Note: This story has more of a dramatic aspect to it, I know it's kind of a whole different direction from 'The Misadventures of the Chained Warden', but after watching Frozen again I just had to add this to the mix. Plus, I did say that there was going to be a range of stories in this. So without further ado…
Do You Want to Build a Gunman?
Deep in the bowels of a research institute in the city-state of Zuan, a small girl with bright blue hair and bright purple eyes. She had her long hair two long braids and she was humming to herself and skipping down the hall until she reached a certain door. If her smile could get any bigger it would as she knocked politely before bursting inside.
"VI!" she whispered excitedly.
Laying in a lone bed in the far corner of the room was another little girl that seemed a bit older than the blue-haired girl only with bright pink hair with the roman numeral symbol for the number four branded to her left cheek just under one of her eyes. The pink haired girl or 'VI' simply groaned and continued to keep her eyes closed, but the blue-haired girl knew that she had woken her up. She immediately jumped on the bed and started to shake the other girl.
"C'mon wake up, wake up!" she said with her smile still in place.
VI groaned again.
"It's too early XV…" muttered VI, "Go back to bed…"
XV suddenly lay on top of VI making overdramatic movements.
"But the main monitors are awake, so I'm awake, so we have to play," moaned XV.
"Go play by yourself," grumbled VI pushing XV off her and off the side of the bed.
XV landed on her rump on the cold tile with an 'oof'. She pouted there for a second before an idea clicked in her head. She immediately hopped back on the bed and lifted one of VI's lid's revealing a brilliant blue iris.
"Do you wanna build a gunman?" asked XV with a sly smirk on her face.
XV then released VI's eyelid only for VI to open both her eyes and look at XV with a smile of her own.
The two girls giggled as they ran down the halls with VI half-heartedly shushing her sister while smiling the whole time. They finally reached a heavily reinforced door with the word 'Armory' on it.
"C'mon lift the door again!" said XV jumping up and down excitedly.
VI simply took a deep breath with her smile still in place before reaching down below the door and lifting it as if it weighed as much as a paper clip. XV watched with wide eyes.
"Whoa…" she said in amazement.
XV then shook her head and the two made their way inside leaving the armory door ajar. Once inside the girls started to tinker with all the weapons inside making their own creations that still worked. Suddenly VI turned towards XV with a rocket launcher with a head shaped like a shark's head.
"Hi XV I'm Fishbones and I like living peaceful evenings," said VI in a lower voice while opening and closing the mouth at the point of the gun.
XV giggled before running up and hugging the rocket launcher in her arms.
"I love you Fishbones!" she said.
The girls then proceeded to make rocket propelled sleds with rocket propelled grenades and made tiny toys out of scrap metal they played with together. Suddenly XV jumped up on top of a high shelf and jumped off.
"Catch me!" she said.
"Hold on," said VI with a smile still in place as she punched the ground.
Suddenly a part of the floor jutted up enough to act as a platform for XV. XV immediately jumped off and VI repeated the action again and again, but as XV started to get more excited she started to faster. VI saw this and suddenly her smile started to fade.
"XV slow down!" she begged as she desperately tried to keep up.
XV was oblivious as she continued at a faster pace.
"Wait!" cried VI as she moved to punched the ground again only to trip over one of the many toys they made causing the girl to fall flat on her face.
VI immediately looked and gasped in horror when she saw XV jump off the most recent platform oblivious to the fact that VI wasn't ready.
"XV!" she cried slamming her fist down on the ground in desperation to keep XV from harm.
The platform came up like all the others… but it came ten times faster. The force sent XV flying into the ceiling with a sickening crunch before falling all the way to the floor where she lay in a crumpled heap. VI gasped.
"XV!" she cried as she ran as fast as she could to XJ's limp form.
As she cradled her head in her arms she cried out weakly through teary eyes.
"Papa! Papa!" she whimpered as she held XV's head to her chest.
Without her knowing, her body started to glow an eerie blue with the metal around her starting to warp in response including the little metal toys.
"It's okay XV…" whimpered VI, "I got you."
Suddenly a man in a lab coat ran in. His eyes immediately focused in on VI and XV.
"VI! XV! Are you two alright?!" he asked as he ran towards them.
"It was an accident," whimpered VI before putting her head on XV's, "Oh XV…"
The man quickly knelt next to VI and checked XV's pulse. He sighed in relief when he felt a weak but steady beat.
"Your sister still has time," he said, "But we must hurry, come on."
The man gently took XV into his arms before rushing down the halls with VI hot at his heels. The man kicked the door open into the medical room where medical supplies were already lined up thanks to the preparation of the AI.
"All supplies have been prepared Dr. Norman," said a synthetic female voice.
The man didn't reply his focus solely on the dying girl in his arms. Norman immediately threw off his lab coat and started to work with VI staring with wide, teary eyes feeling her guilt grow stronger each moment. Norman worked for what seemed like hours to keep XV from dying and only when the girl's breathing became steady again with a rhythmic heartbeat. Norman wiped his brows before glancing up at the ceiling.
"Veronica, what's the verdict," said Norman tiredly.
"Subject XV's life signs have been restored to optimal levels, however the brain trauma was intense enough to cause permanent damage. The subject will not remember recent events in their truest form, but she will remember most long term memories."
Norman sighed.
"Thank you, you may power off."
"Logging you out, Doctor."
Norman stared down at XV for a long time before looking up at VI who looked like she was about to break down right there. He sighed again before walking over and sitting beside her. He put a comforting arm around her and held her close allowing her to let out all of her sorrow into his chest. Norman closed his eyes.
"You have to be more careful with your strength VI," said Norman, "It is dangerous if you cannot handle it correctly.
The girl sniffed before looking up at the caring eyes looking down upon her. Norman smiled.
"I-I can't play with XV anymore," she whispered, "I don't wanna hurt her."
Norman saw this coming and sighed.
"We'll work on controlling your power, together," he promised, "And then you can play with XV all you want."
The girl sniffed,
"You promise?"
"I promise."
XV woke up feeling refreshed. It was a month sense she the accident she didn't really remember, but she did know that she wanted to play with VI like all the other times… but for some reason VI kept avoiding her and locking herself in her room. XV was sad and confused and when she went to ask her papa he would simply smile down at her sadly and tell her to 'give her sister time'. Today, however, XV was determined to play with her sister. XV immediately hopped off her bed and skipped over to her sister's room before sliding to a stop in front of it.
"VI?" she asked before knocking a tune on the door.
"Do you wanna build a gunman?" she sang, "C'mon let's go and play."
XV then turned and leaned on door sliding down it as she continued to sing.
"I never you see you anymore, you're out the door, it's like you've gone away…"
XV got up and leaned her head against the door with only her head.
"We used to be best buddies… but now we're not I only wonder why…"
XV then jumped up and looked to the door with eager eyes.
"So do you wanna build a gunman?"
XV leaned in and put her mouth into the keyhole on the knob.
"It doesn't have to be a gunman!"
Suddenly VI's muffled voice came through making XV perk up.
"Go away XV…"
XV visibly deflated.
"Okay bye…"
"Here, these goggles have a built in limiter on them that you can turn on and off simply by putting them on and off," said Norman placing a pair of high-tech goggles over VI's head, "And they'll also help keep stuff out of your eyes."
VI bit her lip with guilt still in her eyes, which didn't escape Norman's notice. He smiled again before picking up VI's chin.
"You can always see XV you know," he said, "She misses you."
VI closed her eyes.
"I miss her too…" she whispered before yanking away from Norman's hand and turning away, "But I can't be near her! Not until I fix myself…"
Norman hated seeing the girl he saw as a daughter acting like this.
"VI… there is nothing wrong with you," he said, "You just need to learn to control your strength."
VI didn't answer, she simply stared at the floor.
XV skipped up to the door again and knocked the same knock she always did.
"Do you want to build a gunman," she sang before putting on a pair of peculiar skates.
"Or rocket skate around the hall…" she sang before crashing into a crate full of nitrogen canisters, which thankfully didn't blow up, "I think some company is overdue."
XV jumped up and ran into the armory.
"I've started talking to the weapons on the walls!"
XV slid to a stop resting on her back with her hands behind her head. She then lifted an arm pointing at a certain Gatling gun.
"Hang in there Pow-Pow," she said with a wink before getting up and walking over to a workbench.
"It get's a little lonely… all these empty rooms," continued XV while turning on one of her Chomper grenades and watching it chatter away.
"Watching the hours tick by…"
Chatter. Chatter. Chatter. Chatter.
"It's getting worse!" whimpered VI staring in despair at the destroyed training room around her.
Norman reached over to comfort her.
"It only get's worse if you're upset," he said.
VI noticed the hand and immediately jumped away.
"NO! Don't touch me!" she cried curling within herself, "I don't want to hurt you…"
Norman sighed with a sad look on his face.
XV laughed as she slid around already through her first growth spurt and already double her initial size. Suddenly she spotted VI's room and stopped short to stare at it before slowly walking away. She immediately shook away the sadness and ran over to Norman's office where she saw Norman making sure he had everything he needed. XV immediately tackled the man into a hug almost causing him to fall forward.
"Have a safe trip papa!" she giggled.
Norman chuckled before turning around and wrapping XV into a proper hug before kissing her on the top of the head. XV then let him go and the two exchanged smiles before he made his way towards the exit. Along the way he suddenly saw VI leaning near the exit of the sector. VI, like XV had grown quite a bit looking like a young woman nearing her twenties.
"Do you have to go?" asked VI not looking up at Norman.
Norman went to put a hand on her shoulder only for to retract his hand when he saw her flinch away. He sighed.
"It will be fine, VI," he said with a reassuring smile.
"So I held him up like this and there was- Tim are you listening to me?"
"Hm…"
It was a sunny day in Piltover and citizens went about their business. It was the same for a police officer and his college having coffee during their break. One of them, Tim, was reading the paper.
"Jeesh, you're always reading the freaking paper when my stories are so much more interesting," said the other man.
"The only problem with you're stories, cadet, is that they are made up," said the man looking over the paper at him, "My daughter it three years younger than you and she carries herself with much more class than you."
The man chuckled and waved his hand dismissively.
"That's because Cait is your daughter oh Sherriff of Piltover," stated the young man with cheeky smile on his face, "Hell, she's probably going to take your place!"
Tim chuckled,
"Heh, maybe…"
He then grazed over an article that read 'EXPLOSION AT ZUANITE INSTITUTE KILLS FIVE EMPLOYEES'.
A shame… I hope they didn't have family…
His eyes passed over the names:
'Dr. Yoeman, Dr. Ronan, Dr. Orlando, Dr. Vartic, Dr. Norman.'
XV limped down the hall with her hair shadowing her face. Ever since the death of her father, another, cruel scientist took his place putting both her and VI through rough military exercises. His 'training' was more like a survival camp, pushing their bodies past the limit until they almost broke. XV winced at her broken arm. She knew her quick regeneration would heal her wounds, but it still hurt. Suddenly XV found herself in front of VI's door. XV stared at the door in contemplation before hesitantly knocking.
"VI?" she asked.
When no answer came she let out a defeated sigh.
"Please… I know you're in there… I've always wondered where you've been... They say 'have courage' I'm trying to… I'm right out here for you, just let me in…" sang XV before turning around and leaning on the door and staring up at the ceiling, "We only have each other… just you and me… what are we gonna do?"
XV allowed a tear to escape as she closed her eyes.
"Do you want to build a gunman?" she whispered.
On the other side of the door VI was leaning on the same door listening to her sister sing with her own tears threatening to come out. VI curled up and buried her head in her arms and silently cried. While on the other side XV did the same thing.
FIN
