Chapter 2
The City of Progress
Graves arrived to the City of Progress, his finger was itching to pull the trigger with Destiny sight set to TF head. He was awed by the city towering skyscrapers, with its windows reflecting the light of the sun. It was not his first visit to the city, but Piltover never fail to surprise him. With new technology every week, if not every day, that emerged from the city inventors one could not lie the city was great.
The streets was clean, no trash and no thugs. He could see many ads or holograms mentioning about Jayce and his deeds to the city, if not then it might other advertisement such as Heimerdinger institution. While he was walking, he catches the eyes of many pedestrian, rarely a man walk with a shotgun, a big one at that. He just mind his own business, even though people start to gave him stares that made him wanted to shoot them.
On the way to Piltover, he heard and interrogate a few thugs, all works was worth it as he got a few information about TF whereabouts. TF seem to have interest on Wallaby's Tower, some people that he talks say that the tower had some kind of jewelries. While Wallaby's tower, according to some sources, a building that is filled with offices and cubicle walls, rich men have some secrets . Whatever the tower contain, if TF was there, he's willing to risk it.
Suddenly he was stopped by a group of police officers, an officer that was leading raises his right hand signaling Graves to stop. Graves ignores the officer but he could see that the group start to rush on him. He stop walking and face the officer, the officers wear a typical color police uniform, dark blue with white and black stripes.
"Any problems officer?" Graves lean Destiny at his shoulder. "Cause it seems that there is a problem?
"Sir" The leader of the group starts to talk "You should know that you have violated the law of civilian arms and-"
"Kid." Interrupted Graves. "I have a weapon and I didn't shoot it. So I didn't do anything wrong" he glare at the officer with threatening eyes.
"Sir, if you don't want to follow our city law, I can and WILL take you down if necessary" The officer glared back, his team start to ready themselves with weapons notably from Hextech. They hold black rods that suddenly extends, it release a wave of electricity on it perimeter.
"If you ask for it" Graves hold Destiny with his two hands "I'll be much obliged"
They both stared down each other, with their weapons ready. Waiting for someone to make the first move. Graves knew he was outnumbered but he didn't even think about taking a step back. The officer, on the other hand, seem to reason himself, doubting that even though he had the numbers, the man in front of him seem to be a professional. Graves trigger finger was starting to itch, the last time he shot a man was at High Noon and even that, it was not challenging.
"Calm down cowboy" someone called. It manage to broke the tension as both of the sides were focused to the sources of the voice. It was a pink hair woman, with robotic fist huge enough to crush an average man head into pieces. She was wearing a rather different uniform, you couldn't even classify as an officer uniform. But Graves could tell she works with the government, but using her own ways of course.
"You can leave the cowboy be" said the woman "plus , aren't you guys new?"
"Officer Vi" the leader of the group was surprised, he and all of his group lowered their heads.
"Nothing, we're just dealing with this man."
"Don't you guys have some kind of meeting with the Sheriff?" she raises her right eyebrow as he walk closer. "Some kind of briefing if I could remember it clearly."
"Yes, thank you for reminding us about it" the group immediately leave the place. "Come on boys, we don't want to be late."
"And you" Vi faces Graves "I know you have something bad to do on the city"
"You can't judge a man by his appearance" He leaned Destiny at his shoulder again "No wonder there's always be police violence."
"With that type of shotgun, I bet every police want to do violence with you." Vi shrug "Well, if you wanna do bad things, make it big. This city gets boring by the day. Plus, it's been a long time that I didn't punch bad guys like you"
The pink haired girl depart, Graves look at the tower. No different than any other tower in the city, tall and shiny. Right now, the sun was as the center of the sky, he better find somewhere to kill time, maybe a bar, that would be great.
Entering the building was something easy, he knew TF just like he knew Bilgewater. One clue and TF was a few step away, there was a saying "make your friends close and your enemies closer" and TF was more than an enemy and a friend. The entrance of Wallaby's Tower were unguarded, just a lock and a bullet proof glass door.
He advance to the elevator, passes through the receptionist table and push a button. The elevator number start to go down and he was ready to deal an old business. He put Destiny beside him and took out a cigar and light it with a elevator arrived and the door opens, he hold back Destiny with his two hands and exhale a cloud of smoke, he enter the elevator and the elevator door closed.
He waits as the elevator rise to the highest floor, he knows that expensive, rare and valuable items were stored on the highest floor so that any thief would have a hard time to escape. But TF was not the average thief, he could easily teleport out of the building and the cops would just have no option to close the case.
When the elevator door opened, he set his eyes to Destiny sights and look beyond the elevator door. The Outlaw was still in the elevator, searching for any movement. Beyond the elevator was a dark room, maybe an office with it lights being cut. He gets out from the elevator with cautious eyes and his senses at its peak, he strafe to the right then to the left but there was no one.
The elevator shut and his source of light was gone, the room was pitch dark. It took a while for his eyes to adjust and realize there was a big door further in front. Beside the big door was a small desk, it might be the personal assistant desk, with the things on top of the table messed up and the drawers drawn open.
He smell something familiar, he took a deep breaths and realizes, it was gunpowder… It came from the other side of the door, resistance maybe? Graves near the door and pause for a while, he could hear a voice but it was not clear.
"Damn, Lady Luck just gave me a blessing" The voice had a southern accent.
As soon he recognized the voice, he barge through the door furiously. The man was shocked by his intrusion, the man faces Graves with a card on his right hand. The man was TF, with his cowboy hat ever concealing his face. Destiny was aimed at TF, with its master resisting from squeezing the trigger.
The room was surrounded by windows, that provide beautiful scenery especially at the night. The lights of the city was silhouetting both of them, they couldn't see their face but their figures were clear.
"Well" Graves smirk as he puff smoke from his cigar "Isn't this a coincidence?"
TF still holding a yellow card on his right hand, ready to throw at Graves.
"Graves." said TF "I didn't know you came to see me."
"Well Lady Luck just gave a blessing, but this time she gave it to me."
"I was looking for you for a long time, TF" Graves continued "Finally I caught you where there is no escape until one of us die in this very place."
TF was trapped on one of the highest building of the city, the only way out was the elevator or the glass window that was surrounding the room. He could use another way that was teleporting out of the place but channeling it would take some time and time was running out. He could also use another way but it was next to impossible, talking it out.
"What is it Tobias? got something on your tongue or thinking of an escape?" The Outlaw raises his right brow "Your ain't leaving until I send you to Priggs, to hell!"
TF suddenly smirk, it ended Graves grin and his body posture was stiffen. "I was waiting for you to shoot but you didn't" TF pauses for awhile as he look at Graves face, his expression started to change. His brows started to furrow and holding Destiny a little bit tighter. "What is it Graves, the years on the Locker made 'ya soft ?"
"Thought the Locker was the worst prison." TF continue "But it made The Outlaw, can't shoot his friend"
"What're you tryin' to do, testing your luck. You know a few cards won't stop me"
TF was surprised that Graves didn't rage, usually he would, guess he changed, it might be a chance to get out unharmed. "I'm talking you through Graves, maybe we could get out of this 'old vengeance' problem by having a conversation"
"Ya' think just a chat would get you away for what you did TF" TF could hear the suppressed anger when Graves said the sentence, it manage to made him flinch. "The Locker is not just a prison, it was hell on earth."
TF went silenced, he had nothing to say and continue to hear what Graves had to say "You have to kill to survive, you have to fight to have a meal and you have to suffer to get some shut eye. Be it man or woman, the wardens were devils dressed in human skin. Breaks a man bones, it will make it stronger but breaks a man will and you have a human husk. The Locker almost break me but seeing you die was the hope that made me gone through the days. "
"Killin' you won't be enough." Graves continue "I want some answer, why did you did it?"
"Like I said, it was bussi-"
"IT WAS PERSONAL TO ME" Graves shouted with rage and anger mixed to his voice, the years he had gone through and it was only business. Graves wanted more, TF himself wanted 'to talk this through' but was this the best he could offer? just business? Graves spit his cigar to the floor and step on it, he look at TF like a raging bull, wanted to do what it meant to do, to kill.
"Oh Graves…" TF look at his old friend. "I know you gone through hard things in the past year but you came to the wrong place at the wrong time." TF run toward the window and jump out of the building.
"TF!" He tried to catch up to him but he stop himself at the edge of window, any further and Graves could fall. He saw TF as he was freefalling to the ground, TF was holding his hat making sure that it would stick to his head. Suddenly he vanish in mid air, Graves was surprised by it, TF could teleport in mid air.
"That sunnavabitch, I knew he would have some trick in his sleeves" Graves grit his teeth, thinking how to catch up with his old friend. He rush toward the elevator but trip on something, he fell to his knees and his hand touch the ground. "What the.." he felt something, it was some kind of liquid but was rather thicker. He observe the liquid that tainted his palm. "Blood?"
He got up using Destiny and look at the object that he tripped to, the room was dark and he could not see the object properly. He saw a button that was glowing luminescent, he touch the button and the room was lighten by the luxurious chandelier that hangs on the room ceiling. Then he saw something that he would not want at the time, a dead hero, Jayce.