With his latest plan backfiring, Kog'Maw now has to focus on gathering other objects that Malzahar possessed while he was on Runeterra. He must also gather energy at the same time, and now he sets his sights on both. Even if he doesn't have a good plan. Yet.
Chapter 24 – Hop, Skip, Jump, Fight
The music was deafening but that doesn't meant they didn't' enjoy it. Lux, Janna, Poppy, and Lulu were at a concert Central Park and while they were there officially to see if Kog'Maw would attack, that didn't mean they couldn't enjoy themselves. The DJ on stage was just killing it and her music echoed around the whole area. The concert itself was a prime energy source and given how Kog'Maw rarely planned before attacking, it would be obvious that he might attack here.
If the Guardians were disappointed with the lack of an attack, their faces didn't show it as they left, along with a lot of classmates and headed home for the inevitable lectures from parents about concerts on school nights. The team walked as much as they could together before they split off heading home, and while they all got the lecture, they all got a good night sleep as a result.
The lack of an attack was also noticed by Vel'Koz who had likewise expected an attack was surprised as the concert ended without so much as a peep from his former associates. Vel'Koz decided to take one last look around the Library before the early night shift left and the overnight shift started. The Library was open at all hours and he found it to be more helpful than a problem. The university students never failed to help out as they wrote papers, and did projects late into the night. He found it funny but as much as other patrons complained about them, the students were also the cleanest. Frequently staying quiet and cleaning up after themselves. The ones who complained were often enough the ones who were loud and messy.
Vel'Koz floated around and saw a fair share of students tonight. He also noticed a girl in the corner who was just listening to music and having the vibe of "please just leave me alone". In another, another girl was looking out the window in between looking at her laptop. At one of the couch pods, another younger student was watching videos. Vel'Koz almost asked him to leave, but saw the paper on another laptop and clearly someone was trying to just take a break before getting back to the grind. The table behind the laptop was also a mess with books and papers.
Chucking to himself, Vel'Koz checked in with the staff and noticed many of them were in a good mood. "Concert?" he asked again and again, and the answer was all the same. "Yes." After taking a final loop, he headed to his office to work on a few things before the morning.
The following morning still was a challenge for Lux to get out of bed and get ready for school. Today was going to be a very long day for her, Poppy, and Lulu. They had a mock exam today for their end of year examinations. Meaning they are spending the entire day taking test after test after test. Letting her head drop, Lux headed down for breakfast before heading out and meeting up with Amy on the way to school.
"Well today won't be boring will it?" Lux just shot Amy a glare as Amy tried to lighten up the situation. "At that concert last night?"
"Yes." 'For more than one reason, but yes.' Lux just let her head hang again while Amy kept walking next to her.
"Well that's your own fault isn't it. I mean you have been complaining about not getting enough sleep and you decide to go to a concert at that time?" Amy's voice turned a bit angry but Lux also noticed the concern in her voice.
"Well it is still hard to sleep isn't it. I mean the attacks haven't stopped and I'm still getting caught in a few of them." Lux didn't let her anger or frustration at not really having a day off get into her voice.
"Yeah that can be hard, I understand. At least there is a bright side." Lux just looked very inquisitively at Amy. "Well there is something for us to look up to." Lux just laughed at that and because she wasn't paying attention, tripped over a rise in sidewalk and barely managed to catch herself before falling on her face. Now Amy was laughing while Lux just groaned.
When they had finally gotten to school, it seemed everyone was at the concert last night, even Ms. Teller who just assigned work and seemed to struggle to keep from falling asleep. The whole class was working on various assignments at different points, but because most were just so tired, there was little talking.
Janna was likewise enjoying a lazy day, but since she moved around, trying to catch up on a little sleep was harder. Made harder still when several of her teachers hadn't gone to the concert, or had kids that did so they were wide awake. Janna just looked out a window in more than one class, waiting for lunch.
When lunch did finally arrive, it wasn't hard for them to meet up and discuss the events of the night before.
"Well at least we dodged an attack." Poppy said as she looked over at Lulu, who was just drawing again.
"Which doesn't make any sense. I mean usually something like that was a perfect target for gathering energy." Lux responded as she attempted to think, but her brain was just not cooperating.
"Well could Kog'Maw be looking for something else?" Lulu asked, looking up.
"We didn't rule that out the other night, but what could he be looking for? That's the real question." Poppy said turning to Lulu but even Poppy couldn't think of an answer. "I mean he went after Malzahar's scepter, but what if it wasn't for the reasons we think?"
"What other reason apart from sentimental reasons could there be?" Janna asked looking around for anyone else approaching really quickly. However, no one responded as there was no reason to as none of them could find a reason. Lux looked around at the team. Lulu was drawing again but clearly still listening; Poppy was clearly in thought but seemed frustrated with the lack of an answer; Janna was likewise in thought and seemed to be not paying attention.
"Well then I guess we have to find out what he's after." Lulu said as she grabbed another pencil for some detail. "He can't keep it secret forever, and I'm sure we will figure it out." With that, everyone seemed to agree and they all just returned to eating lunch and watch everyone else eat, then take a nap.
When school finally let out that afternoon, the team headed to the tower, where they did some training before Vel'Koz showed up about an hour later. "I'm guessing you are also equally clueless about Kog'Maw's motives. While I know he can't get to the scepter, I'm worried about whatever else he could be trying to get at. Or maybe that was all a distraction." Vel'Koz said as he floated around the base level of the tower. The team just looked at him with some disappointment. Usually he had the answers in a situation like this, but if Vel'Koz was clueless, then it wasn't good.
"Well we can't come up with anything either, apart from the fact he is looking for something." Lux said as Vel'Koz finally stopped pacing. "I think this is just going to have to be a wait and see situation where we are going to be reacting for a while until we know what he is up to. We know they need energy so let's focus on that for the time being. What's the next big event?" Lux asked as she turned to Janna. Janna quickly pulled her computer and shook her head.
"Nothing big for a few weeks. Unless something just pops up suddenly, I think it will be easy to see where Kog'Maw is attacking."
"Well until then, I think we should all get some sleep." Poppy said, suppressing a yawn. The rest of the team agreed silently and they all headed home.
As Kog'Maw surveyed the city, he knew that getting to his objective would be difficult. Malzahar was looking for him to secure his prized boots and that wouldn't be easy. They were being housed in yet another museum, but this one he would be able to break into and steal without much of a problem. However, the main issue is still he needed to gather energy and with the guardians watching for yet another attack, it wouldn't be easy. He needed a distraction and he needed one bad.
As Kog'Maw chomped down on yet another snack, he had an idea and quickly made haste to one of the rooms to seek out someone in particular. After a few minutes of frantic searching, Kog'Maw spotted her.
"Lisna, I require your services." The large void creature turned. She was remarkably thin, but having scissors for one hand, and the other having needles instead of fingers, well mostly.
"What do you want, can't you see I'm busy? The fashion of this world is remarkable. Functional yet fashionable. It is amazing. I can see why Vel'Koz decided to stay here." Lisna just drifted off in her speech and Kog'Maw just stood there for a second.
"I will say this again. I require your services. How would you feel about planning a fashion competition?" Kog'Maw saw the reaction he wanted. "There is a famous designer visiting the city and I want you to take her place and form a fashion competition to draw as much energy out of those people as possible. While you are doing that, I will attempt to steal Malzahar's boots from the museum that attaches to the competition area."
"Very well. See something interesting for a change. Let's go chomper."
"It's Kog'Maw!" He roared, but took off after Lisna.
That evening, Lisna made her way down to the planet and found the designer. Quickly zapping her energy, Lisna transformed herself into a mirror image of her, and then set about learning as much as she could so she could set up the competition. However, just as she started working on how to implement it, she found that the competition Kog'Maw wanted was already set up, but not promoted. "Well we have to change that. Some marketing will go a long way for this. Maybe I can even lure those pesky guardians into my trap. I mean those outfits are just so fashionable."
"Focus on the task at hand." Kog'Maw said as he portaled into the room.
"I know, but remember you wanted my services. So you have to deal with me and everything that comes with it." Lisna said dismissing Kog'Maw, who just decided to sit in a corner and fume.
The following morning brought an unnatural chill to the team and they knew Kog'Maw had launched his next plan but they were in the dark. It would be difficult to find out especially since they all had to be in school. Lux turned to Dorcha and Solas as they shook themselves awake.
"You two feel it right?" They just nodded. "I need you two to find out what it is and what is going on. Don't try to do anything, just report back. Get Zephyr and Pix if you can to search as much of the city as quickly as possible."
"Got it." Dorcha said and quickly hopped off to get Pix. Solas just nodded and went off to grab Zephyr. Lux turned to her homework and after shoving it into her bag, headed downstairs for breakfast. Garen was not his usual self that morning. Very tired and almost falling asleep. Normally he was the morning person while Lux was more a of night person.
"Awake there sleepyhead?" Lux asked, taunting him, but he barely responded. Lux then looked at him and he didn't look well. "Garen are you ok?" At least this time he nodded.
"Tired." That was apparently all Lux got before he put his head down on the table, and a few seconds later, Lux heard snoring. Lux shook her head and turned to see her mother entering.
"He fell asleep again?" She asked. Lux just nodded. "Well just leave him then. I'll call him out and he can sleep it off. Whatever it was. That's the thing, I checked on him last night, and he was asleep on his bed. He can't fake his snoring, but you can." Lux just shot an angry look back. "Well get going before you are late. What's with the hoodie?" Lux noticed it hanging out of her backpack.
"Just chilly for some reason. No idea why. I'm not sick, just the chills I guess." Lux said as her mother approached. Lux quickly got out before she could make an issue of it and quickly started going off to school. Once she was far enough away, Lux slowed down and literally ran into Amy, who had been waiting for her.
"Jeez you are klutzy lately." Amy said as she managed to keep from falling, while Lux was picking herself up from the ground, rubbing her leg in the process.
"Yeah I can't explain it. I just have a lot on my mind and I can't seem to focus for long." Lux just hung her head in a bit of shame. Amy just put her arm around her friend.
"It's fine. I'm sure all of these attacks aren't doing anyone any favors." Lux just nodded as Amy kept talking all the way to school. Once Lux had sat down, she watched as Poppy came in, who just nodded and was likewise carrying a hoodie. They both turned to see Lulu enter, who was also carrying one, and Pix was absent. Lulu winked discreetly at the two of them as she took her seat. Lux smiled as she knew that they had four others running around trying to find the source of the void energy.
For their part, Dorcha, Solas, Zephyr, and Pix were doing their best to find the source of the energy. Lulu initially protested being away from Pix, but Pix spoke up and after a few squeaks, Lulu relented. The four of them were running around the city to find the source of the energy but they hadn't had any luck by mid-morning. It was difficult because Kog'Maw had either laced void energy in the city, or whatever was causing the source of the energy was moving around. A lot. They all split up to try and trace the source, but had little luck.
"Well this is just annoying." Dorcha said to herself after chasing another dead end. Looking around, she knew that the source had to be close, but she just couldn't pin it down. Sighing, she was just about to move on, when she felt a shift in the energy. Looking down, Dorcha saw it, or rather her. Dorcha noticed Lisna in her disguise and knowing she finally had her target, Dorcha did her best to follow her while keeping to shadows, which given the seeming erratic path Lisna was taking, wasn't easy. Eventually she arrived back at the fashion studio and museum and Dorcha noticed the signs for the competition and event the following day. Knowing they finally had their target, she quickly sprinted off to tell the Guardians before they finished lunch.
The team met in the park between their schools for lunch and as they were swapping stories about the day. Pix, Solas, and Zephyr had already returned having failed to locate anything.
"It's strange. Whoever or whatever it is, was moving around a lot. There are void echoes all over the city. There wasn't a pattern that we could determine though." Solas was saying in-between bites of the lunch Lux brought him.
"I found similar instances as well. There seemed to be some pattern, but I couldn't find it." Zephyr said as he paused from eating his lunch. Pix just squeaked a few times in defeat, seemingly echoing the others as he hung his head. Lulu just gave him a quick scratch behind the ears, and he perked up.
"What I'm worried about is Dorcha. She still isn't back yet." Poppy pointed out as she looked around again for the black poro. Everyone else took a look as well, but nothing.
"Well she's either found whatever we are looking for…" Lux started to say
"Or she found someone to give her food and pigged out." Solas finished as he started to laugh but stopped quickly at the looks everyone was giving him. "Bad joke?" Everyone just nodded in reply. Solas quickly put his head down and continued to eat in silence while everyone else got back to eating as well. As Lux checked her phone for the time, she looked around again. It wasn't like Dorcha to miss a check in, especially when it involved food, and now she was getting worried.
Just when Lux thought about going to look for her, Lulu pointed. "There she is." Lux turned to indeed see Dorcha skipping across the grass towards them. Janna quickly grabbed a bowl, put some water in it, and placed it on the ground. Dorcha quickly stopped, almost knocking over the bowl, but after about a minute, she hopped up onto the table.
"Thanks. Anyway I did find what we were looking for. It's that visiting fashion designer." Everyone just looked puzzled. "You know the one who's hosting that competition at the fashion studio downtown?" Again, everyone just looked confused. "The one with the advertising all over town?" Lux put her hand on Dorcha and she just paused.
"Well you are warm, but not running a fever. You ok?" Lux asked, taking her hand away.
"I'm sure of it." Dorcha said defiantly. Janna pulled out her phone to look it up, but Poppy had beaten her to the punch. Poppy held out her phone a second later and put it in the middle of the table.
"You mean this one?" Poppy asked, with a look on her face that showed she wasn't sure.
"Yep that's it." Dorcha said, with a triumphant tone in her voice.
"Dorcha, I hate to say it, but this wasn't here yesterday." Janna said as she looked at the advertisement. Dorcha just hopped over to the phone and took a closer look. "I mean I looked over everything, but it seems like this wasn't promoted until now. There has to be a reason they are pushing it now? Especially with less than 2 days until the actual event. I guess they need energy and are trying to get an audience."
The rest of the team just looked between the two as Dorcha just put her head down and sighed. Everyone knew she did well, but Dorcha thought she might have one up the team, but sadly while she presented information that they didn't know, she also forgot that they were thorough when they were checking through events looking for something that Kog'Maw could use to get energy or at least cause a panic so he could get energy.
"Well at least we've identified what is going on, and now we can prepare for it. But how?" Poppy said, her tone switching to serious in an instant. Lulu looks up from her notebook and points to Lux's backpack.
"Well that could be useful." Lux looks as puzzled as everyone else for a moment, then it hits her. Lux quickly reaches into a pouch in her pack and pulls out the disguise bracelet. "Lux you could go as a contestant and we can be in the audience. If we see anything, we can duck out quickly, transform, distract whatever is the cause, then you transform." Lulu stopped talking with a surprised look on her face. Well no more surprised than Poppy who just nodded.
"Yeah that works. That works out well." Poppy managed to stammer, surprised at Lulu's idea. While different than what she was going to suggest, it was still very good. "We just need to be careful and we can't go as a group. I'm sure we can find someone to go with." Lulu and Janna just nodded. Lux looked nervous, but knew that she would have probably found herself in this situation anyway.
"Well if we are done playing around with my plans for the weekend, we should meet up at the tower for a few practice rounds before everything hits the fan." Lux said, and the rest nodded. Janna then checked her phone again, and saw the time.
"Well this will be easier next year when all of you are at the high school as well. Well see you three later." Janna quickly got up and left. Lux, Poppy, and Lulu quickly walked back to their own school and they all sat through their afternoon classes, clearly bored out of their minds.
Once school had ended, the whole team quickly sprinted for the library and made their way to the tower. Once inside, Janna, Poppy, and Lulu transformed, while Lux worked the controls for the training room. Nasus behind her in case she needed a refresher on what did what. The majority of the remaining afternoon was spent training, and while Lulu did space out once or twice, her focus was much improved over just a few days ago. They all seemed to come to an agreement that if Lulu spaced out a bit, then it was time for a quick break.
The whole point of the training was for the three of them to be able to distract whatever minion Kog'Maw sent to give Lux enough time to transform. While they managed to accomplish their objective, there was also the concern that something would go wrong and probably would, so Lux kept pushing them by throwing the unexpected and eventually even Poppy was exhausted. Fighting without Lux was a pain and while it could be done, it was the distracting bit that they were more concerned about. Failure to distract the minion enough, and Lux couldn't transform.
"Well I guess hope for the best, expect the worst." Poppy said, collapsing against one of the walls. Janna and Lulu weren't that far behind her. Lux walked over carrying some water and they all just down it instantly. Lux went back and got some more. Once they were all rehydrated, Nasus came over.
"All of you are getting so much better and it shows. Planning for things like this isn't easy and it may seem annoying, but the more you plan for things like this, the better off you will all be at adapting to unique situations. Now Lux, I suggest you get the information about this tournament and…oh" Nasus stopped as Lux handed him a few sheets of paper.
"I did that while the rest of them were doing this. The competition is simple. It's about showing off something practical, yet flashy. I don't expect to win, but I know the bracelet will do what it can. Still, maybe I might be able to influence it, I need to think about that a bit before I try and do anything. Still, I doubt we could even get into the area to see what everything looks like. So we'll just have to be alert until then."
"Well maybe we can't, but they probably could." Poppy said as she pointed towards Dorcha, Solas, Zephyr and Pix. They all just looked at each other, and collectively put their heads down.
"Oh don't do that. You all can get into places we can't, and make it look more like an accident if you get caught." Janna said, looking at Zephyr in particular since he is often a pretty lazy cat. Pix just sort of hovered as Lulu nodded and he knew that he wasn't getting out of it. Solas turned to Lux, who likewise had a look on her face that said, 'you're going'.
"Fine. Just have something ready for all of us when we get home." Solas said, now resigned to the fact they would be investigating the theater or whatever it was. "Just make sure you…" Solas trailed off as Lux pointed to Janna's laptop, which had a completed registration form on it. Solas just sighed, while Dorcha just giggle behind him. "We don't have to do this until tomorrow do we?" Solas asked, knowing the answer already.
"I don't see why not. I mean it is late, and they will be watching for anything odd. Tomorrow might be an easy way to get in as they have open sign ups. However, they will just have the atrium of the facility open." Lulu said, clearly not wanting to push them, and there seemed to be a general agreement. "We promise to have lunch." Lulu added and that got everyone to laugh. Everyone took that as the signal to pack up. Lux opened her pack and Dorcha and Solas jumped into the pouches she designed and finished for them, Zephyr jumped onto Janna's shoulder, and Pix hovered to follow Lulu as they left through one of the exits into the library itself.
As they split off on their walk home, Lux turned her thoughts to the upcoming mission and knew that it would be a challenge, but there had to be another reason apart from wanting energy. Lux stopped, then turned on her heel and headed back to the library. Dorcha hopped from her pouch to Lux's shoulder. "Something wrong?" She asked.
"Yeah. Why target something that hasn't had any advertisement until basically today. A closed competition is now open? I mean doesn't that sound at least suspicious. I really don't believe in coincidences anymore. There's got to be another reason. I can get a ride from Nasus if necessary, or just call my mom and have her pick me up. Say I was studying." Lux added with a bit of a laugh. Dorcha climbed back into her pouch and turned to Solas, who nodded. Dorcha, Solas, and Lux each formulated a plan while Lux made her way back into the library and then along the secret route to Vel'Koz's office. She knocked when she got to the concealed door, after checking the room was clear.
"Come in. Oh Lux, I thought everyone had gone home and since Nasus said you had worked on a plan, I didn't see the need to come down. But something is clearly bothering you." Vel'Koz noticed the look on Lux's face, and when Dorcha and Solas hopped out, he knew something was up. "What's up?" Lux just lifted an eyebrow at him. "Ok I won't do it again." That broke the tension and Lux smiled before getting serious again.
"I don't know. I mean think about it, there has to be more to this than energy." Vel'Koz just nodded, in his own way. "Why suddenly promote an event that had zero advertising until today basically, and that was also closed. It isn't a coincidence, there is something else going on. Just what? I can't get this out of my head. There has to be something else at this museum, or whatever it is for him to make such a bold play." Lux ended and took a seat while she thought more.
Vel'Koz lapsed into thought as well. "Well I can pull up an inventory of what is there. Maybe that will give us a clue." Vel'Koz typed it out on his keyboard and brought up the inventory on his monitor and on the large screen for Lux to look as well. Dorcha took a position near Vel'Koz to look, while Solas hopped onto Lux's shoulder. As they scrolled through the things on display from around the world, the word museum was really Institute, and inventory, exhibits. There wasn't anything that jumped out at either of them. Vel'Koz carefully looked at everything and once they reached the end of the list, he sighed heavily.
"I'm sorry, but I can't see anything. Do you see anything?" He asked turning to Lux. She just shook her head, but there was something there that Kog'Maw was after.
"What about sending the full list to one of your old friends. See if anything belonged to Malzahar?" Lux turned to look at Vel'Koz, and he nodded.
"Not a bad idea. Worst that happens is they come back with nothing, but given the large amount of void attacks, even a hunch is enough. We probably won't get an answer for a while though. Maybe even after the attack. I suggest you go home now I can get Nasus to give you a ride." Vel'Koz reached for his watch, when Lux just waved him off.
"I texted my mom. She should be here any minute. I'll just wait outside for her. If I think of anything else, I'll send you a message. Thanks again." Lux grabbed her bag, let Dorcha and Solas hop in, and headed back out the way she came. Vel'Koz watched her go, then forwarded the information along with Lux's hunch, changing a few things around to suggest the Star Guardians came to him asking for information. Which was true, from a certain point of view. Knowing he probably wouldn't receive a response until the weekend, Vel'Koz began his evening rounds.
Outside Lux waited for only a minute before she saw her mother pull up. "Thanks again" Lux said as she got into the car.
"No problem. Just keeping your grades up?" Her mother asked.
"Yep." Lux said, as she sat back for the ride home. Lux couldn't help thinking to herself about what Kog'Maw was after, but had a book open on her lap to convince her mother that she was still working on something. Dorcha and Solas carefully stayed in their pouches, which were comfortable enough that they didn't really want to leave them until Lux got back to her bedroom.
At the institute, Kog'Maw looked at Lisna work, and to be honest, he was curious how she managed to maintain concentration while working. She seemed to have no need for energy, even though they were all hurting for it at the moment.
"Ok how can you do that. I know you are just as hungry as everyone else?" Kog'Maw asked in frustration.
"Working on this keeps me focused and allows me to ignore the hunger for now. Honestly, for something like you, I'm sure it's hard, but for ones like me who have been around for a while, you learn to deal with it." Lisna was indeed focused on her work and wasn't going to let Kog'Maw distract her. It was true that they were all hurting for energy right now, but one can learn to ignore it. For a while at least.
"Very well. Just make sure that you are ready." Kog'Maw ripped open a portal and vanished through it.
"Just make sure you are ready." Lisna snapped back after Kog'Maw left.
The following morning didn't bring the expected cold that the Guardians were expecting. Clearly whatever they were doing they were going to keep it under wraps until the following morning. As the team slowly got to school, Dorcha, Solas, Zephyr, and Pix went to the Institute and began looking around. That however was made difficult because of the large crowd that was outside it. Apparently a prize was now being offered, in addition to the modeling contract that was already being offered.
Getting inside was difficult, but eventually Pix and Dorcha managed it while Solas stood watch at their entry points, and Zephyr kept an eye out from the roof. Once inside, the two split off and carefully made a map of the area, to allow the Guardians to plan their engagement better. The auditorium where the even was to be held was massive, and the exits were extremely easy to access. Pix carefully memorized a map of secluded areas where Janna, Poppy, and Lulu could transform while Dorcha memorized the layout of the auditorium and picked some nice areas where the three could sit, to give easy access to the areas Pix mapped.
Once they were done, they made their way back out and then with Solas and Zephyr, hurried to the park where they could meet up with the team.
The morning for the Guardians dragged on and on. Knowing there was a void plot going on, but also knowing there was little they could do about it for the moment were both aggravating. While Lux found a way to focus, Janna less so, Poppy was just out of it, and Lulu was of course in her own world. However, even Lux's focus didn't last for long and soon enough she was zoning out as well.
Janna was having a much worse morning as it was lecture after lecture, but as she zoned out almost completely, she started to feel things, things she hadn't felt in a long time. Looking up slowly as to not attract attention, she carefully examined her classmates, but quickly determined that not one of them was the source. She closed her eyes, dangerous, but she had to know. Reaching out, she could feel 4 power sources. Quickly determining that three were close together, which were Lux, Poppy, and Lulu, she attempted to find the fourth. After 5 minutes however, she gave up because she knew that if she didn't attract attention already, she would soon enough. What she was able to determine however was that whoever was their 5th teammate, they were at her school.
Once the bell for lunch rang, the four Guardians sprinted for the park, where Lux, Janna, and Lulu quickly began setting up for Dorcha, Solas, Zephyr, and Pix. However, since they were running late, they all talked about their day so far, Janna avoided mentioned what she did in class until they all arrived. Soon enough, they showed up, and Pix quickly began drawing a map, while Dorcha made a few notes. Solas and Zephyr avoided eating, knowing that they would be yelled at if they did so before Pix and Dorcha were done.
"Well that's it." Dorcha finally said, and Pix squeaked in agreement. "This is the layout. The auditorium is 3 levels and has a number of exists. Pix marked these locations were the three of you can quickly get out, transform, and get back in. Lux, the stage is going to be a challenge. There is literally no place for you to transform without being noticed. While I'm confident the Masking ability will hide your identity, I'd rather not take the risk." Lux just nodded as she studied the map.
"Honestly, it is just going to be waiting until Kog'Maw triggers the trap, but we were also to confirm that the woman in charge, the fashion designer, is the minion. I'm unsure if she is being possessed, or if the minion drained her, then impersonated her. So that's tomorrow then. Anything else?" Dorcha looked between the Guardians, until she rested on Janna, who was finally ready to talk.
"There is something. While I was in class, I was zoning out. Hey 5 lectures in a row will do that." She shot at the team, who were looking at her and almost laughing. "I felt something. Another presence. It was our last teammate. Whoever they are goes to my school, but I couldn't find them. I don't know who it could be, but what I do know is that they are close." Lux just looked at Janna and smiled, Poppy nodded her head, while Lulu was beaming.
"Well that helps us narrow the field but that's still a lot of people to look through. Any way you could narrow it down further?" Zephyr asked, but he already knew the answer when he saw Janna's face. "I guess not. Still though, it is a starting place. Back to the matter at hand however. I doubt Pix or myself will be allowed into the auditorium so we will have to find a way for us to get in."
"Covered that." Lulu said. She picked up Pix and he slid carefully into her bag. Zephyr knew that wasn't an option for him and Janna looked around then smiled. Zephyr immediately cocked his head in curiosity.
"Come here." Janna grabbed Zephyr and carefully put him around her neck where his head was hidden in her hair and he looked like a scarf.
"This isn't what I meant." He said, from the back of Janna's neck, and while Lux, Poppy, Lulu, Dorcha, Solas, and Pix were laughing their heads off, Janna let Zephyr climb down knowing that it wouldn't work. "Maybe if you could get a large purse, I can fit in there." Zephyr was clearly unhappy but as he looked around, he started laughing as well, and finally so did Janna. They all had a good laugh until Poppy checked her watch.
"We need to get back." They all looked a bit put out, but ditching class was a very bad idea. They all packed up and headed back to class. The afternoon however didn't last nearly as long as they all thought it would. Knowing that they would all need a good night sleep before tomorrow, they all decided to just go home and make sure they were ahead of their work and other things because tomorrow would be a day where they wouldn't be able to get anything done.
As the next morning dawned, the expected freeze came as well. Lux didn't want to get out of bed because she was so cold. A feeling that was shared among the team. Only with Dorcha pestering her to no end did Lux finally get out of bed. She carefully packed a small bag, and made sure she had the masking bracelet on before she carefully left the house. Meeting the rest of the team at the library, they all went over their plan one more time.
"Ok then, here's the tickets. They are assigning seats, so we will all be separated, but I managed to get aisle seats. So we'll just have to deal with people walking over us for a time." Janna said as she passed Poppy and Lulu their tickets.
"How did you get aisle seats?" Poppy asked. Janna just looked away.
"I have my ways." She said, and while it was clear Poppy wanted to aske more, she also probably didn't want to know the answer. Lux waited for the rest of the team to go over their plans one more time and then they all left together. Janna was carrying a larger purse than normal, and after Zephyr poked his head out, it was clear what was really inside. Pix was masquerading as a pin on Lulu's shirt. Once they got close, Janna, Poppy, and Lulu headed on while Lux ducked into an alley. After making sure that no one was around her, she ran her fingers across the masking bracelet.
"Masking Bracelet, transform me into a serious competitor for this competition." Lux was hoping that it would work and once she got a better look at herself, it worked. She took a deep breath, and walked over to the main doors for competitors. Many of them were already wearing their outfits and they all just moved to check in. Lux then hit a moment of panic as she didn't know what the bracelet had constructed the dress she was wearing out of. Then almost a second later, it passed into her memory. 'Wow this thing is good. I really should use it more often.'
Lux proceeded to the table to check in. "Name?" The person at the desk looked like they were already out of it.
"Sierra Mons." Lux replied, careful to keep the name she used on the registration form.
"Very well. Yes, I have you here. If you would please head into room 3 and you will be called when it is your time." Lux followed the instructions and after entering, she was in a bit of shock as many were trying to do last minute repairs or alterations to their outfits. Lux just carefully sat in a corner and stayed out of the way while she waited for the contest to begin.
If Lux thought the others would have an easier time, she was wrong. Well for Janna at least. Poppy and Lulu, because they were yordles could easily sit in a seat and not have to get up often to let people in, but Janna was constantly doing that. 'This is why I prefer middle seats' she thought to herself after the 12th time or so, she'd lost track, it happened. Poppy could still see Janna, and was laughing every time it happened.
After what seemed like forever, the designer came on state, and Janna, Poppy, and Lulu got an instant chill. At least they knew who the minion was.
"Welcome to everyone. I know this was all done on a short notice, but while I liked what I saw, I couldn't just restrict myself anymore. Today is about a one shot. It's amazing how much you can tell about a designer based on a single concept. So let's begin and good luck to all of our contestants." The applause was deafening as people went crazy. As they did so, Janna, Poppy, and Lulu also felt something else. Something was pushing people's energy up. A shiver ran down each of their spines, and they quickly made for exits.
Because it was earlier than they expected, they all met up and after making sure they were clear, they all pulled their pendants.
"Ready you two?" Janna asked. Poppy and Lulu nodded in reply.
"Star Guardian Power Up!" The three carefully landed back on the ground and made for the upper level. After bypassing a few people who were late, they made their way around a corner and found a few security guards already drained of energy. Poppy quickly made her way over to them.
"They will be fine. Just be on your guard." Making their way into the upper level, they found an isolated spot and despite being transformed, no one seemed to pay them any attention.
"Ok everyone let's go." Lux turned to see one of the staff at the door and everyone quickly followed in the order that was posted in the room. Lux was careful to keep up her composure, despite the fact she hated high heels. This was also the first time Lux got a good look at how many people were actually in this competition.
'There has to be over 100 people here.' Lux thought to herself as they walked towards the stage. As they entered, Lux was careful to keep up and make sure her movements flowed together. Some of the others tripped but she managed to keep on her feet.
"Next up, Miss Sierra Mons." Lux took a deep breath, and then followed another girl down the runway. She looked for where Janna, Poppy, and Lulu were supposed to be seated, and she noticed they were missing. Keeping her eyes forwards, Lux caught something out of the corner of her eye. Choosing a pose that would allow her to look up, Lux noticed the three in the uppermost row of stands, fully transformed. 'Well this isn't good.'
After Lux finished and returned to the back room, which was separated from the other one, where the rest waited, she finally felt that shiver run down her spine. Clearly there was a reason the others were transformed, but no sooner did she reach for her locket, did she feel tired. "Well Miss Mons, I guess now you will make a donation." Lux turned to see the designer there. However, she didn't move fast enough and was quickly on the ground.
"This isn't good. That's everyone, now what?" Poppy asked Janna as she designer came back out on stage.
"Whatever is about to happen, it won't be good." The three took to their feet as Janna finished and they began walking down from the balcony. As they passed through the people there, many of them quickly got the message and began heading for exits, knowing what was about to happen.
"I thank you all for coming today, however now there is something you all need to do for me." She seemed to completely oblivious to the fact the upper balcony was almost completely empty now and that three Guardians were standing in plain view. "Your energy will now belong to the void!" She yelled as she pressed a button on the stage with her foot and collectors sprang out of the walls and floor.
No sooner did they appear than people began screaming, running, and panicking. However, as Lisna laughed, the sound of shattering glass caught her attention and she turned to see almost all of the collectors broken. Roaring in rage, she looked up to see the Guardians finally.
"It's really amazing how we've been standing here for about 5 minutes now and you completely missed us." Janna taunted as she made ready to leap. Poppy had already balanced herself on the balcony rail, ready to leap, while Lulu was on one of the seats and ready to provide a lance, or shield as necessary.
"Well then I guess I won't miss this time. It doesn't matter how many you have beaten before, no one challenges me and lives." Lisna threw off her disguise, and threw needles at the three, who quickly dodged and they landed on the ground floor. Poppy wasted no time and quickly charged the stage. Lisna dodged Poppy, but got a glitterlance full in the face from Lulu as a consequence.
"Deal with her." Janna said and she quickly made her way across the stage, throwing a twister to keep Lisna on her guard, which Poppy took advantage of and plowed into her, knocking her off the stage. Lulu shielded Poppy and threw a few lances against Lisna as a helping hand.
In the back Janna quickly looked around and found every designer passed out. "Well this can't be good." Janna stated and began looking for Lux. Just as she started however, she heard a groan.
Lux was on the ground alright, but she wasn't drained of energy like she thought she was going to be, however it was clear the bracelet had lost its power. Lux groaned as she regained her senses and shook off the tiredness she felt. As she did so, she could feel the cold, but also warmth. Lux looked up to see Janna floating there. Lux quickly looked around to see everyone else passed out.
"You ok?" Janna asked, careful to keep their tone "unfamiliar" in case someone else woke up.
"Yeah thanks." Lux whispered, catching on quickly. She kept her voice low to prevent Lisna hearing them.
"Good. You had best get out of here." Janna told her, turning to go.
"Wait, what about everyone else?" Lux pleaded, or at least made it look like she was.
"They will be fine given time. You need to go however." Lux just nodded in response to Janna and Lux tore off towards the other room, while Janna kept watch. Reaching privacy, Lux made absolutely certain she wasn't being watched, and pulled her locket.
"Star Guardian Power Up!" Lux transformed, and after she regained her bearings, charged out onto the runway. Lisna was charging at Poppy, but Lux had other ideas. Throwing a binding, Lisna was then hit with a few bolts from Lux's baton and she screamed in pain.
"You know, this was probably one of the worst ideas I've seen in a while. Wasting people's talents and ambitions for your own twisted reasons. This is why you will never win. We are the Star Guardians. Sworn to defend the universe against all those who would throw it into chaos. And that means you." Lux finished and noticed Lulu was already ready with a lance.
"Really? That's what you're going with?" Lisna still stood in place despite the fact that the binding had long wore off. Lux just smiled and Lulu fired. Lisna took it full in the side, and she collapsed to the floor. This time, she didn't get up. "Well it seems like I underestimated you. But no matter I will…" but she didn't finish. Instead of getting back up, she collapsed to the ground.
Lux moved to her side, but Lisna lashed out and Lux jumped back. "Get back you fool. I will crush…" but she just collapsed instead. "So he was right." Everyone moved a bit closer and this time she just stayed down.
"Right about what?" Janna asked, concern in her voice.
"He said I was to be a distraction and I believed that I could win, however he said that I shouldn't push myself. I didn't even want to do this. I was perfectly happy just doing my thing, but I can't anymore. Just end it." And Lisna collapsed to the ground.
Lux just looked up and everyone looked back and they were all thinking the same thing, they couldn't just end it. "Someone get Vel'Koz here quickly. In the meantime, let's tie her up and figure out what Kog'Maw was doing here." Poppy grabbed some of the rope that was being used in the event, and tied Lisna up while Janna signaled Vel'Koz to come to the Institute quickly.
"Ok then. Let's go." The team followed Lux and after running through the Institute, following their senses and tracking Kog'Maw. After rounding a corner, Lux slams everyone back and shields herself as Kog'Maw unloads on her. Janna gets quickly to her feet and provides and additional shield for Lux, while Poppy starts charging around, and Lulu speeds her up before sending Pix to help Lux as well. Finally, Kog'Maw pauses and seeing Lux unharmed sends him into a rage, but he can't do anything as Poppy uses that exact moment to charge him into a wall, before giving him a wallop with her hammer.
Kog'Maw quickly regains his senses and after throwing a large ball of muck behind him, he charges off further into the Institute. A loud blast catches their attention as the team tries to keep up and they see a large energy pulse being sent down the hallway where Kog'Maw disappeared. As Debonair came around the corner, he saw the mess left behind.
"You ok?" he questioned as he tried to suppress his laughter as the team made their way out of the muck.
"Just disgusted. You hit him?" Janna asked.
"No. I missed, but he tore off quickly into a hallway leading to some kind of exhibit." Debonair started charging and the rest followed him. When they reached the hallway where Kog'Maw disappeared to, Lux grabbed him and checked around the corner before they went on. As she poked her head around the corner, she quickly pulled her head back as Kog'Maw was clearly waiting for them and unloaded on Lux. Looking at Poppy, Lux, Janna, and Lulu provided her with a shield while Poppy charged Kog'Maw, who managed to get away again, but Poppy charged off again, with the rest of the team in hot pursuit.
When they got to a large hall, they noticed Kog'Maw grabbing a pair of boots, before ripping open a portal and throwing them through them. "You may have won the battle Guardians, but I won this fight." He stuck out his extremely large tongue, and vanished through the portal.
"What was all that about?" Debonair asked as he looked around at the whole team, who were equally confused.
"No idea. However, we have something else to deal with. Thanks again." Lux turned to Debonair as he nodded and left. The team quickly made their way back through the Institute ending up back in the auditorium. Lisna had woken up but wasn't going anywhere as Vel'Koz was hovering over her.
"I'm guessing this is the reason you contacted me?" He asked, keeping his tone neutral.
"Yes. We were unsure what to do really. She just wanted us to end it but…" Lux paused as the hesitation crept into her voice.
"It doesn't matter. He just left me so my life is forfeit. I didn't accomplish what I wanted to." Lisna said.
"Lisna, you didn't want this did you?" Vel'Koz asked, now eye level, as much as possible, with her.
"No. I wanted to just continue to work on what I wanted. I hated this conflict as there was no time. They are always running around trying to get energy, and Kog'Maw didn't get anything near what they needed." Lisna just collapsed against the stage, clearly exhausted.
"What do you mean?" Poppy was not beyond curious as her face softened.
"Malzahar burned so much energy in the last attack that they are not only trying to get energy, but something else. I'm not sure what, but I didn't get the energy he needed. By the way how have you survived all of these years?" Lisna turned to Vel'Koz.
"I have a void energy collector and I draw from people who enter my museum and my library. It is such a small amount that no one notices, and at this point no one cares as I make sure that everyone knows. With that, I have not only been able to survive, but also be able to go out in sunlight without frying to a crisp." Vel'Koz's pride showed through his voice but he also softened his voice as he saw Lisna was suffering from deprivation.
"Well Malzahar burned more energy than he was expecting and as a result, our reserves are low. We've been able to get by, but we need a large haul soon or people will be placed into stasis. I am really just tired of that life, and…" but she clearly had no more energy as Lisna just passed out. Vel'Koz turned to the Guardians with a look of panic.
"I can provide her with what she needs, but I'm worried about having someone in our midst that could betray us." Vel'Koz was clearly in a bit of a panic, but Lux knelt down next to Lisna, and placed her hand on her arm. Lux closed her eyes and breathed deeply. Everyone waited for a minute before she stood up again.
"Come on, let's go. Janna give me a hand." Lux put one of Lisna's arms over her shoulders, while Janna helped with the other one. Vel'Koz led the team out to a loading bay where Nasus was waiting.
"She's coming with?" He sounded puzzled as they helped Lisna into the back.
"Yes. Now get us back as quickly as possible." Nasus still looked puzzled, but nodded at Janna, as she pulled a blanket and covered Lisna. Lux climbed into the back as well, while Vel'Koz got into the back, Poppy in the front, while Lulu waited.
"Go. There's something else. I'll be fine." Lulu told the team as Poppy made a move to get out. Nasus nodded and pulled out and tore off towards the museum. Once they were there, with a police escort, Lux and Janna helped Lisna out of the back and followed Vel'Koz down to his living quarters. Once there, Vel'Koz went over to a machine in the corner, and after grabbing a glass, pored some liquid into it.
"Open her mouth, quickly." He expressed as he floated over. Janna quickly managed to get Lisna's mouth open and Vel'Koz poured the liquid into her mouth, carefully. Almost immediately Lisna started to move, and Lux readied her baton, but quickly found it would be unnecessary. Lisna took the glass from Vel'Koz and drank the rest herself. Once she was done, she looked up.
"You didn't have to do that, you know. I was perfectly happy with my fate." She said, leaning back into the chair.
"We know, but something told me that if we did, then we would regret it. Also something tells me you won't go back." Lux said, trying to keep her voice strong but it faltered a bit. Lisna turned to her, and after a moment smiled.
"I won't. They don't get it and in just the two days I've been here, oh you might want to send someone to the designer's hotel room as I sort of drained her energy. But back to the point. This world is rich with life, and I can see why you stayed. Not to mention why you would fight to defend it. I can't fight right now, but I can help. Not to mention there is a whole fashion world out there that I want to explore." Lisna relaxed back into the chair and Lux relaxed as well.
"Well then, in that case, welcome to Runeterra." Lux held out her hand, and Lisna shook it, after pulling the needles on her hand back.
"For now, you can stay here and recover, but I doubt Malzahar will let you go easily. I have few other rooms down here that can serve as your quarters if you choose to stay." Vel'Koz told Lisna who just nodded.
"I think I can find an apartment or something in the city. I don't want to intrude. Besides, I'm sure there is a reason none of you have powered down. Don't by the way. The less I know the better. Besides I can take a more normal appearance easily. But not right now." Lisna added quickly as she almost topped over trying to stand and change form again.
"If that is what you wish. I have ample supplies of void energy here if you need it." Lisna just nodded, leaned back in the chair, and was quickly asleep. Vel'Koz motioned to Lux, Janna, and Poppy to follow him, and they all headed to the tower. Once inside, turned to the group but before he could say anything, Lux asked the question on everyone's mind.
"So how much energy do you take?" Lux asked. Vel'Koz could tell she was a bit angry, but he just smiled one of his eye smiles.
"Almost nothing. If you spread it out and only take a small amount from everyone, it isn't that bad. The average person who walks through here will be tired about a minute before they would normally. I modified the collector to do that. I don't target the staff for obvious reasons, and I have a reserve of almost 50 years' worth of energy. I have also almost perfected the refining process." Lux, Janna, and Poppy just looked at him with inquisitive looks on their faces.
"I should explain a bit more. The process Malzahar uses is very old and unrefined. He gets about 1 unit of void energy, to quantify it, for every 3 energy he puts in. It is old, inefficient, and that is why he needs such large amounts of energy. My process is about 1.1 energy to void energy. Also with the recent void attacks, and the void energy left behind has given me that massive stockpile. Once I actually take the time to refine it a bit, I will have enough void energy for about 300 years. For reference it takes about 1 unit of void energy a day, give or take, to sustain us but we can go up to 5 without it. After that, coma and well you can see where that is going to lead." Vel'Koz just let that sentence hang in the air.
"I also knew Lisna, and if she says she won't go back, she won't. Her passion was always fashion and if she found something, then she will keep going at it. I doubt she would betray any of us. However, she also wants to know as little as possible. The fact you communicate with me is obvious enough now so there is no point in hiding it from her."
"Well that solves that question. I guess we should have…" Lux started to say, but Vel'Koz cut her off.
"You already knew the answer. All of you did. After all, how could I have survived all of these years?" He ended it with the question, but eventually got the response he was looking for as all three just nodded. "You don't owe me anything. I owe you all, and this planet more than I can ever repay. I predict that someday I will leave, but not for a while."
"Well then, let's get back to work." Poppy started walking towards the door as she finished talking.
"Um…Poppy, shouldn't we wait for Lulu?" Poppy stopped just short of the door and nodded. She powered down, Lux and Janna followed, and they sat around the table waiting for Lulu.
Lulu watched the rest of the team drive off, confident in Lux's decision, but there was still something bothering her. Reentering the Institute, Lulu began looking for what was calling to her. She looked in all of the areas they had been starting with the Auditorium. As she was finishing her search, Caitlyn walked in, clearly surprised to see her still there.
"I figured you all would have been gone by now. What's keeping you here?" She asked as she walked down the main aisle. Lulu turned to meet her.
"I'm not sure. Something I felt during the fight. The rest took off but I need to have my answer." Lulu just ended it there and left the auditorium, leaving Caitlyn just standing there.
"Well she's the weird one then." Caitlyn said to no one in particular as she headed back outside, confident that the situation was contained.
Lulu followed the path they had taking during the chaotic end of the fight, and even the path Poppy followed but nothing reached out to her. Lulu however didn't let it bother her since she knew it was here somewhere. As she entered the large room where the chase ended, she felt it again. "It's here." She said to herself and she quickly began looking all over the room for what was calling her, but to no avail. Then the remembered what Kog'Maw had stolen. Quickly running back outside, Lulu found Caitlyn talking to another woman. Lulu just waited patiently until Caitlyn noticed her.
"Something else?" Caitlyn asked.
"Where is the director for the Institute?" Lulu asked, looking between the two. The other woman just nodded.
"I am. Why?" She asked, now a bit nervous. Lulu just turned on her heal and headed back inside.
"I think you had better follow her." Caitlyn said and the director sprinted off after the Guardian. She finally caught up to her in the main exhibit hall. Lulu was standing next to an empty pedestal.
"What was the origin of the boots that were here? The void creature took them and we don't know why." Lulu said as she turned back to the director. The director just walked over and pulled out her phone.
"Ok one second. Exhibit 48201. Hmm. We don't have much unfortunately. It was a pair of boots discovered after the First Void War. They were well crafted and it would be unusual for someone who owned a pair like it to just leave them. We have been looking for information on them for years, but nothing has come up. The information is on our website. Is there anything else?" The director looked around only to see Lulu leaving. But she returned just as quickly.
"Thanks." Lulu said before disappearing for good. Lulu quickly made her way back to the tower, and while she could feel Lisna's presence, it was like Vel'Koz now, more warming than outright cold. As she entered the tower, she noticed the rest of the team was waiting for her. Lulu powered down and moved over to join them.
"So what did you wait for?" Janna asked as Lulu sat down and took a long drink of water.
"Something bothered me about the fight, but I couldn't figure it out. So I had to stay and get my answer. I noticed it was coming from the boots Kog'Maw stole. I asked the director about them but she didn't know much. The information about them is on their website. Exhibit 48201." Vel'Koz quickly made note of the number and headed off to do his own research. "So what happened with Lisna?" Lulu turned the conversation.
"She's resting for now, but I see a future fashion queen in her. She's going to stay and even Vel'Koz is confident that she won't betray us." Janna said. Lulu just looked happy and leaned back in her chair, and quickly zoned out. Lux just rolled her eyes, grabbed another cookie, and sat back as well. The rest of the team soon followed and they enjoyed the post battle relaxing quiet.
While things for the guardians were calm, for Kog'Maw it wasn't. Malzahar was furious that he came back with almost nothing and promptly made his displeasure known.
"You have failed miserably." Kog'Maw whined for a bit before he managed to get a word in edgewise.
"I didn't fail completely Great Prophet." Kog'Maw pulled the boots out and Malzahar's expression changed.
"Well you didn't, but we need more energy, not less. Our reserves are extremely low and if we don't get relief soon, it won't be good. Plan your next attack better." Malzahar moved away but turned back.
"Get me my cloak. You will find it near the spot that the portal first opened. With the anniversary coming up, it will be a fine time to attack. They will be expecting it, but as long as you come back with enough energy, you are fine." Malzahar now finally moved off and Kog'Maw breathed a sigh of relief. He quickly left and made his way back to his room to plan his next attack. With energy being the priority, he had to think carefully about how to attack.
In his private quarters, Malzahar looked at the reserve supply of void energy through the window, and it was lower than he'd ever seen it. "Curse those guardians. They will pay."
A/N: I didn't notice this at the time, but I published this chapter one year to the day after I published the prologue and Chapter 1. What a year it has been. I'm not done as I still have plenty more to write about. So just a thank you to all for staying around and I hope you keep reading. Thanks again!