A/N - Hey, I'm pretty sure I did a through spellcheck and such for this chapter, but if any of you find anything send me a pm.
Also, you may have noticed how last chapter the sub chapter titles were absent (the ones you find in bold mid-chapter). This is because I didn't feel like sitting there and trying to think of the names for these sub chapter titles when trying to think of chapter names can be hard enough as it is. If people like the sub-chapter titles, I'll include them, otherwise they will be absent from here on out.
Ionia (city), Ionia
Isaac dug into the breakfast laid out before him. It had been a long time since he had been able to enjoy a meal on his own.
And coffee…. Thank you whatever God these people worship for having coffee for me here on an alien world!
Isaac sighed with pleasure as he took a nice sip from the warm mug.
Finally… he could enjoy some time to himself.
Well… to him and Mute… she was always there.
"Yo." He heard a voice from behind.
Annnnnnd there it goes… Isaac mentally groaned. He wasn't allowed to have nice things.
Thankfully, the one who had called out to him was on his short list of people he actually liked in this world. Ezreal walked around Isaac's seat and pulled one out for himself, joining him at his table.
"Sleep well?" Ezreal asked with a yawn.
"Well enough." Isaac half lied. What I am kidding, I had two nightmares last night, of course it was a shitty night.
He was lucky that being a meta human meant he needed less sleep then regular humans. If needed the full eight to ten hours of rest a night that the average man his age needed, then he would always be sleep deprived.
Further conversation waited until Ezreal had ordered his food, then the blonde explorer gave Isaac a grin.
"So? How'd it go yesterday? I didn't see you after Irelia kind of…well arrested you." He inquired with a chuckle.
Isaac rolled his eyes and made a show of sipping from his coffee again before answering.
"Fine… and I'm not going to jail…"
Not like any jail here could stop me. Wait, unless they used another magic prison, that could stop me…
Fucking magic…
"Annnd?" Ezreal inclined his head. "What's the verdict?"
"We're helping the Ionians take on some kind of ninja civil war that may or may not have Ascension involvement."
Ezreal's grin faded into an awe-inspiring look that also appeared to have a bit of disbelief in it.. "A… ninja civil war?"
"Yep."
"… with the Ascension involved…"
"Yep."
Ezreal let out a low whistle. "Well…. This sure ranks high on my list of weird things I've done…"
That reminds me…
"I've been meaning to ask…" Isaac lowered his mug and looked the explorer in the eye. "Why are you still with me?"
"Huh?"
Isaac rolled his eyes. He should've known he would have to be more specific. "I mean, tagging along with me. You were supposed to assist me when the League was keeping me in check, but in case you haven't noticed, I'm kind of avoiding them right now. And the fighting that was at Bilgewater? It's likely going to get harder from here on out. A lot of people are going to die." Isaac gave Ezreal a serious look. "Are you willing to put up with that?"
At some point in time during Isaac's speech, Ezreal had looked away from him and was now properly staring at the floor. It wasn't until a minute after his food arrived that the young blonde started answering.
"I… keep thinking about what happened at Bilgewater…" He began, still staring at the floor. "When Vega and I were taking on that guy… the one Blitzkrieg later told me was a meta-human like you… we tried to stop him from killing a family." Isaac watched Ezreal carefully as the young man opened a hand up and started staring intently into his palm. "We nearly failed, if it wasn't for you that family would've died along with me and…. Well…"
Ezreal trailed off for a moment before looking Isaac back in the eye. "I spent a lot of time thinking about it while you were out and I came to a conclusion. As long as the Ascension are in our world, there's going to be families like that one in Bilgewater in similar situations. So many people have gone missing already." The look in Ezreal's eyes became determined. "I'm not going to stand by and just let that happen. So, I'm with you Archangel."
After letting Ezreal's words sink in, Isaac gave him a nod. "Sounds good to me, just as long as you know what you're getting yourself into."
Ezreal gave Isaac a smile and a thumbs-up. "I've taken on all sorts of monsters on both the Fields of Justice and outside it. Might as well add an invading outworlder army to that list, right?"
Isaac could only wish that he could have Ezreal's optimism.
After his chat with Ezreal, Isaac set out into the city. Thankfully, he didn't have a group of guards waiting for him when he left the inn, demanding that they let them escort him around the city to keep him out of trouble.
Not that they did a lot last time anyways, thanks to a certain human-fox hybrid with nine tails.
Isaac had a particular goal with his outing, one that Ezreal had planted in his mind during their breakfast.
After asking around for awhile, and another hour of walking later, Isaac arrive at the entrance to a large stable on the outskirts of the city.
He knocked on the door and a middle-aged man answered, who seemed quite surprised at seeing Archangel.
"You want to learn how to ride?" The man spoke as if Isaac had just told him the world was about to end.
Isaac nodded.
"Err… I know who you are, I watched your match…" The stable owner scratched his small beard. "Can't you already ride?"
"No, the world I come from is so much farther ahead technologically that there is no longer a need for such things. But I keep getting into situations where I have to ride a horse and frankly, its starting to get annoying that I have to be tied into a saddle."
The man stared at Isaac for a second before slowly nodding. "Ok… I can understand that… I can get someone to show you how. But you have to pay."
Isaac grinned and pulled out a small bag of coins. He tossed them up in the air and caught them with one hand. "Got that covered."
Thanks Ez…
A short while later, Isaac was standing next to a brown horse with two younger stable hands next to him.
"Ok, first thing's first…" The first stable hand, a female, started to explain. "When mounting a horse, its best to approach from the left side of the animal. If someone is nearby to hold the reigns, great. If not, hold them in your left hand tightly, but not too tight as to put pressure on the horse. Start mounting by putting your left foot in the left stirrup, then pushing yourself up."
As she explained, Isaac's second teacher helped him get into position, starting with his left boot in the horse's left stirrup.
And thus, the first attempt at mounting a non-magical horse on his own ended with Isaac getting dragged across the field with the two stable hands cashing after him, all because his boot got stuck in the stirrup and the horse suddenly realized he didn't like the feeling of Isaac's armor on his back. All the while Mute was being her useless self and laughed her virtual ass off.
After dusting himself off (and having to listen to the endless apologies of the two stable hands), Isaac was able to mount the horse.
"Ah, much better!" The girl nodded to Isaac with a smile. Isaac rolled his eyes under his helmet.
Yeah, because I don't have a fucking four-legged animal dragging me across a field like I'm in some kind of cartoon!
"While on the horse, keep your back straight and your shoulders even. Keep your weight on your rear and on the saddle." As she explained, she handed the reigns to Isaac. "Keep your legs turned inward, not outward, and keep your toes pointed upward and your heels downward."
Isaac corrected himself and nodded. The horse started to stir a little under him, but otherwise stayed calm.
"Hold the reigns like this… no like this… move that finger… great." The stable hand nodded after inspecting the way Isaac was holding onto the reigns. "Ok, now to get the horse to move, squeeze its side gently with your legs, that will get the horse to walk. Make sure you follow the horse's head movements with your arms or else you will cause the horse to get confused and think you want it to stop."
About ten minutes later, Isaac was, against all odds, actually enjoying himself as he was guiding his horse around the area.
"Very good!" The farm-girl clapped with a genuine smile on her face. Her partner only looked like he had a weight taken off his shoulders.
Isaac pulled back on the reigns lightly with his right hand and squeezed the side of the horse with his right leg, to get the horse to turn right.
"Not bad Isaac. Now, you won't have to worry about the Ionian soldiers laughing at you." Mute chuckled. "Maybe you can avoid hitting a tree branch this time too?"
"Shut up Mute…"
"So… are you really going to keep it at this slow of a pace?" Mute asked with a challenging grin on her face.
"Hell no."
An hour later, both stable hands were watching Isaac with shocked expressions. How could they not? Isaac was a total amateur an hour ago, but now he was riding around the field at full speed, steering the horse like he had been doing this for years.
As he slowed the animal down and approached the stable hands, the two gave him tips on how to dismount and Isaac handed the reigns over.
"H-how did you pick that up so fast?" The male helper asked, appearing completely dumbfounded.
"I've always been a fast learner." Isaac nodded. After a few seconds of silence, the to stable hands took the hint that he intended to leave it at that.
Kind of had to be a fast learner… if I took to long, Halcyon sent people to punish me.
That, and all my training centered around having to read opponents and react to them… so yeah, becoming a fast learner was pretty much drilled into me as a survival sense.
Before leaving, Isaac asked his two hired helpers for tips on fighting from horseback, in case the need ever arose. Unfortunately, neither had any real idea how to do that so Isaac guessed he'd have to look elsewhere.
Regardless, less then two hour after he had arrived, Isaac left the ranch with the knowledge of horseback riding.
Suck it Ionians.
Garen pinched the bridge of his nose between his forefinger and thumb, trying his best to ignore the coming headache.
"So, I take it that things are NOT going well then?" He asked, although he pretty much had the answer already.
After a few second pause, Sona's voice echoed through the summoner's orb. "No… I apologize."
Garen sighed and shook his head, earning a sheepish look from the Demacian summoner next to him.
He knew he should've seen this turn of events coming, but that didn't stop him from feeling disappointed in the outcome.
"How bad is it?" He asked, his attention fixed on the summoner's orb in front of him. In it's reflection, he could make out Sona's face and the room she was staying in at some inn called the Blooming Lotus.
Garen felt another headache coming on as Sona's expression fell.
"I will not lie…" Her telepathic voice echoed through the orb. "Our initial contact with Archangel was less then ideal. Shyvana decided to take your recommendation on judging his strength to a literal term. She openly provoked him into a fight in a public space…"
Garen felt the headache arrive. "Poor tactical decision aside, what happened?"
"It… is difficult for me to judge, but I do believe Archangel proved to be just as powerful as it is said he is. He ended up forcing Shyvana to use her dragon form, but I could not tell if this was due to him pushing Shyvana to the limit of her human form, or if it was due to her rage."
Garen blinked. "And this happened in a PUBLIC place?"
Sona winced slightly. "Y… yes… with a great deal of spectators…"
Garen closed his eyes and his hand once again found the bridge between his nose. This wasn't just bad, this was terrible.
"Go on…" He mumbled, knowing damn well he just wanted this briefing over with.
"Galio and I attempted to smooth things over with him later that day, which was not met with any success." Sona shook her head. "We attempted to have him establish a telepathic link with myself in order to properly explain our mission with him, but he refused. Galio… pushed too hard and now Archangel has openly informed us of his distrust." Sona lowered her head. "I fear we may have earned his spite as well. I apologize."
Then the mission is a failure then…
Garen shook his head. This was not good.
The mission had been two folded. After finding Archangel, judge his strength. From what Sona was telling him, Shyvana had taken that into her own hands.
She likely saw him as a good challenge. Someone worthy of a rivalry perhaps… Either way, it seems like she took her mission and clouded it with her own desires…
He would have to speak with her later. Part of the reason Galio was sent with Sona and Shyvana was to keep the half-dragon's rage subdued. It was unfortunate to learn that he was unable to do so this time.
The other half of the mission was the most important part. If Archangel was indeed powerful and possessed knowledge of the Ascension as all fingers pointed to him having, then Sona was to try and establish a "link" with him. With that link, Sona could communicate with Archangel over long distances via a summoner's orb… allow Demacia to have him on hand as a consultant in matters regarding the Ascension.
It would also allow them to keep tabs on his whereabouts and doings. It would also cause him to appear unattractive to Noxus, since they would become distrustful of him due to his connections to a powerful Demacian house through Sona.
Essentially, Demacia would've been staking a figurative claim on Archangel.
And now, it seems like that plan is nothing more then fantasy now… his majesty isn't going to like this…
Garen now worried that since things had gone so poorly with Archangel, that the outworlder might be driven to work with Noxus instead. That, was significantly less then ideal.
"What about the other outworlder? The one we sent with you?" Garen asked, trying to find some sort of hope to cling to.
Sona shook her head. "He agreed to set us up with meeting Archangel, but after arriving in Ionia he became openly suspicious of us and distrustful. When Galio and I spoke with him after he and Shyvana fought, the one called Blitzkrieg hardly acknowledged our existence."
Garen sighed. It appears that gambit failed as well. The outworlder seemed to only take their bargain at face value. Get them to Archangel in exchange for release. He got them to Archangel and cut his ties immediately.
"Is there anything else I should know?" Garen asked, dreading if any worse news was to come.
Sona nodded. "Something big is about to happen here in Ionia. Karma has issued a recall to all Ionian champions, many have already arrived."
Garen frowned. "Is it trouble?" He asked. Demacia and Ionia were distant friends. While not official allies, Demacia had put pressure on Noxus to end it's occupation of the island nation. When the dispute came back to the League of Legends and the Institute of War, Demacia publicly pledged it's support to Ionia. It had also soured relations with Noxus, who rightfully took it as an insult.
Not that Demacia cared if Noxus was upset with them. But if Ionia was in danger yet again… there was a chance Demacia would intervene.
Unaware of Garen's thoughts, Sona shook her head. "We do not know, but it is likely. Rumors around the area seem to either point to either the Ascension, or troubles with Zed's new ninja order."
Garen's frown deepened. That wasn't good. If it was the Ascension, Demacia would undoubtedly try to help… but their mutual enemy was elusive… and widely unknown.
But if it was an inner dispute with Zed… then there was nothing Demacia could do publicly.
Keyword, publicly.
Garen nodded to himself. "Stay in Ionia for now. Learn what you can about this trouble and report back to me."
Sona nodded. "Galio and I will do what we can. Regrettably, for her actions Shyvana was placed under house arrest for the duration of our stay here."
Of course, she was….
"What about Archangel?" Sona asked.
Garen raised an eyebrow. "I thought you said the mission was a failure. Do you still believe you have a chance?"
Sona paused for a moment before looking back at Garen through the orb with a determined look on her face. "I believe I alone have a chance. Galio and Shyvana have pushed him and his cooperation away from us, but I believe I may yet convince him to assist us."
Garen let out a "hmm" as he thought. Did he risk pushing Archangel farther and farther away from Demacia? Was it already too late?
Would they have another chance?
Garen decided to risk it. "Go ahead. But be careful. He is already distrustful of us."
Sona gave Garen a grateful smile and nodded. "I will."
"Is that all?"
"Has anything happened at home?"
"One of our guard's barracks was attacked by…" Garen paused, "… we don't know for certain yet. All we know is that the Ascension are suspected to be involved. Someone with their insignia was seen there moments before the attack."
"Then it is imperative I gain Archangel's cooperation as soon as possible. I will do my best. Farewell."
And with that, the summoner's orb went dark. As the nearby summoners tended to their sphere, Garen went deep into thought.
I'll have to speak with the prince…
Before he could ponder any longer, the door to the Demacian Summoner's Chamber burst open.
"Lord Crownguard!" A soldier shouted and ran in.
This can't be good… Garen turned to the one addressing him. "What is it?"
"Sir! The Laurent Mansion was attacked last night! There are several dead bodies and Lady Fiora has gone missing!"
"WHAT?!" Garen couldn't stop the shock from making it out into his voice. The nearby summoners stopped what they were doing and immediately turned their attention to Garen and his conversation.
"That's not all sir!" The soldier shook his head. "Your sister just reported in! She says she tried to pay Lucian a visit." The soldier looked up at Garen, and he could see the worry in the man's eyes. "His home was ransacked! He's being declared missing too!"
Garen felt a sense of dread wash over him.
"To the king! Now!" He barked and raced past the man, grabbing him by the arm. As they left the chamber behind he turned to the man he was half leading half dragging along the way. "Tell me everything!"
When he got back to the inn, Isaac locked himself inside his room and pulled all his equipment out, laying it out on the bed so he could take a full inventory.
"You do remember that you can use your dark matter abilities to martialize weapons, right?" Mute asked as Isaac finishing laying out his arsenal.
"True, but that takes time and energy… having the real things is always better." Isaac replied as he checked over the weapons before him.
Blitzkrieg had given Isaac his remaining weapons. Being the walking juggernaut that he was, Blitzkrieg said Isaac would have better usage of the side-arms then he would.
So, Isaac checked over both Generation Seven Glocks. Both were still in working condition, to be honest they both appeared to be fresh off the production line.
Having some actual guns again will be a major boost… even if they are just pistols. Thankfully I'm good with handguns.
Isaac almost snorted at himself. Being good with handguns was an understatement of his combat prowess. He was good with any weapon. If it can be used to kill people, Isaac could use it like a master.
Returning his attention to the Glocks, he saw that Blitzkrieg had three clips for each pistol, so Isaac had a grand total of six clips. He would have to be careful how he used them, seeing how Isaac had no idea who in this world would have the capabilities of producing more ammo for him.
If I could find out where and who produces the ammo for Jinx's minigun and Caitlyn's sniper, I might be able to get them to make me more… but that's a challenge for another day.
Still, even if he could find someone with the proper equipment, there was no way to guarantee they would be able to make the proper ammunition. Isaac wasn't an expert in making bullets, but he doubted that at the current technology level of the world of Runeterra, that there would be the proper techniques and supplies needed to make the exact bullets Isaac needed.
On the other hand, he wasn't sure he wanted anyone to get their hands on potential blueprints for Earth technology…
"Mute, can you…?"
Mute's avatar nodded. "Already done. I've got an ammo counter set up in you HUD for the Glocks."
Isaac nodded in thanks as he moved on to the three grenades Blitzkrieg had.
Isaac's own explosives had been taken off him when he was initially taken prisoner by the Institute of War, so it was nice to have some real firepower in his arsenal again. All three were fragmentation grenades, so Isaac had a pretty useful source of anti-personal explosives on him now. He only had three though, and Isaac was pretty damn sure that there was no way he could get anyone to make more.
Not that he would let anyone. Handguns were one thing, modern day grenades were another. Weapons like these were likely a little too far ahead of Runeterra's time, and Isaac didn't think the state of Valoran would beneft from every nation having frag grenades. It would help against the Asecension for sure, but it would only be a matter of time before the people of Runeterra started using them on each other.
Then again, someone had his old grenades. Isaac wasn't sure how he felt about that.
Still, the three frag grenades were a nice addition.
Say what you will about the Americans… they know how to make some damn good explosives.
Mute put a counter in his HUD for the grenades too, but it was less of a counting thing and more of a reminder to Isaac in mid-battle that he had a very limited supply of the little death dealers.
Lastly Isaac had his four swords and X sheathe. Out of all the weapons he had arrived in Runeterra with, this was the only thing he had left. All his throwing knives, guns, explosives, had all either been taken from him or used during battle. Or lost in the heat of battle.
Isaac sighed. Close combat was his forte, yet it was where he was lacking the most in terms of weaponry. Sure, the four swords in reality were more then he needed, being designed specifically to combat the Ascension and their wide variety of defenses, he would miss having a fast drawing knife.
I guess I still have this for that….
Isaac raised his right hand in front of his face and made a flick with his wrist. Out popped his hidden extendable wrist blade. He hadn't used it yet since coming to Runeterra, but that was actually a benefit. No one knew he had it.
I'll keep this under the belt… that way no one will ever know I'm never unarmed. He thought as he retracted the blade back into it's resting spot under his forearm.
Not that that was much of an issue, seeing how he always had his meta-human powers.
Hidden blade aside, Isaac had a bit of a problem with his current arsenal.
First, he was about to embark on a military campaign with the Ionians, and that meant riding a horse.
Which left the possibility of getting into a combat situation while on horseback.
Isaac's four short swords would be of minimal usage in that case. They were arming swords, so the length of the blade meant that he would have to get very close to an enemy to actually be able to reach him or her. On top of that, he really didn't want to test his ability to stay in a saddle while leaning over to slash or stab at someone with a blade only a few feet in length.
Then, there were his newly acquired guns, but the last thing he needed in the middle of a fight on horseback was his own horse panicking due to the loud bangs of a pistol going off right next to its ear. It risked throwing off his shots and wasting his limited supply of ammo.
That left Isaac with his dark matter powers, but again, Isaac wasn't sure how a horse would react to that. Not to mention, having to completely relay on his powers was never the best tactical option. In this case, he needed an actual weapon capable of mounted combat in the event it happened.
Isaac would have to have Mute go through her seemingly endless history databanks and find out what weapons worked best for mounted combat, given humanity's long going history with he subject.
Then there was the issue of defense. Sure, Isaac was wearing top-of-the-line armor that was the wet dream of every sci-fi nerd… but like Mute had pointed out, it was getting to the point where Isaac needed to be back on Earth for maintenance.
His fight with Shyvana hadn't helped. The parts where she had rage-dolled him as a dragon and then doused him in flames that is.
His suit was designed to be able to withstand extreme temperatures, but if his armor became too badly damaged, Isaac wasn't keen to find out what that threshold was. His self-repair, curtesy of nanites in the armor, could fix any major damage like when Shyvana had cracked his visor, but Mute had warned him that they were starting to reach a limit.
Isaac looked down at his armor. True enough, his nanites hadn't repaired some of the scraps he had gotten from his fight with Shyvana. Only major and actual structural damage had been repaired, like the crack in his visor.
Isaac could continue to relay on his suit for protection in all situations, something that he would likely have no choice to do during fights with the Ascension. However, he was still in a world with rampant magic and medieval weapons. While Isaac was certain any sword or lance NOT laced with magic would fail to penetrate his suit, Isaac didn't want to leave it up to chance that his armor would last forever.
Put all of that together, and Isaac had only one option.
He had to go weapon shopping.
Which left him in a situation Isaac had never really encountered before: He needed money.
The change Ezreal had given him for his horse lessons had already been spent on it's goal, and Isaac didn't really feel comfortable asking for more. He was a meta-human, not a beggar.
Back on Earth, TRANS-Ops paid for everything. I never needed to ask about money. It was the perk for signing on indefinitely to fight against the Ascension.
Not that money had ever really mattered to Isaac… he understood it's need and importance, but when you spend your whole life in combat and/or in a torturous training program designed to turn human children into superhuman killers… money wasn't really something you thought about.
And now… Isaac actually needed some of the damn stuff.
"Well?" Mute asked. "What's with that expression?"
"… We need money…"
Mute raised an eyebrow. "Oh? That's something new. Why?"
"I need to buy some kind of weapon for mounted combat, and I want to invest in something for protection to keep the pressure on my armor off."
Mute nodded. "Seems like a good idea to me. But like you said, we don't exactly have access to TRANS-Ops endless supply of money here."
"Yeah…" Isaac sighed. "Any ideas?"
"Well, from what I can see with my all-knowing god-powers of being an artificial intelligence, we have four options." Mute began, "The first option is our most useless one, and that's finding a job that will pay us enough money in two days before the Ionian army leaves. Since I find that highly unlikely unless you're willing to turn to mercenary work, that leaves us with three other options. First, we ask one of our good champion friends for money. Seeing how you're doing JUST GREAT on that front, it leaves us with just Ezreal."
Isaac rolled his eyes. "Shut up Mute… we're not borrowing more money from Ezreal."
Mute sighed. "I had a feeling you would be against that. That leaves us with two last choices. We either have to ask the Ionians or the League."
Isaac sighed. "Do you have any ideas ASIDE from borrowing money?"
Mute gave Isaac a smirk. "Well, are you Tywin Lannister?"
"… Who?"
Mute shook her head. "Well, since you can't shit gold, then yes. Borrowing money is our only option."
Isaac rolled his eyes. Of course… that was their only option, Isaac just didn't like it.
"Borrowing from the League would mean getting back into contact with them, and we're currently avoiding that since we don't need them chasing after us. That means our only real option is asking Irelia or Karma for charity."
"And… how would that go?"
"Well, seeing how we agreed to help them fight their little ninja civil war, and we're helping them with the Ascension I think we have a pretty good chance at getting them to fork the bill for us. Seeing how we're going to be spending the money on weapons and armor to help them fight their battle, having us outfitted in the needed equipment only helps themselves."
Isaac nodded. "Makes sense. I don't like the idea of owing Irelia and Karma money though…"
Mute laughed. "We already technically owe them for NOT locking you up. Or did you forget about that fight with Shyvana already?"
Isaac threw his AI companion a look that told her to shut up.
Mute, of course, didn't.
"So, while it may suck owing the Ionians a favor, unless you can turn into a Lannister and produce gold out of no where, then this is our only option." She concluded with a smug look on her face.
After a few seconds, and after being unable to come up with any counter points, Isaac decided to go with it. It sucked, but Mute was right.
Although, he did have an option five… and that was steal the money. Given his history as a stealth operative and his inhuman abilities and strength, Isaac was pretty sure he could rob someone or something that passed as a bank.
Of course, that would only land him in MORE hot water. And having a criminal history following him around Runeterra would only restrict him more.
So, Isaac threw his X sheath over his back, strapped a Glock and it's holster to each of his legs, and stuck his grenades to his utility belt. He didn't want to walk around with the Earth-technology weapons, but seeing how he didn't trust anyone to leave the advanced weapons in his inn room, it was smarter to take them along.
Let's go see Irelia then… I doubt she'll enjoy me barraging in on whatever work she's doing to ask for money…
… Or I can be surprised… Isaac thought as he entered the city's market district. He glanced down to his left hand where he had a rolled-up letter clenched in his fist.
When Isaac appeared in her office to ask for money, he was expecting Irelia to either tell him to fuck off and stop wasting her time or make him owe her some stupid favor.
He was rather pleasantly surprised when Irelia actually let him take time to explain his financial predicament to her. He was even more surprised when Irelia handed him a letter that was the equivalent of a blank check and told him to get what he needed. No strings attached.
Isaac had to have her explain herself after that. There was no way she was giving him a blank check to get what he needed without Isaac owing her something in return. Instead, Irelia had told him that he was already repaying her by agreeing to accompany her on the campaign against Zed. Because of that, Irelia essentially saw Isaac as working under her banner and it was therefore her responsibility to ensure he was properly equipped for the task.
Isaac had mixed feelings on the idea that Irelia essentially saw him as one of her soldiers, but he had to admit that he actually admired her dedication to her troops.
And so, Isaac made his way around the market district, with a new problem in his mind.
He actually had no idea where to get any weapons. It didn't help that Ionia wasn't a militaristic nation, so Isaac had never actually seen a single weapons merchant in all his time in Ionia.
Still, if there wasn't one at all, then Irelia wouldn't have bothered giving him the blank check. Unless she knew that and this was her way getting him to fuck off. Wouldn't that be a kicker?
Given how much of a headache I've likely caused her, I wouldn't be too surprised or upset if she did that…
As Isaac walked through the streets, weaving his way through crowds and ignoring the shouting of merchants and customers, he decided his best bet was asking for some kind of guidance. He spotted a pair of guards and asked them, and after giving him a suspicious look, they pointed him in the right direction.
"Doesn't seem like the guards here like you at all." Mute said.
"You think?" Isaac rolled his eyes. "Ever since night one in Ionia, we've been accosted by guards, soldiers, or something."
"Well… recent events probably haven't helped… and I don't mean your fight with Shyvana." Mute sighed, leaving it at that.
Isaac understood what she meant. It was just like Blitzkrieg had warned him, public opinion on himself and Blitzkrieg wasn't that great thanks to missing people and the attack on Bilgewater.
Thankfully Isaac was shorter then average, so he was able to duck into crowds easily. Sure, he stuck out to nearby people, but from a distant no one could see him since he was short.
Guess that's why Blitzkrieg noticed it… he towers over everyone as it is so he would get a lot of stares. Well glares now but anyways…
Isaac soon came upon the sight of a building with a hanging sign that identified it as the merchant he wanted. As he approached the door Isaac couldn't help but shake the feeling that someone was watching him.
He knew that people were staring at him, but what Isaac really felt was a suspicion that someone was following him. He had been feeling that suspicion since he got close to he market district, but so far he hadn't been attacked.
If my suspected stalker wants my blood, he'll have his chance in this shop… less people.
Then again since it's a weapons shop it's a good chance he'll wait for a place with less armed people around…
Isaac had a plan for that, but it would have to wait.
He pushed the door to the merchant open and walked in.
"Welcome…. Oh…" An elderly man behind the counter started to greet him, but trailed off at seeing Isaac. He noticed how the man's face somewhat paled at seeing the dreaded champion Archangel enter.
Isaac had to resist the need to sigh. Great, I'm scaring even fucking weapon merchants now…
Isaac took a quick glance around the shop. Weapons of all shapes and sizes were lined up along the walls in various racks and on shelves. To the other end, Isaac saw several displays of suits of armor and other defensive equipment.
Isaac counted three others in the shop who appeared to be customers, but he also noticed the pair of guards in the corner of the room.
Seeing how this is likely the only weapon shop in the city… having it guarded makes sense. He looked around. That being said, I would expect some more people in here… guess the whole non-violent thing the Ionians have going on makes them adverse to weapons…
Well… at least that's what Mute had told him… in reality, he really hadn't met a whole lot of peaceful Ionians yet… Karma maybe the only real noteworthy one.
Maybe it was because of himself and the attention he tends to attract… but Isaac shook those thoughts off and approached the counter where the supposed owner was. As he approached, the elderly shop owner paled notably and appeared to be forcing a smile. Isaac also noticed how the two guards had taken notice of himself too.
Great… everywhere I go on this damn island….
Isaac sighed and reached over the counter with the letter in hand. "Sorry to bother you…" Isaac began with a lie, "I given this by Irelia, the captain of the guard."
Name dropping… always works…
Sure enough, the elderly man looked away from Isaac and to the letter being held out for him. As he took it with a questioning look Isaac also noticed the two guards relax slightly at hearing the name drop.
The shop owner unfurled the letter and read over it. Shortly after Isaac could see the color returning to the man's face and he set the letter down behind the counter.
"I… see." The man spoke. "Very well. Do you need any assistance in finding anything, champion Archangel?"
Isaac shook his head. "I'm good. I'll take some time to browse first." He looked around. "I've noticed there seems to be a very wide selection here."
That got a bit of a grin going on the shop keepers face. "This is the largest weapon shop in Ionia. So, we have various weapons from all nations here." His face fell slightly. "Except Noxian."
Isaac was about to ask about that when he remembered something Mute had told him. Noxus and Ionia did NOT get along. Like, at all.
Instead, he nodded. "Well, I'll take a look around. What kind of limit did Irelia give me?"
"None. Anything you want just bring it to me. I'll take note of the price and I'll be reimbursed for it later."
Isaac nodded to the man. "Alright, I'll do that." And with that he pushed himself away from the counter and looked around the shop.
He took a few causal steps, taking note that his suspected stalker hadn't followed him in.
Guess I'll deal with that later.
"Mute?" Isaac asked, turning his external speaker off so he could have a private chat with his most trusted friend.
"You're looking for mounted combat weapons right?" She asked as her avatar appeared in his HUD.
"Yeah. Weight shouldn't be too much of an issue for me, but I'm not sure about how that will handle while fighting on horseback."
"Leave that to me." Mute waved him off. "So… I went over my records of mounted combat. There are A LOT of different tactics and roles that cavalry used in history."
"We're not making an army Mute…" Isaac said as he looked over the various weapons, noticing how there were sections separating the Ionian weapons from other nations. "We just need something in the event that we get into a mounted combat situation."
"Not to mention anything we buy you'll have to carry around all the time. I'm sure you can jury-rig something to your suit to carry it, but unless you feel like ditching it first chance you get, we should take that into account. We should also take into account that we've got a blank check and how we'll likely never get another opportunity like this. So on one hand, don't go all out, on the other hand, having a variety of weapons might not hurt."
Isaac walked up to a display of swords. He recognized them as katanas. "So… would a katana work well? It's longer then what I've got, and would also work elsewhere."
"A katana might not be a bad choice, but take into account that katanas generally require more maintenance then your four swords. However before making a choice there is something I should go over…"
"Alright, lets hear it."
"When fighting on horseback the weapon you are using matters more. I mean the different between a sword and a spear or lance. Up close, a sword would likely be more useful, but if you take the speed of a horse into account a lance might be a better choice. On the flip side, I don't see you making many cavalry charges so there is that too."
"Additionally, from what we've seen Ionia's culture is similar to that of Earth's East-Asia cultures, although it seems Ionia's is more of a mixture of all of them. There are differences in mounted weapons and tactics from European and Asian warfare. Some mirror one another, but there are differences. On the flip side, just because they appear similar, we actually don't know if Ionians fight in a similar style to that of their Earth culture's counterparts, so its all speculation right now. For all we know, magic could play a massive role in their warfare."
It likely does… but we're not joining the army here… I just want some weapons to fill those gaps. Of course, our main threat is the Ascension… I doubt a lance will help much against them.
Unless… the weapon was magically enhanced….
Oh, for Christ's sake… Isaac sighed. Having to take magic into account for everything fucking sucked.
Back to the task at hand, Isaac weighed the different options in his head. So many choices… but realistically, what would be the best bet for him?
"Let's stick to a sword for now. Not sure I want to be carrying around a spear with me." Isaac decided.
"Sounds like a good idea." Mute nodded. "Now, earlier I saw some weapons that seemed to be more of the European variety, so we have to decide what kind of sword you want… given that you already know a lot of blades I think you've got this one."
Isaac nodded. He glanced around and saw the weapons Mute had been talking about. He looked back to the katana's in front of him and juggled a few thoughts around in his head.
I've got an idea what I want…
Twenty minutes later and a much more relived shopkeeper, Isaac left the shop, purchases in hand.
He now had an Ionian katana strapped around his waist and a smaller Demacian dagger hanging just above his rear, next to where his grenades were secured. He wanted throwing knives, but the shopkeeper had kinda-sorta-kindly informed him that Noxian throwing knives were far more superior to Demacian ones… and therefore he wasn't carrying any.
Bloody politics…
Of course, going through a brutal occupation does that to people. From what Isaac had learned of Valoran history, was that partway through the Noxian invasion of Ionia it turned from conquest to extermination.
In other words, genocide. I'm starting to hope I don't have to ever visit Noxus…
Moving on, Isaac checked out his other purchases starting with what was strapped to his right arm. A circular shield with a two-foot radius. Lightweight, and able to deflect blows, it was exactly what he was looking for. He had the strap adjusted to rest higher up on his forearm so that he could still make full use of his right hand without the shield getting too much in the way of him using a sword.
It would also allow him to use the shield to bash enemies with if needed. Courteously of… wherever this shield was made. Even the shopkeeper didn't know this one.
He had also bought a larger strap so when needed he could strap the shield over his back behind the sheathes on his back. Thankfully the shield wasn't very bulky so he wouldn't have his movement restricted by much in the event he had to do that.
His last purchase was a Demacian longsword that Isaac was currently carrying freely by the sheath. He decided on it last second because he wanted a double-edged sword with some length to the blade. The katana was great and all, but sometimes having that second edge could help.
The longsword's pommel and cross-guard were steel, which is what was the deciding factor in buying the weapon. In the event Isaac came across a heavily armored enemy (or an Ascension Shock Trooper) and was unable to reach him in time due to distance or was unable to form a dark matter bolt to fire away, he could always use dark matter to strengthen his body like he was used to doing, and use the longsword's reach to perform a murder-strike.
In other words, he could hold the longsword by the blade and try bashing someone's head in with the crossguard or pommel like a hammer.
Sure, he could've just bought a hammer weapon or mace, but on the flip side, he could always use the longsword the way it was originally meant: stick em' with the pointy end.
Originally, he thought buying so many weapons he may or may not use in the end was a waste. But like Mute had said, stocking up might not be a bad idea.
Sure, he could always use his dark matter power to summon up a weapon, but that took time. It was faster for him to draw a sword out of it's sheath and attack then having to summon a sword in his hand. He could try practicing summoning more so he could get faster at it, but before arriving in Runeterra, he really never had a reason for it. TRANS-Ops provided him with all the weapons and ammo he needed, summoning up a weapon on the spot was something he very, very rarely had to do.
Actually… he could borderline instantly summon something like a shield or sword, but whenever he did such a thing, for some reason, the object would last only seconds or shatter upon a use or two.
And having to constantly spend energy to summon replacements was a waste during long drawn out battles.
Kind of feels like I'm trying to justify my own purchases…
Regardless, it was done, and Isaac had increased his arsenal by a third.
And right after he took five steps out of the shop, he couldn't shake the feeling of being followed again.
Time to deal with this…
Isaac made his way back to the inn, but after a short distance he turned down an empty side street and waited in a corner.
Sure enough, after ten seconds, someone in a bright, not so subtle dress and hood followed. The figure took a few steps and stopped, likely confused as to were Isaac had gone.
The dress looked a bit familiar to Isaac, but he decided he'll deal with that thought later.
Surprise bitch…
Isaac darted out from his hiding spot and slammed into the figure, grabbing him and twisting him around, then slamming the figure into a wall. He drew his right hand back, gripping the longsword by the sheath, ready to christen the crossguard with it's very first murder-strike.
But first, time to find out who you are.
"Who are you, why have you been following me?" He demanded. He had to make this quick before someone walked by and saw them. The last thing he needed was giving the guards ANOTHER reason to hate him.
His unfortunate stalker didn't move, simply freezing up as Isaac pinned him up against the wall. The hood fell back, and Isaac realized it was not a he, but a she.
And she had a familiar face. A very surprised and frightened face.
"… Sona?" Isaac couldn't keep the surprise from entering his voice.
…. Seriously?
A few minutes later, Isaac found himself sitting across from his former stalker at a nearby café.
The waiter had thankfully taken the hint and left the two of them alone after serving Sona with some tea. The blue haired girl had her hood down, letting her ridiculously long hair flow down each side of her head, and silently took a sip from her tea.
Isaac took notice of how eloquent she appeared while doing so.
"This… is unexpected." Mute observed very correctly. "Didn't take the quiet Demacian girl as a stalker."
Neither did I… but this only reinforces my opinion of not trusting them.
Sona took another sip of her tea, then set it down. She turned her attention to Isaac, who still had his visor down, with a serious but apological look.
Keeping his visor down was intentional. Remaining faceless in an interrogation always helped… not that sitting at a small sleepy café was much of an interrogation room…
"Why were you following me?" Isaac asked.
Sona looked off to the side, before shaking her head.
… Right…
"Right… you're a mute." Isaac shook his head. "Well, physically one. You can use telepathy to communicate, but that's not going to happen here."
Isaac threw a small notepad and pen across the table to Sona. He had gotten it from the waiter when they had first arrived. It earned him a strange look, but no one was going to argue or make fun of a faceless black armored figure with six swords, a dagger, three grenades, and a pair of pistols.
"I'm assuming you know how to write." Isaac pointed to the notepad. "We'll talk like this."
It was less of a request and more of a demand. And Sona must have picked up on that because she took both without so much as a protest or shake of her head.
"Let's try this again…" Isaac leaned back in their booth. "Why were you following me?"
Sona brought the pen to the notepad and started writing something.
A little while later, she ripped the piece off the notepad and pushed it across the table to Isaac. He picked it up and noticed how neat her writing was.
She wrote: "I am sorry for following you, but I saw you enter the market earlier and wanted to speak with you. Given your reaction to myself and my companions last time we spoke I was not sure how to approach you."
Isaac nodded. "So, you wanted to talk. What about?" He asked.
And if you're going to try and convince me to do that mental link thing… I'm leaving.
Sona passed him another note. Isaac picked it up and read: "I wanted to apologize for what happened last time. I believe we got off on the wrong foot and wanted to make amends."
"It's not you in particular I was angry with. I don't hate you Sona, I just don't trust you and your companions. Demacia clearly wants something from me and I'm not one to let a powerful nation simply use me for their own gains." Isaac replied.
Sona stared at him for a few moments with a serious expression before turning her attention back to the notepad. After she finished writing what she wanted, she handed it to Isaac and he read it.
"Demacia struggles to admit it, but our situation is just like the Ionians. We too have had people go missing and now fear the Ascension may be involved. My companions and I were sent to gain your cooperation to assist us in this matter." Isaac read.
"Gain your cooperation huh?" Mute rolled her eyes. "They've done a splendid job of that."
I was just thinking the same thing. Isaac sighed. He was about to ask her another question when Mute spoke up.
"This… might actually be a good starting point for us to gain some kind of sense of understanding and cooperation with the Demacians. Going at each other's throats like we have been isn't going to get us anywhere, especially if they're having issues with the Ascension." She nodded. "Out of the three Demacian champions we've met her so far, Sona seems to be the one with the best head on her shoulders. If you start to smooth things over with her, it might pay off."
Isaac mulled over Mute's words in his head, all the while Sona was watching him with a curious look on her face.
As much as the Demacians have done nothing but piss me off, might as well start smoothing things over… Isaac watched Sona carefully. If they try anything though, we'll mark them off our list…
Maybe I'll talk to the Noxians afterward… that'll kick them in the balls for sure.
Not that Isaac was sure going the extra mile to piss off one of Runeterra's most powerful nations was a good idea… that, and Ionia didn't like Noxus either.
But that was the great thing about being him. Isaac knew he didn't have to play by the rules of Runeterra's politics… even if he had to play their damn game.
"Tell me about the missing people…" Isaac began. "Why do you think the Ascension is involved?"
Sona produced another note nearly a minute later.
"Our people have been going missing for some time now. At first, we were suspicious of Noxus, until it came to light that every nation in Runeterra was having the same problem. After the attack on Bilgewater, we suspected that they may also be responsible. I just learned that nearly a week ago, one of our guard barracks in the city was attacked, with the evidence pointing at the Ascension for being responsible."
Isaac bit his lower lip. If what he had just read was true, then Demacia was likely going to be a target soon. The Ascension were apparently active enough there that they were willing to hit a guard post.
But why would they do that? If the Ascension wanted to soften up Demacia before invading, why attack a single guard barracks? Wouldn't assassinating people in positions of power work better?
Now that he thought about it, what good did taking out a single guard barracks do? Demacia's supposed to be a major military power in the world, hitting a single guard's barracks was like hitting a TRANS-Ops base's caffetaria. It didn't make sense, if the Ascension wanted to invade Demacia, they had way bigger targets to hit first, ones that Isaac was pretty sure even the Demacians could mount a proper defence of.
Questions aside, he managed to get the answer he was looking for. Demacia wanted his help, he could take advantage of that somehow, he was sure of it.
"I can see why you wanted my… cooperation then." Isaac nodded. "Although, I question your methods. Trying to pick a fight with me? Trying to trap me into letting you into my mind?" Isaac shook his head. "I think just about anyone would see that as the opposite of trying to earn my trust."
Another note.
"Again, that was not our original intent. Shyvana can lose herself to her desires at times, and we are sorry for the rift that has created between us. Openly attacking you was not our goal, only testing your strength was. Shyvana decided to take request into her own hands for reasons Galio and I are still struggling to understand."
Before Isaac could respond, Sona handed him another note.
"As for accessing your mind, I will be honest with you. That was indeed a rather suspicious goal of ours that Galio did a very unsatisfactory job of articulating to you. What my superiors wanted is a mental link between you and I so that they have free communication with you so we could seek counsel on the Ascension at will. My mind allows me to not only communicate mentally, but through the power of a summoner's orb as well. The Demacian leadership would speak to me through it over great distances, and then I could use our mental link to pass on any information or requests from them to you, and vice versa. That, was the true purpose behind Galio pushing the issue."
Isaac read over the note carefully. He wasn't entirely sure what to think about that. He did however, understand where Sona was coming from now. And as much as he could kind of understand where Demacia was coming from with this plan, he still hated the idea of someone in his head.
Sona may not have realized it though, but she had also just given away how desperate Demacia was. They were willing to use this long shot to try and get to him to learn more about the enemy. A nation on a superior level (from a negotiating stance) compared to Isaac was willing to do this. That sure didn't make them sound like they were comfortable in their current situation.
I can see why they wanted all the secrecy… if their enemies learned how desperate they are…
Isaac frowned. He wasn't sure what to do now. If he was a selfless hero, he would agree to Sona's request, potentially granting Demacia open access to his mind to give them all the help they needed against the Ascension.
But Isaac wasn't some selfless hero. He despised people in his mind. Soraka did that on mistake and Isaac felt the need to follow up with her on that, but given the circumstances around that compared to this…
Isaac wasn't sure how to proceed. So, he turned to his best source of information.
"Mute?"
Mute had a thinking expression on her face, clearly deep in thought about this as well. "Hard to say. On one hand, I can see the merits of this mental link… but on the other hand I could see how this could also pose a danger to you. We don't know for a fact if Sona is capable of reading minds, or how this mental link would work. Would she be able to see through your eyes at all times? Would she hear everything you said at any point in time, what you hear? There is too much we don't know about this that the risks outweigh the benefits." Mute sighed. "I think if the Demacians want information, you can pass it along through Sona the old-fashioned way, by telling her. There is no need for a mental link, if anything it makes their request seem more suspicious then before."
Isaac closed his eyes, deep in thought. Mute was right on pretty much every level with her deduction.
He opened his eyes, only to be greeted with Sona giving him a worried yet curious look.
He sighed. "I… understand your position… as well as that of Demacia's. I'm sorry, but I won't let you establish this mental link with me." He gave her an answer.
Sona visibility deflated at nodded to him and wrote something down quickly.
"I understand."
Isaac sighed again. She sure knew how to make him feel guilty.
"Look, if Demacia really wants information on the Ascension, I'll be more then happy to give it to you. Either in written form or verbally. It's up to you to pass that along." He said.
Thankfully, his words caused Sona to one-eighty and she gave him a pleased smile. It looked nice.
Too bad… she's a great looker.
… oh wait…. Right…
"And…" Isaac rubbed the back of his neck. This next part was going to be awkward. "I'm sorry about… what happened… back at the hospital."
Sona tilted her head to the side in confusion. Isaac sighed.
Great… just great… now its going to be more awkward.
"… You saw me naked. You looked like you had seen a ghost."
Isaac could almost literally see a loading bar above Sona's head labeled "processing". As soon as it was filled up, she had the reaction Isaac expected.
The blue haired girl started to blush and suddenly refused to make eye contact.
Mute sighed in Isaac's ear. "Did you REALLY have to bring that back up?"
… In hindsight, I should've just left it alone.
"Again, sorry about that." Isaac shook his head, feeling like he may have made it worse. "I… if you want information on the Ascension just let me know. You've only got two days though, then I'm out of this city."
Sona managed to collect herself enough to start writing again, but Isaac could see how embarrassed the poor girl was.
She reacts to these kinds of things worse then I DO. She doesn't seem to be younger then me…
Maybe it was her upbringing… she looked like a noble after all.
She handed Isaac a sheet of paper, and Isaac decided that she wrote like one too.
"Where are you going?
No sense keeping it down. Everyone in the city will know soon anyways when the army marches out.
"I'm joining the Ionians on some kind of military campaign. Someone with an army and power in their land has been getting assistance from the Ascension, and they have proof of it." He answered. The word Ascension got Sona out of her own little world and she quickly turned serious again. She started writing a little more franticly this time.
"I knew something was going to happen but I didn't expect this! Will you be gone long?"
Isaac shook his head. "How should I know? Military operations on my world take time as it is, and we have technology to cross massive distances in a tenth of the time it takes you guys. It'll probably be awhile."
"Could you and I meet up again before then? If I don't know when I'll see you again, I fear I cannot let this chance to get information from you to pass."
Isaac nodded. "I can write up a report for you. I've seen those summoner's orbs in action. You can just send it to whoever you need to."
That earned a grateful smile from Sona and a nod. Her writing hand stopped appearing so frantic.
"That would be spectacular! I'm sure there are questions the crown prince would like to ask you, but your idea will do."
Isaac nodded, then he saw Sona giving him a pondering look. After a few seconds, she started to write something again and handed it to Isaac.
"Still, if time permits us I would like to meet with you again before you leave with the Ionians. I would like to speak with my superiors first though, so perhaps we can have lunch tomorrow at the inn?"
Isaac rolled that idea around in his head. As he did, he heard Mute starting to laugh.
"Wow, you just got asked out on a lunch date by the one you've exposed yourself too AND have been fighting with. Not bad Isaac you playa you." She laughed.
… Oh, shut the fuck up you damn AI. You're made of code!
Isaac pushed down the sudden desire to make Mute a physical body just so he could slap her, and redirected his attention to the beauty sitting across from him.
"Works for me." Isaac nodded. "I'll make sure to have that report written up for you by then as well."
Sona happily nodded to him and reached out a slender hand across the table. Isaac took it gently and the two shook on it.
"See you later then." Isaac nodded and excused himself. He was aware that Sona was watching him leave with a pleasant expression on her face.
Mute on the other hand, laughed. "What? Not going to pay for her drink?"
Isaac rolled his eyes, feeling the need to slap her rising again, and the annoyance that he could not do so since she lacked a physical form. He disabled his external speaker again so he could verbally fight with his AI in peace.
"We don't have any money you fucking idiot!"
And thus, began another verbal battle between man and machine.
A/N - Next update will be July 17th