(Lux - PoV)

Ugh. Too bright.

I shift about in the bed, trying to get comfortable.

Itchy...

Wait. Where's Brother?

I open my eyes and look around. The room is brightly lit, but the walls themselves are dark stone, and I am surrounded by strange machines. Stuff that looks like it came straight from Zaun.

Oh gods, am I in Zaun?

Do not like.

Nonono, do not like at all!

"Good morning, my dear!"

I turn to see this guy that just screams mad scientist. Yeah, no. Not happening. I don't know what he wants with me, but I have no intention of getting scienced.

I am busting out of here and finding Brother and he is fixing everything. You're about to find out this little girl isn't so helpless!

"We had been won-"

"LASER!" I yell, jumping up from the bed, throwing aside several machines and blasting at his head, but he somehow manages to duck.

Good reflexes for an old man.

And wow, way more power than I expected actually! Blew right through the wall(s). Blew through the walls. Plural! And I don't feel the pain anymore! Did someone remove the suppressor?

I blast him again but he rolls to the side, so I only get a few more machines and put a hole in the floor.

"Stand still pervert!" I demand, blasting again. Seriously, I wasn't expecting a sciencey dude to be so fast. He will run out of room to dodge eventually though, even if only because there isn't a room anymore!

"Doctor! Doctor! I am your Doctor!" he calls out in desperation.

Huh?

"What? Start talking Mister! I have lasers and I'm not afraid to use them!" I keep my arm pointed at him. Any funny business and he gets vaporized.

"You are in Noxus! You and your brother were attacked while traveling here! You almost died! He brought you to me for treatment!"

Noxus...right...we were...and then Vayne...

"I am Doctor Kane! I treated you! Please stop attacking." he slowly stands, hands in the air, watching me warily.

Everyone...she killed them...poor Jack...

"The...the soldiers that were with us...did any of them...make it?" I ask, lowering my hands.

The doctor blinks, slowly lowering his own hands. "I am afraid I have no idea. You were the only patient I treated, but they may have simply not required my skills. I am something of a specialist. You will have to ask your brother or Katarina, they are on their way."

...Brother is with Katarina? I knew that bitch would move on him the instant she got the chance!

"Katarina?! Why is she coming?" I demand.

Kane blinks at me. "She rescued you. From what they told me, your brother was barely able to keep Vayne from killing you after you collapsed. Katarina joined in and helped drive her off, then assisted in getting the two of you to Noxus. She has since been keeping him company so that he doesn't wreck my lab, as your family seem inclined to do."

He mutters under his breath. "Really, brand new lab and this is what they do to it...They really are siblings. I had assumed it was just the meathead but no, somehow the girl is even worse..."

I look around at the damage...Oops?

Maybe don't wake me up in what looks like a mad science lab next time? Really, I thought you were going to either dissect me or start probing me. Or tentacles.

No tentacles.

I shiver.

And Katarina? Rescued...me?

I...it's a trick. She wanted to ingratiate herself to Brother.

I nod to myself. Yes, that makes sense. And then she got him all to herself for days? I can only hope Brother's stupidity has protected him from her wicked ways.

-
(Garen - PoV)

My hasty but not unreasonable pace (to me at least, though Kat disagrees) to see Lux turns into a full combat rush when I see the hole in the building and guards milling about. I charge forward past the milling men and leap two floors into the hole, my sword ready, Kat right behind me.

We dash forward to see the lab in a state of ruin, with most of a wall and much of the floor missing, and almost all of the mysterious machinery appearing wrecked. And in the middle of this destruction, Lux is...

Dejectedly being lectured by Dr. Kane? Who is missing half his hair and has a sizable hole in his lab coat.

He turns, noticing our entrance.

"No! Absolutely not! There is barely a lab left! Put those away before you imbeciles cause even more damage!" he demands, gesturing towards our weapons.

I blink, looking down at my sword and back to him. Kat seems amused, sheathing her various blades.

"What...exactly...happened here?" I ask, following her example.

"Her!" The doctor yells, pointing at Lux who flushes with embarrassment. "She happened here. She woke up and, without warning mind you, started blasting and breaking everything! Including me! I am only alive because of my experience with unruly patients."

"I said I'm sorry!" Lux defends herself, "I thought you kidnapped me and were going to do, you know, stuff!"

The doctor throws his hands in the air. "I don't even care anymore! I am thoroughly done with you Crownguards! Through! Finished! You are as cured as I can make you! I have explained the details to your brother! All of you, get out of my lab! Without breaking anything else! Go! Away with you!" He gesticulates with his hands.

I do think we have worn out our welcome with the good doctor. Unfortunate, as there was so much more to ask him but...

"Out!" he yells.

Yes, best not to push matters.

"Come, Lux, we can talk elsewhere, ok?" I take her arm and pull her along with us as we retreat before the upset scientist, angry ranting filling the air behind us.

We only make it down the hall a short distance before I cannot resist any longer. I stop right there and spin around.

"Wha-"

Lux squeaks as I lift her, hugging her tightly and burying my face in her hair.

"Lux...please...please tell me it's you..."

"Brother...?" She speaks hesitantly, her hands on my head. "I...I think I am ok? Certainly better, at least. It doesn't hurt anymore. And my magic is back! It was great! I blew through two whole walls without even really trying!"

I can't help it, I laugh, drawing my head back to look her in the eyes, but not putting her down. "That doesn't exactly sound very sorry Lux," I lightly chide her, while still smiling.

The conflicted expression on her face is adorable.

"Well, I mean, I thought...look, it was creepy, ok? And maybe I read some comics I really shouldn't have and got entirely the wrong idea..."

I...don't think I want to know exactly what she means by that.

She squirms a bit, so I put her down and step back. Kat has been watching everything silently but Lux hasn't noticed yet. I'm rather dreading her reaction when she does.

"Aaaaanyway. So what now? Where are we going anyway? Not another creepy doctor lab, right?"

"Well, I haven't finished getting us our own place yet, so for now we are staying with Kat."

Please don't explode.

Lux narrows her eyes at me. "Katarina. We are living with the Red Witch?"

I sigh.

"Lux. She's not a Witch."

"Says her."

"Says me. Really, Lux, I don't know what your problem is with her but she saved your life. I don't...I don't know if I could have protected you from Vayne forever, and I...I couldn't have gotten you to help in time. Please, Lux..."

It near breaks me to admit it but she really would have died if it had been only me. I truly failed her.

She looks away.

"I don't trust her. You're mine," she insists stubbornly.

"There is a little thing called sharing," Kat suggests.

Lux jumps and gapes at her.

"You! How long have you been there?" Lux points at her accusingly.

"You saw me enter the doctor's lab with Garen, and accompany the two of you this entire time. Did you really forget I was here?"

"...No, of course not. I was testing you. For...uh...clones?"

Kat does not look impressed.

"Moving on! I won't lose Brother to you! I refuse! I-"

"As I said girl, have you never heard of sharing?" Kat cuts her off with a smirk.

Lux is silent for a moment, seemingly considering. Why is she getting embarrassed, her face flushing?

"...Maybe. I still don't trust you." Lux looks at her suspiciously.

She hesitates, before spinning around to me.

"UP!" she demands.

I roll my eyes, lifting her in her preferred princess carry.

She settles into my arms, resting her face in my shoulder...but not before sticking her tongue out at Kat, who fortunately takes it in good humor. After seeing how Cassiopeia acts, I believe she is used to dealing with bratty little sisters.