Chapter 36

"Not half bad, Viktor," Moyna said with an approving nod, "not bad at all."

"He could still be improved," Viktor responded.

Ren stood before them, glowing with pride.

"Not bad," Ren huffed, "I think amazing is a more accurate word."

The new clothes that covered him only added credibility to his statement. His jacket was black in color and, for one day only, completely devoid of any stains from the Grey. Its sleeves were longer than Ren would have liked and covered his tattoo, but he couldn't complain about the comfort and mobility it allowed him. Best of all, he was able to add some personal flair by sewing bolts onto the shoulders in a style not dissimilar to a chempunk's studded jacket.

His pants were a dark shade of charcoal and had also been modified by Ren. He had hemmed up one of the legs so that his augmentation would be visible in all its glory. He wasn't going to hide it anymore. Freshly polished, it shone in the sunlight. Ren took the uncharacteristically clear sky as a sign that their endeavor had Janna's blessing.

The light also gleamed off his left pauldron. Though smaller than Viktor's, Ren's armor still helped to give him the wider silhouette he desired. The shape of the pauldron was also smoother than Viktor's since it didn't need to accommodate a third arm. To Ren's eye, it was a blank canvas just waiting to have something painted onto it.

What was his favorite part of this whole outfit though was what rested around his neck. It was a scarf dyed boldly in in his favorite color. He ran his fingers over the bright, vivacious, orange color, his smile growing wider as he did so.

"This is way better than anything I drew, because it's real. Wow! I can hardly believe this! I feel like a hero already."

"You still need to earn that title," Viktor said.

"I know, but it's so close. So, so close."

"Attempt to restrain yourself a little longer," Viktor said, "I still have not given you your weapons."

"Yes," Moyna added, "this is what I wanted to see. You know I like to drop off your goods and bolt, but I'll make an exception for hextech."

"Are you curious to see if this could be added onto your claws?" Viktor asked.

"A little," Moyna blushed as she stroked her wrist mounted augmentation.

"If it proves to be useful," Viktor continued, "I will consider upgrading your augmentation."

"Oh, they will be useful," Ren chimed in, "come on, Doc, we're waiting."

All eyes were on Viktor. He reached down and opened the case at his feet, pulling from it Ren's new weapons. Fierce and eye-catching, Viktor's creations were a sight to behold. The weapons were more akin to gauntlets than traditional knuckledusters. They fit over the entire hand and strapped down around both the forearm and palm. A row of gear teeth were cleanly welded to the knuckles, while above the joint, four gear shaped talons rested. The edges had been grinded down to a dangerous edge. Viktor had also coated these edges with copper, giving them a warm sheen that complimented the color of Ren's scarf.

The choice of metal was not exclusively for appearance though. That was more of a happy coincidence. In reality, copper had been selected for its conductivity. Wires ran from the base of the talons to a power source on the back of the hand. Viktor had taken extra precautions to ensure that the hex crystals were attached safely attached and protected in their cells. Tiny as they may be, he knew these crystals were more than sufficient to cause a nasty shock.

"Come here," Viktor ordered.

Ren was beside him in a bound. He held out his hand and Viktor slid the gauntlets on.

"How is the fit?" Viktor asked.

"Mmm, perfect," Ren replied as he brought the gauntlets to eye level to marvel at them.

"I would advise keeping them away from your face for the next part, N-12."

Ren snapped his arms back down to his sides.

"In your palm," Viktor continued, "you should feel the lever. Along its side there is a switch. Press it to activate the crystal."

Doing as instructed, Ren felt for and found the diminutive switch. He flicked it on and instantly light began to glow from the crystal's casing. The gauntlet vibrated as the hex crystal hummed to life. Ren felt a jolt pass through him, but whether it was from the electricity or his own excitement, he could not tell.

"Now the lever will be unlocked. Pull it and the crystals will empower the gauntlets."

Without waiting another moment, Ren pulled the lever. A sharp hissing filled the air as an electrical current danced forth from the crystals and along the copper tipped talons. Ren gasped.

"It tingles a bit," he laughed, excitement overflowing, "look at the little sparks! Are you seeing this? How wicked is this? Quick, what something I can test this on?"

Viktor gestured towards an old "KEEP OUT" sign from when the factory had first been closed. In Viktor's entire residence in the place nobody had ever ventured near, rendering the sign unnecessary in his eyes.

Without further hesitation, Ren rushed to towards the sign and delivered an honest, simple punch to the center of the sign. The rusted metal groaned on impact as sparks leapt from Ren's talons and skittered across the surface. As he pulled back his hand, four small dents from the gears' teeth were left in the sign. A wild smile crossed Ren's face as he started to laugh.

"Your boy has gone mad with power, Viktor," Moyna commented.

"Not mad!" Ren chirped as he leapt over to Moyna, "I'm thrilled! This is the happiest I've been in a while."

He raised both hands before himself and held them out before her. The sudden closeness had her hair on end.

"Look," Ren continued as he energized both gauntlets at once, "I'm ecstatic because of the static. Heh."

Moyna gave a weak laugh as she cast a quick look at Viktor; a silent plea for him to rein his young partner in.

"Contain your enthusiasm, N-12," Viktor cut in, "at least until I finish explaining how to safely operate them."

"Ah, yes," Ren answered as he let the charge dissipate and stepped back from Moyna, "crystal."

"Crystal indeed," Viktor sighed, "they are what you need to understand. The hex crystals that power your weapons are small but I was able to wire them in such a manner that they are both stable and are capable of producing charge strong enough to make a chem-numbed thug stagger."

"However, the tradeoff of this power is that the crystals cannot maintain that level output for more than a few seconds. To prevent overheating, I installed emergency breakers that will disrupt the current and give the crystals time to cool down. I advise charging the gauntlets only in a fight. I know you will want to posture with them, but please refrain from doing so."

"Fine," Ren said with reluctance, "but how am I supposed to show off your inventions without using them. Flying sparks will get people's attentions."

"The intent is to gain attention. Combat is not the sole way to achieve this. There will be no lack of opportunities for you to provide aid in the Sump. Hazard removal and medical aid are also services you can provide."

"Yeah, you're right. I just know my skills are more in the kicking and punching area."

"Then you are fortunate that my skills are of the inventive nature and I will be equipping you. I have prepared a pack for when you depart. It contains medical supplies, absorption pellets for spills, vent and filter repair equipment, a flameless chem-lantern, and a variety of other useful objects."

"Thanks. It sounds like you've taken care of everything. So, am I ready to head out to try hero stuff?"

"No."

Ren furrowed his brow.

"What else am I missing?" he asked.

"This last piece," Viktor answered.

From behind his back, Viktor produced a small box and handed it to Ren. The boy took the box and cautiously opened it.

"I thought it wasn't ready yet," he gasped.

"Completing this appeared more beneficial than sleep," Viktor answered, "I am positive it will give you the advantage you seek."

Ren took the prize from the box and cradled it in his hands. It was a monocle that would make Chem-Barons envious. The lens was made of the highest quality of glass, and the metal frame and hardened leather that held it were of equal quality. Unlike the daintier monocle of Piltover fashion, this one was more akin to the goggles worn by Sump workers. The thick bands of metal had been finished with a patina that made it match the copper on his gauntlets. Even the clasp was bulkier and more ornate with Viktor's makers mark stamped boldly onto it.

Ren ran his fingers along rim of the glass. As he did, he felt the subtle spinning of a dial and heard the faint click of gears. He brought the monocle closer and turned the dial again. To his amazement, additional lenses began to move over the main one. Some were obvious in their intent as simple magnifying lenses, while others were tinted different colors or had wires circling them.

"It is the monocular focusing lens," Viktor explained as Ren continued with fascination to study the object, "it is an altered version of the lenses in my mask. It will enable you to focus on distant object, improve your vision in the dark, detect sources of heat, and even locate electrical fields. I admit that the design is still more obtrusive than I would prefer, but it had to compensate for your eyes being unaugmented. I –"

"It's perfect!" Ren exclaimed, "I love it just how it is. This monocular monocle looks so Zaun. All it's missing is a catchy name."

"It has a name. It is the monocular focusing lens."

"That's a mouthful. We need something simpler."

"It does not need a simpler name. Its current designation provides ample clarity of what the device is capable of doing."

"Let's see, it's kinda a monocle," Ren continued on, "but that also sounds way too proper. But it also looks like a goggle. Hmm, monocle goggle, monocle goggle, mo-goggle, mono-goggle, mo-ggle. That's it, moggle. What do you think?"

"It is a word you invented," Viktor stated bluntly.

Moyna stifled a laugh.

"We can workshop the name more later," Ren said with a sigh, "right now, I just want to put this on."

"Let me assist you," Viktor ordered, "place the lens over your eye and I will secure it in place."

Ren held the device up to his eye as Viktor took hold of the three straps attached to it. The first two straps wrapped around the head while the third went over. Viktor strapped them tightly together then pressed a button hidden within the pattern of his makers mark. Ren's hair briefly stood on end as electricity began to run through the device.

"Whoa! What?" Ren blurted out, "They're powered?"

Moyna smiled and nodded.

"Viktor asked me to swipe a third crystal as a surprise," she said.

"The power was needed for the lenses to work at their full potential," Viktor explained, "the chemicals used to treat several of the lenses react when an electrical current runs through them. This is what enables the more advanced functions."

"This is the coolest. I don't think I could ask for more. Thank you, Doc. And thank you, Moyna," Ren said. His cheeks were warm and rosy. "Ah, that reminds me, I've got something for you. I'll be right back."

Ren took off into the factory. With him gone, Moyna let out a sigh and let herself relax.

"He's a cute kid, Viktor," she said, "a bit too energetic for me though. Truly you must have the patience of an Ionian monk to live with someone so exuberant."

"Having patience is easier when you inhibit your emotions. Additionally, he is only this lively when he is excited. Otherwise he is content to be silent and illustrate."

"And does he excite easily?"

"Incredibly so."

"Hmm."

Ren returned before they could say much more, panting and holding a rolled up piece of paper.

"For you," he said, extending the piece to Moyna.

Gingerly, she took the paper and unrolled it. It was a new drawing. It showed a feminine robot assembled from various mismatched parts and pieces. She sat surrounded by piles of scrap metal and discarded pieces of old machinery. In her hands, she cradled a cog, upon which her gaze was intently focused. Below her, the word "Potential" was written.

"Oh," she smiled, "you drew this? That's very kind of you."

"It's not much," Ren answered, "but when I learned that you would be risking your life to get those crystals, I knew I had to do something for you back, even if the Doc was already paying you."

"Thank you, Ren," she said, "I know I'll find some place in my home to hang it up."

Viktor heard the chimes of the old factory clock announce that it was noon. He knew that, like clockwork, his final surprise for Ren would be arriving any second now.

"There is one final boon I have for you before you head out," Viktor said.

"More?" Ren asked.

No sooner had the question been asked, than the gears to the lift began to turn. Ren turned around just as plume of pipping steam crested the edge of the cliff. His eyes widened. Stepping off the lift was Blitzcrank.

"Greetings," the golem stated, "I have arrived precisely as requested and am ready to accompany subject N-12, Renatus."

"I trust you to keep him safe," Viktor responded before turning to Ren, "when you are ready, go with Blitzcrank."

"I don't think I could be more ready," Ren said, "I'll make you proud."

Greetings Summoners,

I hope you are all having a pleasant summer and are staying as safe as you are able to be. While writing this, my partner referred to Ren's monocle as the "moggle." It was a name so terrible I knew I had to include it. So, what do you all think? Moggle yes or moggle no? As always feedback (on goofy words or otherwise) is appreciated. Until next time, wash your hands, stay hydrated, and honor your junglers.

Best of luck on the Rift,

-Gwoo