A Boy and His Fox: Redux Ch. 31
AN: Hey everyone, thank you all for your continued support. For the rest of this month, a few of my friends and I are doing a charity stream for St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. Every morning at 10:00 AM CST, we'll be streaming a Black and White Soullink Nuzlocke on PokeMMO. Every time one of us loses a pokemon we have to pay $5. If you'd like to help out, tuning in to my twitch stream or youtube channel, both KibaElunal, would be fantastic. Even if you don't donate, any support at all helps. Thank you again for everything. I wish you all the best of luck in life and literature. -Kiba
I still didn't trust her. "Cost me?" I demanded in exasperation. "COST ME?! Look around you, Katarina! What more can you possibly take from us? You took my best friend. You took my girlfriend. What more do you want from me, huh?"
My harsh tone didn't even seem to affect her as she strode up to me. Once more spells began to charge and weapons took aim. She paused, holding her hands up in surrender. "Weapons down, then we talk."
"I think we're done talking," Luxanna growled. "Let's fry her, Kal!"
Instead, I reached over and lowered Lux's scepter, my gaze never leaving Katarina's eyes. I sought out that link from long ago, the one I'd found when I summoned her on the mountain. It was there, faint, but stronger than before. As my aura crept along into her head, my insignia flared to life on her hand, and on mine.
"Seeking to control me?" she demanded hotly inside of my mind.
"Giving us a chance to talk," I corrected. "Privately."
"Your fan girl seems awfully jealous that you're bound to me right now. Can't imagine why. Maybe she's just mad you decided to bat for the other team the previous night." Her lips curled into a smug grin that she flashed at Lux. "You're welcome for my help, by the way. Garen would have caved your skull in like it was an overripe watermelon."
"You want me to thank you after all the crap you've put me through?"
"Tempting, but no. The cost I'm referring to isn't so much of an ego blow. I want you to take me with you. Magnus, as I'm sure you'd agree, needs to be stopped. I just want to be there to make it happen."
That surprised me enough that I dropped the connection from her. "What the hell do you mean? You expect me to believe you'd betray Magnus?"
"Hey, he betrayed me first," she protested. "I used to be his go-to girl, and now…well, now he's using that floozy of a girlfriend you've got. She's getting his rocks off every night, and frankly, I'm a little jealous."
Lux scoffed. "That's it? You're a little jealous so now you're joining the good guy team. Don't buy this, Kal. Besides, Ahri would never do that."
"Agreed," said Lucian. "Why should we believe that Ahri would turn traitor? That's even less believable than you suddenly growing a conscience."
"Because I have proof," Kat said with a smirk. This time, she swept up to me and showed me a holoscreen. Sure enough, there was a video of Ahri wearing a silk negligee, and Magnus, standing naked before her.
"On your knees," he demanded in the recording. Ahri did as he asked, reaching forward for his–
I ripped my gaze away and shoved the holoscreen back towards Kat. "I've seen enough," I murmured. "But even still, if that's what she wants…"
Now Katarina gave a low growl. "Are you stupid?"
"Excuse me?"
"That's not what she wants, you idiot. That's what Magnus is making her want. You've seen it first hand! Annie, Jinx, Ashe…you think they've been doing it because Magnus is just so persuasive? He's forcing them to act that way against their will."
"That's not possible," I argued.
"I'm sure you've seen them at this point. Tiny Spheres of Influence, often ingested. Sometimes applied…" She paused to gaze down at Annie. "Elsewhere. The point is, Magnus can and will control whoever doesn't go with him willingly."
"So you went with him willingly then?" Lux sneered. "I told you she was evil, Kal. We should just kill her and leave her here in the bed she's made."
"She could be of help," Lucian pointed out. "We've no idea where this guy is holed up. If she's telling the truth, Ahri needs our help. We need to break whatever grip Magnus has on her."
Both made good points. I was struggling to keep the flames at bay, and the light wasn't exactly helping me either. Then again, what else was new. I knew this would be a hard path when I decided on it. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath, formulating my words carefully. "We take her with us," I finally said.
"Kal, we can't!" Lux protested. "She's a Noxian, and an assassin at that! You want her to have access to us while we sleep? Are you nuts?"
"Then we take rotations watching her," I countered. "Lucian's right. We won't find Magnus without her. Besides, when it comes down to it, it's safer for us to have eyes on her, rather than allowing her to run around by herself. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer, right?"
Katarina smirked, tossing a lock of red hair over her shoulder. "Well, well. You have more sense than I'd have given you credit for, kid."
I glared at her. "It's Kal," I stated icily. "We're not in the academy anymore, Katarina. Call me kid again, and I won't hesitate to leave you behind."
"Whatever you say. Now then, I happen to know that Magnus has a base that's connected to a few different places. There's an entrance in almost every major city."
I frowned. "So that's how you've been able to move so easily through the world."
"Very good, ki– I mean, Kal. The nearest one is in Noxus. Though if I'm being honest, I doubt any of you would be able to slip inside easily."
"Then, we should head to the League first. I'm still not certain you're telling the truth about Ahri. I need to be certain. She promised she'd meet me there, so that's where we're headed."
"Still don't trust me?"
"Trust no one. I think you're the one who taught me that."
"I'm surprised you listened."
"I'm surprised you taught me something useful."
The two of us glared at one another before she threw her arms up in surrender. "Fine. Waste our time. It's not my sweetheart on the line after all."
I ignored her and scooped up Annie into my arms. As we walked away from the burning husk of a village, our new traveling companion in tow, she hugged me tightly. I hated that we didn't get time to let her mourn properly, but Kat was at least partially right. We were burning time. We'd know soon enough whether or not she was telling the truth.
After Ahri had left the hospital, I knew that something was wrong. Firstly, she didn't even recall Kal, and now some guy named Magnus was claiming that she was his champion and he, her summoner.
I'd tried to track her down afterwards in hopes of being able to get her alone to figure out what was going on. But alas, it was as if she'd disappeared into thin air. I spoke with Piltover's Portmaster too. There was no one matching her description that left for Ionia. I had to get to the bottom of this, somehow.
I knew the best way to do that would be to check the League's archives themselves. Somewhere within that library, there would have to be answers, for certain. As I boarded the train, I found that my luck had turned. Sitting there on the train was Kal'adamsul, the man I'd blackmailed some months before into talking things out with his champion.
Maybe I wouldn't have to wait to get answers from the League after all. As I went to approach, I felt even more eyes on me. Sure enough, accompanying him was a slew of champions that I recognized from various factions. Luxanna Crownguarde, Katarina DuCouteau, Annie Hastur, and Lucian Abaru.
Just what in the hell was going on? These champions would normally be at each other's throats, and yet they just sat here. "Kal?" I tried, causing him to look up at me.
"Ah, you're that reporter. Kiba, right?"
"The same," I admitted. "What is going on? Where's your champion?"
Everyone seemed to take in a collective breath. A sore subject, it seemed. "We're trying to find that ourselves," Lucian explained. "Don't imagine you've seen her yourself recently."
I swallowed nervously. Kal was looking at me in desperation, begging for answers. I wasn't sure what was going on, but I wanted more information before I started passing it out. "I think it may be best for you to fill me in on the situation before I tell you what I know."
So they did. Kal told me of every trial and tribulation they'd faced along the way. He told me of the decimated village in the Voodoo Lands, the strange war in Kalamanda, everything. I could see Katarina glaring at me, daring me to ask the obvious question of why there was such a bloodthirsty killer in our midsts, but I kept it to myself, waiting until Kal had finished his peace.
"Gods…to think something so sinister has been going on right under our noses," I murmured. "I'm sorry to say that Katarina has been telling you the truth. I found Ahri walking around the markets in Piltover. She collapsed and so I helped her to the hospital. Before the doctor could treat her though, this Magnus jerk came in and took her with him. I tried to get her to stay, but she left with him anyway. Even then I was suspicious since he was using his summoning orb. But if what you've said is true, I've no doubt he was controlling her. So what's your plan now?"
Katarina chimed in. "We were going to take the fight to Magnus, but as it turns out someone isn't quite as clever as some civilians. Kal was going to look for her at the League of Legends, but I keep telling him Magnus isn't stupid enough to just waltz a missing champion into the Institute of War to spill his secrets."
Another wave of emotions spilled over Kal: guilt. "You don't have any heart at all, do you?" He murmured. "Don't you know what it's like to lose someone you love? I'm worried sick about her, and it's not enough that she's missing, but to know she's in the arms of that mad man…We should have never taken that trade."
"Oh, she knows exactly how you feel," I commented. "Turns out, her solution was just to shut it all out. Not surprising really."
Before I could fathom that my tongue was outrunning my common sense, Katarina had stood up and grabbed me by the scruff of my shirt, lifting me in the air and putting a knife to my throat. "Shut the hell up. You don't know anything about me."
Lux and Kal were the first to stand to intercept her, but I quickly held up my hands. "I know all about you, Katarina," I told her. "It's my job to know. Still, I'm sorry I brought it up. It won't happen again."
"I think we should talk alone," Kal interrupted, pulling me from her grasp. "Lucian, Lux, watch Katarina and make sure she doesn't cause any trouble."
That was all it took to force the red-haired assassin to sit back down. I followed him to the next train car where we would be alone for our chat.
"Sorry about that. I still don't know if she's really here to help us, or leading us right into some trap. She's been working for Magnus, you know? She says that since Ahri has become his new favorite toy, she wants to get back at him."
"Doubtful," I told him. "That may be the biggest lie she's told you."
"What do you mean?"
I scratched my head, peering through the window to see that she was now gazing out the train's window, watching the scenery bored. Lux was uncomfortably close to her, clenching her rod as if prepared to zap her at a moment's notice. Even Lucian across from her had one hand on his gun.
"Believe it or not, you two are a lot alike. I wouldn't be surprised if Magnus took just as much advantage of her as he is of Ahri."
"Please. She's already told us she joined Magnus willingly."
I frowned, turning my attention back to him. "You don't always need magic to put someone under your thumb," I pointed out. "Tell me Kal, why did you first join the League of Legends?"
"And here I thought you knew everything. Why does any Ionian join the League? To make sure Noxus stays in their lane."
"But it's not just Noxus, is it? When you saw all of those other candidates die around you, you could have quit at any time. You wanted something else from the League. What was it? What did you ask for?"
He took a deep breath and let out a heavy sigh. "I'm starting to suspect you already know. They call the battle ground the Fields of Justice. That's what I wanted…justice for my little sister."
"Katarina feels the same way about her father."
Kal rolled his eyes. "Oh, so that's your explanation? She has daddy issues?"
"How often have you seen Katarina cry? You've worked with her while you were training, haven't you?"
"Katarina, cry? I don't think she's even capable of it."
"Oh, she is. I covered her father's funeral. There were people there to pay respects, others passing around sordid rumors. Let me tell you though, that cold-blooded killer is not nearly as frozen as you think she is. She cried more than anyone else at that funeral."
"And? How is that abnormal?"
"What's abnormal about that is that she's a Noxian assassin. She's been trained since birth to not feel anything. And yet, when her father, the man who trained her to be a cold, ruthless weapon, died, she ultimately failed him by letting her mask slip. You've seen her become angry and passionate. She never had that problem before, so why now?"
Kal paced back and forth in the aisle before turning to face me again. "I know you're not telling me to just pretend she's a normal person. She killed Soraka. It was because of her that Ahri was kidnapped."
"And yet, she saved you and is now turning against the person who she's been working for, to the point that she left Noxus to follow him. I'm not saying you have to forgive her. All I'm saying is, I don't think this is as much of a ploy as you suspect it to be. Still, I don't believe Ahri is necessarily in danger, at least not yet. You may have the right idea. The Institute of War may help you gather some valuable information, and possibly even step in."
"Let's hope you're right," Kal finally surrendered. With our conversation over, he turned on his heels and walked back to join his companions. I hovered around the train car, observing from afar.
When I came back, I found that the others were fast asleep. The tolls of our journey were starting to take, except for one person: Katarina. She sat there, unmoving, staring out the window.
"If you stare any harder, you're going to burn a hole in my head," she said. Her eyes glanced in the reflection of the glass to return my gaze. "So, what did he say? Kick me to the curb? Kill me and be done with it?"
"Does it matter?" I replied. "You've made it pretty clear I don't have a choice if I want your help."
Katarina sighed before vanishing from her seat and reappearing next to me. "Maybe not, but then again, when does that make a difference? If you don't trust me, you won't take my help anyway. Whether I'm near you or not."
I pondered it for a moment, considering everything that Kiba had told me. It was so difficult to believe, considering all that had happened between us. What was I supposed to believe? That everything, all of the suffering she'd caused me, all of the lives she'd snatched from my grip, was just some latent temper tantrum after a loss of her own? It made no sense.
"Do you…" I began carefully before steeling myself and repeating my question more fully. "Do you want to take a walk for a moment? Get some air?"
There was a gleam of suspicion in her eye as she stared me down. "You planning on shoving me off the train?"
"What? No! Gods, Katarina. I just want to talk."
What little emotion I could see in her face shifted between shades of suspicion, doubt, and finally amusement. "Without your entourage? What would your fangirl possibly think?"
"She already thinks I'm a traitor. Somehow, I doubt that her opinion of me could be lowered just by talking to you."
"If you insist. You are the leader after all."
I opened the door and waited for her to enter first, but she just stayed there like a statue. I gestured for her expectantly. "You coming?"
"Yeah, I'm not turning my back to you," she huffed. "You must think I'm stupid."
"Then walk backwards if it comforts you that much."
"Why don't you go first," she argued. "It was your idea after all."
Everything had to be a fight. If this was what was necessary though, then fine. I turned from her and walked around through the doors to get to the next train car. When I glanced back though, she still stood in the last one. This time, however, she just stared at me in shock. "What is it now?"
"Nothing."
She followed after me, and soon we stood on the observation deck of the caboose. The wind whipped past us, sending our hair fluttering in the wind as we stood on opposite sides staring at one another awkwardly.
"Sorry about your friend."
The words surprised me so much, I hadn't expected to hear them. "What do you mean?"
"Soraka. That was her name, right?"
I searched her face, expecting some sort of smug grin. For someone afraid of being pushed off the train, I had thought she'd avoid her past deeds. "What do you expect me to say? It's alright?"
"I don't know," she said honestly. "Normally, apologies don't mean much. It's not as if they'll bring her back. People find them comforting though, so I thought I'd give it a shot."
"They really only have meaning when the person apologizing is actually remorseful. Just saying the words doesn't do anything."
"I am remorseful."
"I just said–"
"I'm telling the truth. I may be an assassin, but she wasn't supposed to die there. No one was, really. Well, except for you. Magnus wanted me to bring him Ahri and slit your throat. We didn't even know she was going to be there, but what can I say, I wanted to torment you. I thought Warwick was going to kill you. When I told him 'now', I never thought…" Katarina stopped before shaking her head. "Never mind, it doesn't matter. It still happened. I can't force you to accept my apology. If you don't want it, then forget it."
She turned to face the track that unfolded behind the train extending out into the countryside. How long ago was it that I stood in this exact spot with Ahri, trying to wrap my head around her and her twisted personality. "She was my best friend," I finally said. "I'm pretty sure she was going to tell me that she was in love with me. I'd just recovered from being in pretty bad shape."
"Did you love her?"
"Not in the same way," I admitted. "I swore to her summoner I'd make Magnus pay for sending you and Warwick."
"Well, you have your chance. I don't have any interest in killing you. Surprisingly."
"That is surprising," I agreed.
She huffed. "Don't let it get to your head. I owe you for saving my sister, twice. That's all."
"That was pretty messed up back in the academy. You told me she was a monster who would turn me into stone."
"Look, I'm not going to apologize more. You were a little shit back then and you totally deserved it."
I chuckled. "I was a little shit. But I didn't mean me. I meant her. Older siblings are supposed to protect their younger ones. Not cause them more pain."
"You have a sibling?"
"I used to. A little sister."
"What happened to her?"
"I didn't protect her," I finally whispered. "She was killed during the Noxian invasion. Some random foot soldier. That's why I became a summoner in the first place."
Kat fell silent. I joined her in that silence. There wasn't really much to add on to it, and now I wasn't sure what to even talk about. I could grill her on Magnus and his plans, but to what effect? I already knew what he wanted. I already knew the horrible things he was doing.
"So, is this what it's like being a girl in your group?" she finally breathed. "Dropping sappy stuff on them until they fall for your pitiful ass?"
"Sorry?"
Her words would have normally pissed me off, but the smile she flashed me showed something different. An attempt to joke around, to find rapport. "Just don't expect anything from me. I'm not so easily swayed. You may be trudging all around Valoran, trying to build some weird champion harem, but I'm not about all of that. Even if you ask nicely, there's no way I'd ever fall for someone like you."
And then it happened. Against my will, my mouth curled into a smile as I began to chuckle. Then it came out as a laugh. "Is that really what you think I'm after? Gods."
Katarina held up her hands. "Just saying, the evidence speaks to itself. Jinx, Miss Fortune, Soraka, Ahri, and Lux? Pretty sure Ashe had a thing for you back in the academy. Who knows? Maybe Annie has a crush on you, too."
"You are way off base," I chuckled. "Soraka, Ahri, and Lux, you've got a point. As for the rest, well…I do often wonder what the hell my appeal is. Seems I'm always getting felt up, molested, and raped."
She was taken aback by that. "What?! You shouldn't be tossing around the term rape so loosely, you know."
"I'm not joking. Miss Fortune was the first one and my 'fangirl' as you call her was the second."
"How did you not kill them? If some guy pulled that shit with me, I'd have his balls in a little leather purse, literally."
I shrugged my shoulders. "Pretty sure Miss Fortune wishes she were dead. As for Lux, while it's true I didn't want to have sex with her…I think it was important for her. I owed her for saving my life. She was very adamant about that being what she wanted. I wonder if she regrets it, though."
"That's besides the point! She should have taken your 'no' as 'no'."
"You're right, of course. She has apologized and is trying to make amends. I guess you could say I've forgiven her by this point. Besides, it's never going to happen again."
"Damn right it's not. If she tries that shit again, you call me, and I'll put a stop to it, quick."
I looked at her. How did we suddenly become so chummy? "Protective, aren't we? Guess you're falling into the harem faster than you thought." We stuck our tongues out at each other and laughed again.
"So, what's the plan?" Katarina asked. "We get to the Institute of War and turn back around to Piltover to go to Magnus' keep."
I shook my head. "No. If we're going to do this, we're going to do it right. That means getting the League of Legends involved. I'm not willing to let Magnus turn this into a bloodbath. We have to keep it contained to the Fields of Justice."
"You're starting a conflict?"
"No," I corrected, gripping the rail tightly. "I'm finishing one."
To be continued…
