Katarina woke up in her sleeping quarters.
It was strange, she didn't have any recollection of walking back to the base. Maybe she had walked there in a trance, or maybe the exhaustion had just purged it from her memory altogether.
Or maybe she had passed out from crying in the middle of the forest and someone had carried her back.
Katarina pushed the question to the back of her mind. She had just woken up and she didn't need unnecessary questions storming her brain.
She was still in her usual attire, so that meant she was still grubby and sweaty from the previous day.
The assassin quickly got up and shuffled towards her personal bathroom. Unlike most Noxians, she cared for her personal hygiene. She stripped herself of her belts and clothes before stepping into the small area which she called a 'shower'. She took a wooden tub and towel nearby and filled the tub with warm water. She then dipped the towel into the warm water and used it to wipe the dirt and sweat off her body, relishing in the warmth of the moist towel.
As she continued her little 'bath', her mind flashed back to the rant Darius had about her recent fuckups. While she hated what he had said, she had to admit that he said the truth. Katarina hadn't been the merciless, ruthless, and heartless Sinister Blade that was celebrated yet feared all around Noxus after Noxus' invasion of Ionia. After the war, she had gone back to Noxus as a broken mess that no one could recognise.
She sighed as she cupped her hands and collected some of the water before dousing it on her head. Father, if you can hear me now, can you tell me if you're disappointed with how I turned out? She thought before scoffing at the question. Her father wouldn't be disappointed with her, he would be absolutely livid. "I've done everything I could to equip you with the tools to make a name for yourself, for our family, and this is how you choose to uphold the family name?" That was what she could imagine him saying.
"I should have cast you out the moment I found out you are one of the queers." When Katarina had first gathered the courage to come out to her father, he hadn't blatantly expressed his disapproval, but Katarina could detect the disdain in his eyes. Who knew, maybe that was why he constantly looked for suitors, to try and prove Katarina that she was wrong for deciding that her preference was for the same gender. Open-mindedness towards same-sex love wasn't exactly common in Noxus, much less its noble families.
This isn't going to help my situation, she thought as she picked the tub up, dousing her entire body with the rest of the warm water before stepping out of the shower area, setting the tub down and throwing the wet towel into the sink. She grabbed another towel and wiped it across her body, the towel absorbing the water on her body.
As she continued to dry herself, a sudden memory crossed her mind. Hey, I took in a prisoner yesterday, didn't I? Memories of her knocking out a certain blonde flashed in her mind. Soon, a smirk spread across her face. Maybe socialising with the prisoner could do me some good. She was no stranger to intimidating Demacian prisoners, and their fear was something she cherished and relished in, seeing the high and mighty Demacian soldiers they proclaimed to be reduced to a sobbing mess blubbering for mercy.
Katarina let the thought of breaking the Lady of Luminosity, one of Demacia's finest warriors, into the same thing that had befallen many of her fellow countrymen, manifest in her head. She then dressed up and exited her room, a purpose in her head.
oooooooooo
Lux woke up to the sound of loud clanging. As she got up, she saw a different guard and some other guy wheeling a trolley with plates carrying food in front of her. "Breakfast." He said he slid the keys into the keyhole and the other chef looking man took out a plate from the trolley and entered.
He stopped just a few feet away from the entrance, regarding Lux with cautious eyes as if she was someone dangerous. Well, she was considering her reputation as one of the most decorated warriors in Demacia, but she had expected the Noxians to judge her danger factor based on appearance.
The guard must have been getting impatient, as his statement voiced his displeasure. "For Swain's sake Thomas, she doesn't have her magic on her." Hearing this, it clicked in Lux's head that contrary to his belief, she still had her magic at her disposal. Chiding herself for not thinking of using it sooner, a quick plan formed in her head. She took a step closer to the chef and threw a sudden punch to his face, causing him to fall, groaning as he placed a hand on his now bruised cheek.
The guard started immediately, making his way into the cell. He made his way towards Lux, who backed away to lure him closer. "Up against the wall." He demanded, brandishing iron manacles. Lux raised her hands in surrender, but her eyes were trained on the distance between him and the cell door. When her back hit the wall, the guard continued to advance till he was just about two inches away from her. Sensing opportunity, Lux shot up one of her hands, quickly summoning a flash of light while turning her head, closing her eyes before the bright light flashed across the small room.
When she turned back towards the men, the warden was staggering, blindly swinging his arms in an attempt to hit the Lady of Luminosity in spite of his current lack of sight. Thomas was thrashing on the floor, palms pressed against his eyes. Moving quickly, she swiped the keys from the guard's belt before making her way out of the cell, closing the door behind her and locking it. The guard must have heard the door clanging shut, he would've been deaf not to, and he cursed Lux's name. Lux wasn't listening, she was darting down the hall, quickly formulating her next move.
She paused for a moment, listening for any tell-tale signs of other guards patrolling the hall. A prisoner got up from his bed, excitedly making his way towards the bars to plead with the blonde to release him as well, only for Luxanna to silence him with a glare. The prisoner had the appearance of a Noxian, and Lux had learned long ago that even Noxians imprisoned by their own were still too dangerous to fully trust.
As she continued to listen, the man suddenly shouted, "Behind you!" Before she could turn towards him to tell him to shut up, two hands grabbed the sides of her head before driving it into the wall. The impact was enough to nearly make the mage black out, and she could barely make out the figure who was now crouching next to her fallen form. The thing that stood out most about the figure was its locks of red hair. "Well, isn't this a little bold of you." The figure, having a voice similar to a female's, drawled before reaching for Lux's hand, taking the keys and standing up.
Before Lux could process what had happened, she felt a sudden pain in her scalp. My hair, she's pulling my hair, she realised as the figure continued to pull, forcing her to get on all fours and crawl along with the figure to the best she could.
The figure led her to the cell she had previously escaped, dropping Lux to the floor as she slid the key into the keyhole and allowed the two to exit. "And they call you a guard?" She asked the guard, who hung his head in shame. "Both of you beat it, I want a moment of privacy with Ms. Brave here, and if I catch the two of you hanging around nearby, you know what happens." Lux did not see their reactions but heard the sound of boots clomping down the hall at a fast pace.
The figure then grabbed her by her hair again and dragged her inside the cell, roughly shoving her towards the wall. As her vision cleared, she could finally make out who was the one who thwarted her attempt at escape. "You." She said, not knowing whether her voice displayed her anger or fear.
Katarina Du Couteau, Noxus' famed Sinister Blade, took a mocking bow. "Yes, me." She said, a grin spreading across her face.
oooooooooo
Katarina inwardly whooped with delight as she felt the familiar feeling of being in control of something rush back into her body. "Y-you were the one who took me away from my home." Lux shakily said, standing up and trying to look at the Sinister Blade in her eyes even though it was painfully obvious that there was another emotion that outmatched her bravery ever so slightly.
Trepidation.
Katarina took a step forward, leaning closer to the mage's face. To Lux's credit, she didn't back down, but so did many other Demacians who all eventually wished they had when they were given the kinder chances to. "Yes, I did." She drawled. "What are you going to do about it? Escape?" Lux held her gaze, though she took a slight step back. "I don't know, maybe I'll try to escape again. I'm not afraid to-"
Before she could finish her sentence, however, the redhead had grabbed both her hands and pinned them to the wall above the mage's head with one of her own while drawing her blade to the blonde's neck in one swift motion.
"Can't believe the idiots forgot to place a collar on you," Katarina growled as she leaned closer to the mage's face. "But I also can't believe that you decided to be a bigger idiot by not only trying to escape but also letting me know that you may try again." Katarina tightened her hold on the mage's hands. "But by all means, feel free to try, I would love an excuse to off a major thorn in Noxus' side."
She took note of Lux's lower lip trembling slightly and the new fear that was generated in the mage's blue eyes. The blonde's eyes looked elsewhere, and so Katarina traced her jawline with the edge of her knife. "Ah, ah, ah." She tutted, shaking her head in mock disapproval. "Haven't your parents taught you that it's rude to look away when someone's talking to you?" Lux turned back to Katarina, still trying to hold up a brave front, but her eyes and breathing betrayed her.
Her eyes now shone with fear while her breathing began to shake. "I-I'm not scared of you!" She cried out. Katarina was really enjoying this. It almost made her forget about her recent depression.
Heavy emphasis on the word 'almost'.
She traced the knife along Lux's neck. "Many of your fellow countrymen have said the same to me. All sorts of bravado and all sorts of empty promises that they would never crack under Noxian torture." She moved the knife up to the light mage's cheek. "One man immediately apologised and kissed the Noxian soldiers' feet when all we did was break all of his fingers. Another one had his legs amputated before he began begging for mercy, so kudos to him." She continued to move the tip of the blade to the blonde's eyes. "Maybe I'll start with the eyes this time or your scalp. There are many ways we can go about this, honey." The fear in Lux's eyes seemed to increase tenfold, and they were now looking at the blade near them.
Before Katarina could continue her monologue, however, a voice called out, "Lady Du Couteau?" The Sinister Blade groaned, turning around to address the speaker. "What?" She spat. "General Darius wishes to speak to you." Without another second wasted, the soldier quickly turned on his heel and left. What does he want now? Katarina wondered as she released the Lady of Luminosity's hands and kept her knife in her belt. But before she left, she cupped a side of Lux's face in a tender way.
"Looks like I need to go. Just think about what I said." With that, she left, leaving the door open behind her.
Lux continued to stand where she was when the redhead assassin had cornered her, silent and thoughtful. After a few moments of silence, she walked towards the entrance of the cell and closed it.
oooooooooo
Katarina dropped the keys on a table nearby before continuing her way out of the dungeons. She walked past many soldiers who stiffened slightly as she passed. Despite some of them seeing her getting beat down the previous night and their general revealing a female that was somehow one of the subjects of their argument, that didn't change the fact that Katarina was still one of Noxus' deadliest assassins who would kill anyone who looked at her the wrong way.
Before long however, she grabbed one of the soldiers who was trying to make himself discreet. "Where's General Darius?" She asked, her tone making her impatience obvious. "He's in his office!" The soldier quickly blurted, and the redhead released him.
After a while, she finally made it to the door of her friend's office. Taking a breath, she raised a hand and knocked three consecutive times. "Come in." A deep voice boomed, and Katarina entered. "Make this quick alright?" She asked, putting her hands in her pockets and looking down at her feet. "No need to rub it in." When she looked up, she was shocked to see that Darius' face had no evidence of anger in his features.
He pushed a cup containing what seemed to be coffee forward. Katarina realised that he was (maybe?) trying to make amends.
She took a seat across from him and accepted the cup. The two sat in silence for a moment before Darius opened his mouth to speak. "So, why were you suddenly missing from battle?" Katarina sighed. "I kinda…kidnapped the Lady of Luminosity." Darius perked up at that piece of news. "You what?"
Katarina took another deep breath. "I don't know what came over me, but I took Demacia's Luxanna Crownguard here." Darius placed his cup of coffee now. He didn't say anything, and Katarina was getting kind of scared. His expression was near unreadable and hard to decipher.
He shifted around. "You know how much Crownguards are worth to Demacia." Katarina nodded mutely, not wanting to say any more than she had to and risking angering the big man again. "She is worth so much that she could be used as a bargaining chip against them." He took another sip of his coffee. "But it also means that we face a risk of Demacia invading our base in an effort to take her back." He got up and began pacing.
"We can't underestimate these people. They've already beaten us yesterday and now they probably think Campbell is the bigger threat to them than we are." He turned to the redhead, who had been uncharacteristically silent the whole time. "Keeping her captive here would be signing our death sentences. We need her in a more secure place." At the sound of the last few words, Katarina looked up in surprise.
"You're the best person I can trust with this." He carried on. "Bring her to Campbell, she'll be well-kept there." Katarina wanted to laugh. "Well, this wasn't what I was expecting. Besides, Campbell's camp is a far ways away from here." Darius gave a stare. "I thought you would be more enthusiastic about this. You would usually fantasise ways to torture your passengers on travels." Katarina gave a weak laugh. "You know many things about me haven't been the same since Ionia."
Darius exhaled as he approached the redhead. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Two other men will accompany you on this trip. They should be able to help keep the girl in check." He patted the redhead's shoulder twice. "Good luck." She knew that was her cue to leave, but she also detected an undertone in his words."
Darius was the Hand of Noxus. He was a proud man. He never downright apologised for anything. So what he just said was the closest thing to an apology she could get.
She smiled as she got up. "I'll do my best." She said as she left the room.