A/N Welcome, welcome, welcome. I hope you are all enjoying the holidays. Please do check out the REbooted Gaming Manual to see the various OC's kits, attires, and bios. It will also be updated whenever I can. All support is appreciated and do enjoy this chapter as always. I hope to continue writing and entertaining you all in the future.
Starring: Samira, Caleb, Rell, Leblanc, Lux, Vex, Conflation Sona, and a cameo from Morgana and Riven
XxxX
Walking towards the Arena prison cells, Samira is suddenly barred from entering by a guard. Being on a tight schedule, and needing to walk to the Hooded, the daredevil tries to move around the man but is stopped again.
"Soldier, why are you trying to stop me? I was told that the Hooded could be found in the Arena cells visiting Riven at this time." Samira inquires of the nervous guard. Taking a moment to look around, the guard leans in to whisper to the Shuriman woman.
"Look, we've got orders to let him do what he wants when he comes here. He told us to get out and to not come back in until he said so." The man tells her before walking back to the door. Deciding not to argue, Samira prepares to wait before a wail from within catches her attention and she rushes inside.
Navigating the halls with Blaze and Thorn at the ready, Samira rolls in front of Riven's cell where the scream came from. Lying on the cell's bed roll together, the Hooded is currently watching the Exile sleep. While this might not be too strange to the mercenary, what does start to set off alarms is when she notices Riven is only covered by the Hood. Caleb then calmly puts a finger to his mouth and motions for her to go back outside to which Samira complies. Several minutes later, Caleb emerges from the cells before teleporting Samira and himself to a more secure location.
Arriving at a hidden shack several miles north of Noxus Prime, the pair begin to review the maps located around them. For a while the two style users have been trying to track Rell's location. While Caleb might be trying to find her to help the young lady, he is unsure of Samira's motives. Hearing about the young lady from an unusually quiet Leblanc, the Hooded's interest peaked when the Matron lacked information. Over time though he was able to learn more about the Iron Maiden and even certain details about her lineage.
"I've figured out her next stop, Hooded. She's heading towards the city of Ruug, if we move out now then we should be able to cut her off." Samira informs Caleb while drawing on the map. Taking into consideration her travel speed and destination, the Hooded is plotting out their teleportation point.
"Sounds good, I didn't feel like renting a basilisk or horse for this anyways. Don't worry Nita, I won't let anything bad happen to her." The Hooded promises while Samira knocks over a nearby lantern. As the cabin is engulfed in flames to cover her tracks, the pair have already teleported away.
Riding her way through one of the many mountain passes in northern Noxus, Rell is rushing to save the remaining Null students when a blue light appears in front of her. Feeling her battle instincts kicking in, the Metalmancer continues to charge ahead at full speed. Dashing out of her path is an odd pair, a woman with an eye patch and a man in a strange hood. Sensing the guns in the woman's possession, Rell begins to super heat the firearms until she is forced to drop them. Seeing the one eyed lady dropping her sword as well, the teenage lancer turns to see the Hooded man running away. Giving pursuit, Rell eventually finds him running up a gravely mountainside. Using her magic, the Iron Maiden summons the ores beneath her target to the surface where it entombs him. Struggling to get her steed up the hill, Rell dismounts and trudges over to the quickly formed prison. Cracking it open to stab in with her lance, the ferromancer is shocked to see no one inside. Suddenly emerging from the ground beneath her feet, the Hooded man grabs onto her ankles. Consumed in a strange energy, the Iron Maiden begins to struggle to breath before she is torn from her armor. Catching her breath as quickly as she can, the metal mage tries to summon her armor back but can no longer sense it. Not giving her a chance to think, the man is already running towards her. Slamming her lance into the ground, Rell tears out as much metal as she can from the earth and creates a magnetic storm around her. Lifting her opponent off the ground via metal debris, she attempts to finish him off with a thrust from her lance. This ends up failing though as he simply goes incorporeal again before launching two tethers at her. Instinctively trying to block the attacks, Rell ends up with one attaching to her lance and the other to her left hand. With a powerful tug, the Hooded stranger loosens her grip enough to tear away her weapon. Not done fighting yet, the Iron Maiden tries to summon her lance back to her but is instead pulled closer to the man. Feeling him wrap his arms around her, Rell prepares for the worst but begins to feel an aura of kindness from the man.
"It's okay Rell. I know it's hard to believe but after all this time you're not alone anymore. I'm going to help you just like your aunt helped me." Caleb tells the young woman before loosening his hold. Pushing off him, Rell stares daggers at the man to try and intimidate him but all she really ends up doing is giving him nostalgia.
"Who the hell are you guys? Get this crap off me." Rell demands of her captors before feeling a tug on her wrist. Realizing the tethers have turned into cuffs, she begins to struggle against her new binds.
"Oh wow you managed to do it. Hello little lady, my name is Samira and this is the Hooded. You've made quite the fuss around the empire since your rampage began. Now what I'm wondering is, why is it that a young lady like yourself is running around causing so much mayhem." Samira asks the Iron Maiden after catching up to the pair. After almost getting burned by her weapons earlier, the daredevil is glad that the Hooded requested detaining Rell alone.
"Fucking puppets, you get told to do something and you just do it. No wonder the Black Rose has run Noxus for so long." The teenager grumbles before sitting down. To her surprise, the Hooded then reaches inside of his coat and drops her armor in front of her.
"So what was this about the Black Rose? I'm really curious about what you know about them." Caleb asks with a notably angry tone in his voice. Getting an idea of why Leblanc has been so quiet, the Hooded makes a note of visiting her later.
"Long story short, my mom was a member of them. They used me and a bunch of other kids in experiments for years to create soldiers. I ended up learning how they used the weaker children to make me stronger and now I'm wrecking any of their operations I can find. More importantly though, I'm trying to find any of the other Null kids and save them." Rell informs the pair while equipping her armor. Holding out her hand expectantly, the Hooded gives her back her lance after releasing her binds.
"I see, you were traveling north to attack another outpost. Do you even have a plan?" Samira inquires of the girl. Pulling out her pistols, the daredevil begins to check her weapons for any damages.
"My plan? Let's see, haul ass to Ruug, break in there, kill everyone, and save any of the other Null kids I can before they try to hop the border. Now if you two don't mind, I need to get going." Rell dismissively tells the pair before forming her horse and getting ready to ride off. Finishing her inspection, Samira gets ready to ask the Hooded something before he stops her.
"We're going there with you. We need more answers and it may not seem like it but we've got enough morals to help kids in danger. Plus I can get us there faster and it sounds like time is of the essence. Will you let us help you?" Caleb requests of the Iron Maiden. Sticking his hand out in offering, Rell hesitates for a moment but eventually gives in and accepts his offer.
Teleporting to a ridge outside of the coastal fortress city, the group gives Rell a moment to get over her nausea before staking out the area. After an hour of watching the city gates, the group notices a caravan approaching. While the guards are inspecting the transport's paperwork, Rell spots several familiar looking adults and Samira manages to catch a glimpse cage in the back of one of the wagons. Deciding to try and tail them to their destination, Samira volunteers to go as she knows Ruug best and isn't a wanted criminal. This leaves the Hooded and Iron Maiden alone on the ridge. As a light rain begins to roll in, Caleb forms the Hood into a tent shape and insists Rell take shelter inside.
"So why are you really doing this? I didn't know my aunt, hell I didn't even know I had one until you told me." Rell asks Caleb while huddling under the makeshift tent. Watching him take his mask and goggles off, the teen is surprised by the shadows shifting to block her view.
"I meant it when I said I wanted to help you like Nita helped me. You even look a lot like her; the bushy hair, the metal magic, and that anger all remind me of her. I guess another reason is I've been where you were. I got put through some similar experiments more than a decade ago and it made me a monster; I don't want you to be the same. Let me ask you something, do you have any plans after you save those kids?" The Hooded asks his adoptive cousin. Adjusting the collar on his red dress shirt, Caleb tries to look Rell in the eyes but she is instead looking at the ground.
"I'm not sure. I guess I didn't think that far, I've only ever failed to save any of them. What if we can't save these Null kids either? How do I live with that?! How do I live with failure like that? Knowing if I was better I could've saved someone." The normally stoic teen begs her new partner. Seeing the pain and concern in her eyes, Caleb pulls her into another hug before she can start crying.
"We're gonna save them, don't think of defeat when we haven't even started yet okay. You gotta think positive. Besides, if we can't save them then we will get revenge for them." The Hooded tells his younger cousin while keeping an eye out for Samira's signal. Feeling a bit better, the Iron Maiden sniffles a little before sitting back.
"Did something like that happen to you? You mentioned being like me so I'm guessing that you've done that before. So how do you deal with the guilt?" Rell asks her new partner while floating a bit of metal in her hand.
"I live one day at a time, that's how. Nita died saving me and if I was stronger then she wouldn't have had to. But that's something I can't control, what I can control is how I use my strengths now. You gotta live for the people who died; including those you kill." Is all he says before noticing a guard tower lighting a torch. Realizing Samira has found the caravan's hideout, the two gear up before teleporting inside of the tower.
Waiting until night, the party sneaks down into the city to find their objective. Sneaking their way to the main square, Samira begins to inspect a statue of a warrior before finding a switch. Revealing a dimly lit passage, Caleb leads the way using a flicker of Pumpkin Energy to light the path. Eventually the passage leads to a massive cavern illuminated by crystals; at the center of the area is a dome shaped building with an encampment surrounding it. Spotting several cages with barely moving children in them, Rell transforms her armor into horse mode before charging towards them.
"Oh shit she just ran in without a plan, C come on." Samira tells Caleb but is held back by him. Looking back at him, she is surprised to see him holding up a finger telling her to wait.
"I'd just like to clarify that I don't and won't be using that name anymore. Just keep calling me Hooded okay. I'm not going to fight like nine other people trying to use that nickname. Look, it's fine for now. Let's just get through this battle and I'll try to maybe brainstorm some new names later." The Hooded notifies the Desert Rose before they rush to join Rell. Eventually the pair of witty warriors find Rell already throwing several soldiers around as dozens more approach.
Crushing one in his own armor, the Iron Maiden then crashes down from her mount and smashes two soldiers in the process. As another attempts to shoot her in the back with a crossbow, Samira shoots him in the chest instead before performing a Wild Rush to cut down three others.
Teleporting his way to the cages, Caleb summons his Betwixt Chainsaw which causes the squad guarding said cages to run. A bit disappointed at not getting a fight, but also proud they knew to run away, the Coalition champion cuts open the cage doors. The only reaction he gets from the Null children though is them staring dully towards the sound of battle.
Back with the Noxian champions, Rell launches one of her sleeves to shield Samira from an incoming ax swing. She then snaps the tether between the two, sending out a repelling blast of magnetic force that stuns any troops near the pair. On a Daredevil Impulse, The Desert Rose begins to dashes among the paralysed enemies before shooting and slashing them apart. Seeing they're clearly outmatched, the remaining dozen troops decide to make a run for it.
"They're getting away! What are you doing? Let go of me! Samira!" Rell yells while the older mercenary holds her back. Slapping the teen out of her bloodlust, the one eyed warrior points to the cages where Caleb is checking on each of the children.
"Sorry I wasn't much help ladies but it wouldn't have felt right to leave these guys unguarded. Give me a little bit, I'm going to go get the Sleipnirs and Gwen. We should be able to get them some transport to this monastery I know back in Ionia." Caleb tells his party members while stepping out of the cage. Teleporting to complete his tasks, the Hooded wishes he could simply teleport the children but doesn't want to risk their conditions worsening.
Wanting to check the stone building alone, Rell convinces Samira to look for the camp's records so she can sneak off. Stepping into the underground lecture hall, Rell quickly rolls to the side and avoids a net of petricite. Not sensing any metal, the Iron Maiden looks down the rows of seats and sees her mother sitting on the stage. Golden eyes lock onto the exhausted older woman as the teen begins marching towards her. Forgoing any armor, the Black Rose agent is simply wearing gray robes and is clearly exhausted.
"I knew you'd come but I thought we'd have more time to prepare. I didn't think you'd be one to take help from others. So what are you going to do now? Do you want an apology? Maybe to take me prisoner? Or are you just going to…" The instructor isn't even able to finish her sentence before her former student unleashes a Shattering Strike. Knocking the woman down, Rell climbs onto the stage to finish the job.
"Hey Rell the Sleipnirs just, what are you doing?! Rell stop!" Samira shouts at the girl from at the top of the steps. Distracted from her matricide via her ally's pleas, the ferromancer fails to see a flash of blue light appear next to her.
Deflecting Rell's coup de grace, Caleb then unleashes a flash of energy to quickly finish off her mother. Furious that her kill was stolen, the Iron Maiden instinctively tries to crush Caleb but due to a lack of metal is unable. Consumed with rage she then tries to stab him with her lance only for it to merely pass through him. With her usual tactics failing, Rell begins resorting to trying to punch the Hooded but her attacks keep simply passing through him.
"Why did you kill her?! This was my fight to end! She lied to me my whole life! She made me a weapon and sacrificed children to do it! Worst of all, she was my mother! Damn it, at least let me hit you!" Rell screams at the Hooded while desperately trying to land a blow. After fifteen minutes, the young lady begins to cry and, in an exhausted state, starts to slow her punches.
"I couldn't let you do that Rell. Even if she was a piece of shit, you shouldn't have to kill your mother; that's not something a lot of people recover well from. Besides, I was told to break this cycle in your family." Caleb tells the teen to help justify his actions. Sensing the girl burning herself out, he even begins to let her weakly pummel at his chest.
"Oh but me killing those soldiers was okay? You two had no problem with that, fuckers." The Defender of the Meek growls out while giving him a death glare. Feeling used again, Rell tries to hit him harder now that she has the chance.
"You rushed ahead before we could plan anything! Revenge is something I've done before but the key is to not make it personal. If you make it personal then it consumes you and you start to make mistakes. Besides, you're still just a teen damn it and you wanna know why I'm like you?! Before the Null there were the Myths, I'm the last surviving Myth and they forced me to do so much shit that I'm not proud of! Now listen to me, there are over two dozen children out there and they need you. I've managed to get transport to a safe place in Ionia for them, so I'm going to ask you this once. Help them and let this go." Caleb advises the furious girl before taking her hands. Telling her to breathe with him, Rell does so and begins to calm down. As the breathing exercise continues, Caleb feels nostalgic as he used to do this with Nita.
While the rest of her party are calming down and the Sleipnirs are herding the Null kids outside, Samira explores the camp. Coming across the caravan's documents and while investigating them notices the name Indari pop up. Picking up a satchel, and stuffing it with as papers as she can, the Desert Rose then goes to help Cathy with a child that keeps walking in the wrong direction.
XxxX
A couple of weeks later, Samira is heading towards Indari's house for answers when a figure emerges from the shadows. Dressed in dark robes that blend into the night, the woman reveals herself to be Leblanc.
"You seem kind of pale, Leblanc. Sure you're getting enough sun?" Samira dismissively addresses the illusion mage before taking a step back. Wanting to make sure she's in the light, the mercenary hopes to force Leblanc to step forward and do the same.
"It seems my information on you is correct, Samira. You have earned the right to know a secret of mine; everything I have ever done, even before the conception of Noxus, has been to prepare the world for what is to come. I am willing to admit that the Null was a mistake, I was taught this." The Matron of the Black Rose calmly informs the daredevil. Feeling her recently broken arm twitch, Leblanc is reminded of her scolding by the Hooded.
"If it's something that scares someone like you then it must be bad. But it's something that we adults need to take care of." Samira tells the Pale Women before shooting her in the head. Seeing the body evaporate, the mercenary continues to meet up with her mentor, hoping that the night won't end with another gunshot.
XxxX
After escorting the Null children for a week, Caleb says goodbye to Rell before The Adventurous Seas Ionia. With that stressful mess over, the Hooded teleports to the Silent Forest to check on one of his projects. Walking towards the dilapidated shrine near the back of the camp, he senses a pulse of magic before it disappears. Emerging from a nearby tent, Morgana and Lux come out holding a silver collar marked with runic engravings.
"Oh hey Hooded, we just finished making that collar you asked for. So how did it go with the Null kids?" Lux probes of Caleb before he looks down in shame.
"We managed to get twenty four of them out but five of them… five of them just lost the will to live and we had to bury them. San is especially taking it hard since she healed them as best she could. Metto, Layka, and Aki are taking her out to Piltover for some time off. I sent Cathy to make sure they got to the monastery safely. Dahn asked me to drop them off a couple hours ago and they were crying when I saw them. I'm sorry but I'd like to hurry up and do what I have to do today so I can go back home." Caleb informs the two mages before taking the collar. Bidding them farewell, the witty warrior picks up Zhong from Mudtown before teleporting to the Shadow Isles.
Testing the ward collars to see if they need any improvements before the Great Campaign, Zhong puts the neckwear on. When asked how he feels, the elderly warrior informs Caleb that he is fine. With the test being a success, Caleb prepares to teleport them out when he senses a magical presence in the mist. Escorting the Enraged back to his duties, the Hooded quickly teleports back to the Shadow Isles and begins following the presence. Making his way deeper into the wasteland, the perfect host eventually stumbles upon an odd sight. He finds a yordle dressed in dark colors is playing around with several ghoulish specters. Briefly observing them, the Coalition champion notes that they appear to be playing a game; one that shares similarities to hide and seek and freeze tag but ends with the wraiths being buried.
"Well this is different, don't see many living things here that aren't treants. What's your name?" Caleb asks the teal haired yordle. As her shadow gains eyes and cocks it's head to the side, the Hooded remembers the yordle's name.
"My name is Vex. Welcome to sad town normie, population me. Everybody else can get out. Speaking of, get out of here before Shadow makes you." Vex dismissively threatens the Hooded before Shadow forms up next to her. With a flick of her wrist, the Gloomist fires out a Mistral Bolt at the Hooded but it simply passes through him.
"Awww that's so cute. You're willing to be miserable so no one else has to be. Also I like your style, not every day you see a goth yordle." The Hooded legitimately compliments the yordle who just tried to blast him. Checking out the undead around them, he is a bit surprised to see them still trying to hide behind cover.
"I am not cute. I am dark and forlorn and hopelessly morbid! Also why can't I hit you and make you go away?" The goth teen asks the witty warrior before plopping down. Summoning a pair of hands to act as a chair, Vex then slouches into her seat as much as possible.
"Just my Spectral Form, as for how it works exactly. Well Nita didn't tell me but apparently it involved learning Ochnun, the language of the dead." Caleb admits to the bored yordle who now looks slightly less bored. Seeing a nice log nearby, the Hooded uses a Coercion line to pull it towards him to act as a seat.
"That doesn't sound totally lame. Alright normie you got my interest now. Not that it matters, I'll probably just forget you when you die anyway; lucky." Vex morbidly informs the human sitting in front of her. Seeing they won't get to play gravedigger right now, the undead mob nearby disperses.
"Hehehehe, I don't die so easily. Also even if I could I'd wanna make an impression on as many people as possible; bonus points if they're immortal. A bit ironically, I also want to kill a lot of things that are "immortal" but that's besides the point." The Hooded confesses to the now slightly confused she yordle.
"I've never heard of a human being immortal before; especially since you guys usually crap out after a century at best. So did you come here to try and die or whatever?" She asks him before he starts a fire. Watching him pull out some s'more ingredients, the Gloomist's stomach begins to grumble.
"No, I actually came here to test something and it worked. Now I guess I'm still here just so I can hang out with you. You seem cool. Did you want some food?" Caleb asks the mage before him. Seeing Shadow put it's hands on it's stomach, the shadow mage reluctantly holds out her hand.
"Before you ask I eat just fine out here, mostly mushrooms and whatever washes up from the wrecks but I'm fine. Besides, it's not like either of us need to eat. I'm basically magic and you've got whatever going on." Vex comments before being given a s'more. Tentatively taking a bite out of the snack, the goth yordle then turns away to quickly eat the rest.
"Hmm never thought of that. I guess since I was mortal once I'm doing it now out of habit, plus food tastes better than just eating dirt or something. Suppose a lot of what I do now is out of habit but then again how else would I pass the time." The Hooded lets her know before he starts to make his own snack. Getting an idea, Vex wonders if she can test the stranger's mindset and make him miserable.
"But what would be the point of that? I mean if you're just doing something out of habit then you could probably unlearn it right? Plus all mortal things come to an end so best to get out of that mindset quickly. Not like they have any meaning in the end anyways." The nihilistic yordle tells the Hooded before crossing her legs. Feeling some food on her lips, Vex quickly wipes it off before resuming her "cool" interrogation look.
"Hmmm, I guess that's why I like them so much. Besides that's part of what makes temporary things beautiful. I'd also like to think that one day they could be permanent though." Caleb informs his new companion as he pulls his s'more out of the flames. Taking a bite out of the snack, he begins to make another one just in case.
"I doubt they will and, even if they could, there are just too many things in the way. Besides death is the true meaning of life, you should give up just like I did. Also woah that was deep." Vex let's slip out before returning to her usual disinterested gaze. Internally though she is anticipating to see the stranger's mood drop.
"I think I'll pass on that; tempting as it may be. I won't lie though, I've had more than a few moments where I want to just leave. But then I remember what it was like to be mortal and I remember that I like things. Friends, my sister, food, drinks, games, and a bunch of other stuff, I'd like them to last forever. Besides sitting around moping ain't gonna fix anything, especially since I'm someone who can. Oh and you can call me the Hooded." Caleb tells Vex before offering another s'more to her. Watching her pout just a little more than usual, the Gloomist accepts his offering.
"That's a stupid name, but you do have a pretty cool hood. Hey you said something about a test earlier, what exactly was it?" Vex inquires before switching legs since one is starting to fall asleep. As though to answer her question, Caleb simply reaches into his Hood and pulls out the collar.
"This is one of the things I've made to help me take control of the Isles and save the rest of the world. I've seen people like you before Vex and I will tell you the same answer I gave them. This world does suck and I'm a fool for thinking I can change it, but I won't just turn my back on life; because it was this crappy world that made me and my faith. Sorry for sounding lame and cutting our conversation short but I should probably get going. I know Leddy is nearby and he'll want to know the collar works. Was nice hanging out with you, see ya around." Caleb tells Vex before getting up and dusting himself off. Watching the Hooded get ready to leave, Shadow drops it's counterpart.
"Ow, Shadow! Hey wait, that whole speech was lame but I guess you at least know you're lame at least. When you finish with whatever you're doing, do you wanna hang out later? It's whatever. Maybe if I'm around you could be made into less of a normie." She briefs him before choosing to lay back rather than get up. Catching her glancing at him quickly before looking away, the Hooded can't help but smile a little.
"Sure Vex, maybe we can even hit up an arcade or something. After that I'll leave you alone for a bit. By the way do you wanna know the future? Like the actual future and not what I think." He asks her before receiving a slightly interested "Meh." in return. Afterwards he begins to head towards Ledros to tell him the news, Levia springs up onto his shoulder.
'Are you going to tell her that you were confident she would turn around? Maybe even tell her that she sometimes ends up as your second in command?' Levia grills her soul bound companion. Even poking her small arms at his cheek, the entity manages to eventually get his answer.
"Nope."
XxxX
Later that day at the Hooded Mansion
"So let me get this straight, some cry baby is going to go looking for his ghost wife and I'm supposed to help him? But that guy sounds so lame Hooded, can't someone else do it?" Vex whines to the Hooded before picking up a burger. When he told her that he had a staff of ghost-like beings making his food, the yordle grew interested and wanted to see for herself.
"I know he sucks but you're the only one who can do it. Besides, all you've gotta do is open some portals and we'll do all the work." Caleb counters before grabbing a fried chicken leg. Surprised by her desire to follow him around, he reconsiders what he told Levia earlier.
"Ugh fine, but you better give me a room here. Least you can do for me if you're gonna change the Isles to a lamer state. Besides, how do you know I won't betray you for that loser? { I don't know, but you're reliable from what I do know. } Err fine, whatever. Make sure to remember to take me to an arcade next week?" The Gloomist asks her host with a bit of nervousness. Telling her "Yes" is good enough for the yordle before she puts as much food as she can into a satchel. After all, while life sucks, cooked food is better than whatever washes up on the Isles from shipwrecks.
XxxX
Conflation Episode 5/0
Running out of an alleyway with the sound of sirens nearing him, Caleb enters a plaza holding an automatic rifle and a duffel bag of money. As civilians are running around him screaming, the magus flips over a cafe table to use as cover when several SWAT arrive near him. Engaging the officers, the bank robber is buying time for his partner to arrive so they can flee the city together. While normally the freelancers would be willing to do work for money, the threat of the Mageseekers and destruction of most of their assets has made them a tad desperate.
"Come on jello shot where are you? Sorry I don't want it!" Caleb shouts as he smacks a stun grenade back at the officers. As the police form a barricade with shields, one of their helicopters also arrives to give them air support.
Emerging from the nearby sewer with her half of the score, Sona sees one of the police choppers flying by overhead. Undulating her way onto the roof of a bookstore, the ooze notices Caleb has become pinned by several SWAT units. As the snipers on board the helicopter are flown in closer to get a better shot, she takes her chance and strikes. Like she's seen her partner do before, the alternate Maven sends out a tendril and slingshots her way onto the aircraft. Quickly pulling the gunmen out of the helicopter, she then moves to hijack it from the pilot. When she expands to consume him though the man manages to see her in his peripheral vision and in a panic pulls his taser out. This ends up proving effective as when he fires in a frenzy the prongs hit Sona's core. While a normal projectile might have passed through the slime's nucleus, due to the nature of the prongs, the freelancer is instead subjected to an internal electrocution.
Swapping back to Caleb's perspective, the magus hears a loud hissing sound before the officers pinning him down crushed underneath a falling helicopter. Seeing their chance to escape appearing before them, his joy soon turns to horror as he sees Sona limping towards him. Running up to have a closer look at his partner, the magus notices that the left side of her form is melting and drooping. Ignoring the pain within, Caleb quickly uses what little magic he has to try and reform Sona's normal state but this only works temporarily. Starting to panic, Fleetfoot has his partner latch onto him and begins to carry her.
"Shit! Hold on Sona I know where to get the help you need. You! Give me your keys now! Step away from the bike or I'll blow your fucking head off!" Caleb shouts at a couple who just step out of their sidecar equipped motorcycle. Firing a warning shot into the air, the pair of bank robbers proceed to then make their getaway in the ensuing chaos.
Escaping the city limits and driving along the coast, Caleb drives as fast as he can to a special clinic across the border. Feeling her hand reaching for his thigh, the magus takes it in his own and holds it gently. Eventually several hours pass and as the sun starts to set, Sona begins to drift out of consciousness to her partner's dismay.
"Hey, don't fall asleep muse. I know you like to hear me talk away so umm oh I've got it, remember the day we met?" Caleb asks his companion before returning his other hand to help steer the upcoming curves. Extending her neck, the ooze woman puts her head into his lap as he starts to tell their story.
Almost a year earlier, Caleb was visiting a remote jungle planet to search for his parents. Remembering his promise to Quinn, the older twin has spent the last month using all his resources to find their birth parents. Wanting to look good for his family, Fleetfoot is wearing his suit but somewhat regrets it as he trudges through a path of mud. Despite his shoes becoming dirtier, the magus is still grateful for the break in the recent rainstorms. Eventually he comes upon a collective farming community, and after some questioning, begins to walk towards a farm at the base of a cliff. As he nears the simple white and black ranch, hesitation begins to take hold of him.
"Okay dude you've got this. Hello Mr. and Mrs. Fleetfoot, I am your son Caleb. Your daughter, Quinn, wasn't able to come with me because she's busy with Sentai Team stuff; oh she says the theme is a phoenix robot and little sisters. Now we don't expect anything of you but we would like some answers. Alright, that seems like a good enough introduction." The Durand Graduate assures himself before he steps onto the property. Immediately sensing something is wrong, Caleb simply opens a portal to a sun and sucks the structure into space. Watching the disguised monstrous entity clawing at the ground before being sent screaming into space, the young man yells to get the attention of a nearby farmer. "Oi! What the hell is this?!"
"Thank the lord in Paradise, everyone, it's a miracle! This young man has banished the demon that has cursed our village for generations! How can we ever repay you sir?" The farmhand exclaims as others begin to gather towards the now vacant lot. After several minutes of inquiring about his parents, Caleb is disappointed to learn that they were never actually here. As it would happen the demonic house had set up connections to lure others like the magus to it.
Bidding his farewells, the magus wanders out of the hamlet before he comes across a dirty river. Tearing his shoes and socks off, Caleb then gets ready to soak his feet to calm down but first scans the rushing waters for pathogens. His magic soon picks up an oddity coming from upstream which appears as a streak of crimson. Deciding to clean up the environment, he uses a spell to extract the foreign substance from the rapids. Catching some faint twitching from the mystery goo, his training kicks in and he casts a spell to reform the slime to it's base state.
"Well I'll be damned, a slime. You've gotta be more careful when you go for a swim, do you have somewhere I can take you? Wait, can you first make yourself look a bit more humanoid so I can understand you better?" Caleb requests before the creature shapeshifts into a red version of him. Repeating his questions, the young man learns that the slime is a she, has no place to go, and can in fact understand him.
"Hmm, how about you follow me for a bit and we can take it from there, sounds good?" The magus offers the stranger before offering his hand. Feeling a massive sense of deja vu and certainty, the slime woman accepts his offer and the pair leave for another world.
Back in the present, Sona is hearing Caleb finish his side of the story when they arrive outside of a hospital. Weakly latching onto his side, the slime woman is gently carried towards the entrance when she starts to remember that day. She remembers that it was not long after her kingdom broke out into civil war and she was deposed.
On the remote jungle planet of Rangu there exists a kingdom predominantly inhabited by nonhuman species. Each species that inhabits these lands is given a chance to rule for at least one generation. In this case, the high elves were set to adjudicate and pass it onto the slimes. However, so much time in power allows for corruption and they wished to retain power by force. In the ensuing chaos, Princess Sona was caught in an explosion and fell out of the palace throne room. Falling into a nearby river, the slime soon found itself distorted via the current and sent drifting along with it. She would never learn of her people's triumph though as after several days she was gone. Weakened greatly by the blast and the water pulling her apart, Sona was preparing to embrace death until she felt a tugging sensation. Feeling her form stabilizing, the exile quickly recovers and takes in her surroundings before a voice says, "Well I'll be damned, a slime."
'Of course I remember that day my dear. How could I forget the day you saved me and we started our life together. I will admit at first that I used you as a means to escape potential hunters; but over time that has changed. We started to work together and even without a voice you always knew what I wanted. Maybe one day I will be able to express my feelings to you with words but until then I will just have to show it with my actions. Please don't feel guilty for my current state.' Sona thinks to herself before fading unconscious as the sun starts to rise. Seeing his partner turn into a ball form, Caleb holds her tight and prepares to enter the hospital. As he gets ready to open the front doors however they suddenly swing open and a horde of undead flood outside.
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Conflation episode 6
Being pushed down by the dozens of undead around him, Caleb soon finds himself underneath a zombie. Panicking since his arms are busy carrying Sona, Fleetfoot prepares to use what little magic he has to detonate in a fireball when something strange happens. Rather than trying to eat him, the zombie instead stumbles back up and tries to help him. As the crowd disperses, several nurses and doctors arrive outside after them.
"Good job everyone. You all handled the fire drill very nicely, now head back inside. Good lord! Sir are you okay and someone quickly get a stretcher for this slime!" A red headed svirfneblin shouts before Caleb hands off Sona to her associates. After the gnome briefly checks the magus' own health, the good doctor leads him to the waiting area to rest.
After driving all night yesterday, Caleb is woken up by the same doctor who admitted the investigators this morning. Apparently he was tired enough that the freelancer managed to sleep through visiting hours and must go now. Telling him that Sona is in surgery, the distraught man is given a pamphlet detailing several local accommodations before he begins to leave. While looking for information on the nearest hotel, the magus ends up passing near the rehabilitation ward. Seeing a reinforced door wide open, he glances inside and sees an Eternalized; a warrior skeleton encased in magic resistant metals. Watching the soul stealing creature struggling to play a guitar, Caleb knocks on the door frame before getting closer.
"You've gotta tune it first. Also try putting your hands here and here Ms… Ife. Ife, that's a nice name. Well anyways I should get going, good luck with your playing. I'll also just close the door behind me so you don't get in trouble." Caleb informs the undead before leaving her room and the hospital. As he starts the stolen motorcycle they came in on, the investigator in him can't help but wonder why Ife's room was the only one open.
Over the next couple of weeks, Caleb visits the hospital everyday; to check up on Sona but also to see his new friend. Early on in his visits he learns that the hospital has recently undergone several renovations. Using special wards, they have become able to house magical creatures and suppress them enough to help them. As such creatures, for example undead, are allowed to undergo a rehabilitation program to undo mental and spiritual programming. A side effect of this however is that the hospital has had to temporarily exclude magic based treatments as the wards drain magic. Fleetfoot takes note of that fact and even manages to determine the range of the field; he learns that it ends just past the fountain on the front lawn.
During his latest visit however it seems that an incident has occured. While taking roll call in the rehabilitation ward, a nurse found the dead body of a doctor. Seeing as the body was found drained of his soul and considering where it was found, the culprit could be almost anyone. Approached by the hospital's director, Khatar, Caleb is offered the job of solving the issue. Considering how delicate the situation is due to the suspects, they would like for him to find the culprit before the police can get too deeply involved. Taking the elf up on his offer, the freelancer requests any possible footage of the incident. The security is also ordered to make sure no one in the area at the time is allowed to leave. After securing the crime scene, Caleb goes to the phone booth outside of the hospital limits and makes a call.
"Durand Hireling Academy, what do you want? Caleb! How are you? The old lady was worried when she got word Mageseekers were coming to find you. Also I've got like four people on hold but I can talk with you." Secretary Vex dully informs her senior before checking her nails. Even though they came into Durand at different times, the yordle recalls the time she spent with Caleb to not be too bad.
Caleb actually managed to catch her at a decent time as she just woke up from a nap. Making sure her desk is still messy, the yordle goes to grab a soda from her mini fridge. Remembering her red and black hoodie was zipped up over her face, which causes her to resemble Shadow, Vex undoes it enough to drink.
"Kind of shit to be honest. My house got nuked, my partner got tasered and is recovering, and now I've gotta solve a murder mystery. I could really use a supply drop." Fleetfoot tells the Head Mistress' secretary while flipping through the list of suspected species. Thinking about calling in backup, the graduate decides against it as he lists off what he wants.
"Okay so that'll be a standard bolter, ammunition, Project Survivor's Guilt, as well as repair and maintenance kits for your weapons. Anything else?" Vex asks while pretending to take notes on her note pad. Telling her to say hello to Nita for him, Caleb hangs up and several minutes later a crate is beamed near him.
Rearmed and restocked, the magus makes his way inside and to the security room. Together with the Director, Head of Security, and Chief Physician, they begin to review the footage of the incident. Fast forwarding to about three forty six last night, the camera feed begins to become distorted. Eventually the footage returns to normal but after witnessing the murder, everyone forgets immediately afterwards. Going back to the notes given to him, Caleb is unable to find anything to help on the species list. With the security footage being a bust, the investigator decides it is best to interview the various inhabitants of the ward. Spending the next eighteen hours questioning potential witnesses, Mr. Fleetfoot grows tired as he gains no leads. Feeling like there could still be use from the footage, Caleb is granted a copy of it before deciding to head back to his hotel. First kissing Sona's inert form good night, the freelancer leaves for the night.
After another day of failed interviews, Caleb notices some writing on a male nurse's arm as they pass by. When he asks them why they have names written in marker on their arms, the lizardfolk mentions that they recently had several Silence admitted. As he is the only one to know about them except the Director, the lizardfolk leads the investigator to their room. Peering into the room via the reinforced door's food slot, Caleb only notices one of the creatures waving to him before he writes notes about them on his own arm. After he forgets, the magus then sees his notes and begins inspecting the door. Seeing no forms of damage on it, Caleb quickly rewatches the footage and afterwards confirms with more notes that the Silence were there. While he leaves to submit his evidence to the local police, Ife catches his attention by banging on her door.
"Hey there blue, heard you might get discharged soon. Look I know you wanna hang out right now but I have to go submit my evidence. I think the Director might be behind this killing and I need to… is that a mace behind your dresser? Did Khatar plant it here to try and frame you?" Caleb asks the Eternal before she nods yes. Checking the hallway for observers, the investigator opens her room, carefully takes the weapons, and beckons her to follow him.
Feeling the need to get Ife to the police, the investigator leaves his motorcycle's engine running and before going back for Sona. Rushing back to the entrance, he isn't surprised to see the Director standing there but is shocked to see him holding Sona.
"Khatar, don't make this worse for yourself and give me Sona. Do it and the police might have something to arrest." Caleb growls out at the man holding his partner hostage. Throwing the slime into the air, Khatar takes advantage of Caleb's protective instinct and tackles him.
Watching Sona bounce on the ground before rolling across the front lawn, Caleb pushes the elf off him and rushes to grab her. Picking her up, the investigator attempts to reach his motorcycle before a rock hits him in the temple. Stumbling for a bit, Fleetfoot is soon tackled again as the slime lands near Ife. Dragging the young man towards the fountain, Khatar begins to drown him. Surprised by the elf's strength, Caleb is unable to go Spectral and he starts to feel his consciousness fading. Hoping he at least bought time for Ife and Sona to escape, the magus soon feels the weight above him being lifted. Coughing and sputtering, the mercenary sees the Eternalized patient dragging his assailant towards the hospital limits. Reaching out his hand to stop her, all Caleb can do is watch as his friend crosses the warding threshold. Due to the nature of her resurrection, the mineral-covered skeleton drains the life essence out of Khatar at the cost of her own being. Going to his friend's corpse, the freelancer sees the hospital's director is still alive but greatly weakened. Picking up Ife, Caleb hears a squelching sound coming from behind him and notices Sona's form awakening.
Taking a day to wrap up the case, Caleb is able to uncover the remaining details of the case. As it would happen, Khatar was a lich using the hospital as a phylactery and taking the souls of dead patients. He was also planning to auction off several patients from the rehabilitation ward when the victim overheard him. Before they could leave to tell anyone though the Director caught them. Analysis of the body puts the date of this incident at over a month ago. Afterwards it was only after a series of coincidences that Khatar chose to act the way he did. Having an Eternalized admitted, the wards to give him an alibi, and the F. M. I. E. duo arriving were just what he needed for his cover up plan. Tapering with the footage to include images of the Silence, he then planted a weapon in Ife's room hoping the police would find it when they were called in. The bastard even figured he could pin some of the blame on Caleb somehow. His plan went out the window however, as Ife got the magus' attention and the rest devolved into the attack last night. Submitting his findings to the police, Fleetfoot and Buvelle quickly leave town after securing a boat ride to their next job. As the shore draws further away, Caleb pulls his partner closer and the two embrace as he begins to cry over his lost friend.
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A/N This chapter felt unusually taxing for some reason, maybe it was a lot of the darker stuff and it focused on champions that have much too them. Like I'm pretty sure I've had Samira featured more than a lot of official Riot stuff but whatever. I'd also like to have a shout out to all the people who've followed, favorited, commented, and shown me support as it gets me to the next chapter. As always requests are open, fan art of OC's is appreciated and has a chance to be featured on covers or in stories, do please vote in the OC polls so I can see what to add to the Gaming Manual, and have a nice day. Thank you.