Another moon rise, another night on the run. This was their daily routine. Ever since Vayne escaped, she had been on the run. This wasn't anything new to her nor to her companions. Were they doomed to forever be the pray in this hunting game? Maybe not. But for now, their best chance was to constantly move as to not be detected by anyone, PROJECT or TPA related.

As the days passed, Vayne felt the guilt of dragging Fiora into this mess becoming more intense. She could have been hidden somewhere safer with her own companions yet she was stuck with her in this loophole. This was her fault. For so long, Vayne had been responsible for herself solely. But now the consequences of her actions affected others and she needed to regard them carefully. Her conscience wouldn't leave her alone if anything happened to Fiora because of her. There were more question marks than answers for her situation but she wasn't willing to find out, perhaps she was scared of said answers.

"Do you see anything, Vayne?" Irelia's voice rang in her ears. The hunter was on the front, peeking over a corner. Their goal was the building right across the street that was still under construction.

"Clear. Let's move." Vayne motioned them to follow her lead.

They ran across the street in seconds and the next moment they found themselves in the pot that was surrounded by a wooden fence. There was equipment and materials scattered all around the construction site. They moved quickly inside the building and rushed to the first floor which was more secluded than the basement.

"I don't like it here," Akali complained. "We are too exposed. Plus, I doubt this place will be as quiet in the morning as now."

"No one has been here for a few days. The construction has stopped temporarily," Vayne replied.

"It's this "temporarily" I'm not particularly fond of."

"Quit complaining. We aren't going to stay here for longer than necessary," Irelia interrupted their argument. "I'll go look for a better place. Don't do anything reckless while I'm gone." Her eyes landed on Jinx.

"Why are you looking at me?" She asked in surprise.

"You know why," Irelia deadpanned. "I'll be back in a few couple of hours."

Then she was gone as soon as they had come, leaving the four PROJECTS on their own.

"This place is so boring and lame," Jinx commented. "I'm going exploring and hope that it isn't as bad as I think it is."

"You heard what Irelia said," Akali warned her.

Jinx sighed in utter frustration. "Fine. If you don't trust me, come with me."

"Wha-" Before she knew it, Akali was dragged outside by a very ecstatic and enthusiastic Jinx. Vayne always wondered where she found such enthusiasm.

"Well, this should be interesting," Fiora said to no one in particular.

Vayne knew she should say something, anything, but she found herself preoccupied in her thoughts, her gaze stuck onto the dueler in front of her.

"What?" Fiora crooked an eyebrow. "Why are you so creepily silent? And why are you staring at me like that?"

Vayne shook her head. "It's nothing."

She felt Fiora coming closer. "You can't lie to me."

It was the truth.

You've made me vulnerable.

Yet, somehow, I'm not even mad at you.

"I told you, it's nothing. Just my thoughts getting the best of me, I guess." Vayne shrugged, trying her best not to worry her too much.

"You've been like that for days. You're either thinking too much or you're lying," Fiora pointed out. "Knowing you, it's probably the latter."

"I just worry that I'm dragging you into things you didn't sign up for…" Vayne admitted quietly.

"Yeah, you're right." Fiora agreed. "I didn't sign up for any of this but here I am."

"You shouldn't be here. You should have left me when you had the chance."

"What was gotten into you?" Fiora came closer and grabbed Vayne's hands. Vayne felt her entire body being electrified. "I know you aren't the most sociable person out there but-"

"This has nothing to do with me being social." Vayne shook her head. "I just don't like putting you in danger."

Fiora tilted her head to the side. "Really? I thought you loved getting me into trouble. Remember Norman Rose's mansion? When you saved me from Jhin? Oh, let's not forget when we went to assassinate some scientists together."

Vayne rolled her eyes. "It's not funny!" she scolded. "This! This is exactly what I mean!"

Fiora's little smile disappeared upon realizing that Vayne was being serious. She squeezed Vayne's hands to stop her from fretting. She wasn't entirely sure how she just knew this would calm her down. "Shauna, listen to me," she said sternly. "Don't feel guilty. I'm responsible for my own actions. I'm here out of my own personal choice and not because you made me to. So get that out of your head, alright?"

"Why?" The million dollar question. "Why are you still here then?" Vayne asked in a whisper.

There was a prolonged silence. "Because I want to," Fiora replied. "And because you need someone to remind you that you aren't - and shouldn't be - on your own."

Vayne had to blink several times at her response. So she wanted to be here… for her?

"Are you telling me that you're willing to put yourself in danger for my own sake?" She asked again.

Fiora smiled. "Isn't that what I've just said?"

"You're a fool, then. I don't deserve-"

"And who are you to judge if you're worth it or not?" Fiora growled. "I'm going to be the judge of that. If I felt like you deserved to root alone, I would have left a long time ago."

"I'm dangerous," Vayne insisted. "Do you want me to remind you what happened to the last people that trusted me as much as you do?"

"It wasn't your fault, Shauna!" Fiora exclaimed in exasperation. "You said it yourself that it was a set up, that they were testing you! Stop this nonsense!"

"I should have been able to pass the test! I shouldn't have let them die! I-" Vayne felt choking on her own breath. She hadn't felt anything like that before. It was so overwhelming.

"And if you had indeed passed that test, we wouldn't be having this conversation," Fiora deadpanned.

"I can't protect you if something happens. Heck, I can't protect myself! So please-"

"No, I believe I'm the one who should be begging you," Fiora interrupted her before removing her hands. Vayne wasn't entirely sure what she had in mind as she watched her carefully remove her mask, push it over her head. This was the first time since they met that Vayne saw her face. Fiora was breathtakingly beautiful and perhaps she once broke many men's hearts. Her blue eyes gleamed. "Begging you to stop this nonsense right here! I don't need you to protect me, I never asked you to. I'm capable of doing that myself, thank you very much, in case you haven't noticed."

Vayne wanted to object, argue that sooner or later they would come across something they couldn't deal with and end up getting caught, but her voice was stuck in her throat. She was unable to speak and she wasn't able to explain it. Perhaps because - ironically - she had gotten too emotional, which wasn't exactly her thing, or maybe it was the proximity between her and Fiora or even the dueler herself that rendered her completely useless to even produce speech.

"When will you see what I see, Shauna?" Fiora whispered suddenly, not waiting for Vayne to find the right words to express her argument. This was the first time the dueler had explicitly used her first name instead of Vayne like she typically did, the hunter noted silently. Fiora's hand traced all the way from Vayne's arm towards her face. The latter didn't try to stop her; she felt like she was under some sort of spell. The next moment, Vayne's mask disappeared, exposing her skin to the cold air. She felt Fiora's fingers touching her face tenderly, as if afraid she'd use too much force and accidentally hurt her. Her eyes found Fiora's. And then time froze.

The next thing Vayne knew was Fiora's lips pressing against hers and her heartbeat skyrocketing to dangerous levels. Her eyes instinctively shut, like her body was programmed to function like that. It was monetary but it was enough to take her breath away. When she re-opened her eyes, she saw Fiora with the same puzzled expression as hers.

"Why did you do that for?" she asked.

Fiora stared at her but didn't remove her hand. "I'm not sure. It's just… felt the right thing to do…" she trailed off. She was just as at a loss of words as Vayne because both of them experienced this for the first time. Her thumb caressed Vayne's skin, a touch that made the hunter shudder. Fiora kissed her softly again.

"What's this?" Vayne asked in a whisper.

"I believe it's called affection."

"Disgusting. Do it again."

Fiora was happy to oblige to her request. Although, this time Vayne took the lead, pressing the dueler against the nearest wall as they lost themselves in each other, in this new sensation that took over them. How long they had carved for it while unable to address their needs? It was impossible to tell.

Loud footsteps brought them harshly back to reality as they broke apart. Jinx and Akali rushed back in without having any clue about what had just went down between Vayne and Fiora, mostly because they were too busy arguing with each other. The dueler and the hunter just shared a smirk.

Sometimes it's the answers we truly need in our hearts. Vayne had those answers now and she knew exactly what she needed to do. It felt good having a clear goal for the first time in forever. It didn't matter what Fiora said. Vayne owned her a great deal and a simple "thank you" wouldn't be enough, it would never be. They lived in a word were actions counted more than words did. After all, Vayne had always been better and more comfortable with actions rather than words. Her only problem was to find a way to leave without getting noticed. She knew that Fiora wouldn't like her idea and would do anything in her power to prevent her from doing so. Vayne simply couldn't have that.

Staying true to her word, Irelia returned a few hours later to let them know that she had indeed found another place to hide just a couple of blocks away. The sunrise approached dangerously and they needed to move quickly if they didn't want to get caught under the daylight. Another basement seemed to do the trick for them. Vayne had a lot of time to make her plan before bringing it into action. In the meantime, she needed to make sure Fiora didn't get a clue so she had to play along whenever the dueler smiled at her, pretending that everything was alright now. A little bit of an illusion. It wouldn't matter once Vayne succeeded.

The night fell upon them. Vayne emerged from her little corner, peaking Fiora's interest.

"I'm going to scout the area. I'll be back in a bit," Vayne answered to the dueler's silent question. She turned to leave when she felt someone grabbing her hand and she snapped her head.

"Be careful," Fiora whispered.

Vayne gave her a reassuring smile. "I always am."

Liar.

Fiora let go off her hand. It was a hint that she trusted Vayne to stick to her promise. Little did she know…

"Don't be late," Irelia warned her without looking at her.

The next moment Vayne found herself stepping outside in the darkness. This was it. A feeling of dread took over her. She shook her head. She couldn't be having second thoughts about this now. She was determined to do it, no matter what.

Be careful.

I'm sorry.

I hope one day I can only tell you the truth. You deserve that much.

She walked a bit away in hopes that they wouldn't hear her motorcycle. When she reached a safe distance, she pressed a button on her body and the vehicle appeared in front of her. Then, she climbed onto it and took off.

Vayne went as fast as she was allowed to. It was late in the night but that didn't mean that there was no chance another vehicle would appear in her way. She needed to be careful. But as she left Piltover behind, it was safer for her to move in such a speed. Soon enough, she was out of city. There were no huge buildings outside here, only an endless plain occasionally interrupted by a couple of hills. Between said hills laid the mansion of Norman Rose, a place Vayne remembered even so vividly. Her experience could be described as absolutely terrifying for everyone else but herself. Fear wasn't an emotion she was familiar with and tonight she wasn't afraid, just worried. Worried because this was probably an extremely reckless and dangerous decision that could get her captured, get her companions in trouble or worse, get her killed. And if she died, none of this would matter anyway.

However, she was willing to go the extra mile because she would do anything for Fiora, as she had so painfully realized.

Vayne had to pull over a couple of kilometers away from the mansion in fear of alerting the guards that were certainly increased since last time. Norman Rose would be a fool if he didn't improve his security. She didn't want to take her chances so she walked the remaining distance. Coming close to the mansion, she was proven right. Security was stricter than before and the guards were more heavily armed. Penetrating wouldn't be as easy as last time. Not something she hadn't expected.

Vayne knew exactly where Norman Rose's office was located, knew the exact window but there was no chance she could approach it without getting spotted. She could possibly use her Final Hour ability to get through but her invisibility wouldn't last long enough, plus she wanted to keep it for an emergency. Another plan would be to create a distraction. According to her scans, there was a garage on the other side of the mansion. Perhaps she could find something there to utilize. She didn't take the risk and preferred to go all the way around, following the bush fence.

Once she reached the other side, Vayne peaked carefully over the fence. There was the garage that was guarded just as well. She had good chances of slipping in, if she was careful enough. There was a side door she could use that was guarded only from two men. Vayne slipped through the fence and approached as silently as she could, crouching. Picking a stone from the ground, she threw it hard in order to distract the guards. Upon hearing the sound, both of them raised their guns but only one went over to see what the problem was. This gave Vayne the opportunity to take down the man that was left alone in front of the side garage door and drag him away.

"Nothing's here. Derek?" the other guard returned promptly and was immediately on the alert upon realizing that his companion was missing. Before he could react, Vayne took him out from behind and drag him away too, near Derek, hiding them under a layer of grass. The door was now accessible. Picking the lock was just a little game for her. It took her merely seconds before she pushed the door open.

Norman Rose had a thing for cars, that was for sure. He owned at least ten different cars, each a different model. She didn't need to destroy every single one of them. One would be enough. She chose the bigger of them all that could cause more commotion - a black jeep - and installed the remote bomb. Then, she exited the garage once again and ran outside the fence. She went all around the mansion again before she activated the bomb. The reaction was immediate.

She watched as the guards rushed to the garage, guns ready to shoot if it came to that. Only very few were left behind to guard the front side. Vayne also noticed a shadow moving from the window she was interested in. Then the lights were switched off. Perfect.

Even though most of the guards were distracted, Vayne remained cautious as she moved. Her best option was to take down the remaining guards so they wouldn't cause her trouble on her way out. It was risky, considering someone could find them eventually and raise the alarm but she rather take that risk instead of getting caught while running away. It took her a good ten minutes of careful moving and knocking down guards before she could even reach her goal. Vayne took a moment as she stood right down of said window. A couple of months ago, she was fleeing through there with Fiora. Now, she was going back in on her own. Was she mad? Apparently. The rope that was attached to her body flew all the way up to the window, attaching perfectly onto the ledge. Once she made sure it was stable enough, Vayne started climbing with determined steps. She quickly opened the window and rolled inside the room.

Vayne carefully closed the window behind her. She ran a quick scan around the place. Last time she had been here, she had been caught off guard by a simple man. It was something that bagged her up to this day. She couldn't explain how he had been able to hid himself from her sensors, it didn't make sense. He shouldn't be able to. Unless there was something else going on with him but that's not what she was here for. According to her calculations, she had fifteen to twenty minutes before Norman Rose would emerge back here, more furious than ever. She needed to hurry.

His computer was left open onto his office, as if waiting for her. She withdrew a hard drive and connected it with the laptop. All she had to do was search his files. That seemed like an easy task, if Norman Rose didn't have a tone of files stored in his personal device. Vayne scrolled through, looking for any files related to PROJECT. Eventually, she found what she was looking for. She clicked on the file only to realize there were several sub-files inside, each dedicated to one PROJECT initial at a time. She narrowed her eyes. He hadn't been lying when he had claimed he knew everything about them. How on earth did he acquire such classified information without having the PROJECT corporation at his tail? Unless…

Unless what?

Was it possible that he was part of this? It hadn't crossed her mind until now. But he was a criminal, not a scientist. Yet, what was the difference between those two anyway at this point?

Vayne shook her head. It didn't matter if Norman Rose was a part of this game, it wouldn't be a surprise either. This was not what she risked her head for. She scrolled down until she found a file named "PROJECT: Fiora". She hesitated. She had never done before. She didn't need to read the file, just copy it to the hard drive. That's what she was about to do when she heard footsteps coming in.

Vayne could tell these weren't human footsteps, that's why she needed to hide immediately. She ducked under the desk and waited for the threat to leave. Camille wasn't an opponent she underestimated. Last time she had easily brought her down. Only Fiora had the ability to deal with her. Vayne would need to use almost all her resources to be able to defeat her. Once her scans showed her that Camille wasn't nearby, she peaked over the desk before standing up again. She right clicked on the Fiora files, then pressed "copy". This would take a while and she wasn't sure if she had enough time. Perhaps she would have to delay Norman just a bit. Or she could just take the laptop with her. Why hadn't she thought of this earlier? It would be faster and safer.

However, fate had other plans for her and it most certainly didn't like being tempted.

Before Vayne had the chance to bring her plan into action, more footsteps came through the hall. This was undoubtedly Norman Rose this time. Damn it, why was he back already? She needed to act quickly. She abandoned her hard drive and hid in the shadows, cursing under her breath. She wasn't supposed to be seen by him but she was left with no choice.

The door slammed open, shedding light momentarily inside. Vayne held her breath. Norman reached for the lights. If he turned them on, there was absolutely no way he wouldn't notice Vayne standing in her corner. It didn't matter anyway as the latter decided to stop him entirely. She didn't want to be seen from the outside; it was better if the office remained dark.

"Don't," she spoke, making Norman jump.

Even though it was dark, Vayne had no trouble reading his expression. From scared and surprised, it quickly transformed into a more malicious one.

"What do you know?" he chuckled softly. "I was not expecting visitors."

"Hands where I can see them," Vayne ordered, ignoring his comment entirely. She couldn't trust him.

"No need to be so aggressive, dear," he said as he raised his hands in defense.

Vayne rolled her eyes. This was ridiculous. Her crossbow remained aimed on him as she approached his desk and grabbed his laptop and the hard drive.

"What are you planning on doing with this?" Norman asked. He was in a chatty mood, something that annoyed Vayne to no end.

"That is none of your business," she growled as she went over to open the window.

"You do realize this is considered theft?" he inquired. The only reason he was doing this was to win time. Vayne wasn't planning on playing his game.

"Trust me, I've done worse than breaking in your house," she responded as she climbed over the window.

"Well, too bad I'm not just going to let you walk away with my personal stuff," he whispered.

Vayne had to quickly move away from the blast of energy that came her way. If she had been a millisecond late, she would have been hit. In her turned, she aimed to shoot at Norman but he dodged as well.

"We could do this all night." He smirked. "I'm afraid though, I don't have so much free time to spare."

He charged his weapon again. Vayne moved down behind his desk before he could shoot. The bullet landed on the wall, leaving an ugly mark. Whatever this weapon was, it was quick and extremely dangerous, specifically designed to bring down people like herself.

This was bad, really really bad.

She didn't dare look over, although she didn't really need to. Her sensors gave her access to Norman's moves.

"You cannot hide forever," he whispered. "This weapon is faster than you'll ever be. Give it up now or-"

Before he could finish his threat, Vayne jumped immediately from her corner and shot at him. Norman barely managed to move to the side but that was enough for him to get out with just a scratch on his upper arm. Vayne watched in horror as he aimed at her and pulled the trigger. There wasn't enough time in this universe to allow her to dodge the blast of energy that came her way. Her plan hadn't work. He should have been dead! But somehow, he predicted it.

The blast hit her right into the chest. The shock was so intense that the laptop escaped her grisp as she fell onto the floor in spasms. Her vision was blurry and the flashing warnings on her mask didn't help her at all. She was in immense pain, she could tell that much.

Warning: System overload

"Or suffer the consequences," Norman completed his previous sentence. He clenched his arm but he looked satisfied with himself as he smiled, his emerald eyes sparkling.

"Fuck… you…" Vayne managed to breathe out.

Norman walked over her, his suit stained in blood but that seemed to be the least of his concerns. "Always thinking you're beyond everyone else, huh? I'll kindly remind you that you've just been defeated by a simple human like me," he growled before kicking her sides.

Vayne winced. The spasms had reduced dramatically but she was still in pain, plus she couldn't move at all. All her systems were rendered useless.

"Without PROJECT, you are nothing," Norman said coldly. "Do not feel superior. Without this technology, you'd be a little no one. Remember-" He pointed at his gun. "They gave you this power and they can take it away if they want to." His eyes landed on his computer. "Let's see what you were looking for."

He bended down and picked the device up. Vayne struggled to move, to try and stop him but to no avail. She watched helplessly as he opened it and looked at the open files before him. His expression remained unreadable.

"Interesting," he said to no one in particular. "Really, really interesting."

Vayne couldn't understand why Norman found this so intriguing but she couldn't care less. This was the second time she had fell right into his trap. How could she be such an ignorant fool?

"Idiots." Norman shook his head. "I told them I wanted my investment to be guaranteed and I wouldn't mind waiting a little bit longer for Viktor to finish. But no, the greed got in their heads." He shut the laptop before placing it back on his desk. Vayne didn't understand a word he said. She only picked the word "investment". This was how he was connected with the company; he had funded the entire PROJECT!

Norman turned around to face her again. Only then did Vayne notice the little rose that was hanging from his suit pocket. She wanted to snort. He crouched next to her, observing her as if she was some sort of broken toy.

"Isn't that a cruel irony, huh?" He said quietly. "I really did get into your friend's head after all. I wonder what Fiora would say if she knew your situation. I bet she didn't imagine that you'd end up like this."

"She… doesn't… know…" Vayne managed to spit out.

Norman smirked. "So, you came on your own accord then? Now, that's just makes it even more intriguing."

Vayne was so frustrated while he had the time of his life.

"They should have known better than take the unfinished technology, especially knowing that you two were their victims," he continued his monologue. Vayne still didn't understand. It was really hard to think. "Would you like to know a secret, Vayne? I'm sure you're going to love this!"

Norman didn't wait for her response as he picked his laptop up again and opened it. "I see you were interested in your friend's files but you didn't want to waste time reading them. Don't worry, I'll read you some of it and you'll tell me if you like it, yes?" He cleared his throat. "Fiora Laurent, age 24, Demacian, 5'9 feet tall, previously engaged to Shauna Vayne."

What?

What?

WHAT?

Vayne's expression must have been hilarious, that's why Norman started laughing the way he did, she couldn't explain it otherwise. Vayne couldn't believe in her ears. He could be lying for all she knew, but somehow she knew he wasn't lying for whatever reason. Perhaps she wouldn't live long enough to tell Fiora the truth. It suddenly made sense. But it wouldn't matter anyway. Vayne would die in the hands of Norman Rose before coming in terms with who she used to be.

Norman eventually stopped laughing with that menacing laugh of his. "The Star-crossed Lovers project, that's what they'd like to call you. You were the one who wanted to volunteer for this project and she followed you blindly. I wonder…" He wondered mid-sentence, pondering. "I wonder if she'd do it again."

Vayne's eyes widened at the realization of what Norman was planning to do. "Don't… you… dare!" she managed to breathe through gritted teeth.

"Why? Are you going to stop me?" He mocked her right in the face. He stood up and gave her another kick to the sides. "I'll let you watch her die before I kill you off. Don't worry though. You won't be dead for long, only until they reset you back at the lab."

The door opened and Camille walked in, looking more vicious than ever before.

"Take her away," Norman ordered before walking out without looking back.

Vayne didn't struggle against Camille's grip. She didn't have the strength. Not just physically but mentally as well.

I'm so sorry, Fiora. This is entirely my fault.

I hope one day you can forgive me.

Everything turned black.