"What's troubling you?"

Riven looked at Irelia, raising a brow, "What's troubling me?" She asked, feigning nonchalance.

But Irelia knew better; she had seen it on the way her eyes were on the ground, a frown on her expression as she bit the inside of her cheek.

So, after a long no-nonsense look from her Captain, Riven sighed.

"I guess I don't feel ready to deal with him yet." She looked up at the dark, smoggy sky, before sighing and saying, "Truth be told, I doubt I'll ever feel ready, though, so I might as well deal with him now, you know?"

"You're not ready to face Singed?"

Riven shook her head, "To be fair, I don't know how I feel about that one," She said as she scrunched up her nose, "The one I know I'm not ready to face yet is Cyrus." She sighed, "There's a lot that the simple fact of knowing we're eventually going to deal with him makes me think of."

Irelia raised a brow at that. "What do you think of?"

"I'd rather not talk about it, Irelia." Riven said, an apologetic look on her face, "I'm sorry."

And of course she didn't want to talk about it.

After all, Cyrus reminded her of herself. A more Noxian version of herself.

It was hard, she decided, to deal with your enemies when all of your them look just like you.

Irelia's gaze softened a bit, "I see," She simply said, before looking ahead and nodding her head.

A few seconds passed before Riven felt the need to talk again, if only to change the topic, "What a weird kid, this Ekko boy, no?"

Irelia snapped out of it, nodding her head vigorously. "He's completely insane, if you ask me. I mean," She took the stopwatch the boy had given her from her pocket and inspected it. "What on all of Valoran did he mean by use it when you feel like…"

She heard Irelia inhale sharply, almost like a gasp and, out of the corner of her eye, she saw the Ionian stop.

She turned to look at her.

The woman's eyes were unfocused, her gaze hazy and lost, finally focusing hard on Riven's confused expression, before going down to her hand as she looked at the stopwatch she still held onto.

Riven frowned at her expression, before moving one step closer and looking at the stopwatch, finding out its' face was completely broken; the glass was shattered in so many fractions that it was almost impossible to see the hands, but she managed to see them; they were both perfectly set on the number sixty, as if on reset.

"I have no clue what he meant by use it when you feel like stopping," She completed Irelia's phrase for her, "But I hadn't noticed he gave you a broken stopwatch," She mused out loud, "It probably doesn't work, anyway." She looked at Irelia's eyes once more and shrugged. "How on Runeterra would you use it?"

But Irelia was still staring at her with a furrowed brow, which made Riven raise a brow, "Is everything—"

She didn't finish her question, for Irelia had slapped her hard across the face before she could, making her head ricochet off her palm.

It froze Riven, before firing her up, an angry, shocked scowl on her face as she looked at the Ionian again, "What the Hell was that for!?"

And then she noticed the tears on Irelia's eyes.

It alerted her, "Irelia," She started, not so fired up anymore, "What's going on?"

She grabbed her by the collar and pulled her close to her face, baring teeth and glaring as she snarled, "You and I, we're a team, Riven! You said so yourself, or have you forgotten about that?" She asked, before growling again, "You can't just rush into the killzone and leave me behind! Are you fucking stupid!?" She shook Riven a bit, pushing her away and pulling her in as she said, "Don't you see your actions have consequences for the both of us, now!? Don't you see that where you go I follow, like a damned dog!?"

And she was screaming when she added,

"Don't you see I care about you!?"

Silence seemed to sound louder, all of a sudden.

Riven didn't understand where Irelia's sudden anger came from, but what did it matter?

Don't you see she cares about you?

Sometimes, understanding was overrated, Riven believed.

That was one of those times.

So she settled for saying, "I'm sorry."

She didn't know what she was sorry for, but she was certain she was.

"I'm sorry," She repeated.

And she really meant it.

Despite the ragged breathing, the angry expression, the teary eyes, Irelia believed her and slowly calmed down.

A beat.

A change of expression, anger replaced by determination.

Irelia turned her comm on, watching as Riven did the same, as they both heard them all complain about their vanishing.

"Finally you two decide to appear!" They heard Vi's voice on the other side of the comm, "Stop being idiots and come closer, Mundo is already here!"

Riven was about to curse, but Irelia's angry glare, the lack of surprise in her eyes, it all made her catch her own tongue.

"Your instructions were unclear," She said, without taking her eyes off Riven, "It wasn't going to stop the ticking from moving forwards," She said, adding the end of her sentence as a way of explaining herself, yet making Ekko the only one able to understand her, "It was going to make it tick backwards."

She heard Ekko chuckle, despite the situation he was in, "People usually use it earlier than what's ideal when I explain its' real use."

"Thank you for lying to me, then." Irelia said, turning off both her comm and Riven's and saying, "I've got a plan."

Riven was frowning, "Irelia, what—"

"Do you want to die?"

That took her by surprise. "What?"

But Irelia's expression was serious as she asked her again, "Do you want to die?"

Riven stared at her, raising her brows a bit as she said, "No,"

And truth be told, her answer meant more than Irelia could possibly fathom, she realised.

Because there was a time when she did want to die.

Then there was a time when she didn't mind being alive, but wouldn't have minded death either.

It was just then that she realised she was currently facing a time when she really, absolutely, wanted to remain alive.

How the tables turn.

Irelia nodded once, acknowledging her answer. "Singed is going to appear where Mundo is," She said, watching as Riven's frown of confusion became one of alert at her words, "But once he sees us, he will take us back to his laboratory, where Cyrus will be waiting to kill us both," She grabbed Riven by the shoulders, "It's a trap, Riven. If we fall for it, we're both dead."

And you die first.

But she decided it was better not to tell her that bit.

Gods, the way the arrow pierced her neck—

"If you really mean that no of yours," Irelia continued, "Then you will obey me from now on, without asking me any questions, without questioning any of my decisions. You will obey me, is that clear?"

But Riven was too confused to follow along, "What do you know that I don't?"

Irelia shook her head, "If I were to explain myself right now, you would absolutely not believe me. I find it hard to believe myself," She looked at Riven with seriousness in her eyes, "What's important is that you obey me, Riven. Do you understand?"

"I do, I do," Riven said, nodding her head.

But Irelia grabbed her head with both of her hands, "I need you to swear you'll obey my every word, Riven," She repeated, "If not, we're dead."

"I will obey you, Irelia," Riven said, somewhat disturbed by Irelia's eerie behavior. "Now, can you—"

"I said I wouldn't explain and I ordered you not to ask questions," Irelia said, suddenly colder, the Captain of the Ionian Guard taking over. She looked around for a bit and managed to locate the dead end where Singed would catch them, "There, do you see it?" She asked, pointing at the distant location.

Riven narrowed her eyes, "The small alleyway?" She asked, watching Irelia nod her head, "What about it?"

"That alley's end is a warehouse's door, the entry to Singed's lab," She told her, "I want you to go there and try to find a way in, without causing a fuss."

Riven looked at her, "And what about you?"

"I'll appear where Mundo is and follow Singed back to his lab."

"And how are you so certain he will go there?" Riven asked, fearing that Irelia was going on a hunch, not caring for considering a margin of error.

Irelia sighed, "Riven, if I told you, you wouldn't believe it. All you can do now is trust me." She said, "I promise I'll explain later."

Riven doubted for half a second, but nodded her head nonetheless, because sometimes understanding was overrated. "Okay."

Irelia nodded back, "Good. Now, go. Turn your comm on and keep me informed."

"Got it."

And, after seeing Riven start sprinting in the direction she had pointed out for her, Irelia ran towards the problems Mundo was causing.

"Don't forget," She grunted on the communicator as she turned it on, "You obey me, Riven."

"I got you the first time, Captain Irelia." She heard the reply.

But she had to make sure.

"Leave your foreplay for later—"

She heard a click and then, "I guess it didn't go well?" Irelia heard Ekko's voice over Vi's. "Hacked her comm to turn it off for a bit, so don't worry about being subtle, now."

"How did you—"

"No, it didn't," Irelia said, cutting Vi off, "But I think I know how to make it right."

"What the Hell—"

"I'm guessing now you know about Ekko's fixation with time?" Caitlyn talked over Vi, making Irelia ignore her successfully once more.

"I do," Irelia replied as she got on her blades so as to go faster, "But let's leave that topic for later," She then remembered something, "Vi, give me my crestblades."

"But you already have the new ones," She heard Vi say, "If you use both, maybe the neuronal connections will—"

"My blades don't act on neuronal connections. I bet I can make them both obey without confusing commands for one set of blades or the other," Irelia quickly replied, knowing Vi's complaint came from a place of concern, fearing that having both set of blades flying around at the same time could make it impossible for Irelia to bend them to her will without the other set replicating the command and thus making it hard for her to maneuver around them. "Still, trust me. That won't be a problem yet."

Yet.

So, as she arrived on the roof where she would have been standing with Riven before the former Noxian jumped to her untimely death, she saw Vi release her old blades into the air, letting them fall from her gauntlets.

Irelia quickly focused on them, making them soar towards her, her hextech blades moving away from under her feet and flying towards her old ones as she commanded them all as if they were the same set of blades.

She caught her old ones and strapped them to her back, underneath her cape, where her hextech ones had been before she released them, in order to prevent herself from using them before it was due.

Then she watched, waiting for Singed to appear.

"What's the plan?" Vi asked her, "Now that you know what happens."

"Singed will appear anytime soon. I'll follow him back to his laboratory, where Cyrus will be waiting. Riven is already headed there."

"And what about Mundo?"

"Mundo will keep fighting Ekko and Singed's followers, so you both are needed here to help him out."

"How did it go last time?" Caitlyn asked.

And of course it was Caitlyn who asked.

Always keen on detail, always searching for what she needed to know.

"Last time, it was Riven who followed Singed. It forced me to tag along." She eyed the roof where the Piltovian was crouching, the Zaunite behind her, "We both inhaled too much of his poisonous gas and that already sentenced us both to death. Still, when we reached his laboratory, Cyrus killed Riven by shooting her on throat."

She could tell Caitlyn was grimacing a bit, "Not a lovely sight to behold, is it?"

"Definitely not."

And before anything else could be said, Singed appeared on stage.

Irelia's eyes landed on him. It was good that Riven wasn't there to see him. Something about him, about that gas of his, about frustration and memory and a past that has yet to be put behind them seemed to have had resonated deep within the former Noxian, spurring that madness of hers back to life one more time.

Not long until it's really gone, she had said.

A part of it would be gone soon, but it made Irelia realize that the other part of it would always be there, would always remain with Riven.

The part that she could control, the part that she would call upon whenever she was in a time of need.

A need of power.

The part of her that, no matter how hard anyone tried, would always remain true to her Noxian heritage.

The part that craved speed, that pursuited strength, that adored power, that loved domination.

It wasn't a bad thing; it was good.

It was just different to what she had once imagined.

Not much I can do about it.

She had told Riven she had to accept it one day.

Maybe she should do the same.

Considering it was time, Irelia allowed herself to fall from the roof she was on to the ground where the battle was happening, her blades moving underneath her as she fell, smoothing out her fall to a slow stop right before she touched the ground.

Singed's eyes locked on her.

Irelia willed her blades to chase him.

He turned and ran away.

"Let us know if you need aid," She heard Caitlyn tell her over the comm, "We'll be helping Ekko in the meantime, which reminds me… Ekko, Riven's communicator."

"Got it," Irelia said as the only response to her, following Singed throughout the streets. Hearing that small click once more, she tried to reach out to the former Noxian, "Riven," She talked again, this time to her companion, "I'm chasing Singed towards the warehouse. Where are you?"

"I'm already here," Riven told her in a quieter voice, "I'm trying to find an entry to the warehouse."

"Good," Irelia said, going as fast as she could, unable to reach Singed. "He's very fast for some reason, so we will be there in no time."

"Years of abusing his own toxic brewings have turned him into something beyond human," They heard Ekko's voice, the battle unfolding in the background, "Careful with him."

"That's something I didn't know," Irelia said, watching as Singed unlocked the amphora he carried on his back.

She willed her blades to move her higher in the air, avoiding the toxic, purple cloud, letting only one of them continue its' trip on the lower level, moving through the poisonous gas, so as to give Singed something to see whenever he tried to look at her, if only to keep him from looking up at where she actually was.

Hopefully he'll fall for it.

And she knew he had fallen for it the moment she saw him look back, then ahead once more.

"We're almost there," She told Riven.

"I found a window," The white haired warrior said over the comm, "I'll try to open it without causing much of a fuss."

Irelia slowed down, knowing they were just a few meters away from their destination. "Cyrus will be waiting inside, so try to be ready." She remembered the way he had shot Riven down, so easily, so swiftly, "Is there something you should tell me about the way he fights?"

Because having such good aim in such a dire situation was quite uncanny, to say the least.

A beat.

Then,

"He has four runes like my broadsword's tattooed on his skin."

Irelia almost fell from her blades, but she managed to find her balance. "On his skin."

"Yeah," Riven breathed out, quietly, "Got them around the time I got my runic blade. He got inspired by it and asked to have them tattooed on his back."

Irelia felt like slapping past-time Riven. "The same runes as your blade's?"

"Well, we shared speed, but then he chose three others: accuracy, stealth and resistance."

Speed, accuracy, stealth, resistance.

She wanted to beat the living Hell out of past-time Riven. "Great. We must be extremely careful about him, then."

"If he gets a good view of us, we're dead."

Oh, you don't say.

"Got that."

And, as they arrived at the warehouse, Irelia allowed her blades to take her to the building's rooftop, before letting her blades join the one that served as a distraction for Singed, letting them all hit the warehouse's door as it closed between them and Singed.

She knew she couldn't enter through that door; it meant death.

The Ionian moved to the left of the building and found Riven as she was crouching on the adjacent building's rooftop, one that was lower than the warehouse's and allowed them to peek through one of the warehouse's windows.

"I didn't manage to open it without breaking it," Riven told her, "So I guessed my best bet was to wait for you."

"It was your best bet, indeed," Irelia said, calling one of her hextech blades towards her. "Just like your new sword, mine also happen to have a few funny tricks."

Riven watched as Irelia slowly pressed the pinkish end of her blade against the glass and dragged it in the shape of a circle, managing to silently cut the window open.

The former Noxian caught the glass before it fell, placing it gently next to them and waiting for Irelia to command their next move.

Irelia nodded once and entered the building, Riven following closely behind.

The place was too dark for them to see, so the white haired warrior placed her hand on the Ionian's back, letting her know she was right there behind her.

Slowly, they sneaked around the laboratory's second level.

Irelia made a quick motion with her hand, willing her blades to keep on pushing against Singed's door.

Seconds passed.

She calculated that, by that time in her last attempt, they were both inside.

She saw the lights go on, Singed in the center of the laboratory.

Irelia quickly grabbed Riven's hand and squeezed it, making the woman look at her in the eye.

You obey me, she mouthed.

Riven nodded once, then looked at Singed again.

They saw him open the laboratory's door, only to find Irelia's blades, floating idly in the air.

She got ready to command them to—

They fell to the ground as she did the same, having Riven pushed her aside, bringing her blade up and using it as a shield, letting it protect them from an arrow that had been aimed straight at Irelia's head.

"I'll deal with Cyrus, go face Singed," Riven told her, her sword still working as a barrier.

She watched as Irelia jumped on her blades and floated towards the Zaunite, before looking ahead at Cyrus again.

He didn't look surprised, exactly, but he didn't look like he had been expecting her, either.

An despite the pain that his face brought to her, the fact that he looked just like he had looked, so many years ago, only a bit deteriorated due to living in a city like Zaun, Riven grinned, "Missed me?"

"I knew you were alive," He says, not lowering his bow, "Didn't expect you to ally with the Ionian."

"Life takes curious turns," Riven replied, not lowering her blade either, knowing he was just waiting for the best moment to put an arrow between her eyebrows.

Still, she knew she couldn't let him be for too long, for he'd take aim on Irelia and that was even worse than the alternative.

So Riven steeled herself and charged towards him.

She felt one, two, three explosive arrows hit her blade, her armor protecting her from the damage but not from its' shockwave, which made her slow down and, considering she was close enough to make shooting at her difficult, she lowered her blade.

She was face to face with him.

She tried to punch him with her free hand, but Cyrus dodged easily, sweeping her feet with his own as he ducked.

She rolled backwards as she fell, quickly turning to a side, covering her face with her arm—

A normal arrow hit her on the arm, but her armor was strong enough to deflect it.

"Where's your sword, Captain?" Cyrus asked her.

"I guessed black and green were not my colors anymore," Riven said, quickly getting up eyes on him, too aware of the hextech engine on her armor, on her blade, too aware of the fact that he had seen them, too. "Decided to go for something a bit more modern, too."

He huffed a laugh, "You're nothing without your runic power."

She got ready, "Maybe you'll find out I'm better off without it."

Cyrus quickly shot at her time and time again as Riven sped towards him, her blade covering her head.

She reached him once more and swung her blade at him, only to have him dodge her again, hitting her right arm with his bow, making her drop her blade.

Weaponless, Riven stood her ground and fought him from up close, knowing it was the only way to keep him from shooting.

In the lower level, Irelia circled Singed, knowing she had to be careful.

"Captain Lito," He said as he finally got a good look at her, "I almost didn't recognize you with that getup."

Irelia wasn't in the mood for talking.

Her blades rained on him in a flurry, but he shielded himself behind the bulwark he had strapped to his arm, successfully stopping her attempt.

And they got stuck there.

He looked at her.

"Shit."

He ran towards her.

Irelia ran towards him and jumped before colliding, pushing herself higher by stepping on his bulwark.

In the air, she willed the blades to come back to her, succeeding this time.

As they reached her, she quickly sent them all back to Singed, hoping to attack him once more.

She landed on the ground with yet another unsuccessful attack and Singed stampeding to her again.

This time, he reached her before she could react.

He punched her in the face, before hitting her on the stomach with his bulwark's edge, leaving her breathless.

He used the moment to spray the ground with an adhesive of sorts. Then, he threw her blades there and pushed her face first to it, watching as she fell and got stuck.

Irelia struggled against the adhesive, finding she couldn't escape it quickly enough.

Singed stood over her and brought his bulwark up, ready to embed it into her skull.

Time was running out and there was no stopwatch to save her now.

She focused—

Singed let out a painful scream as one of Irelia's crestblades flew from underneath her cape and stabbed him on the stomach, going through him in one clean, swift motion.

Irelia took the moment to fight harder against the adhesive, slowly getting up.

Her eyes fell on the second level of the laboratory, where she saw Riven and Cyrus fight barehanded.

She heard Singed behind her—

To her right, she saw the chained body she had seen the last time move and grunt.

Wasn't he dead?

She felt Singed move—

She turned right in time to see him try to attack her, her hands already moving out of instinct as she allowed a second crestblade to join the one she had released, both of them cutting Singed's legs as one of them sliced over his thighs, the other one slicing open the popliteus muscle on the back of his knees.

He fell to the ground with a painful scream.

As blood started to pool around him, the adhesive mixing up with it, Irelia managed to break free, all while hearing the chained corpse struggle against the chains, mumbling out a string of incomprehensible, slurred words.

Guess he wasn't dead, then.

She got up and moved away from Singed, quickly rising her hextech blades in the air.

But then Irelia saw Singed pull out a small bottle from one of his pockets.

There was a green liquid inside.

Before she could think anything about it, she saw him pull the bandages that covered his face down, opening the bottle with his other hand and gulping down the toxic-looking liquid.

She stared in horror as he suddenly got up as if nothing had ever happened to him, wounds still open, blood still coming out of them, but no pain to be felt by the chemist, apparently.

The man in chains roared loudly.

Singed moved towards Irelia and punched her on the jaw.

As she staggered backwards, her head turning to the side, she got a good look at the chained man.

He wasn't a man.

It was a creature.

And it looked feral.

Singed punched her once more and she felt the nauseous crunch of her nose as he broke it.

She fell to the ground and he laughed.

"I guess my first attempt at replicating Dr. Mundo's abilities was a great success," He said, his voice shaky with madness, yet his mind clear with focus. "Brilliant."

Irelia got up, the taste of her own blood as it ran down her face invading her mouth.

The creature in chains just grew more and more restless.

Irelia finally managed to understand the word he was mumbling over and over again.

Blood.

She tried to bring her hextech blades against Singed—

The chemist attacked her again and again and again, cornering her against a wall as he punched her time after time, laughing at the way he could feel her flesh against his skin, her bones crunching under his knuckles.

Irelia couldn't defend herself, couldn't stop him, couldn't even ask Riven for help.

Couldn't stop hearing the wailing of that creature.

But she could try.

So she tried.

She focused on her breathing, focused on the hextech blades that were still floating in the air, even if shakily so.

She moved them to the roaring creature's chains.

Singed kept hitting her.

She felt herself fading for a bit, but she did not let go of her resolve.

She crashed her blades against the chains with all of her mind's might.

She heard sounds, heard wailing, heard metal hitting surfaces, heard metal being destroyed, heard her own face being destroyed by Singed's enhanced fists.

Then Singed delivered a hook to her face that left her on the ground.

She looked at the chains.

Her hextech blades were on the ground, destroyed by the constant hitting.

She didn't see the creature anymore.

Her eyes moved to Singed.

He was looking at the same thing.

Then his eyes moved a bit to the right—

Irelia heard deep, low growling.

Her eyes landed on a crouched figure.

Singed looked at Irelia.

"What have you done?"

And before Irelia could think, the creature lunged for Singed and caught him by the throat.

She looked at the wolf-like monster as it charged through the warehouse's door and ran away, a soon-to-be corpse hanging from its' maw.

And Singed was no more.

Hearing the sound of battle, she turned around to see Riven land a hook on Cyrus' temple, the man falling from the second floor to the one she was on.

He got up like nothing had happened to him and, upon seeing Irelia still on the ground, as he felt Riven move, trying her best to prevent what she knew he'd try, he quickly aimed his bow at the Ionian, an arrow already locked on the string as it tightened when he pulled from it.

"Move and she dies."

Riven froze.

Irelia didn't move, either.

"Kneel and put your hands on the rail." He growled

Riven obeyed.

And, after a moment, Cyrus laughed.

It wasn't a pretty sound.

"The mighty Hand of Noxus, on her knees." He smiled, "How many people would kill to see such a view?"

Riven didn't reply. She didn't look at him, either.

Irelia noticed her eyes went from his hands to her, over and over again.

She was thinking and, while she was at it, she was surveilling him.

Measuring how long until his fingers itched to release the arrow.

Because Riven knew him well enough to know that he wouldn't let them both leave unharmed.

No. He'll kill Irelia if I don't do something to stop him.

The whole She'll die only if you move was a façade, one Riven could see through, one Riven realized had her running against the clock as she tried to think of a way of distracting him before he actually did kill Irelia.

"Cat got your tongue, Captain?"

"Nobody would actually care to see me like this, Cyrus," Riven replied, entertaining him. "Everyone believes I'm dead. I'm old news." She shrugged, "I'm not even news."

"And yet here you are," He said, his eyes on her, but Riven knew his whole focus was on his hands, on that arrow. "And yet here you are, alive, with this Ionian bitch by your side."

But Riven would not react to his words, her head cool, her voice calm. "And yet here I am."

He didn't like the fact that she wasn't losing it, but he smiled anyway, believing he'd manage to make her go mad at him at some point. "Tell me, Captain. Did you get what you came looking for?"

Riven shook her head. "No, not really. This trip was all almost in vain." She raised her brows, "We did kill Singed though."

She did not mean that comment to sting. She really did not mean it.

But she knew it had stung when Cyrus' bow got a bit more tense.

A few seconds lost.

Because he knew that if Singed died and Riven didn't get what she wanted, then she had clearly gone there for him.

"How long have you fantasized about killing me, Riven?" He asked, gritting his teeth, finally saying her name, the sound of it being strange and wrong on his voice as it left his mouth. "How long have you dreamt of my blood?"

It felt so strange, so insulting, even, to hear him suggest such a thing about her: that she'd fantasize about someone's death, let alone his.

That she'd want to see him bleed until death embraced him.

But she knew that such an accusation didn't come from out of nowhere: Cyrus didn't know the Riven which kneeled for him wasn't the same as the Riven which commanded him.

The one he betrayed.

They were very different. He simply wasn't aware of it.

So no offense was taken when she finally replied, calmly.

"I don't want to kill you." She said, honestly. "I just want to know why you did it."

And that was the truth.

She no longer wished for punishment to come his way.

She no longer wished for harm, either.

She just wished to learn the motives behind such a treason, why someone she trusted so much would do such a thing. Once she knew, her mind would be at peace, she'd be able to go home.

After all, the kind of crime he committed was beyond redemption: to kill your brothers and sisters in premeditated friendly fire.

To lie to your friends, with the sole purpose of harming them.

She couldn't forgive him, but she could forgive herself for it all and move on, only after knowing the why.

"Why I did it." He repeated, low, though Riven heard him.

"Yes," She said, "Why did you betray us?"

"Betray you?" He asked, incredulous, before letting out the bark of a laugh. "I didn't betray anyone!" He roared, "You were betraying Noxus!"

She couldn't believe his words, "What?"

"The Ionian campaign was futile! Darkwill was mad and you were an idiot for ever following him!" He growled, "We were never going to win, not as long as the Ionian Captain," He emphasized his words by kicking Irelia, "And the Noxian Hand were alive! So I did what I had to."

The missing puzzle piece appeared inside Riven's head. "You were following Swain's orders."

"Of course I was!" He replied, "The only Noxian with enough wits to know it was all in vain, staining the Noxian name, ruining the Noxian pride! I killed the Crimson Elite and the Ionian Guard in the name of Noxus and I would gladly do it again, if only to see my Empire rise."

Cyrus and Darius had one thing in common, Riven realized.

They're allegiances didn't lie where everyone thought they would.

Darius' should have laid with Noxus. They laid with her, instead.

Cyrus' should have laid with her. They laid with Noxus, instead.

And they both disobeyed orders from their superiors, betraying them, for the sake of protecting the one leader they actually followed.

"That's why Swain protected your identity, your status, your location," Riven reasoned out loud, "Because he owed you as much," She shook her head, "All that protection was in exchange for ruining your reputation, taking your honor, staining your name, shaming you by calling you a traitor and giving you for dead."

It all suddenly made sense, as the puzzle was finally completed.

"Shut up!" He roared, his arms tense.

Riven realized then that Cyrus hadn't changed a bit.

Maybe there was a part of him that she didn't know of, but the fact that he was hot headed remained.

And when he got angry…

He got distracted easily.

That's the way I'll save her.

"You want me to shut up because you can't face the truth, no?" Riven asked, him, suddenly standing up. "The fact that you're a traitor." She sneered, baring her teeth.

"Shut up!"

"Not only are you a traitor, you're a bad one at that." She chuckled, "Your mission was simple; to kill Irelia and to kill me." Her eyes landed on the Ionian. "Look at us, now."

Cyrus shut his eyes in his fury, "Silence!"

"Not only did we survive, we allied." She smiled, "Noxus stands no chance."

Cyrus didn't speak, he only growled, his voice lower, darker, more guttural.

Irelia's eyes moved to his.

They were green like Riven's during her worst moments.

Irelia watched, confused, her eyes following, then, Riven's lips as she mouthed something at her.

"And let me tell you something," Riven continued, "The Crimson Elite never got disbanded, for its' leader still stands." She squared her shoulders, "So, Cyrus, as of today, you are banned from the squadron." She raised a brow, "Guess you weren't worthy of it."

And she didn't expect that to sting as much as it apparently did, but she could see he only needed one more push.

So she pushed him.

"You were, are and will always be considered a disgrace, an insult to your former brothers and sisters." She narrowed her eyes as she allowed the venom to poison her voice, "You will always be a mistake in my eyes."

Cyrus roared as he quickly changed arrows and moved his aim from Irelia's head to Riven's.

Irelia realized then that Riven had mouthed I love you.

And then it all happened in slow motion for her.

As he was about to release the arrow, Irelia took one of her crestblades from the spot they were in under her cape and, gripping it with all of her might, not caring as it dug into her skin, she used it to slash at Cyrus' left hand, the one which kept the bow in position.

The arrow got released, Cyrus' aim slightly off as Irelia cut his left hand off.

It hit Riven on the chest and exploded.

Irelia couldn't do more than watch as Riven fell from the second floor to hers, a scream escaping her throat.

When the cloud of smoke was gone, she saw Riven on the ground, still alive, but the left half of her face was marred, being nothing but torn flesh and scorched skin, the hair gone in a cloud of smoke, her eye closed as her eyelid melted into her cheek.

She was screaming.

Irelia left Cyrus and ran towards her, quickly laying her on her back and straddling her so as not to let her move.

"Riven!" She screamed, holding her hands down as the woman thrashed around. "Riven!"

Her eyes were green and there were tears falling.

Irelia realized then that there were tears in her own eyes, too.

With Riven still screaming, Irelia slowly moved closer, gently pressing her head against Riven's good side. "Riven," She mumbled against her ear, "I'm here."

For she couldn't heal her, only keep her company while she fought against the pain, hoping that what remained of her runic power was enough to help her quickly kill the suffering.

And a minute passed. Then another.

And the wailing slowly calmed down.

Irelia knew Riven's remaining magic was dying out in a final effort at saving her.

She was thankful, then, for the runes that proved to be a blessing and a curse.

She only feared she'd lose her lover to them, once more.

And then Irelia learned something she never expected to learn.

She learned it's impossible to rewind time and completely erase events that should have happened, for the mind, the body seems to remember an alternate life that it should have lived.

She learned as much when she heard Riven quiet down, before slowly, quietly, mumbling out a mantra she had no possible way of learning in the timeline she currently was in; "I'm bigger than you."

"I'm bigger than you, I'm bigger than you, I'm bigger than you," She said over and over again, weakly, if only because the softness of voluntary weakness would help her calm down.

Irelia pulled away and looked at her.

Riven's eye went back to normal as she locked it on Irelia, tears still welling in it as she said, "I'm bigger than you."

Irelia nodded, a smile on her face, "That you are."

"It hurts like a bitch."

Irelia was crying, but the smile remained, "I can only imagine."

They heard male screams and Riven turned her head to the side to find Cyrus, craddling his left wrist, his eyes wide and green.

Riven's eye widened in surprise.

It occurred to Irelia that this was the first time Riven saw what would usually happen to her due to the runes from an outer perspective.

The Ionian got up, offering her hand to the former Noxian, which she quickly took.

Once on their feet, they walked towards Cyrus as he laid on the ground, face down, his remaining hand under his body.

They got close—

He tried to get up and quickly stab Irelia with an arrow—

Riven caught his hand and, placing her other one on his forearm, she snapped his wrist, hearing the sickening crunch of his bones, the desperate screaming.

"No more bow nor arrow for you," She said. "Traitor."

Irelia then looked at her, "What do you want to do with him?"

Riven hadn't expected such a question. "What do you mean?"

"Do you want to kill him?" Irelia asked, the question devoid of judgement. "Because you could do it." She added, "Kill him, avenge your friends, put this whole thing down."

Riven froze, unfroze, then thought of it.

A beat.

"No."

She said, honestly.

Eyes hardened, "It would be worth nothing." She looked at him, "Killing him would not avenge anyone, it wouldn't put anything down." She shook her head. "It would leave me feeling empty handed and like I didn't learn anything in these past few years. Like I'm still the same, like I haven't changed, like we did all of this in vain and neither you nor I deserve that." Riven looked at Irelia. "I want him alive."

A thought occurred.

"I want him to be judged in Ionia for his crimes."

Irelia eyed Riven carefully.

Judging Cyrus meant…

It wasn't easy.

"Are you sure you want that?" Irelia asked her, "Because it implies—"

"I do," Riven said, looking at her, then at Cyrus, ignoring as Vi, Ekko and Caitlyn entered the place, all of them listening. "I want him to have a proper trial, judged by Ionian laws as well as Noxian ones."

Irelia nodded her head, also ignoring the policewomen as they approached them. "I guess we could do that. Very well," She looked at Cyrus. "Cyrus, you're arrested under Ionian and Noxian law for your crimes against both nations." She raised a brow, "You won't be cuffed due to the lack of hands."

But then she took the handcuffs from Vi's waist without even warning her about it and approached Riven.

"Riven," She begun, unexpectedly cuffing the woman's wrists, ignoring the surprised look on the former Noxian's marred face, "You're arrested under Ionian law for your crimes against the nation."


AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Surprise gays! Didn't forget about y'all! I just got distracted...