A/N: EDIT: Aaaaand here come the flames *Sigh* T_T Can't we just enjoy a good story?
Read this note, Would You Kindly?
Well, I've officially seen all of Arcane now, recent episodes and all.
Now then, we're still following the Ember's Rule here. Sadly, that's no joke.
Really, it isn't. If folks don't like this, it'll be deleted. Poof! Gone! Every bit of feedback helps. YOU determine what stays and goes. Reviews are the fuel which keeps me writing in these crazy times. With my tight schedule, I simply don't have time to write a story folks don't like. Without them, my inspiration cannot take wing and I can't write a word. So by all means, speak up!
Now for your questions:
Q: We demand a Jinx P.O.V. at once! Hop to it!
A: Sure thing; this one's all about her.
Q: Are you still updating your RWBY stuff?
A: Yes. I did so only a few days ago and I'll do it again soon.
Q: Please don't bash Vi in this story! She did the best she could!
A: Rest assured, I'm not bashing anyone. That said, I'm going for a more realistic take here.
Q: Can we get a timeline here?
A: Already said as much but I'll say it again; at THIS point in time, we're past Act I and yet some time before Act II. Which, as a refresher? Vander? Dead. Mylo? Dead. Claggor? Dead. Dead, dead, dead. Vi's locked up in Stillwater. Ekko's busy building the Firelights.
Naruto and Jinx are 14-15 around the time of this, the second chapter. They won't be for long.
In many ways, they're still raw and not quite the characters we know.
Two broken souls, trying to pick up the pieces...
Q:...Piltover's fucked, isn't it? I don't care what kind of Hextech Jayce and Viktor whip up; ain't nothing but NOTHING standing up against a pissed off Kurama.
A: Come now, just because you think you know how a story's going to end doesn't mean it will follow that path. But I will say this.
And assuming our foxy friend breaks the seal/is ever unleashed completely? Yeah, that's game over for everyone.
Time will tell if Naruto makes peace with him in this story. Because if he doesn't...
Q: I take it you saw Silco's final scene.
A: Don't remind me. It hurt so damn bad...
Alright, I've kept you long enough.
As ever, I own no references quotes, themes or memes.
So in lieu of a long authors note...here...we...go!
"I know it well. Betrayal, that pain that feels like it'll eat you from the inside out...it can either break you, or forge you into something greater...
...you need to let the past die. So the fear of pain will no longer control you. Neither of you.
You're strong now. Just like you were always meant to be. You're both perfect."
~?
What Can Be
Jinx didn't do jealousy.
She was better than that. She wasn't weak. She didn't let other people trip her up, didn't care what they thought of her. Nope. Not like Powder. No, no, no. Never poor, pitiful Powder. Powder had been weak. Powder was gone. Powder fell down a well. Powder wasn't coming back...just like Vi. She was Jinx now, through and through. She'd owned that final insult and made it her name. No matter what the voices said. She'd become strong, and she'd be damned if she fell back into her old ways.
But when Silco brought him into her workshop, she still felt a twinge of uncertainty.
She looked up fro her bombs, saw the boy, and knew him at a glance. Blond boy. Dead boy. She'd seen his body sprawled on Singed's table some days ago; before the madman caught her gawking, tutted, and shooed her away. Jinx. Hadn't thought much of him then. Still didn't now. Even if this "dead boy" had proper fancy clothes now, a bright red tunic and dark trousers in place of those ratty orange-blue rags he'd worn. Dressing up a dead body didn't make it any less dead.
But...but dead bodies didn't move now, did they?
"Who's that?" She cursed herself for asking almost immediately. She didn't want to know his name. Knowing it would make him real.
Fear hit her like a baseball bat. Who was he? Why was he here? Was she being replaced. No, no, no. Silco wouldn't do that do her. He cared. Didn't he? He had to. He must. Right? Uncertainty burrowed its way into her heart like worms. Wriggling, rotten, gnawing worms. She could feel them gnawing her resolve down to nothing. Spurred by her hesitation, the voices started to whisper again.
Useless...
Her teeth clenched. Stoppit! Shut up!
Weak...
She shook her head, blue braids flailing.
Going to replace you...
Wild eyes flitted left, then right now, seeking an escape.
"Calm down, Jinx." Some of her anxiety must've shown through; because he raised a hand to forestall an outburst. "This isn't what it looks like, I assure you."
"Yeah? Then what is he?" she kicked a boot against one of her "toys" sending it skittering off the propeller and into the chasm below. It struck something and detonated, briefly bathing them in a shower of pink light. "Cuz it looks like," her head tilted, teeth bared in a snarl, "Is you found a replacement-
"His name is Naruto." Silco's scarred face creased in a worn smile as he interrupted her. "Go on, now." He gave the boy -Whiskers, her mind conjured the nickname - a nudge between the shoulders, spurring him forward as one might a skittish animal. "I had hoped that the two of you might come to an...understanding."
What, with him? Whiskers looked like shit.
As if reading that very thought, the boy flicked an anxious look at her. Jinx found herself mirroring it, huffing a little in anger as she hugged her arms close to herself. Who was he? Dead people should...should stay dead. Like the rest. Dead was dead. Even if she still heard their voices.
"Don't need an' understanding." she raised a hand to fiddle with the goggles on her forehead. "Why's he here?"
"Because," Her foster father looked her dead in the eye. "Like you, he too, knows the sting of betrayal."
Jinx fought down a shiver.
You did this! her past howled at her in a cascade of white noise. All your fault. Because you're a Jinx!
She flinched and clutched her head. No. Don't think about it. Accident. It was an accident. Not her fault. Didn't mean to...!
"I'll leave the two of you to get acquainted. With one last lingering look, Silco retreated, as he did, she caught the ghost of a smile on his face. "Play nice."
The door closed sealing them in.
Naruto didn't look at her. An old wound itched in Jinx's heart.
"Sooo...?" she scuffed a black boot against the floor, "What did he mean by that?"
She didn't miss the fully body flinch that shot through him, nor the haunted look in his eyes that followed. You couldn't fake shit like that.
Frowning, she strode forward and pinched his cheek. "You deaf or something?"
The boy squawked and caught her wrist. "Hey!"
Silence passed between them.
"Well?"
...my best friend stabbed me." the boy scratched at his chest with his right hand, picking at something Jinx couldn't see under his shirt. Jinx wondered if there was a scar there. "He was like a brother to me. Family." A new tremor shook him as he clenched his teeth. "He killed me."
Jinx tugged her arm free, but didn't retreat.
Even so her brow furrowed. She might be mad as a hatter, but even she knew the difference between the living and the dead. Dead men didn't talk. Dead men didn't walk. Dead men certainly didn't squawk. Hey! That one rhymed. She'd have to remember that-no, no, no. Focus. Pay attention. Whiskers said he was dead. Yet here he was. Why?
She said as much. "You're alive, though...?"
His lips pursed. ...not by choice."
He'd warbled a little there at the end. It was a sad, broken thing, on the edge of becoming a sob...or a snarl. She'd made a noise like that once. After Vi...no! She shook her head fiercely. Don't think about it. Think about other things. Like this guy. His family betrayed him, too. Something twitched in her fractured mind.
At least Vi hadn't stabbed her. No, just punched her, knocked her down, called her a Jinx...LEFT...!
"She left me." the words tumbled out before she could think to hold them back. "She betrayed me, too...
Naruto blinked. "Who?"
Crapbaskets. She didn't mean to say that aloud!
"N-Nothin'!" Jinx stammered quickly, she feigned a laugh and danced out of his reach. "Family, right? Can't live without 'em, can't shove em back in the old baby maker...!"
Another pall of awkward confusion passed between the two of them.
The boy broke it with a snigger. "You're weird."
"Yeah?!" a grin twitched at her lips. "You're weirder!"
Maybe." he shrugged. Then his gaze shifted. Just a hair. Just a touch. "Why's your hair blue?"
"Dunno." she reached around and fiddled with the end of one long braid. "Why ya got those whiskers?"
"Meh." The ghost of a sunny smile graced those marked cheeks. "Dunno," he parroted back at her. "Born with 'em."
Jinx looked at the boy, then, this stranger with the stranger name. Really looked at him as she hadn't before. He looked back. Their eyes met. She took a step to the right, and he, the left. He mirrored her. They circled one another. One step. Two. Three. Four. When he came to a halt, so did she. He spun and she copied him, pivoting one on heel. A long blue braid flew out and smacked him in the face.
"Pfft!"
His sputter of surprise drew a merry little giggle from Jinx. Her hands flew up to muffle it too late. The sound echoed through her workshop.
Something sparked between them, then. Not anger or envy, but a single ember of understanding. In a single spectacular moment of blissful sanity, she began to understand the truth; why Silco had brought him to her. She held onto that understanding, even when the voices threatened to creep back in. Silco hadn't brought him in as competition. Far from it.
"I get it." Her grin was madness itself; she tilted her head, a strange of wild blue hair falling across her face. "You're broken, too. Like me."
"...maybe." he allowed. "Why'd that guy call ya Jinx?"
His words wiped the smile from her lips as surely as a slap to the face.
Jinx, Jinx, JINX! Vi's voice returned with a vengeance, howling in her head. You did this! You're a jinx!
Fingers like ice trailed down her spine. With all her might, she pushed them away and bulled forward. Naruto didn't budge. A flicker of surprise flashed through his eyes, but he gave ground. Even when she grabbed at his coat. A spark of scarlet flickered through his gaze. Nothing more.
"Oops!" by contrast his smile was terribly fragile. "Didn't mean to upset you. Someone hurt you pretty deeply, huh? I'm sorry."
"...!"
Jinx found herself sputtering. Two little words. Funny how a simple string of syllables can undo a person. She couldn't remember the last time someone apologized to her...for, well, anything really. It felt kind a nice. Made her all warm and fuzzy inside. She hadn't felt like this in awhile. Wasn't sure she liked it.
"You've got a weird name, too!" Jinx finger jabbed his nose to cover it up. "The hell's a Naruto?!"
Now it was his turn to consider her. Something flashed across his face.
He offered his hand. "Wanna be friends?"
Jinx stepped back and considered his open palm, half expecting it to explode, or barring that, vanish into thin air. Someone who knew her pain. Someone who had suffered a betrayal even worse than hers. Someone who understood her, who would never, EVER betray her. Never ever.
Mine!
Jinx liked that.
Mine, mine!
She liked it very much.
Mine, mine, mine!
Oh yes, she liked that a whole lot.
Although the voices needled Jinx anew, for the first time in years, she found herself able to ignore them. Her fractured mind bleated like the little girl she still was deep in her heart. Hope fluttered to life in her shattered psyche, a wounded butterfly taking wing and struggling for air. Not a brother, no, no, no. Better than a brother. No need of brothers here. Not like Mylo. Not like Claggor. Brothers died. But a friend! Friends were forever. Friends, friends, until the end! Her mind warmed to the idea as she clasped both hands behind her back. Okay. Play it cool. Don't overreact...!
"Um...? Jinx?" Naruto frowned. "Was it something I said?"
She did all the overreacting.
"MINE!"
He never saw her coming; if only because she absolutely pounced on him. Their bodies collided in a tangle of arms and limbs. He went down with a noise torn somewhere between a yelp and a laugh as they sprawled to the floor. She held tight, burying her head in his chest, inhaling deeply. A thought occurred to her, then. Her gaze rose to meet his.
...what?" color flooded his cheeks. "Was it something I said.
Jinx snorted, blew a strand of blue hair out of her eyes and held up a finger as she lay sprawled on his chest. "Pinky promise?"
The whiskered warrior blinked rapidly. "Huh?"
"Pinky promise!" she repeated, thrusting her finger forth to poke him hard in the cheek. "If you break it, I'll break your finger!"
To his credit, Naruto didn't panic. He simply blinked again. "What am I promising here..?"
"That you'll always be my friend!" Jinx bulled forward, forehead kissing his. "No matter what! You have to promise!"
"Or...?"
She scowled and pinched his cheek. "Or I won't talk to you anymore!"
"What, is that all? Alright?" Naruto rolled his eyes yet still hooked his finger with hers. "Yeah, yeah...you're fine just the way you are."
"Liar, liar, pants on fire...hey!" she giggled when yanked her forward and gave her a crushing hug. "Okay, okay! I'll stop!" her legs flailed. Lemme go!"
"Nope!" He sang back. "You're my new bestie-better-than-the-restie!"
A merry little sigh escaped Jinx as she held on tight.
"Sooooo...wanna see how I make my bombs?"
Naruto perked up. "What kinda bombs..?"
It was a match made in hell.
(.0.0.0.)
Sevika looked up from her drink as the door eased open.
"How did it go?"
Silco stroke past her and sank into his seat with a sigh. He took a moment to simply sit there and lean back, basking in his triumph. Mismatching eyes stared at the ceiling, watching a fan spin lazily overhead. He closed them a moment later, simply reveling in the moment. Was this what pride felt like? Not as a patriot of Zaun, but a simpler sort. The pride of a pleased father. He'd not experienced the like before.
He hadn't lingered overlong in Jinx's workshop, but he'd caught the sounds echoing up from it all the same.
You see, Silco had heard laughter of two children; followed by the sound of a great many explosions. He'd not heard Jinx laugh like that in quite some time. That was victory enough for him...well, that and another matter. The boy would be good for her he thought, a stabilizing influence perhaps. Two broken children could yet fit together to form something new.
"Well enough." he relented with a low chortle and opened his eyes at last. "He's a special sort, that one."
"Really?" his second took another swig from her bottle. "If you say so...
He reached into his jacket. "You should meet him."
"What?" she scoffed. "No. I'm not a babysitter."
"That wasn't a request." his false eye flitted up to meet hers. "I need someone to watch them until they're ready. You're the only one I can trust with this...
Sevika offered a noncommittal grunt but didn't deny him. Of course she didn't. She had the best interests for Zaun at heart and know it or not, those two were a pivotal part of the plan to come. Perhaps the boy would grow on her in kind. Time would tell. For now there were other matters to which they must attend.
...and then we have another prize."
With that said, he lifted a small vial from his coat pocket and held it aloft for her to see. A vivid scarlet light danced within, bubbling every so faintly.
"What is that?" Sevika leaned forward to peer at it in turn. The light danced in her eyes. "A new kind of Shimmer?"
Silco's smile was all teeth. "No. Not Shimmer."
And so the years flowed by like wind.
Ever onward. Ever upward.
A/N: Is that what I think it is...?
We're going to be hitting ACT II soon, and its gonna be NUTS.
Consider this. Naruto has more than sheer power to offer here. If he gets it into his head to disguise himself at Silco's request...heh.
As ever, we're following the Ember's Rule here. That's no joke. Really, it isn't.
If folks don't like this, it'll be deleted. Poof! Gone! Every bit of feedback helps. Reviews are the fuel which keeps me writing in these crazy times. With my tight schedule, I simply don't have time to write a story folks don't like. Without them, my inspiration cannot take wing and I can't write a word. So by all means, speak up!
As ever, reviews are my lifeblood. Without them, I cannot write.
So In the Immortal Words of Atlas...
...Revieeeeew, Would You Kindly?
They keeps an old man alive.
And enjoy the previews.
As ever:
SPOILER! SPOILER! SPOILER!
PLOT DETAILS AHOY!
YE BE WARNED!
Get ready to smile~!
Obvious references are obvious~!
(POTENTIAL!) Previews! What can I say? I've been busy.
Naruto P.O.V. next chapter.
"C'mon! Shoot faster!"
A figure cloaked in crimson slammed down, crushing a lowlife's head.
Marcus gulped. "Is he...with you?"
Sevika winced at the remains. "More or less."
Naruto rose and waved a clawed hand. "Hey, mom!"
She slapped a hand to her forehead. "I told you, don't call me that in public...
"Look what I made for ya!" Jinx spread her arms wide. "Happy birthday!"
Naruto's jaw clicked open. "Is that what I think it is?"
"Yup~!"
"That day I let a weak man die. And another was reborn."
...why are you telling me this?"
"You need to give up on your past, son." Silco held out his hand. "Kill the boy. And let the man be born."
Paranoia reared its ugly head in his heart.
"You...you love me, right?" Jinx stammered at his back. "You won't leave me, right? You made a pinky promise."
Naruto grunted and slammed his shoulder into a wall. Bone grated as it popped back in. Stars danced before his vision. He took a moment to steady himself before speaking.
"I never go back on my word."
"You know you can't keep that promise. She's slipping. She'll get you killed."
The blond bashed his head into a wall to silence the voice. Stupid fox. Shut up.
He sat down with a sigh. Jinx plonked down in his lap.
"You do love me." she kissed his forehead, babbling the words. "I know you do. Even though I'm different. Don't change. Please. Promise me you'll never change...
He wiggled his little finger at her.
"Already did."
She laughed and hugged him tight.
Everything was burning.
Below him, he could hear the screams.
He hardened his hear to them and kept walking.
"Whiskers...?"
"Let 'em burn, Jinx." a shimmering red eye glared over his shoulder, the eye of a beast. "Its no longer our concern." he held the blazing blue gemstone in his off hand; held it up before his eye, considering it. "We got what we came for."
...mm'kay." she squeezed his hand and skipped on ahead. "Best date ever~!
"She doesn't need you." Naruto turned aside and spat blood on the ground. "In fact, I think she's better off without a sister who LEFT-
His head snapped to the side, cheek twisting just so. His feet didn't budge. Blue eyes blazed a twisted, poisonous violet red. He turned back, uncaring of the clenched knuckles in his face.
"You call that a punch?"
R&R~!
