Deeper and deeper into Zaun Viktor descended. He was past the point where decent people lingered and the stench from a nearby sump pool filled the air with a noxious odor that stung the eyes. This hazardous haze did nothing to deter Viktor. His mask filtered out the toxic chemicals from the miasma so that only the faintest whiff of sulfur reached him.
Rats, with their fur singed off where the chemicals had touched them, scurried away from Viktor's approach. These rodents were especially ugly specimens of their kind but were amazingly enough, completely parasite free. Not even fleas wanted to approach the sump. That did not mean, however, that this area was devoid of visitors.
A splash in the pool attracted Viktor's attention. At the far side, a person with a metal basket tied to a pole was skimming through the filth in search of scrap. A cumbersome homemade mask enveloped his head and obscured any details of his face, but Viktor could tell that he was boy not much older than Ren.
He left the youth alone but could not ignore the pang of frustration that he had felt at the sight.
"I created Blitzcrank to prevent this. Zaun will never achieve its full potential if our progeny is poisoned before adulthood."
But Viktor had no time to dwell on this. He forced the thoughts from his mind so he could remain alert for signs of the woman he was looking for. And there in the cliff side, he spotted one. A narrow passage, wide enough for only a single man to pass through at a time, was cracked into the stone. Viktor gave a precautionary look around to ensure he wasn't being followed and entered.
He made his way through the narrow passageway. The air began to grow cleaner as he progressed until the walls gave way to a circular chamber where the air was fresh and the sky above free of the Grey. A breeze whistled down the crater, making soft howling noises as it passed dozens of other hidden passages that would be accessible only to an expert climber. Viktor walked around the various piles of scrap that littered the floor. There was a pile for copper, a pile for iron, and a pile of pipes. It looked as though there was a pile for everything. And in the center of it all was a hovel built from scrap like a giant metal rat's nest.
Before the home itself, laid one final pile; a small shrine with a statue of a bird in blue patina perched on it. Viktor knocked on the door. From behind it came scrambled cluttering of someone leaping to their feet.
"Who's there," a woman's voice asked in alarm.
"It is Viktor, Moyna" he responded.
The sounds of footsteps approached the door and were followed by the clunking of locks being undone. Then with a creak of the rusted door, it pushed aside, revealing a short, nervous woman. She was the same age as Viktor, with dark eyes and hair the color of driftwood. Around her wrists rested a set of metal claws, curled back in waiting. Her nose twitched as she picked up the scent of the sump on him.
"Viktor," she said, her expression growing more calm, "please come in. It has been too long since one of my favorite customers has paid me a visit. What brings you to my humble abode today?"
Humble was an appropriate word to describe her home. The interior, much like the exterior, was a mismatch of materials. Baskets of yet more scrap were piled high around the room, while the ceiling was occupied by strips of cloth listing the prices of various goods. But, if someone were to look beyond the piles of junk, they would notice that the shelves were a treasury of Zaun goods. High quality tools, augmentation replacement parts, ingots of pure copper, steel, and silver, and rare chemical mixtures stolen from the Chem-Barons themselves lined the shelves from top to bottom.
"I require chemical J-2918," Viktor said as he followed her into her home.
Moyna began to shift through the shelves of chemicals.
"You haven't needed this in a while," she asked, "are you planning on getting into a fight?"
"Yes, I plan on experiencing melee combat in the future."
Bottles clinked together as Moyna continued to search.
"Oh no," she groaned, "you aren't thinking of going and kicking another hornet's nest are you? You caused a blackout to a whole district when you attacked that Matches gang on Emberflit Alley. It's still a mess in their old hangout, nobody's been there since."
"The Matches planned on releasing a toxic gas into the vents of that district because the merchants refused to pay their protection fees. They were a tumor on Zaun and needed to be removed."
"Such a good doctor you are. Ah, here it is, J-2918."
Moyna pulled a growler from the shelf. The name of the original brew this container had once held had been scratched out, and now the J-2918 was chalked over it.
"How much do you need," she asked.
"Double the usual amount."
"Aww, you are going to fight another gang, aren't you?"
Just as she was bringing the growler over, a strong gust of wind blew through her hideout and blew over a pile of scrap. The clang of toppling metal caused such a great noise that Moyna jumped back and the growler slipped from her hands. Instantly, her wrist mounted augmentation sprang to life. The claw tipped fingers flipped forward at incredible speed and caught the handle of the growler long enough for Moyna to snatch it back up. Moyna let out a shuddering sigh as she wiped the cold sweat that had appeared on her brow before slumping inter her chair behind the counter. After a few moments of silence, she began to reset her augmentation back to its ready position.
"When will you allow me to enact a more permanent solution for you," Viktor asked.
The mousy woman shook her head.
"I need my fear, Viktor," she said, "it's difficult in daily life, yes, but when I'm on my missions, I need it to survive. It keeps me from making any unnecessary risks or over extending myself when danger is near. Thank you, but I think I'll stick with you temporary solution for now. Speaking of which, did you bring it for payment?"
Viktor nodded and brought forth two vials, one empty and the other filled with a clear liquid, within which we dozens of minuscule silver spheres. Moyna snatched it from the table as though her life depended on it.
"Thank you, Viktor," she said, "you have no idea how much this is worth to me."
"No," he replied, "but I have an idea."
He tapped on his empty glass vial.
"Oh, yes." Moyna responded as she began to measure out the valuable liquid.
"So," she continued, "have you been working on anything new lately?"
"I have been improving upon my leg augmentation designs," Viktor answered, "When I am satisfied with the results, I could trade you a new leg."
"Oh no, I need to be careful what I put on my body. I don't want to hempen my ability to shift and all that, but I appreciate you even considering a half-breed like myself for your Glorious Evolution."
"And why shouldn't someone of vastayan heritage seek to become better than they are?"
Moyna shrugged as she sealed the now full vial.
There was another crash outside, though this one did not bring with it a breath of fresh air. Moyna flinched alert at once. Her nose twitched as she strained to smell the air. Another moment and she had shifted. Her ears, now rounded a tufted with fur, picked up the sound of footsteps outside. With the muzzle that had grown from her nose, she could detect more in the air.
"I know that smell," she squeaked, "they smell of the Chem-Baron's factory! How did they find me? Were you followed? What-"
Viktor cut her off.
"If they have found you through a fault of my own, I shall amend it. Go, find your syringe and calm yourself."
Moyna stopped pulling at her whiskers and nodded. With that, Viktor went to the door and stepped out into the gully. At the far end, he could see a pair of thugs emerging from the same passage he had used.
The two were goons in comparison to Viktor's thin frame. Their bulky forms were shrouded in dark colors of their Chem-Baron master. Black hoods obscured their faces so that they looked more like Noxian executions of old. Where the masks were cut for eyeholes, goggles shone like the eyes of a wraith. This glow cast eerie shadows on the gas masks that had allowed them to pass through the miasma.
The larger of the two swung at one of Moyna's scrap stacks, knocking it to the ground with his large metal arm.
"Get out here you rat," he shouted, "our boss wants his chems back!"
Viktor had exited the hovel as calmly as he had entered it. He felt no fear in the presence of these thugs. Unlike Moyna, it was an emotion he had abandoned long ago. And so he approached them as he did any other obstacle, with a cold, calculating mind.
"I give you one opportunity," Viktor dictated, "leave and forget you ever found this place. Return to your master and inform him you have failed to catch his thief."
"Fat chance," replied the thug with EXCTR-3 painted on his augmented arm, "the boss wants the rat's head."
His voice was ugly and garbled by his mask
"But we wouldn't mind," added the other with RTRVR-4 painted on his smaller augmentation, "if we had to knock yours about first."
Without further preamble, the pair reached back and hit switches on their chem tanks. The pumps hissed as they injected their phosphorescent liquid into the thugs. Their bodies convulsed as they responded to this sudden stimulus. Viktor however, cared little for this and immediately turned his laser on them.
A jet of intense light burst from his third arm, charring the ground where the two men had been. They were unscathed though, for the chemicals took effect sooner than Viktor had anticipated and they were able to jump out of the way with surprising swiftness. The shorter of the two moved to close the gap between himself and Viktor.
A few long strides brought the RTRVR-4 within striking distance. He was faster than Viktor, but his speed left his attacks sloppy. He swung wildly and Viktor was easily able to sidestep these blows. During this all, Viktor felt a pang of annoyance that he had used his laser so early. Now, at point-blank range, would have been a more opportune time, but the machinery needed valuable seconds to recharge before another searing attack. Still, there was enough energy for a smaller attack.
A smaller, duller pulse of light left the mechanical arm. The thug raised his plated arm. The weakened laser left a small, black mark on the surface of the metal but did little else. Viktor knew he would have needed dozens of these smaller stings to do any lasting damage and that was something he did not have the time for. From the corner of his eye, Viktor saw the other thug charging the large weapon that made up his arm and shoulder.
With a crackling hum, the glow of electricity began to cloak EXCTNR-3's limb. The focal point of this weapon was mounted to his forearm and sparks had begun to spray from the tip. Viktor wasted no time in responding. He launched a three pronged claw from his belt. In less than a heartbeat, the copper coated claw clasped about the charging weapon and Viktor attached the claw's cable to his staff. The hissing of an electrical current filled the air. Had the thug's face been visible, his expression would have clearly been etched with shock. The power of the electrical weapon was being siphoned, but even as its power waned, the crystal atop Viktor's staff began to glow more intensely.
Soon, it was Viktor's weapon that was radiating power. Satisfied with its thievery, the claw released the limb and was pulled back to its waiting position by a device similar to that which powered the arms of the famed Steam Golem. And it had all happened not a moment too soon.
Now with his staff glowing as though wreathed with St. Elmo's fire, Viktor swung it at the brute before him. It connected with his chest and a great snapping noise echoed through the gully. The shock that surged through RTRVR-4's body forced all his muscles to contract violently, throwing him backwards.
He crashed into a pile of scrap, sending bits of metal spinning in all directions. Not giving him a moment to recover, Viktor set upon him. He transferred the remaining stolen energy to his laser & fired a stronger blast. A pulse of purple plasma shot from Viktor's third arm. Again, the thug raised his prosthetic to block, but this time the damage sustained was more than a black spot. A portion of the metal melted, exposing the limbs wiring, its veritable tendons & veins, to the air.
Viktor was prepared to finish his fight but he was forced to abandon his advantage. EXCTNR-3 had regained control of his limb & had activated its secondary weapon. He had been hesitant to use this new, still unstable weapon, but the results excited him. From a separate barrel mounted on his shoulder, a metal ball was fired at an alarming speed. Viktor only had a moment to move out of the way before a red-hot ball whizzed past. When it hit the ground, it spattered into a mess of hot slag.
This was all thanks to the newest concoction of the Chem-baron's labs. While the shots were primed, their chamber would be doused with this volatile new mixture that would set off a violent chemical reaction with the metal. The result was a molten metal projectile that had to be launched quickly. This of course forced EXCTNR-3 to sacrifice his accuracy, which saved Viktor as he had to keep moving to avoid the barrage of slag shots. No longer immediately threatened, RTRVR-4 freed himself from the heap and rejoined the fight.
RTRVR-4 had grabbed a lead pipe and swung like a madman. He kept his augmentation raised high as a shield against the barrage of Viktor's weaker lasers. The lead pipe clanged as it connected with Viktor's staff as the scientist blocked, staggering him. Viktor knew he was being pushed back towards another pile of scrap and decided to act quickly. He had to lower his staff momentarily so he could reach for another device. In that brief second, the pipe connected with his arm.
Had he had been a man of flesh and blood, his bones would have snapped under such a blow, but Viktor was not a normal man. The metal below his skin was dented and damaged, pain flared along the limb, but he could still use it. As he activated his trap, he knew it had been worth it.
The device snapped open, appearing like a metal flower with green lights at the tips of the petal. A low humming noise indicated that the device was working and soon the area above the metal flower was warped from a strong magnetic pull. RTRVR-4 felt as though gravity had been increased as the magnets pulled on his augmentations and slowed his advance to a crawl. He swore as he tried in vain to raise the lead pipe for another attack. Below his mask, Viktor's face twitched into a grimace. However, he did not notice that EXCTNR-3 had again primed his electrical cannon.
But Moyna did. From atop her hovel, she fired an arrow that pierced the base of the cannon. Unlike most arrows, hers carried tiny chips that would release a small electromagnetic pulse upon impact, causing machinery they struck to malfunction. Such was the case with EXCTNR-3's cannon, as it dispersed its charge all around it with a shower of sparks.
"It's the rat," shouted RTRVR-4.
But his partner didn't respond. He had been knocked to the ground and stunned from the electrical bust. Moyna responded for him.
"Actually," she said, "I prefer to be called a mouse."
The woman's eyes were hard and black as she starred down those hired to kill her. Another arrow was notched in her bow as she took aim at RTRVR-4. There was no trace of the skittish woman from before. A single drop of blood dripped from behind her rounded ear where she had injected one of Viktor's silver beads.
"I can give you cover if you want to use that device," Moyna said. Viktor nodded.
He had grown tired of this fight. There was a small metal box attached to his belt. He reached for it. RTRVR-4 was determined not to let his opponent have this mystery weapon & he stared for Viktor immediately, with or without his partner's aid. But Viktor had his ally, & she was faster.
With eyes unblinking, she tracked RTRVR-4's movements, & when he placed his foot down one of her arrows pierced it. The thug bit back a cry of pain as he worked to remove the pinning shot. With spurts of blood, an arrow was freed while a second embedded itself in his other foot.
All while Moyna was toying with her would be assassin, Viktor prepared his device. The small drone was still in its experimental phase and Viktor could not suppress a small thrill with being able to use it. A field test would provide excellent results.
The drone was kept aloft by a large propeller towards its base. Above this, was a large glass container encircled by several bands of metal. Most impressively though, was the small hex core that glowed a cold blue within its glass home. The light grew more intense as Viktor moved his staff, & the larger hex core it was paired with, towards it. With a bright flash, both cores were glowing with the intensity of a bonfire.
"Obliterate," he commanded.
The hex-tech core inside the glass rattled around as though it were an angry hornet. Everyone's hair stood on end, and then it began.
Crack-boom!
The first shot resonated through like a thunder clap. It was soon followed by another discharge of electricity, then another. Within a second, the whole gully sounded as though it were in the center of a chaotic storm. Bolts struck piles of scrap, releasing dozens of sparks skittering away like phosphorescent spiders. Moyna had to shield her sensitive eyes from the destructive radiance. RTRVR-4's mask adjusted automatically to the light, allowing him to see. What he saw terrified him.
Snapping bolts repetitively struck his partner, reviving him for his final moments. EXCTNR-3's chem-tanks were shattered, his metal armor was blasted from him, and his augmentation, carrying that volatile chemical, exploded and coated the thug's face in a molten death mask.
RTRVR-4 turned to run, uncaring of how the flesh tore from his foot as he ripped it from the pinning arrow. Viktor pointed his staff towards his drone and traced an invisible line through the air towards the fleeing assassin. The crystal within the drone pulsed with light and obeyed the command.
Bang!
RTRVR-4 fell to the ground as the bolt struck him in the back. This was only the first strike. Another hit and burst his chem-tank. The next, charred his arm augmentation black. And after that, another burst the glass lens from his mask. This lasted only a few seconds, but it could have been an eternity for the doomed man as the electricity burnt and burst his skin.
With its energy expended, the glow of the drone diminished and it slowly floated to the ground. Viktor went to retrieve his device, a sense of calm satisfaction about him. He placed it back in its holder to recharge before going to stand over the body of RTRVR-4 and examine his device's handiwork. But there was movement. He was alive.
The thug rolled over and tried to reach out at Viktor, but the augmentations on his limbs had short circuited and could only hang limply. Chemical solutions and blood pooled underneath the man in a horrendous mixture. As Viktor looked on, he felt a horrendous mixture of pity and contempt building within himself. He knew what had to be done.
He approached the man. Emotions were pushed aside, and Viktor spoke in a cold tone.
"I had given you a chance to retreat and forget this place. You had squandered it. Now you will suffer the consequences of your actions."
Viktor's third arm had twitched alert and was humming with energy. The light from it could be seen reflected in RTRVR-4's visible, terrified eye. There was a flash of white light.
"Would you look at this mess," Moyna said as stood over the smoldering body, "it's going to take days to get everything back to that neat mess I like so much."
"It is regrettable," Viktor commented.
Moyna brushed off the comment.
"Don't worry about it. It's two less assassins working for the chem-barons and I'll be more careful next time. I'm grateful you were here."
Viktor nodded. He then turned his attention to his damaged arm. The metal was bent and some of his mobility in the limb had been lost. He moved what he could back into place, but he knew he would need his workbench to fully repair himself.
"Go home, Viktor," Moyna said, "I'll take care of the cleanup."
"You will be able to sufficiently clean on your own," he asked.
"I'll be fine, though I won't be alone,"
She made a shrill whistling sound. Within moments, the scratching noise of countless claws on the stone responded. Moyna reached down to pick up the first rat that had reached her and stroked it affectionately.
"We're scavengers after all, and one thing we're good at is picking things clean."
Viktor gave a curt nod and departed with his chemicals. Behind him, he could hear the clicking of tiny teeth.
