A final battle and a final chance. But is it the end or just a new beginning?
Chapter 10 - A Final Plan
"Goodbye." Screamed Poppy as she flung her hammer into the ground forcing not only the ground up, but her foe as well. Lux spun around throwing a binding and a few bolts while Poppy charged in, with a shield by Janna who also threw Zephyr to slow down their opponent.
The creature Kha'Zix came up with for his final plan wasn't the best, given the limited amount of time he had to implement it. And it was turning out just like he expected. As he saw his minion flying across the sky and landing hard against a tree, he knew that the whole thing was blown. He tried to salvage the situation by ripping a portal open and getting a few orbs through before Janna threw a tornado his way shattering the rest.
Kha'Zix roared in anger and charged towards Janna, but was hit in the stomach by Poppy as she charged to the rescue. Lux meanwhile made sure that the minion didn't bother them anymore. Kha'Zix charged towards Lux before she could throw her Spark, but Poppy once again hit him in the stomach, this time with the hammer. At the same time, he was hit with an energy pulse from Debonair who had appeared in a nearby tree. Lux successfully managed to dust the minion before joining the rest of the team.
"It's over Kha'Zix, you've lost. Now either surrender or you will be dusted." Kha'Zix knew that was somewhat of an empty threat as the Guardian needed time to recharge before firing again, but with the annoying people with hammers and the old Guardian with her staff would make sure she had that time.
"Or I just run." And quickly tearing open a portal, he jumped through but Debonair managed to get a pulse of which made it through the closing portal and shattered the orbs he had managed to get. Roaring in anger again, Kha'Zix leaped through the Moon Base to the throne where Malzahar rested.
"Prophet. I barely managed to recover anything from the last mission. I did not have enough time to plan." Kha'Zix looked up at Malzahar who just frowned.
"I am disappointed Kha'Zix. Either way you have failed enough times and now I see little use for you. But, against my better judgment, I will give you one last chance to redeem yourself if in some small way. Now go about this last plan but if you fail miserably, you will be punished."
"Yes oh great prophet." Kha'Zix almost ran out of the throne room and straight into Cho'Gath.
"How I'm looking forward to my next meal. Failed enough yet?" Cho'Gath asked, licking his lips.
"I will not be eaten by you or anyone else. I will come back with something of value." Kha'Zix shot back, confident.
"You know all he wants is energy? What else could you come back with?" Cho'Gath asked, confused.
"The identities of the Guardians." Kha'Zix smiled confidently.
"They are too smart for that and you know it. But focusing on that energy might help you avoid being on my plate." Cho wandered off while Kha'Zix just shuddered at the thought. He quickly made his way back to his chambers where he set about making a trap for the Guardians and force them to expose their real identities. He knew that a direct attack on them wouldn't do it, so he had to pick a target.
Looking over the city, he needed to pick a place. His eyes first drifted to the airport, but he dismissed it. Open, but too many small places for them to transform. The mall was out for the same reasons. Any attack on any of the law enforcement facilities would being a much bigger response than he expected. Finally he saw a large building that was perfect. A library. He knew that there were powerful people there, but he didn't care. It was time to get something. Then something stopped him. A feeling he couldn't shake, and he returned to the map.
Finally his eyes drifted to the main transit hub near the city center. It was open but with the amount of people, he would get what he wanted. A place where the Guardians would have to make it obvious if they wanted to transform. Smiling he knew the perfect plan.
Back on Runeterra, Lux, Janna, and Poppy settled down for a few days as Kha'Zix's latest blunder had done a lot to convince them that he was desperate and looking for anything. Poppy and Lux were at the same school so making her feel welcome was easier, despite the fact Poppy had reminded Lux that she had almost tripped on her more than a few times. Lux just put on the "oops" face with her hand behind her back and smiled. Poppy just rolled her eyes in response every time they did this.
Janna for her part was looking forward to the trip she was going on tomorrow into the heart of the city. It was the school's annual trip to the Science Museum and she was looking forward to it. However, since she was unable to bring along guests, Janna knew that if something broke out, which she expected it would, she would either be on her own, or Lux and Poppy would have to wait. With everyone else in the class looking to get on her good side, she had no shortages of guys asking to be her partner for the day, but she eventually settled on Garen and his friend Jayce, since they weren't pushing it like many of the other were. Draven especially was being a bit hardnosed about it.
Lux for her part was making sure that tomorrow things would go smoothly if they were ambushed. She knew that Kha'Zix would be desperate after that last attack and would attack a high profile target. She had already mapped the highest profile targets in the city and there were too many to cover. Looking over the map, Lux sighed as she put her head down. Seeing this, Poppy just popped Lux on the head with her pendant causing her to get up.
"Don't fret. I'm sure we will all be fine. After all, he is desperate, what can he plan in just two days." Poppy said confidently.
"You'd be surprised. He can be quick." Lux replied.
"Yes but has he ever been desperate like this?" Lux was about to reply when she paused. It was true he hadn't, and therefore was more likely to make huge mistakes.
"I guess you are right. He will try something big and desperate. So that limits the targets." Lux said after thinking for a few minutes.
"There you go. Use that brain." Poppy's attitude was a welcome relief to both of them. She was both upbeat and full of energy. A welcome infusion into their usual routines. Lux scanned the map again and knocked certain targets off while Poppy kept an eye out for approaching people. Very few could explain the sudden friendship between the two, but Lux let slip to Amy, who would then spread it over the whole school, that they had met online and struck up a friendship for a while. It wasn't until recently that they decided to reveal more and discovered they went to the same school. Knowing Amy, Lux used her to spread the word. She felt a little guilty of using her friend like that, but she also knew that Amy would just keep prying until she got the information she wanted.
Speaking of Amy, Poppy knocked the table with her foot and Lux quickly folded up the small map they were using as Amy approached. They both just smiled as she sat down. "So I kind of went overboard with telling everyone." Amy said as she made herself comfortable.
"I figured you would. But what's not why you are here is it?" Lux said probing for the real reason.
"No. I just wanted to know if you wanted to come to the mall after school?" Amy asked, almost begging.
Lux took a side glance at Poppy and she just gave the ever so briefest of smiles. "Sure why not. I could use a bit of a distraction right now." Lux said, and Poppy smiled.
"You study too much you know that." Amy said.
"You don't see how many games I play do you?" Lux said, poking her friend in the ribs.
"Yes and I still say you study too much." Amy blurted out. That got all three of them laughing. Amy excused herself since she could tell she had interrupted something and Lux pulled the map out again. She had carefully selected targets and had limited it to just a few.
"So I've limited it to the main train station downtown, these three museums, and the mall. Any one of them is a big target and will attract attention. My bet is on one of the museums or the station since he has hit the mall too many times." Lux said.
"I say this." Poppy said as she pointed to the History Museum downtown. "It's a bit isolated and it doesn't have many places to hide where we could transform. While it isn't the busiest, it does present a target we couldn't easily defend against." Lux just stared at Poppy as the girl's tactical knowledge was astounding. Though given the games she played, it wasn't surprising.
"Well I guess we will have to enlist Dorcha, Solas, and Zephyr to help see what is going on. Hopefully he will wait until after school is over. But I doubt it." Lux said as she looked at the map again.
"Well the busiest times for a place like that is late afternoon so it is most likely going to be after school or just as it is getting out. We should still be careful." Poppy said, also looking at the map.
"Agreed. There's the bell." And with that the two of them ran back into the school. During the afternoon Lux texted as much detail to Janna as she could, which didn't help Janna relax. Knowing she would be passing through the main transit hub tomorrow did little to eliminate her fears of a next attack. It was unusual that they would be taking public transit rather than a dedicated bus, but given the Science Museum was just a few blocks from the hub made the decision for the school. Also it was much cheaper.
After school, the three of them met in the tower with Nasus to discuss the plans.
"Overall, it is a good selection of targets. My belief is that he will attack the transit hub over the Museum." Poppy gave Nasus the stink eye. "Sorry but that is consistent with their past attacks. Large areas, lots of people, and limited places for you to transform. It is harder to transform in a crowd than you might think. Especially when people will be diving into every small spot to get away and hide. The History Museum is also one that is likely but I doubt it since Kha'Zix will need to deliver."
Poppy's face was still put out but Lux and Janna knew that Nasus was probably right. Either way they knew that they weren't being told something. Seeing the deadlock, Poppy still wanted to get something from the Keeper. "What aren't you telling us?"
"The Summoners who will be reinforcing and repairing the damage from that attack will arrive tomorrow there." Nasus said, matter of factly.
"When?" Lux asked.
"Around noon." Nasus replied.
"So not at peak. I think they will be safe. I'm worried about the afternoon rush hour." Poppy said.
"Hmm. That is a likely point of attack. I guess the only think I can say is be ready. Vel'Koz is going to remain hidden until the summoners arrive here tomorrow so I will be meeting them at the station. Hopefully I can deflect attacks until you all get there. If anything should happen." Nasus said as he thought for a moment.
"Right." With that they all left to return home to work on homework, or at least try. Lux found herself unable to concentrate, Janna was equally distracted and worried, and Poppy wasn't worried, but more concerned that she wouldn't be able to do her best. So all three just started playing games until they had to eat or go to bed.
To say that they all got a good night's sleep would be a lie. They all woke up tired and complaining about it. Lux managed to complain enough about lack of sleep, especially with the fact she almost fell asleep at breakfast to insist from her parents that she stay home and rest. They both chalked it up to the recent attack as Garen had barely managed to get out of bed himself. They knew Garen wasn't going to miss the trip so they called Lux out, and she just went back to bed.
Janna also wasn't going to miss the trip, so she dragged herself to school and slept on the train to the museum, which somehow was more restful than a night in her bed. Garen likewise took a nap on the train. Poppy meanwhile just took naps in class when her teacher wasn't looking. Lux had already managed to text both Janna and Poppy about what happened and Poppy was jealous. Her parents wouldn't let her get away with that. They were strict but reasonable. School however was the one thing they did care about. No missed school for lack of sleep.
Poppy managed to get through the day while Janna enjoyed hers at the museum. Knowing that an attack would be present at some point kept her awake. Lux for her part decided to help Nasus with the arrival of the Summoners from around the world. Going transformed, but in a cloak like him, they met the group, who somehow managed to blend in with the mass that was there. Thinking on it more, Lux noticed that cloaks weren't as out of place as she thought they were going to be. Lux was on watch for anything unusual but surprisingly they managed to get in and out of the hub without any incident.
Back at the library, Lux made her way to her room on the third floor and fell asleep again before waking a few hours later when she knew the attack would happen. Walking downstairs she saw that Poppy had joined them and was napping at the table with some after school snack in front of her. Lux just smiled and giggled a bit before cleaning it up and sitting down to read through the tablet there before Poppy woke up.
"Didn't sleep well either?" Lux asked.
"No. At least you stayed home and got some sleep." Poppy said groggily.
"Well I went and helped Nasus but that was about it. Hopefully Janna bot some form of rest." Lux said.
"I'm sure she did." Poppy checked her phone to see nothing from Janna yet, while Lux looked over to the globe which showed zero incursions. Sighing, she went back to reading while Poppy turned the TV on.
For her part, Janna was enjoying her day immensely. The fact that she knew an attack was coming, was also her queue to enjoy as much as possible. Even having an assignment wasn't dragging her down. Once she was at the museum, she let herself go, which was an odd feeling and just enjoyed herself. Once the assignment was done, she, Garen, and Jayce just ran around the museum taking it in since it was rare they did get there and they decided to enjoy it. Even into the afternoon.
Just as Poppy considered taking another nap, the globe lit up. They both dived over to it to see an incursion. "Let's go." Lux grabbed her locket and Poppy her pendant.
"Star Guardian Power Up." Once they were transformed, Lux got a better look at Poppy. While looking like a smaller version of the one she and Janna wore, it was noticeably different. Poppy had what looked more like a suit of armor than anything. Even her legs were wrapped in a form of armor rather than Lux's and Janna's which were more boots than anything. But the tiara was more like theirs. Her hair also went from brown to a Bright Blue to match her outfit.
"Isn't that a bit heavy?" Lux asked.
"Not really. It is lighter than some of the other things I've worn. My dad has a hobby making old fashioned armor. That is heavy. This feels like nothing in comparison, but I know its strong." Poppy said in reply.
"How do you know that?" Lux asked looking at Poppy.
"Oh I hit myself in the chest with this" Poppy said indicating her hammer. Lux just rolled her eyes.
"Didn't that hurt?" Lux now had her head in her hands.
"A bit, but not nearly as much as I thought it would." Poppy said confidently.
"Ok then, let's go." With that the two headed over to the table to wait for Kha'Zix's attack, and he didn't keep them waiting long. Within a few minutes, the board indicated the attack on the transit hub and they both sprinted out of the tower to the nearby station. Lux was amazed at how Poppy still managed to run with a hammer that was almost twice her size, but considering that it was one of their weapons, she thought better of it.
Reaching the station, it was in utter chaos. Knowing that Janna was likely inside, they both split up to enter the main hall where Kha'Zix had managed to get quite a bit of energy from the mob of afternoon passengers. Lux threw a singularity at the orbs, which Kha'Zix responded to by throwing them all haphazardly through the portal and shutting it. Poppy was looking around for the minion he brought but couldn't find anything.
"Ok enough. I'm getting sick and tired of these games you giant bug. So return that energy you stole or you will be punished. We are the Star Guardians, sworn to defend the universe against all those who would throw it into chaos. And that means you."
"Again seriously what does that ever accomplish besides annoying me." Kha'Zix laughed.
"This you giant bug!" Kha'Zix turned and tried to jump away, but instead was slammed by Poppy into a bench. Throwing her hammer down, the impact on the tile floor left an small hole that Kha'Zix looked at carefully as it was glowing, before it exploded a bit in his face. Now angry, he jumped at Poppy but she threw her buckler at him and upon recovering it, she shielded herself from his attack. Lux meanwhile was looking around for Janna, who she couldn't find. Knowing she might have gotten hit in the attack, she decided that the best thing was to get Kha'Zix before he did real damage.
"Over here bug face." Kha'Zix turned from Poppy and charged at Lux, who only bated him into a binding with bolts to the face. Roaring in anger, he flew through a window and onto the roof. Poppy and Lux took one look around for Janna, who was still out of sight, before jumping up to Join Kha'Zix. On the roof, he met the two Guardians with spines but they both rolled out of the way with Poppy then rolling into a charge and Lux throwing a singularity and exploding it in Kha'Zix's face. Getting caught between Lux and Poppy, Kha'Zix knew he was beaten but he tried to hold out.
A charge and smash into a rooftop chimney convinced him however that staying wouldn't be wise.
"I'll be back." Kha'Zix ripped open another portal and fled before Lux could get another binding off.
"Well I don't think we'll be seeing him again." Poppy said confidently.
"I do. He got away with a lot of energy so I think he'll be back for more. Also we didn't see his minion so he is still planning something. We just need to be on the watch. Let's get back to the tower before powering down or we will never get off this roof with a good explaination." Lux said as she indicated the door.
"Good thinking." Poppy said and followed Lux down and before they knew it they were back at the tower. Powering down, Lux texted Janna to see where she was, but she didn't respond immediately. Getting worried after 10 minutes, Lux called Janna but got someone she didn't expect.
"Lux is that you?"
"Garen!?" Poppy looked up from the tablet where she was following news of the event. "What are you doing Janna's phone?"
"Well she got hurt in the attack. She's ok but knocked out. Jayce and me managed to drag her into a closet here at the station. They just let us out. Oh she's coming around. Relax you are ok." Lux could hear Janna in the background. Clearly recovering from an energy drain.
"Just make sure she is ok brother or I will find you." Lux said angrily.
"She'll be fine after a nap. See you at home." Garen said, now scared of his sister.
"Well that explains a few things" Lux said putting her phone down.
"She ok?" Poppy asked.
"She got hit with the energy drain. From the sound it of it, she was near one of the orbs. A good night of sleep and she will be fine. I'll go check on her since I live close by and it would be seriously out of the way for you." Lux said as she sat down.
"Yep. Now I need to get home before my parents worry. Speaking of them" Poppy said as she grabbed her phone. "I'm fine. I'm with a friend. Ok I'm coming now. Being an only child is a pain sometimes."
"I wish I was." Lux groaned.
"No you don't. Trust me." And with that Poppy hopped down from the stool and headed out. Lux watched her leave before setting out herself. Heading towards Janna's place, she got there just as Garen and Jayce were helping her out of Garen's car. She got hit with the energy drain big time as she was clearly half asleep.
"Lux can you get the door." But before she could even open it, Janna's father opened it for them.
"Thanks again you two. And Lux for stopping by. I'm sure a good night's rest and she'll be fine. I'm sure you three don't want to be here tomorrow when she wakes up."
"Why?" Lux asked.
"She won't stop talking about it and how it ruined her day. Well that's what I got these earplugs for. She doesn't notice them." Somehow Janna managed to make it up the stairs in the time they had been talking and an audible thump from upstairs told them all she just fell onto her bed and asleep. "I'll have a bowl of soup for her when she wakes up. Thanks again."
"No problem." The three departed and Garen offered Lux a ride home. Not wanting to walk anymore, she agreed. Lux hopped into the back seat and was mostly quiet as Garen drove Jayce home and then they drove home themselves. Arriving home, they both just headed upstairs and to bed. Garen however made a detour into the dining room to reassure their parents, while Lux headed upstairs and into her room. Not wanting to come out until dinner, she just put her head down, and before she knew it the sun was coming up the next day.
"Well…that could have gone better." Lux quickly got dressed and headed for school knowing another attack was likely.
Poppy for her part got up with little complaints but she was also tired. 'These fights are going to require me to adjust my sleep schedule aren't they. Oh well, it's what I agreed to.' Moving around her room, Poppy quickly got dressed and after grabbing her pendant, she headed towards school as well. Her parents always left before her, but were also home before her so the tradeoff was ok.
Janna meanwhile spent most of the morning getting ready, and complaining while she did so. She went on and on about the previous day while her father just nodded. Janna knew he used earplugs but it was the fact he knew it was her way of venting that she just ignored it. Finally leaving, she made her way to school, passing by some of the others who were talking about yesterday. She managed to make it to her desk without much talking, and gave Garen and Jayce the "I'm fine" look when she noticed them looking at her.
Janna was more disappointed in herself that she didn't notice the contraption before it activated and that she got it full in the face with it. While it seems that Lux and Poppy had managed to defeat Kha'Zix without her help, it was still unnerving to her. 'I can't do that again'.
Lux meanwhile was more awake than usual in class and while some noticed many just ignored it. Lux had already made plans to meet with Poppy during lunch to see if they could figure out Kha'Zix's next move. Knowing the school, they weren't going to let anyone go off campus for lunch today so meeting with Janna was out of the question.
After the final bell rang, Lux, Janna, and Poppy sprinted to the tower in the Library where they all managed to talk for the first time.
"I'm sorry about yesterday. I should have seen the device and known what it was before it activated." Janna said, with a bit of embarrassment in her voice.
"Would it have given you away?" Lux asked.
"Probably." Janna replied.
"Then you did nothing wrong." Lux said reassuringly.
"Besides we managed to best it easily. It's going to happen so stop beating yourself up over it." Poppy said.
Lux just turned to Poppy and smile. Knowing her attitude, it was good to have someone else there who could cheer Janna up, especially judging by the look on her face. Janna was in fact smiling because she had made a horrible showing and she hoped it didn't reflect on her, but it seems that their newest member was getting over it fast.
"Anyway, we didn't see anyone helping Kha'Zix yesterday so he's still got some kind of plan. I think yesterday was probably an attempt to gather energy in preparation for a larger attack sometime soon." Lux said as she turned.
"You are probably right about that." Dorcha said as she came into the room. Turning to see Poppy the first time, she just nodded. "Vel'Koz is meeting with the summoners to prepare the ritual."
"It's not so much a ritual anymore is it." Solas came hopping in after her. "It's more of a gathering with specific instructions." Seeing all three Guardians looking at him weirdly he continued. "Ritual just sounded cooler at the time. It is however a spell with specific steps and instructions."
"And it has to be performed very accurately. We believe that will be his real target. Try and disrupt the spell before it can be either completed, or completed to its fullest extent." Dorcha continued.
"So what happens if it isn't completed?" Lux asked.
"It means that Kha'Zix could bring in largest monsters next time with more power. We can't fully repair the magics while Malzahar continues to assault them but we can do some things." Solas replied.
"We actually could repair them fully, but it would take time. More time than I fear we will have while the spell is being performed." Vel'Koz decided on that moment to float in. "We are only planning a partial reinforcement, mainly to try and prevent whatever that was a few days ago from getting back, at least for now. We can't do much if Malzahar is going to continue his assault without some extreme measures. Eventually we will have to try a full restoration but that isn't necessary now. "
"Why not?" Poppy asked.
"Well its complicated but the more damaged the magics are the easier they are to repair." Vel'Koz said in reply.
"That doesn't make much sense." Janna said as Lux nodded.
"Actually it does." Poppy spoke up drawing the attention of everyone, while Zephyr made his presence known by winding around Janna's Legs. Picking him up, she placed him on the counter where he could watch. "Knowing what I know from my dad, I'm guessing that they operate like plates in old fashioned armor. There it is much harder to repair the individual plates than to replace them entirely."
Vel'Koz just hovered there shocked, but eventually recovered while Janna and Lux just stood dumbfounded. "That is actually correct. We are replacing the most damaged layers while we have to let others be. Again there may be a point where we have to do a full replacement of many of the magic layers but we aren't there yet."
"So when is the ceremony or whatever you are calling it?" Poppy asked, clearly not wanting to wait.
"Tomorrow night. I had hoped the three of you would help provide security while we work." Vel'Koz said.
"I'll be there." Lux said.
"Definitely." Janna nodded as she replied.
"Just point me in the right direction." Poppy said, clearly eager for another fight.
"Good. It shouldn't take more than a half hour since we aren't doing that much, but you will need to keep them away from the summoning circle. I'll see you all tomorrow night. Until then, I have a lot of work to do. I'm beginning to see why you say sleep is good." And with that, Vel'Koz floated right back out leaving the three Guardians to discuss plans.
"We'll see more when we get there, but we need to come up with plans for tomorrow since it is not only a school night, but we can't have our parents worrying about what we are doing. Any suggestions?" Janna finished looking between the other two and they just shook their heads. Janna racked her brain but couldn't come up with much. Many of the usual excuses that they would use were either not an option because of a school night, or because with all of the recent attacks, their parents would be checking their stories.
"Perhaps suggesting that you are all studying for tests and merely stayed late here?" Nasus had wandered in while they were thinking and they all turned to him.
"Not a bad idea but we can't stay here all night. Can we?" Janna asked turning to look at the wall and thinking.
"Oh I'm sure I can think of a good excuse for your parents if it comes to that. Also driving you all home would only reinforce that. Anyway I'll see you all tomorrow at 8." Nasus said.
Just as soon as he entered he left. The three just looked at each other.
"Well it could work" Lux finally managed to say, but the look of uncertainty was paramount.
"We'll just have to see what comes of it tomorrow. If the attack begins on time, they might use the excuse of 'shelter in place' which might help. Now all we have to do is just get here. That shouldn't be an issue." Janna said as she turned to the others.
"I say we head home to try and sell that point." Lux said. Once they all got home, the sell was easier than any of them expected.
The following day seemed to fly by and before they all knew it, they were racing for the tower. For their part, they actually did study for upcoming tests, the following week, while the rest of the Library seemed to just function around them. When 8 rolled around, they call split up and made their way to the tower through separate entrances. Vel'Koz and Nasus were waiting for them.
"Ah good, now hopefully we won't need you but with Malzahar, I'm sure he knows this is coming. So you need to keep on your guard. This won't be easy, and we need time to complete the spells. Keep Kha'Zix and whatever he brings to the table away from us for as long as possible." Vel'Koz said, almost talking too fast.
All three of them nodded in response and Lux turned to the other two. "Star Guardian Power Up." All three transformed and quickly donned cloaks that Nasus had laid out. Climbing into one of the vehicles owned by the Library, they headed out to where Vel'Koz had prepared. Lux was fully expecting it to be at or near the portal, but it wasn't. It was on the opposite side of town, on a large forested hilltop. Getting there, they saw the old fashioned magic that had become almost the stuff of myth.
"Here is where we will perform the spells. We have some cover, but keeping whatever Malzahar will throw at us away for as long as possible is necessary. We will begin momentarily." Vel'Koz said indicating everything around them.
Lux looked around at the summoners, many of them had gray hair and were clearly older, but not as old as she expected. Lux then noticed Dorcha and Solas perched in trees keeping another two sets of eyes out for trouble. Lux knew that explosions, talking, and yelling wouldn't disrupt the spell, but physical contact would.
"Ok spread out we need to cover everything. If you see something, speak up but don't engage. We need to cover the whole area. You two are going to need to fill in the gaps." Lux said.
"Will do. Good luck." Janna said, moving off.
"Hopefully we won't need it." But no sooner were the words out of Lux's mouth did she regret saying them. There is no way they wouldn't be attacked especially with what was going on. Lux grabbed the cloak she had discarded when they arrived, threw it back on and headed behind a few trees. Janna and Poppy, catching the idea, did the same.
For almost a half hour, the summoners worked in silence while the team kept a sharp eye out. They were careful to not let their guard down, but it was hard after a period of time. Poppy especially wasn't having a good time with waiting but the second they let their guard slip, is the second they would be attacked. Janna had just turned to look at another area when she saw him. Kha'Zix was being careful to keep out of sight, but he was making his way around Janna signaled to Dorcha who fetched Lux.
Poppy also spotted something across from Kha'Zix, though she didn't know about him, so she signaled to Solas, who likewise took off to Lux. Having to make a split second decision, Lux knew that Poppy could probably handle herself in a fight so she sent Solas back, who after relaying the message, Poppy just smiled.
"More fun for me" she whispered back. Lux moved to join Janna, and after a few minutes, both Kha'Zix and his minion charged. They were instantly hit. The minion from Poppy swinging her hammer into its chest, while Lux hit Kha'Zix with a binding and several bolts from her baton. Kha'Zix flew into a rage, clearly not expecting trouble, he charged again, only to get a singularity and more bolts to the face.
Inside the circle, Vel'Koz looked up for brief moment to hear the sounds of battle. Knowing that he would probably be discovered in this fight, he prepared himself if need arose. Nasus however, had disappeared. Looking around, Vel'Koz was puzzled how he could have lost sight of him, but he knew that it was probably because he went to help.
Across from Lux and Janna, Poppy was having fun. She wasn't letting the minion get close, and that was clearly causing aggravation. As it lunged again, Poppy threw her buckler and shielding herself but it still connected. Being knocked back into a tree, Poppy prepared herself for the next blow, but it didn't come. Looking up, she saw Nasus with this long staff coming out of the trees and on the ground, a circle which was slowing the minion's attack.
Poppy got to her feet and charged again reciprocating the favor while Nasus brought his staff down on its head. The minion roared in rage, lashing out with what looked like whips but they both dodged the attacks.
On the other side of the hill, Kha'Zix was making an almost desperate effort to get to the circle, but almost ten minutes of combat was starting to wear him out. He tried again to jump and throwing spikes at Lux, but was caught by another binding while Janna shielded the damage. Kha'Zix then turned to Janna and lashing out with his claws, he tried to get a good hit on her, but she dodge the attacks with grace while Zephyr managed to slow down Kha'Zix to the point of Lux hitting him with another singularity. Just as Kha'Zix roared again, he was hit in the face with a large energy blast.
"You know it is rude to attack a lady don't you." Debonair transformed his weapon and hit the bug in the chest, sending him flying. Kha'Zix hit a tree and decided to take a second to catch his breath. "You might want to deal with the thing on the other side of the hill first. Nasus is helping, but it is slow going." He said as he turned to Lux.
"Right. You will be ok?" Janna just grabbed her staff as a response, and nodded. "Don't do anything stupid then." Lux tore off to the other side while Janna and Debonair charged at Kha'Zix who just barely managed to dodge another hammer strike.
Lux arrived at the other side of the hill to find Poppy and Nasus dealing with the minion, but clearly struggling. Just as it charged again with what looked like whips, Lux threw a barrier over them both absorbing the damage. Nasus turned and nodded while Poppy took advantage of the opportunity to charge again. Lux threw a binding while Poppy knocked it back. Nasus backed off to what looked like focus.
Lux took it as he was hurt and needed to get out so she charged in with a singularity. Exploding it right in the minion's face, she threw a few bolts form her baton enraging it further. Lux then took a solid hit from the whips, knocking her to the ground while Poppy managed to slide and dodge, but only just. Lux threw a binding to keep the creature off of her while she regained her footing only to be knocked down again. Just as another whip came towards here, suddenly a very large creature stood before her.
Clearly Nasus had been hiding power as he was now clearly a bit taller and charged at the minion. Clearly stunned, Poppy took advantage yet again and knocked it into another tree. Nasus brought his staff down on the minion, clearly dealing damage. Lux recovered and once Nasus dived out of the way focused her powers.
"Final Spark." She yelled as she threw a beam of light towards the minion dusting it. "Now to deal with the giant bug." Lux, followed by Poppy and Nasus headed over to the other side of the hill where Kha'Zix didn't seem to be able to do much against Janna with her slows and shields, and Debonair who just kept either throwing energy pulses or hitting him with his hammer.
With it now being a five on one. Lux just stood before the rest while throwing a binding at Kha'Zix to keep him rooted. While he dodged, he caught sight of his odds.
"This has gone on long enough. Your time is up Kha'Zix. You have terrorized the people of this planet long enough. We are the Star Guardians you crazy monster. Sworn to defend the universe against all those who would throw it into chaos. And that means you. Oh and friends."
"You haven't defeated me yet!" Kha'Zix roared, but was instantly slammed back by two hammer hits, a staff hit, a singularity, and Zephyr. Kha'Zix was once again knocked into a tree and this time he wasn't getting up.
Lux focused her energy one more time, and threw her beam one more time. "Final Spark."
Kha'Zix took the beam fully in the face, and collapsed to the ground. The entire group of them carefully approached but he wasn't getting up. "He's done."
"That is what you think." Suddenly a great wave came over them all, knocking them to the ground. When they all looked up they were surrounded by a mass of voidlings. "I will not lose one of my minions to you lot. So be gone." The voidlings attacked and while they were fending them off, Malzahar grabbed Kha'Zix and attempted to flee through a portal, that suddenly closed.
Turning around, Malzahar saw that his voidlings hadn't done their jobs as well as he thought. Summoning his powers, Malzahar reached out to Lux and suddenly she was just standing still with a beam of energy connecting them. The rest of the team stood stunned.
"So little Guardian, you have caused me enough problems and now I will find out who you are." Malzahar said as he forced his way into Lux's mind.
"Don't be so sure." Lux reached inside herself and focused her energy an managed to resist Malzahar, but she knew it wouldn't last.
"You are growing weaker. Just a little more and all of your secrets will be revealed." Malzahar taunted. Lux focused one last time, but suddenly she was alone with her thoughts. Poppy was recovering her hammer and Malzahar was in the air flying to the opposite side of the clearing they were in. Landing hard, Malzahar got up in the air, but was immediately hit by a beam of energy. Roaring in anger, he ripped open a portal, and vanished through it.
Poppy seemed pleased with herself, and turned toward Vel'Koz who was just coming down, but he turned and immedatly started floating towards Lux. Poppy turned and sprinted towards Lux as well, who had collapsed. "You ok? Wake up." Poppy tried to wake Lux up and she eventually opened her eyes.
"I do not want to experience that again." Lux said, jumping to her feet and looking around.
"Hopefully you won't have to. I managed to make him retreat for now, but he will be back. Though I doubt we will see Kha'Zix for some time. The injuries you inflicted on him were extensive." Poppy said
"Let's hope so. Is the spell over?" Lux turned to look at the summoners as she asked.
"Yes it is. The five of you bought enough time for us to do all the work we wanted and a bit more. We can rest a bit easier, but we must still be on watch. For he will send someone else." Vel'Koz said as she came over.
"You think he will identify you?" Janna said, joining them.
"Doubtful. His face was full of beam. He might have easily assumed it was a weapon that was developed locally. I hope. Wait someone is missing." Vel'Koz said, but he didn't sound confident. Lux and the others looked around only to find Debonair gone. He had apparently stayed long enough to see Lux was ok, then retreated. "Sad really. I had hoped to thank the young man. His skills as a fighter are quite fine."
Everyone just laughed at that and it broke the tension around the entire situation. Lux picked herself up and nodded to Vel'Koz who just bowed as best he could. Lux, Janna, and Poppy took off towards town and reaching the outskirts, powered down and walked home. Apparently the battle outside of town hadn't gotten any news as all three arrived home to their parents roasting them over being late on a school night. All three hung their heads and headed upstairs for bed. Finally able to enjoy a night of sleep without the threat of an attack. Or at least one they would know about.
On the moon, Malzahar, was not only nursing his own wounds, but had placed Kha'Zix in a tank to help him recover.
"To say that was careless is an understatement. That almost cost you everything." Cho'Gath said to Malzahar.
"I know, but I wasn't expecting a void beam. Any idea what caused it?" Malzahar asked as he looked away from his own mess. Again.
"No prophet. It is likely using magic and technology, the people of this world were able to reproduce it. It isn't outside the realm of possibility." Cho'Gath replied to Malzahar.
"What about the other theory we won't talk about?" Malzahar turned to look at Cho'Gath proper, saying the thing neither of them wanted to talk about.
"I doubt he was there. Vel'Koz was always an odd one. He only sought knowledge in his twisted way. There is no way he would go soft like that." Cho'Gath said, confidently.
"True. So we must be prepared for more. Rek'Sai come here please." The Giant Void Burrower Queen made her way forward, stopping in front of Malzahar. "You are now in charge of collecting energy for our next assault. They repaired most of the damage we inflicted with our last attack, but we can still get monsters through."
"I have a different approach. Please give me time and I will present it. I require time to build a nest first." Rek'Sai said, knowing she would get what she watned.
"Then go, but be warned, I will not tolerate failure." Malzahar said.
"With respect prophet, Kha'Zix failed numerous times and yet…" Rek'Sai pointed her tail to the tank which he was housed in.
"But he still delivered results. As small or large as they were. If you deliver, then losing something is an acceptable loss." Malzahar retorted, dismissing Rek'Sai.
"Understood." Rek'Sai said in defeat.
"Now go." Malzahar yelled.
On Runeterra, Vel'Koz knew he couldn't relax, but he sensed a new presence.
"What is it?" Nasus asked as Vel'Koz had frozen in his floating around his office.
"Rek'Sai. She's here."
"Well, this will be interesting then. Our Guardians will have to be prepared."
"They will be. I'm sure of it." Vel'Koz turned to look out the window as a chapter in their war closed, and another began.
So one battle is over and another beings. This war as I'm sure you can still is far from over. Thanks for reading this far. I plan to keep working and posting as often as I can.