plunge it back into darkness when it winked away. "Dammit!" Jayce exclaimed in frustration as he tossed the weapon onto his workbench.
I need to do something else. I can't keep working on the hammer in this state. I need to focus myself.
Jayce stepped out of his workshop, the automatic lock closing the door behind him, and walked into a room he called his "Focus Space". He looked over the room. Inside the room was a mishmash of different things such as an armchair and bookshelf, a writer's desk with sketchpads and pencils, a chessboard, a guitar, a map of Valoran and the surrounding islands and oceans, and a punching bag in a corner. His eyes settled on the punching bag as he made his decision.
He shrugged off his jacket and tossed it onto the armchair. Walking towards the punching bag his mind turned to the thoughts that had been plaguing him.
Ezreal… Why would you abandon me?
Punch
When did you lose the faith you'd had in me for so long?
Punch
You were the last person I would have expected to walk away.
Punch
I thought that you of all people would have stood by my side.
Punch
Why?
Punch
Why?
Punch
"WHY DAMMIT!"
He allowed his emotions to take full control as he clenched his fist and lunged towards the bag with renewed vigour.
"It's when you do stuff like this that I really hate you Jayce"
Punch
Punch
"You're my best friend"
Punch
Punch
Punch
"I'm not going to watch you die!"
The bag swung back with each new strike until he gave a roar and drove his entire weight into the bag slamming it against the wall, colliding with the padding that had been set up for such occasions.
Once his arms began to ache and his lungs began to burn, he stopped and stepped back to breathe, a sense of catharsis washed over him. With the feelings of confusion and anger lessened, his head began to clear.
I need to get back to work.
He retrieved his coat from the armchair and put it back on.
As to the charge up rate, perhaps I could adjust the levels of electricity I run through the capacitor so that the energy levels balance out better…
He began to take apart the hammer in his mind as he returned to his workshop, fresh ideas already coming together in his head.
Now that he'd managed to stabilize his charged plasma shots by converting them into three weaker bolts fired at maximum speed, he wanted to test out the limits of his hammer mode. He made his way over to a closet near the back and swung open it's doors revealing a small collection of spare parts and miscellaneous tools. After some digging he came across his demo mannequins. Satisfied with his discovery he pulled it out and moved it to the center of the room. After wrestling it into position Jayce walked back over to the other end of his workshop where his hammer lay on a table and picked it up.
A soft hum of electricity began to fill the room as Jayce powered up the weapon, this time in its hammer mode. He revved up the capacitor, filling the hammer's head with electricity for a charged strike and swung the hammer with all his might. The stored power surged into the test dummy spreading out, firing little bolts of lighting all around the room. A few of them hit Jayce giving him a nasty shock, but after taking a five minute breather, he was back to work, his mind set on creating a shield to prevent the electricity from hitting him again.
Jayce's shield would turn out to be a discovery that would save his life more than once in the upcoming fight with Viktor. He found what he was looking for in the electrical field generated by the Hextech Capacitor. The "Liquid Magic" in the capacitor found a new use by creating a neutralizing field that protected Jayce from what he dubbed the "Lightning Field".
Jayce only had a few things left to work out for his hammer. The most important of these was the acceleration gate. On his first test, he tried firing a shock blast through the gate, but the plasma ball slowed down instead. Fifteen minutes later, for his second test, he fired through the gate and nothing happened. After adjusting a few things, he tried again and the shock blast fired significantly faster, and the resulting explosion was a great deal more powerful than he expected. So powerful in fact that the blast blew a hole in the wall of the workshop.
Deciding that he could still run some tests with the acceleration gate as it was, he gingerly stepped around it to get a test dummy from his closet. Considering the result of the shock blast, he figured that touching the gate would be a bad idea. He propped up the mannequin in front of the gate and gave it a powerful kick, sending it sprawling straight into the gate. It catapulted into the rubble of the broken wall with a crash, dust and dirt flew everywhere. Once the air had cleared enough to see, Jayce stepped over to the wall to examine the mannequin. He was surprised to find only the top half of the dummy propped up by a piece of the wall. After a bit of looking he found the bottom half underneath a couple of broken cinder blocks.
That could have been me.
"That's going to need some more adjusting…"
After a few more hours of testing, tinkering and time in the focus room, Jayce decided to call it quits. He was more or less satisfied with everything he'd worked on for the hammer, aside from a few kinks that he couldn't figure out how to fix. He checked the time and was surprised to see that it was almost two in the morning. He packed up his equipment and locked up his workshop, then crossed the hallway to the main bathroom for a shower.
He'd spent about half a year designing and building his bathroom to suit his needs and preferences. He'd emptied out a large storage room that was serving no purpose and with the assistance of some of his android help, built a wall dividing the area into two sections. The "room" that opened up to the hall had the toilet, sink, mirror, a shower and cabinets filled with everything he would hope to find from cosmetics to hygiene products. The second room had a tub, a shower, a set of body mirrors, and even a small sauna. Thanks to some careful planning and the occasional alteration of a wall, Jayce had succeeded in filling up the space with everything he'd wanted without it feeling cramped.
He stopped in the first room for a moment to check the mirror.
The face that stared back had oil stains and dirt in little flecks on his cheeks and forehead. The space that was covered by his work goggles was considerably cleaner. His eyes were somewhat bloodshot, and his lack of sleep had begun to show with a slightly red tint, and darkening circles that had begun to shadow his eyes. He had a small cut on his forehead had closed up nicely thanks to the help of Piltover's Emergency Response Team. His hair still had some dust and dirt from Viktor's attack on his lab. A number of strands had decided to stick out at random spots which refused to stay down when he'd run his hand through them. Checking the clock on the counter, indicated that it was 2:03, reminding him that he was going to need at least some sleep before he left for Zaun. "That's enough of that. Better wash up before it gets too late."
He started running the water and let it warm up. As he undressed, he opened up a hamper in the wall, picked up the clothing, and dropped them down a chute that would take them to the laundry room for him to deal with later, or more likely send one of his robotic workers to clean for him.
He checked over his new bruises in the body mirrors and grimaced. The painkillers were finally wearing off and it was the first time he'd taken a look at the punishment his body had taken back at his lab. There was a nasty bruise just below his torso where the debris had pinned him down, and he had a few scrapes and cuts along his shoulders and sides where the rubble had dug in. They'd been cleaned and disinfected by the medical team, but with the medication wearing off, they were starting to ache and sting against the air. Jayce stuck a hand into the stream of running water to test the temperature.
Just right. Time to wash up.
He pushed aside the curtain and walked into the stall. The shower created rivers of water that ran along his back and the cuts making him wince. The feelings of the water and the pain created a strange sensation of discomfort and soothing at the same time. If nothing else, it was motivation to finish up quickly. "After all, I have very important work to get back to." He chuckled remembering the line so often used by the Revered Inventor. He'd based more than a few of his house's modifications on Heimerdinger's work, and nobody could deny that the little yordle was brilliant. As he turned his head, he took a facefull of water bringing him back to reality.
Shower. Right.
When he stepped out of the shower, he shivered as the colder air of the bathroom rushed to meet him. "Cold, cold, cold." he muttered as he scurried over to grab a bathrobe, nearly slipping in the process. He stepped into a pair of gold and blue plaid slippers with a half smile, half grimace.
I hate how these things look, but damn they're comfy. At least they're in my colours. Ezreal bought him the slippers the year before knowing that Jayce was in no way a fan of plaid to annoy him. Even though Jayce had sworn he'd throw them away several times to Ez, he always ended up putting them away instead of into the trash since they were the most comfortable slippers he owned. That being said, he'd never tell Ezreal that he liked them in case the explorer decided to start giving him more plaid clothing. It had happened before.
Once, back in high school, while Pentakill was getting started as a major band, Jayce found little to appreciate in metal music. When Ez finally found one of Pentakill's songs that Jayce liked, the blond went and bought their first two albums and set the stereo and radio in Jayce's car to play every song in both albums. It took Jayce a week before he figured out what Ezreal had done, but by then, he'd started to open up to the intense, violent sounds of the metal band. Now, while it wasn't one of his favorite genres, he could at least appreciate the music and lyrics (When he could grasp the meaning in Karthus' screams).
The memory was bittersweet as his thoughts went back to Ezreal, and his current predicament with his best friend. Why are emotions so complicated… I wish I could just come up with an equation for all of this and make my life easier.
Wrapped up in his bathrobe, he walked over to the kitchen and started a pot of coffee. Less than a minute later, Cogs, the lead service droid (or Butler Droid as he called himself) waddled over and pulled the plug on the machine.
"Hey! What the hell was that for? I need the caffeine!"
The robot's metallic features simulated an annoyed expression. "No sir, what you need is sleep."
Jayce scowled at Cogs as the squat android emptied the pot and dropped it in the sink. "One of these days I'm going to reprogram you."
"That would be a shame sir. After all, you'd be forced to take care of yourself instead of spending all your time working."
He's right, as always… As much as I may regret making him the way he is, I'd be lost without him. There simply isn't enough time to get work done, and as much as asking Zilean for some help in the matter might solve some of my problems, I don't trust Chronomancy. Too many variables, too easy to make mistakes, and I certainly don't want to get trapped in Limbo the way he did.
"Now then, you need to get some sleep. Just tell me what you need for tomorrow and I will gather them and leave them where you can get them once you've awoken."
"Thank you Cogs. As to the things I'll need, I'll need my coat, the furry collared one. I'll use my work pants, and the boots I'd been working on last month."
"Sir, those ones are a prototype that you said was malfunctioning."
"Not those, the bronze plated ones. They're intended to absorb shock efficiently, and they need a practical field test. Now's as good a time as any."
"Very well, but you know I disapprove of this 'excursion' that you're taking. Your work has put you in enough danger as it is, without deliberately seeking it. You should leave this to the authorities."
"The police can't do anything, and I don't trust Zaun."
"So your next option is go alone."
'My reputation is in danger, as well as our fine city. Viktor attacked me, my assistants, my lab, and stole MY crystal. I will not allow him to go unpunished, regardless of the risks."
"I see… So this is as much a matter of defending your pride as it is anything else."
Jayce frowned. "Well when you put it like that… I suppose so."
"Will there be anything else you need?"
"I'll handle everything else. Thank you Cogs, I'll see you in the morning."
"Too late for that. I'll wake you up if you sleep past noon. Will that be adequate?"
"Fair enough. I'll see you at noon."
"Goodnight sir."
After brushing his teeth and going over his list of things he'd need the next day for the seventh time, he slipped into bed and stared up at the ceiling of the dark room. It could take a while for him to sleep some nights, and when he lay in bed, doing nothing, his mind wandered. This night was a bad one for wandering with everything going on, and he'd be stuck thinking until he drifted off from exhaustion. He could take a sleeping aid, but he'd always found his mind moved slower for a few hours after waking up, and he couldn't afford to be mentally inhibited at a time like this.
Ezreal seemed to be a constant worry recently, with a couple problems occurring during League matches. He'd been paired up with a few bad summoners whose incompetence led to a few problems. One failed to put up the appropriate wards and ended up disconnecting, a League slang for when a summoner's mental capacity is overloaded either by a faulty connection, lack of magical protection or tampering with the summoning orbs, leading to a mental "checkout". The result could range from a temporary loss of consciousness to a coma. In more serious cases, insanity or even death had occurred. The champions themselves were unharmed, but were forced to return to the summoning platform in the hope that their summoner would reconnect. Some champions had ignored the rules and kept fighting without the aid of a summoner, but the punishment was always harsh, sometimes getting their names removed from the champion roster for the rest of the season, or into the next one.
It was no surprise that his thoughts moved on to Vi. The abrasive, aggressive cop seemed to hold something against him for trying to help her, but as clear about why as she was, he felt like there was more to it than that. For a twenty year old woman, she'd been through far more than most, or at least most citizens of Piltover. She was also a better fighter than he was, and with her position in the police force, he certainly didn't need or want her as an enemy. I like my face the way it is, and I have no doubts she would enjoy rearranging my nose for me.
He could feel his eyelids slowly feeling heavier.
No matter how many times the two of them met, Jayce could never really understand Vi, besides her love and appreciation of Hextech. Her rough and tough demeanor could be a facade, but he really couldn't tell for sure. There were too many possible
She grew up on the streets, so maintaining an appearance could be the difference between life and death, but he'd seen a tenderness in her when she tinkered with hextech that he'd seen her reserve for no one. Perhaps there was somebody close enough to her for whom that side of her was shown freely, but he couldn't list very many people who even knew the pinkette. Ezreal, a handful of people in the force, and his newest acquaintance Caitlyn, the famed Sheriff of Piltover.
Up until recently, Caitlyn had been little more than a name and a picture from an old newspaper to Jayce. Now, she was quite the distraction, for a number of reasons. Firstly, as oblivious as he could be, Jayce could see there was something special about the raven haired beauty, and he'd be lying if he said he didn't find her quite attractive. He did note she seemed a bit flustered around him. For Jayce, this had often been a sign of attraction in women in the upper class society that he was a part of. I certainly could look into having a relationship with her. She kept a calm and serious attitude when we were talking, or at least tried to, but I'm sure she's hiding who she really is behind that. Beyond that, you saw her rifle. I remember reading somewhere that she built it herself, and it looked like the work of a true professional. The additional lenses seem a tad excessive but I suppose it makes sense considering her reputation as a crack shot… No Jayce, now is not the time to think about these things. Viktor could be building his army right now. Just focus on organizing your thoughts so that you can get to sleep. You'll have time for women once you've dealt with him.
If you can deal with him… What if Ez is right? I really could die… No. That's not a possibility for me. You've dealt with all sorts of bullies before. Viktor is no different. If I were to fail, nobody else would be ready in time. Heimerdinger is out in Bandle City, and even the fastest transportation will take too long to get here. There is no other option besides success. I can't allow myself to have even the slightest doubts. I will beat him. I will. Piltover is my city, my home. It may not be perfect but it's mine, and it's going to take more than a mad scientist and his robotic army to stop me from defending it… Is that really what this is all about though? Cogs was right… This is as much about my pride as anything else. I've gained my reputation from my successes, but my peers will be slow to forget this. I earned the respect of the scientific community. The last thing I want from them is pity. I'd be lucky if that's the only…
Jayce's thought trailed off as his mind finally slipped into unconsciousness, but he couldn't escape his fears quite yet.
The room felt heavy with smoke and the sound of machinery filled the air. Jayce was looking down on himself, as if through the eyes of another. His body was lying on the ground, back propped up against a wall. His left foot was turned at an unnatural angle, and he was surrounded by a pool of his own blood that was leaking from wounds all over his body. "Jayce" coughed up more blood before looking up and meeting his gaze, a look of chilling defiance in his eyes. "Even if you kill me, the League will defend Piltover against your army. Your Glorious Evolution will be brought down, and you will be imprisoned."
To his horror, Viktor's voice answered from his own mouth.
"Is that so? What would they be able to do? Send out armies of minions? Send the champions? My army could wipe out Noxus! Thanks to your crystal, I will be able to conquer any and all enemies who stand before me. The Glorious Evolution has begun! You could have joined me, we could have ruled Valoran under a united banner, but no. Your pride and refusal to let progress run its course has made us enemies. It is clear whose ideas have prevailed. I would have liked to have had someone else who could truly appreciate the wonders I will achieve, but no matter. There is no room for resistance in the new, improved world. This is goodbye Jayce."
His arm rose and pointed Viktor's staff forwards, and the robotic hand came over his shoulder, a death ray charging up, his vision turning crimson.
"NO!"
Jayce shot up from his bed in a cold sweat, breathing heavily. What the hell was that? A premonition or just my fears getting the better of me? His mouth felt surprisingly dry. I need some water, but if I get out of bed, I'll probably get back to work and I really do need the sleep... He felt his right hand clenched hard on something. He turned on the lamp by his bed and stuck his hand in the light to reveal Ezreal's stone, a faint hum droning on as the artifact pulsed rhythmically, bathing his hand and face in soft blue light. "Hmm… This is new." I'll look into this once I'm home after I've dealt with Viktor. He set the stone on his bedside table and the stone abruptly went inert. Interesting… I wonder if Ezreal noticed anything strange with his gauntlett.
Cogs walked in barely a moment later, conveniently holding a glass of water. "Sir, I heard a shout. Are you alright?"
"Just a nightmare Cogs. Nothing to worry about."
"I assumed you would be thirsty, so I brought up some water. No need to get out of bed and get back to work."
Jayce looked at the glass and gave him a smile. "You know me too well Cogs. Thank you."
"You designed me to learn your habits and act accordingly."
"That I did. I still haven't thanked professor Reveck properly for his assistance with your creation."
"I thought you built me sir."
"I did, but Corin provided me with the knowledge to give you a personality as opposed to a mindless robot. He showed me how to make you smart."
"Well you'll have time enough to come up with an appropriate thank you once you come back home. Drink your water and get some sleep. You'll need it." The little robot stuck the water out for him to take.
Jayce sighed in acceptance and downed the glass in one gulp and handed it back to Cogs. then frowned. "You didn't put anything into it did…"
The tranquilizer kicked in before he could finish the sentence and he was asleep before his head hit the pillow. Cogs put the covers back in place and turned out the light.
"I'm sorry sir. You were right to say I know you too well. You would not have gone back to sleep without some assistance and sleep is an absolute necessity for you. Goodnight."
