A/N: With the recent battle, the Guardians have expected some down time, however the down time seems to be getting to them. Time off leads to its own issues, and will the Guardians sense the latest threat or will their down time affect them too much?
Chapter 18: Cooler Chaos
After a week of quiet, it was actually, almost possible, to forget about everything except being normal. Lux, Janna, and Poppy were still training but now were beginning to grow worried. A long time span between attacks was never a good thing, and with it, almost a week now, the three of there were a little on edge to say the least. They were always on the lookout for something, but all of them were getting jumpy with even the small things.
"Lux? Lux!" Janna poked Lux in the arm repeatedly, but it took a pretty good punch to knock Lux out of her trance.
"What?! Sorry. My mind is just wander around." She said turning back to the ice cream in front of her.
"That was obvious. Your eyes were glazed over and you blatantly ignored several questions and topics that you usually can't wait to comment on." Poppy was glaring while trying to keep a straight face.
"Sorry. It's just…it's been a week since the last attack," Lux dropped her voice so they wouldn't be overheard, "and the last time that happened, it was bad." She sank back into her chair a little more as she sighed heavily. Janna and Poppy also sank back and realized they were all thinking the same thing. Everything was so tense and while they were able to relax earlier in the week, it was a lot harder now because they knew something was coming.
"How about we just enjoy our ice cream, mainly because it will melt, for now and then move on" Janna said after a few minutes. The others just nodded. The small sugar rush that came with finishing also helped. Once they were done, they headed to leave, but as they exited the shop, they immediately regretted it. As they exited, the wave of the hot season hit them. It was hotter out than it was just week ago and it only seemed to be getting hotter. Just as they all parted ways, Vel'Koz called them all and asked them to come to the tower. The three of them just wished he had sent Nasus with the van, with its AC.
Once they got to the tower, the mood didn't get any better as they saw a somber Vel'Koz hovering over the projection of Runeterra. He turned when the Guardians entered, any hope that this wouldn't be as bad as they thought, were immediately dashed.
"I'm sorry to pile more bad news on your three, but I finally managed to figure out how much energy Rek'Sai got away with, and it isn't good." Lux, Janna, and Poppy, expecting the worst, just took a seat at the table and Lux nodded once she noticed that they were ready. Vel'Koz sighed and continued. "Malzahar has enough energy stored to do serious damage to the barriers around the planet. We lucked out last time, but this time we may not be so lucky. The only good news that I have is that if he does as bad of an attack that he wants, he will face a serious crisis on his hands."
"OK…how is that good news?" Lux asked as the three Guardians just looked confused.
"It means he'll need more energy if he wants to attack. Not to mention he probably had to use quite a bit to heal Rek'Sai and Kha'Zix after your last fight. My theory right now is that he will likely have to commit another major attack if he wants to do as much damage as he wants to. I've also began preparations to do another reinforcement ritual just in case." Vel'Koz paused for a second as he saw the three Guardians perk up, even if it was just a little bit.
"So just be on the lookout then?" Poppy asked as she jumped down.
"Yes. I'm sure that they will try something soon. They want to bring more stuff to the surface, and more powerful stuff at that. Because of that, another attack on the barriers is inevitable. We need to be ready when it does happen." That brought all of them to what Vel'Koz had said a week ago about a system to replace and rebuild the barriers. They knew that all of their hopes would rest on that. Vel'Koz hovered around for a minute waiting for a response, but when he got none, he just hovered out. The Guardians stayed for a few minutes until they realized that Vel'Koz had gone.
"Let's go then and try to get some sleep. Sounds like we'll be needing it sooner or later." Lux said as she took note. With that, they three of them got up and headed home. With school currently out for a recess for a few weeks, at least fighting would be easier. Well, if the three of them forgot about all of the homework they had been assigned. They all just groaned to themselves as they thought about it.
That night, Rek'Sai was pacing in her den planning her next attack when a portal opened. Rek'Sai grabbed a rock and prepared to throw it, but dropped it as she saw who it was. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit Cho'Gath?"
"I'm here under orders, but I also came with some advice, so let's get the official stuff out of the way. With the season change, and rather dramatically at that, finding something to get energy from shouldn't be difficult. Malzahar needs more energy if he wants to do what he wants, and either way, it is good to have a reserve, which is almost depleted. But we also need to get more powerful things here, meaning another barrier assault is on the horizon."
Cho'Gath continued. "My bit of advice is take what we know about the Guardians and use it against them. We know that they can sense our activities through a sense of cold running through their bodies. Now they have been able to find a way to hid that for now, but hiding your energy collecting in a place already cold might through them off just long enough to get what you need." With that, Cho'Gath opened a portal, and fed back through it. Rek'Sai resumed pacing until she realized what he meant, and with dawn fast approaching, she burrowed and headed to a target she knew might work.
The following morning all three Guardians awoke to a sense of cold, and given the hot day outside, it wasn't due to the weather. Still, it ironically allowed three of them to relax a bit as they knew their next target had arrived and now all they had to do was track it. When they entered the tower however they realized that would be easier said than done. Considering the warm season, air conditioners and magic cooling spells were everywhere a local temperature drop was hard to find as there were too many to track.
"Well that's great. I guess we'll just have to watch and wait. Except I'm not very good at waiting so I suggest we start exploring the city." Poppy started walking towards the door. Lux and Janna just looked at each other, shrugged, then followed Poppy out. Normally they would wait for Vel'Koz to show up, or at least Nasus, but they figured being proactive about this might just solve a lot of their problems.
Leaving the tower with a map of the most drastic lows, they began a search of the city. It was also made readily apparent why they didn't see Vel'Koz or Nasus in the tower. Construction crews were still active around the city still taking down energy collectors, and many of them were empty. More like destroyed as people started talking about them, they found more. Clearly Rek'Sai would need a serious attack to get the energy she needed. While the cold they were looking for was different than the cold from an air conditioner, they weren't able to find anything.
"We've been walking for 3 hours already and investigated most of the sites on our list. Can we at least get something to eat if this is going to continue?" Lux said as she leaned against a building. Her voice was almost desperate. Poppy turned around and seeing Janna in a similar state, relented.
"Ok. There's an ice cream shop nearby that was also on the list. Let's check it out and enjoy it while we are there in case anything happens." Poppy started walking away as she talked and Lux and Janna just rolled their eyes and followed. Once inside, they almost regretted their choice. It was absolutely freezing inside. The employees were in long sleeves so they at least were comfortable, but knowing this chain in particular, it was odd. Poppy's sense was already going crazy, but Lux and Janna were just cold.
"What's with the temperature? It's freezing in here?" Lux asked a passing employee.
"New orders from corporate. Our manager isn't very happy and she's made everyone aware of it." He replied and headed into the back. Lux turned and caught sight of the manager who was looking over a clipboard and had this scowl on his face. Clearly not happy with what he had to do. He was just looking at everyone clearly freezing.
"Excuse me but can we turn up the temperate please?" Lux took another look at another customer and the manager just hung his head.
"I'm sorry ma'am. These are the orders from corporate. Trust me, I wish there was something I could do but I've already been yelled at once today for doing just that. This entire thing is stupid and you have my apologies." He responded bowing his head.
"Well it is bringing them in isn't it?" She asked.
"The only positive of this" he replied before going back to his job. Lux took a seat and tried to think of warm things while Janna got their ice cream. It was clear that people were enjoying it, especially with the heat outside, but clearly wasn't resonating with the employees. As Janna came back with the ice cream, Poppy turned to the others and lowered her voice.
"Well this explains the cold zone that we detected. Still we've looked at a lot of places and found nothing today so what next?" Poppy finished and turned to Lux who just sat back in her chair thinking. Eventually she just shook her head.
"I don't know. Maybe this is one we are going to have to wait out and see where things start happening. We know they need energy but another large scale attack like what they have been doing will just instantly draw us right to them." Lux just sat back in her chair and finished her ice cream while Janna and Poppy took the hint and for once relaxed.
They spent some time relaxing before they knew that they had to leave. Also the fact a massive line appeared out of nowhere and the manager just hung her head while she got behind the counter. Lux, Janna, and Poppy, knowing the heat outside, left before they were unable to with the people pressing in. Once outside, with few options, and with it approaching dinner time, they all headed home.
The topic of conversation at all three dinner tables was the lack of attacks for the last week. Both Janna and Poppy were just able to lazily gloss over the conversation and ignore most of it. Lux however, wasn't so lucky.
"Yeah at the stations, everyone is nervous beyond belief, especially after what happened last time there was this much of a gap. Everyone is nervous and even Caitlyn isn't doing a good job of hiding it." Lux just listened absentmindedly as her father spoke while Garen hung on every word he said.
"But you are in communication with Vel'Koz aren't you? And isn't he in contact with the Guardians?" Garen asked as he was practically jumping out of his seat.
"Yes we are and he his, but no one is saying anything. He said the Guardians are investigating something, but current conditions, I think that is what he said, make it difficult. Lux? Are you ok?" Lux almost jumped in her chair but turned her head and looked down at her plate. It was barely touched. She turned to her father.
"Yeah I guess I'm not as hungry as I thought I was. I'm also a bit tired from walking around today." Lux made to get up but a look from her mother made her sit back down. She knew that she wouldn't be going anywhere until she finished. "Ok I'll finish" Lux said quietly.
"Good. Then you can head up to bed. It's Garen's night to do the dishes." Mrs. Crownguard said turning to her son.
"But last night was…oh." Garen went several shades of red when he realized he forgot, now it was his for the rest of the week. "Great."
"Later bro. Enjoy." Lux summoned the energy to run up the stairs laughing while Garen just hung his head in defeat while their mother scolded him with the look that all mothers have and you can't ignore. Once in her room, Lux kicked off her shoes and made to settle down before Dorcha hopped onto her lap.
"Any progress?" She asked, but instead of waiting for an answer, she immediately hopped off. That got Lux's attention and she turned to look at her and Solas, who was likewise keeping a distance.
"What?" Lux asked, now looking very concerned. She was also fighting off the weariness that she was feeling in the process.
"You have the energy of the void on you. Didn't you notice it?" Dorcha said. That finally snapped Lux out of her stupor and she jumped up and made her way to her nightstand. Pulling out her pen, she immediately shut off her lights, to make it look like she went to sleep, and opened a portal to the tower, grabbing Dorcha and Solas as she headed through.
Lux found the tower deserted and she entered the Library knowing it was closed and the staff was gone. She quickly made her way to Vel'Koz's office only to find Nasus there doing some work. He looked up as she entered. "Lux what are you…what's wrong?" He immediately picked up on her seriousness and put down his work.
"Where's Vel" Lux asked, clearly in a hurry.
"In his lab. This way. Care to fill me in." Nasus said as he escorted her to Vel'Koz's lab in the basement.
"How about I just tell it once." Lux said, and Nasus, after thinking for a second nodded. They entered Vel'Koz's lab to find him working over several things, but he turned immediately as they entered, grabbing a device as he almost sped to Lux. He took a couple of quick scans and immediately started plugging away on a computer.
"Please do tell me what happened." He said, not looking up from his work, but also making himself willing to hear.
Lux took a breath and started. "Well, the three of us decided to go walking around the city investigating those temperature drops, but we found nothing. Or at least nothing obvious. We visited a lot of places, I lost track around 30 before we gave up and headed home. Until Dorcha said something, I didn't even notice. I thought I was just tired from the heat and walking around." Lux finished as she sat down. Nasus quickly put a can of soda in front of her and Lux nodded a thanks.
"Yes. The energy was subtle. I really didn't notice it until I hopped into her lap. Wherever they were, it was either early, or it wasn't very strong." Dorcha said while Solas just nodded in agreement. Vel'Koz waved a tentacle and continued to work for another minute before he turned.
"I believe it was the latter. A small, but lingering charge that will slowly drain energy into the collectors that we haven't found yet. This is really good thinking on her part, but collecting everything will be the challenge. However, take a bit from everyone, especially in this heat, it will make it seem more like heat exhaustion rather than energy drain. Clever girl." Lux and Nasus both just rolled their eyes as Vel'Koz grabbed a sheet of paper and hovered over to the table where Lux sat.
"Try and write down every place you were, or at least the ones you can remember and try and get Janna and Poppy here. Or maybe just Poppy." Vel'Koz quickly added as Janna and Zephyr walked in.
"I'm guessing Dorcha and Solas sensed it too?" Janna asked as she sat down at the table. Lux was on the phone trying to get in touch with Poppy but nodded in reply.
"She's not answering. You try." Lux said as she got Poppy's voicemail for the second time. Janna grabbed her phone and dialed. On the second try she got a clearly groggy Poppy.
"What is it?" She sounded almost like her father, which took Janna aback for a second.
"You want to come down to the tower and then to Vel'Koz's lab quickly. Dorcha, Solas, and Zephyr sensed void energy onus and we are trying to figure out where it came from." A small thud was heard through the phone.
"I'm on my way." Suddenly the adrenaline kicked in and not more than 5 minutes later, Poppy was strolling through the door with her map from earlier in hand. She laid it on the table and the three Guardians worked quickly to get their route for the day, but that was easier said than done. While they all agreed about where they went, they all disagreed about the order they went in. Eventually the discussion came so heated that Lux just pushed back from the table and started walking around. Janna and Poppy got the hint and calmed down.
Once they all calmed down a bit, Lux returned to the table and drew three routes that they all seemed to agree on as the most likely routes. They all agreed to trace each of the routes tomorrow, but for now, they would all get some sleep. Making quick plans, they all quickly made their way back to their rooms and got some sleep. The night passed in relative quiet but the following morning the all felt the cold from the void energy that is present. And for Lux, not even thinking, coming downstairs in a hoodie in the middle of the warm season got more than a few stares from her family. She quickly pulled it off and threw it upstairs with a grin that got her family's eyes rolling.
As the three set out on their routes, they knew they would overlap and planned signals in case they found something. However, after a few hours none of them came across anything unusual. They met up outside the ice cream shop and still nothing. However, seeing the line, they headed to another shop nearby to get a fix before they headed back to the library. All three of them ate in silence as they grew frustrated with their hunt.
Once they were back at the library, all three were quickly scanned and contained only trace amounts of void energy. "Well what did you three miss?" Dorcha asked as she turned between the three of them.
"Well we did go everywhere that we did yesterday and nothing. Just the usual trace from the prevalence of it right now." Lux sat back into a chair and sighed as she racked her brain for anything different.
"Actually there was something different." Janna said and everyone turned to her. "We didn't go into that ice cream shop." Lux and Poppy just stared at Janna and then the flash of understanding ran across the three of them and they sprinted out of the library and towards the shop. When they got there, they found that it was more crowded than ever. The line was out the door, and around the corner, half a block down. Janna decided to try and get a closer look and eventually bumped into Garen and Jayce who were just leaving.
"Ok you two, what is going on? There wasn't a line like this yesterday." Janna pressed them and she crossed her arms. Lux and Poppy quickly hid themselves to avoid being spotted.
"Well it's like an ice box in there. It is so cold that it is drawing people in. Apparently some new thing and while the employees and manger don't seem happy, everyone else is. Prices are still the same however, but people are staying longer, especially with this heat." Garen said as he walked away, clearly regretting leaving the shop and started heading back home. Lux and Poppy, once they were sure that Garen, and Jayce were out of sight, rejoined Janna.
"Well that was weird, but I got what we needed." Janna pulled a device from her pocket as she spoke, and it was one of Vel'Koz's void detectors. "I managed to get a good reading on the two of them, and look." Lux took the device from Janna and only needed a second to tell they found the source of the void energy.
"Still, it is weird that they would choose a place like this. This chain has another store on the other side of town. I suggest we take a look at that one and make some comparisons." Poppy said, as she took the device from Lux and after taking a quick look, handed it back to Janna. Meanwhile something dropped on Lux's head, causing her to spin, and throw Dorcha into Janna, who managed to catch her.
"Sorry. But the three of you took off so fast, that we didn't get a chance to say something." Dorcha kept her voice low as Janna handed her back to Lux, only to be replaced by Zephyr who settled on Janna shoulders. Solas, who was clearly out of breath, took a place on Poppy's shoulder. "Vel'Koz advised checking out the other shops by this chain."
"We were about to do that." Lux said, keeping her voice low as well. And they all turned and headed to a shop across town. When they got there, it was empty. Vacant would be a better term as the employees were sitting at a table doing nothing. The manager stood up as they entered.
"Sorry, but the one with the AC cranked up to 11 is downtown. We aren't doing that here." He said. Lux, Janna, and Poppy just looked confused at each other.
"Um, we are just looking for some ice cream and we didn't feel like waiting in that massive line." Janna said after they all just looked at each other for a few minutes.
"Oh. Sorry, but everyone said the manager there was telling them it was from corporate to crank the AC up that high, but when I checked they sent no such order." The manager said as two of his employees got up and headed to the counter to help the three of them.
"That's what he told us when we went there yesterday." Janna said as she picked out the two flavors she wanted. Lux and Poppy likewise did and they sat down where the manager was apparently curious.
"Sorry to intrude on you three but is that really what he said?"
"Yes. And that is what the employees believe as well. We weren't sure, but we also weren't waiting in that line." Lux said as she paused to eat a bit.
"That is interesting because something like that would come from corporate and most people just run out when they hear we won't crank the AC up that high but there has to be something else if people are willing to wait in that line for hours." The manager let his sentence trail off as he walked away while the employees went back to browsing on their phones. Lux, Janna, and Poppy sat there for a minute before they all just looked at each other in horror. All three of them knew exactly what the manager was talking about, and a quick look at Dorcha, Solas, and Zephyr, they knew as well. The three of them quickly finished their ice cream and then sprinted out of the store running back downtown.
When they arrived back at the other shop, it was just as packed as ever. Dorcha hopped down from Lux's shoulder and moved closer, but she didn't even have to get near to sense the void energy now radiating from the shop. She quickly rushed back to the Guardians. Solas instead hopped off and managed to somehow make his way in. The rest of the team waited and watched while he made his way around and 20 minutes later, he made his way back out of the shop and back to the team.
"So yeah. It's it, but I'm not convinced that it is the manager who is possessed. It seems to be one of the assistant managers who is regularly checking into the back. Finally, there seemed to be an incident where she couldn't head back and I managed to sneak into the back room to find void collectors there. There were at least 4 that I saw and they seemed to be set on a low setting, but given everyone going in and out, they are getting a lot of energy." Solas finished as he nudged himself into Lux's arm to warm up.
"So attacking now would be a bad idea?" Poppy asked, her hand already on her pendant.
"Yes. Right now, there is little we can do as they are nearing closing time and an attack today would lead to more issues. I would suggest getting a good night sleep before we confront this. I would suggest tomorrow morning before they open. Should we alert the police?" Dorcha added as a side thought.
"It probably would be a good idea. After all I'm sure they have a lot of issues with this place lately. I'll go and discuss it with Caitlyn. She seems to trust me for some reason." Lux said as she stood up and grabbed her locket.
"Because you are the leader, and you act like it. Mostly." Solas said, Lux just rolled her eyes and headed off. Janna and Poppy made for home, knowing that Lux wouldn't want them with her. When Lux reached the police station, she carefully looked around and recognizing that she was clear, pulled her locket.
"Star Guardian Power Up!" Lux settled back onto the ground as she was fully transformed, and turning to the pack she had, pulled the cloak she and the others now started carrying at all times, and put it on. She carefully walked across the parking lot, and into the station where she saw Vi in the lobby speaking to another officer. Lux just made her way to the windows where she just waited until she was done. Once she had finished, Vi walked over.
"Guardian. You have more news that you wish to share?" Vi asked, keeping her voice low as she turned to the hooded figure next to her.
"Yes actually. I'm sure you are aware of the extremely popular ice cream shop downtown?" Lux said, keeping her face to the window.
"Yes. I'm assuming there is an issue with it?" Vi kept her voice low and steady, trying to keep her emotions in check.
"Yes there is. It has been collecting void energy for a while now. We couldn't sense it because of the lowered temperature in the place. They hid it well, but eventually it became too much. They aren't taking a lot of energy from people. Small amounts but over time…" Lux let her voice trail off and Vi picked up right where she left off.
"It adds up. So what do you need from us?" Vi kept her head forward, but let her eyes drift to the teenager next to her.
"Just keep people safe when a fight does break out tomorrow. We don't know how much energy they got but we can't let it continue any more. We will be attacking tomorrow morning, hopefully before the line forms, but you will know when it happens." Lux moved to go, knowing that Vi would be able to fill in the blanks, but Vi's hand on her shoulder stopped her. Lux turned but kept the hood low.
"Why are you three doing this? I mean we are trained, ok poor choice of words, but we are the ones who are supposed to handle this?" Vi actually showed concern, which was rare for her. Under the hood, Lux just smiled.
"Because we were called to do it and we agreed. We knew what we were getting into and we knew what could happen. And we are ok with that." Lux shifted her shoulders and Vi removed her hand. Lux turned and walked out, the heels on her boots clicking as she walked out. Lux managed to get out of Vi's line of sight, but turned back to see a look of concern on her face. Lux also knew she lied about a few things. None of them knew what they were getting into, but they all knew the possible consequences. And she accepted that. That was more important than anything.
Lux made her way back home and snuck into her bedroom and laid down for what was going to be a restless night sleep. Or so she thought. That night, because of all the void energy dropping the temperature, at least for them, she, Janna, and Poppy slept soundly. Their minds were racing but their bodies woke rested, which was probably for the best. When they woke however, the prevalence of void energy was so great, that any thought this would be an easy fight were quashed.
The three of them met up near the shop, which already had a line, and they surveyed the area. The police where clearly there, but were keeping quiet about it. Knowing that no matter where they were, they would be discovered if they transformed, they had to move further away than they wanted to. After they found a good spot, Dorcha, Solas, and Zephyr went up to made absolutely certain. The thee of them waited with baited breath while they searched, but Dorcha came back a few minutes later.
"You three are clear. Now let's get this monster." She said as she hopped onto a low branch. Lux turned to Janna and Poppy and they nodded.
"Star Guardian Power Up!" The three of them, once they settled back onto the ground, quickly sped towards the shop, with Dorcha and Solas, running behind. Zephyr had transformed with Janna, and was more than content to ride on her shoulders. The fact he was also invisible helped. As they approached the shop, they made their way to where Vi was sitting. She did a better job than usual of blending in than she normally did. Still, despite everything, Lux still managed to take her by surprise.
"A little warning would have been nice." Vi said as she recovered after jumping to her feet.
"Sorry, but we were trying to be stealthy. How'd we do?" Lux was clearly trying to contain her laughter and Vi relented.
"Not bad, considering…" Vi let the sentence hang as she looked at the three of them. Poppy just rolled her eyes. "My plan was to get the civilians clear once you confirmed whatever it was that was causing this and then form a perimeter to try and keep things contained, but I know that won't be easy."
"Wait a second. Where's Caitlyn?" Janna was looking around for the Chief.
"She's up there." Vi pointed over her shoulder to a building across from the shop and handed Lux a pair of binoculars. Lux took a quick look and even then it took a minute to find her. Caitlyn was clearly watching them as she waved when Lux finally had her location.
"Ok then. Let's get this underway." Janna said while Lux and Poppy moved to flank outside and get whether or not their seeker was there. Making their way across the street was no easy task, but once they were behind the shop, the three of them quickly realized that only Poppy would be able to get in and out without being detected, so after a rolling of the eyes, she managed to get through a vent, with Solas following behind, and Lux and Janna waiting near the back door. The store was clearly empty of everyone but one person.
"Yes mistress, the wealth of energy from this has been nothing but fruitful, but I fear the Guardians are closing in." The seeker said as Poppy managed to keep herself in the shadows, but just barely.
"True, but my concern is the police in the city. They are becoming aware of our tactics and it is only a matter of time until they catch on. We can only run this for a few more days at most before we must leave." Rek'Sai said as she emerged from around a corner. Solas quickly hopped off Poppy's shoulder and sprinted for the vent, trying to keep quiet as he did so, but somehow managed to knock something over. Rek'Sai and the seeker quickly rounded the corner, and Poppy barely managed to duck into a room while the rounded the corner and caught Solas.
"Just a poro. They get into everything if you aren't careful. I'll just throw it outside as its energy isn't worth taking. Too much refining needed." The seeker moved to pick up Solas, who did a good job of trying to avoid being caught before he relented. Somehow Lux and Janna managed to find cover in the alley as Solas was unceremoniously thrown into it and the door closed behind him.
"Well?" Janna asked, as she and Lux emerged from cover in another doorway.
"They are in there all right. Poppy had to duck for cover because I messed up getting out undetected." Solas said he hopped to Lux.
"Why am I not surprised." Dorcha could barely contain her laughter while Solas shot her a look.
"Either way. Poppy will get the door open, then do your thing." He said as he and Dorcha made for safety. Lux nodded, and while Janna covered the door, Lux made her way just far enough to be visible from Vi's vantage point, and signaled her. Vi got the message and the police moved in, quickly and quietly. Just as Lux thought about going back to the door, she heard it open and shut quickly. Thinking fast, she made her way around to the front, where she saw officers moving the crowds away quickly. Lux took a position behind a police car outside the front door and she waited knowing the shop would be open soon.
Just as the seeker stuck its head out to see where the opening employees were at, Lux, seeing the coast was clear, threw a binding followed by a few bolts. The seeker roared in anger, and quickly left its host and tried to charge at Lux, only to be hit by Poppy's hammer into the wall of the shop.
"Expecting someone else?" Janna asked, as she threw a twister that had the combined effect of shattering the front windows and door, while also throwing the seeker into the ceiling. The three of them ducked to avoid the flying glass while outside, the police likewise took cover.
"So it seems our operation has been found out. No matter, you will not defeat me. No one has ever defeated the great Zaynia." The seeker roared as she took her full height. Strangely humanoid, but with elongated features, she proved her agility as she moved quickly towards the back of the shop, while dodging attacks from all three Guardians. She then twisted around and fired at the three. The Guardians hit the deck as solid ice shards passed over their heads and imbedded in the squad car behind them. The officers that were behind it quickly made for the perimeter, clearly afraid of more flying ice.
"What do you three think of my ice, perhaps you all just cool down." Zaynia breathed deeply and shot out a cone of cold at the Guardians. Janna and Poppy managed to dive out of the way, but Lux got her leg frozen to the ground. Seeing this, Zaynia charged at Lux, only to impact Janna's shield while Poppy knocked the seeker into yet another wall. Poppy then turned and wound up a strike to shatter the ice around Lux's leg, only to have Lux knock her out of the way as she threw a binding to keep Zaynia at bay while Poppy tried again. However, it was futile as Zaynia charged again, necessitating a twister from Janna. So they settled into a fight where Poppy would charge and attempt to pin Zaynia while Janna kept Lux and Poppy shielded, and Lux kept throwing singularities and bindings, while trading with Janna on the shields.
"You three can't keep this up forever so I will just end it." Zaynia breathed deeply and seeing this, Janna and Poppy dived out of the way again, and on her way down, Janna threw a shield at Lux, who also shielded herself. The ice didn't progress any further, but it also didn't go away. Zaynia seeing an opportunity charged at a now exposed Lux, only for a shattering to be heard and Zaynia falling onto the floor where Lux had just been pinned. Caitlyn had taken a shot that would not only shatter the ice around Lux's leg, but also hit Zaynia. Lux somehow managed to roll out of the way and land on her feet while throwing a binding that kept Zaynia in place. Poppy, seeing the opportunity, charged forward and knocked the seeker outside and into the now heavily secured perimeter.
Upon getting to her feet, Zaynia saw that she was fully surrounded but decided that the police were softer targets than the Guardians, and charged a car. Suddenly a large energy ball moving very rapidly came out of nowhere and slammed into her chest. This was quickly followed up by a hammer in the same spot, sending the seeker to the ground several feet away.
"You three really should send invites to your parties. I hate being late." Debonair said as he transformed his weapon back.
"Well if we had a way to get in contact with you…" Janna said, letting the sentence hang. Debonair just shook his head.
"Fair point. Now how about this?" He pointed to Zaynia, who was starting to get to her feet. Janna just nodded in response while Poppy and Lux took positions.
"Ok that is enough from you. You have drawn enough energy from the people of this city and we are finally putting an end to it." Lux said, keeping her stance steady to avoid revealing the amount of pain she was in from having her leg frozen. "We are the Star Guardians, sworn to defend the universe against all those who would throw it into chaos. And that means you."
"Seriously? That's your little speech?" Zaynia laughed, and Lux just smiled. Zaynia stopped laughing just long enough to see two hammers fly into her face from Poppy and Debonair. She flew backwards and into a wall, narrowly avoiding a police car. She roared in anger getting up only to have Lux throw and detonate a singularity in her face and Debonair throw an energy pulse through his gate device. Zaynia managed to dodge a follow up attack from Poppy, only to have Zephyr attach and slow her down enough for Janna to wind up a twister and knock her sky high, landing a few seconds later with audible thud.
"Ok that does it." Poppy sung her hammer above her head, let it twirl for a few seconds, then brought it back down knocking Zaynia into the air again, and back into the building, where she collided with the wall with a sickening thud and slumped down to the bottom. Lux was about to charge up her spark, when she felt Rek'Sai approaching. Remaining still until the last possible second, Lux dived out of the way as Rek'Sai emerged swinging her claws in the air, only to be checked by Poppy into a police car, leaving a door unusable as a result.
"Just when I thought this would be easy. Oh well. More things to hit." Poppy said, swinging her hammer again, knocking Rek'Sai into a nearby building, where she slumped against the ground, clearly knocked out. Zaynia, seeing that, roared and charged at Poppy, connecting with a few ice fists. Just when it looked promising, Poppy smiled, causing Zaynia to briefly pause, then get slammed into another police car with Janna's monsoon. Lux threw a binding to keep her in place, and channeled her powers. Poppy and Janna both dived out of the way, along with the nearby police.
"Final Spark!" Lux threw her energy forward into its beam, causing the usual result of void monsters. "Dusted. Now for the other one." Lux said as she landed. Strangely, her spark, despite passing clean through the police car, left no visible damage. Which was apparently just as surprising to everyone else, who were clearly expecting and explosion.
While they left the police to deal with the two damaged cars, the Guardians and Debonair surrounded Rek'Sai as she started to stir. The voidling slowly got to her feet and after looking up, she knew that her number was punched. She was literally and figuratively surrounded.
"It's over. You have lost. Submit and you will be treated with respect. Fail, and we will not be so nice." Lux said. Clearly her anger was overriding her usual calm, but Janna, Poppy, and Debonair, along with the numerous police officers around them, seemed to care. Rek'Sai pulled herself up a little more, but knowing she was done, sighed and slumped back to the floor.
"It seems that I am finally beaten. Very well. I surrender." A split second later, she lunged at Lux, who seemed to have expected the attack, and ducked, resulting in Rek'Sai flying over the Guardian, and then getting hit with a binding when she landed. Poppy and Debonair, took advantage of the opportunity to slam Rek'Sai again with their hammers and knock her into one of the already damaged cruisers where the voidling again slumped to the ground. Lux, recovered enough, readied her powers, only to be slammed into the ground as a void portal opened above them.
"It seems that my minions constantly underestimate you four, and that is really getting annoying. However, we are not done, and soon you will be." Malzahar rushed at Lux, only fall from the sky a few seconds later. A loud echo sounded and Lux knew what had happened. Caitlyn, ever the patient and accurate marksman, had fired, doing serious damage to the void leader. Rek'Sai, getting to her feet, somehow, roared, dived towards Malzahar, grabbed him, then attempted to vanish through a portal. Lux, however, was quicker.
Throwing a binding, she rooted the two voidlings in place. Poppy then charged at the two of them pinning them to a wall, while Janna charged a twister and threw it. Lux for her part charged up her powers, focused, and threw everything she had at the two voidlings. "Final Spark!" The laser beam from her baton was so bright, that even she was blinded by it. Lux touched back down and struggled to catch her breath. Janna, Poppy, and Debonair moved closer to Malzahar and Rek'Sai, who were somehow still alive. Once Lux caught her breath, she stood up and walked over.
"It's over you two. Surrender now. You are beaten." Lux's voice betrayed her emotions, but no one seemed to notice. Malzahar was clearly unconscious, but Rek'Sai moved, slowly, to position herself between the Guardians and her prophet. She roared, or at least tried, to show defiance, but she knew that she was outgunned and finally outnumbered. Realizing this, she just hung her head. Lux nodded to Janna and Poppy but before they could even move, the two of them were knocked into the air, and a loud roar was heard from the alley.
A large and foreboding creature emerged from the shadows, causing Poppy and Debonair to back up. Janna and Lux readied with their shields. The monster roared again and somehow threw all four of them into the air, and they all slammed back down. Hard. "The four of you are capable, and it is unfortunate that many choose to underestimate you. So take this day as yours, but this fight is far from over." The creature ripped open a portal and dragged Malzahar and Rek'Sai through it.
The Guardians and Debonair turned to each other, and just nodded. Debonair took off while the Guardians turned to the police. Vi came out from behind another police car and approached the team.
"You three ok? Where's the other one?" She asked as the Guardians stopped in front of her.
"He's gone and probably good. So what's the damage?" Lux said, with a strained face as she looked at the damage to the police cars and other things.
"Don't worry about that. Considering everything, you three managed to minimize damage and we could always use a few new cars. I'll smooth things over with Caitlyn but again, you three did good. Now get out of here." Vi said as she turned to see Caitlyn approaching. Lux, Janna, and Poppy didn't need telling twice and they sped off for the library. Arriving there, they powered down and headed into Vel'Koz's lab.
"You three should be proud of yourselves after what you did today. You managed to hold your own against a lot more than you were expected to. Your team is still incomplete, but hopefully we can make progress on that soon." Dorcha said.
"Yeah. The three of you worked together well and adapted to the situation as you needed to. We are all proud of you." Solas followed up.
"Thanks, now what happened with that?" Lux asked as she, Janna, and Poppy took a seat at the table in the center of the lab.
"That thing was called Cho'Gath. He was one of the void leaders, but now he listens to Malzahar. Sometimes willingly, sometimes by respect, and other times, because there is no better plan. He is immensely powerful, and can easily fight the three of you. If you are going to face him again, then you are going to need your full team." Vel'Koz said as his voice betrayed his emotions.
"And we need to refocus on finding the other two Guardians and figure out their overall plan. However, the biggest threat right now is how much energy they got away with and how much they will use to heal Malzahar and Rek'Sai. Vel, how much could you estimate?" Nasus turned to his longtime friend who quickly busied himself with making calculations. Lux, Janna, Poppy, and Nasus played a card game while they waited. Eventually Vel'Koz floated over and he was clearly worried.
"It's bad. Even with the amount of energy it will likely take to heal those two, they made off with an enormous amount of energy. Enough to do serious damage to the barriers. I have no doubt that he will attempt another attack against them soon, and unless we manage to repair them to the same extent as before, the damage will be critical." Vel'Koz was hovering so low, that he was almost on the ground.
"Well then, we'll just have to be on the defense for when that happens, but we also have to keep an eye on everything. Rek'Sai will be back, and with a vengeance." Janna said. The others just nodded. They all silently agreed to just call it there and be prepared for the future.
On the moon, Cho'Gath was frustrated. Malzahar made the right move, but he also miscalculated the people on the planet. Ironic since he was from said planet. As Malzahar awoke from his sleep with the void energy infused into him, he sat up quickly.
"How bad?" He turned to Cho'Gath.
"Not as bad as I thought. That guardian's power was great, but since their team is incomplete, it wasn't as powerful as it should have been. Still, I can't fault your actions, but you underestimated the people of the planet." Cho'Gath let the sentence hang.
"Indeed I did and that is my mistake. I cannot make the same mistake again. Still, that woman was a good shot. This is going to hurt for a while won't it?" Malzahar looked at the scar from Caitlyn's bullet.
"Yes it will." Cho'Gath responded. He drew breath to continue, but Malzahar cut him off.
"It will serve as a reminder to myself. What about Rek'Sai?" Malzahar took to hovering again, but clearly still in pain.
"I really wish you would rest but I also know that you won't. Follow me." Cho'Gath lead the Prophet to the regeneration room. Rek'Sai was sitting in a pool of energy clearly in pain, but also getting better.
"She will have to be ready soon. There is something that I need her to do before we can unleash another barrier assault. We need a distraction, and I'm sure she can deliver it." Malzahar in an unusual show of respect, placed his hand on the back of the Void Burrower, and she shifted to acknowledge it, considering she was still in pain and couldn't talk over the sedation Cho'Gath had given her.
"I will be ready great Prophet." Cho'Gath said, drawing himself up.
"Good. Soon those Guardians would pay." Malzahar laughed, but quickly stopped and winced in pain. He just waved off Cho'Gath and returned to his bed.
Back on Runeterra, Lux looked up at the moon and clearly was in deep thought. "Something bothering you?" Solas jumped up onto the windowsill and turned to Lux.
"Just why didn't I defeat those two? I threw everything I had into my Spark, but it didn't work." Lux had a tear in her eye, clearly showing her failure.
"Well there are a few reasons. First, Malzahar shielded Rek'Sai from your spark. Had she taken it full on, she probably wouldn't be alive. Second, your still not at your full power. Guardians get stronger the more that there are, the stronger the whole team is. Third, Malzahar likely absorbed void energy recently, giving him enhanced stamina and power. It wasn't you, well mostly. It's just a product of circumstance. You are much more powerful than when you started this journey. You have made incredible progress. Take pride in that. But don't let it go to your head." Lux laughed, picked up Solas, and headed to bed, ready for the next challenge knowing that hopefully they would get help soon.