A/N: Aatrox can tap into the centurion's communication systems because they are semi-magical. And he's a god. And plot devices. Forget the last one.
Even the void born could feel the miasma of wrongness surrounding the machine. Both of them clicked. Both of them used blades. Both of them were dead set on killing the other. That was where the similarities ended. Kha' Zix flexed his mantis like arms, the chitin blades crackling with void energy. No doubt the machine was an excellent killer. Trophies hung from its iron frame, Kha' recognizing the bone necklace hanging from its belt as the void born was reminded of why it was targeting this machine in particular. He never expected to see a battlecast run to Ionia of all places though. No matter. Soon it would be a dead battlecast. A dead Rengar killing battlecast. Kha' grit his fangs. No one took his kills. Even in the endless abyss of the void his hive had been the most renowned of the Xer' Zix. Assassins of such skill that even the mighty Xer' Gath lords would cower at their mere mention. No machine, no matter its prestige within its ranks, could top his mastery of death. Nor could it match his vast arsenal of skills. The two killers circled each other once more, Kha' Zix suddenly tearing open reality as he slipped back into his native environment. Smug confidence was soon replaced by confusion as the machine also vanished, its void reflection non-existent. Realizing his error Kha' forced his way back into reality, a small burst of deadly void energy announcing his arrival. Of course a machine would have no reflection in the void. It wasn't alive. Confusion once again reigned as the machine was nowhere to be found. Even in this plane the machine was invisible. Kha' sent out a few hunting clicks, the machine echoing his move from the shadows, the air distorting as it stepped back into vision. Of course, like his previous target it could cloak itself. At least Rengar Kha' Zix could track through the void. Perhaps this would be more challenging than the Xer' Zix had thought. His newly molted crimson shell glistened in the moonlight as spike racks fired a deadly cone of half foot projectiles at Zix's foe, the machine nimbly evading the murderous bio-weaponry as it dashed into range of the Xer' Zix's claws. Jagged heliotrope blades flashed in the sudden darkness produced by an intrusive cloud as cold steel met their neon arcs, the combatants dashing back before clashing again, crimson light spilling forth as the cloud passed. The machine shook slightly, Kha' allowing himself some minor satisfaction before realizing the true nature of the duel's outcome. Acid blood ate into the dirt as the void born collapsed, the crimson light of the machine's visor approaching until a blade severed a chunk from the Xer' Zix's back armor, the machine chirping contentedly to itself before leaving Kha' to his fate.
"Despite your arguments Ionia is not ready for another war. Give us a full month of peace and we will support you in full." The yordle was clearly frustrated, the odd array of lenses on the goggles she had pushed up to hold back messy hair flashing in the dim light projected by the massive hologram of Karma, Ionian's empress continuing to assure Rose of the coming support from the island nation. In two months. If what Elle's last report had said was true Bandle City would be ashes within three weeks. Rose kept quite though. Diplomacy was not the spy master's favorite pastime.
"Either way thanks for your valuable time oh great and wise empress." Karma frowned slightly before the holocaster went dark, the room soon illuminated by hextech lights as the yordle hauled herself into a stool placed in front of myriad monitors. As whatever was connected to each screen hummed to life streams of data as well as an odd 16-bit game absorbed her so completely as to not notice the short yordle standing in the door.
"That was one way to handle rejection." Rose flicked her hand, the other occupied with her keyboard as lines of code scrolled lazily down screen. Rumble just sighed. "Pres just called an emergency meeting."
"Im almost done. Just give me…a…bit more… Shit!" A picture of a lock flashed repeatedly on the largest screen, Rose reluctantly leaving behind her personal attempt at crippling Viktor to follow her shorter colleague.
It was nice to have a routine again. Even if that routine was waking up at four in the morning to take a five mile run followed by backbreaking exercise until breakfast at six. Caitlyn hoisted the rifle onto her shoulder, the dull silver training armor taking most of the weight as a drill sergeant wearing power armor stalked past the assembled recruits. Frankly she was lucky. Not only was she the only member of her unit to be guaranteed a spot in a team but the drill sergeant had yet to bellow in her face as the man so often did to the other recruits. Today. "Alright Maggots! Today we're gonna see how many of you dumb bitches can shoot a rifle! See those targets down lane? First of you to hit a bulls eye doesn't do extra pushups." No one wasted time unloading in the direction the sergeant had indicated. Only Caitlyn kept still. The heavy metal training armor weighed her down as she pressed a knee into the mud, rifle rising to her shoulder as years of precision shooting guided her hands. She only did a hundred pushups.
Any human wandering into the massive cave in central Ionia would have noticed three things. First would be the smell. The entire cavern reeked of decay and death, its current occupant lacking olfactory organs and thus unable to detect the rancid odor its current home emitted. After anyone who could withstand the initial stench spent a few moments within the cloying darkness the constant crunching sounds from beneath their feet would be explained as their eyes became accustomed to the lack of light. Bones littered the floor, most picked clean but a few still sporting chunks of week-old flesh in tighter nooks and crannies. Neither bothered the wounded Xer' Zix. In truth very few things had every frightened Kha' to the degree the glowing green slights at the back of the cave did. He assumed his customary squatting stance, eyes squeezing shut as the monster who's cave the Xer' Zix had entered exhaled. "The machines are stronger than Vel' anticipated."
"I know." Kha skittered back as the massive beast stood to his full height.
"You…Know?" Cho' Gath stomped into a wider corridor, pale moon light illuminating the massive Xer' Gath warrior through a crack in the cave's roof as he stretched limbs that hadn't moved for at least a week. A weak approximation of a laugh exited Cho's ancient throat.
"Vel' underestimated the metal one's drive to create his own destruction. The prophet saw this many years ago." Kha' grunted. It would be just like the arrogant meatbag Malzahar to withhold information from him. "Stay away from this fight assassin. One way or the other it will soon be over."
"And what of your lord? Will we consume this world or have you more "research" to do?" The house sized monstrosity moved with speed Kha' had long considered him incapable of, the smaller void born finding his crimson exoskeleton mashed between a stalagmite and the Xer' Gath's tail.
"I serve no lord, youngling. You would do well to remember that." Kha' considered his options. Not pissing off the giant Xer' Gath was the best by far.
"Whatever. The Zz' Rot portal will not last long without the summoners to keep it shut." Cho' Gath released him, the assassin dusting himself off with a few shakes before drinking from the rancid looking pool in the corner of the cavern. Unfortunately he forgot Xer' Gath don't have any sense of taste either, Kha spitting out the hateful mix of minerals and rotted carcasses. "I will welcome our return to Icathia…"
"Patience, Kha'…"
8-1-12 never would have thought that navigating the halls of Zuan would be an arduous task. Neither would it have though it would have a new frame so soon. Warning lights flared on its left as 8-1-12 accidentally decked an acolyte with its right arm, the man crying out as two of his allies aided him. It silenced all three with precision railgun fire. The Creator made an odd noise as he observed the dead from over his shoulder, shrugging slightly before returning to his monologue on the functionality such a frame as an Ultra's could provide to the evolution. 8-1-12 stored the audio for later instead focusing on the battle plans recently downloaded into his iron head. Bandle City was no Piltover style push-over. High velocity Gauss weaponry lined an inner wall almost twice as thick and a good thirty feet higher than the one that had protected Piltover. The main wall was precluded by a smaller wall bristling with the same conventional weaponry Piltover had deployed. Before that lay a minefield interspersed with bunkers and tank pits. The entire system was connected by a vast network of tunnels with collapsible sectors to ensure no invading army could utilize them against the defenders. A Shock trooper swarm would eliminate the minefield as well as terrify most of the defenders of the outer wall. After air support and heavy ground units took out the mortars atop the first wall with precision fire seed units would be deployed via bombers and artillery into the space between and on top of the walls. Within the hour Bandle City would burn. 8-1-12 ran the scenario through the combat sim server the results being satisfactory. "Ionia has been working on some very interesting armor variations. I should like to see their reactions to seed infestation…" 8-1-12 quickly ran another situation through the server, his rage venting itself in an unfortunate junior acolyte, the man crumpling as the railgun found its mark. 8-1-12 didn't like losing. By the time Viktor noticed the small trail of corpses the machine had been forced to be somewhat creative in its anger, the shoulder mounted railgun long since out of ammunition. "If you're going to kill all my disciples at least clean them up, centurion." The machine cocked its head, Viktor muttering something about no sense of sarcasm before removing his mask, a flash of red light obscuring his eyes for just long enough to scan the retinas.
Aatrox watched the massive door slide open with little more interest than if the cold iron room had been suddenly bisected by one of the massive Piltoverian beam weapons he had witnessed during his time as a champion. In all honesty not much ever caused the darkin to react in anything but the least interested manner possible. Viktor soon strode through the door, his hand moving away from his face indicating his mask had recently left his face. Aatrox could feel the pain of each breath within the horribly scarred man suddenly lift as the rebreather in his face plate kicked in. A surge of power rippled through the air as Aatrox watched what approximated to a mechanized darkin sans the wings and sporting a more compact helmet design strode in behind the man known as the Creator. Despite his expression remaining that of utmost boredom the darkin was giddy with the prospect of training such a destructive force. A miasma of pure unadulterated death surrounded the machine Aatrox tapping his ancient powers to see within the machine's mind as it ran thousands of combat sims over and over each with the same infuriating outcome. Reaching out the darkin made a single adjustment.
Teemo fidgeted uncomfortably between the Captain of the power armor clad Piltover Second Commando division and Tristana, the latter flirting with a certain vertically challenged mechanized general across the table as the spy master, Rose gave an utterly boring doomsday speech. Every time the meeting went the same. The president and Jayce would listen intently while Rumble flirted with Trist, the short yordle getting shot down as much as lead along, while Teemo squirmed uncomfortably. Today they had been joined by Veigar, the master magician gesturing to hang himself as Teemo giggled slightly. "In short without Ionia's immediate intervention we will be fighting a mecha-darkin with a near unlimited army at its back. We must send an envoy to Ionia immediately!" Jayce coughed.
"Or we could talk directly to Zed. As Lord General he holds far more sway with the military than Karma ever will. Zed's not as big a dick as everyone likes to make him out to be if you give him the right incentives. Like more power, or for some odd reason, muffins. I'm not kidding the man would kill his own mother for a muffin." No one laughed, Jayce shrugging as he muttered an apology. Veigar was next to interrupt.
"You said you 'hacked' a machine once, yes? Hack this Ultra and if everything you've said so far is true it will dethrone Viktor for us!" Cries of approval soon filled the meeting, Rose glaring hate at the mage as Veigar stood on his chair.
"That's not how…Ugh! I only got in because Elle was being built when I ran the program. That aside Viktor has closed all security gaps in his machines. We're lucky Elle still works for us and that I can get her rebuilt! Frankly Veigar if you think stopping this thing will be so easy why don't you challenge it to a duel? One of our most accomplished swordswomen almost died in a similar situation when it was just a regular centurion!" The mage muttered about the superiority of magic to blades and guns before slumping to his rear. "In fact I'd like to see one person aside from Jayce in this room who has actually killed a centurion raise their hand. No one? Well look at that! Jayce! You know what these things do first hand. Imagine one with Aatrox's combat skill and ten times increased strength and speed compared to its average brethren. Does that not scare you? We need to send an envoy right now!"
The large man moved through the crowd with the presence of a phantom, his hat briefly moving away from his eyes as he watched the guards posted around the massive town center. A small child ran playfully around the man as another darted past wearing a shining silver mask. "I'm General Zed and no government dog can stop me!"
"Ho yeah?" countered the other boy. "Well I'm General Chet and my army will surely prevail, you revolutionary scum!"
"Come on then!" Both children were soon embroiled in an imaginary duel, a nearby banana serving as General Chet's infamous secret weapon, the Ghost Blade. General Zed was soon forced into a fruit cart and just as all seemed lost for the shining hero of the revolution another boy, clanking and hissing as his arms stood rigid at his sides, stomped into battle bellowing that he was the great warmachine Strident Fury before General Chet fled the battle, the tatters of his imaginary army in toe as General Zed pursued, Strident Fury leading the charge with loud cries of "BOOM!", presumably symbolizing a lot of anti-revolutionaries dying horribly to the twin halberd beam weapons, represented by rolls of cloth, mounted on the heavy warmachine's arms. The large man didn't much care. He had other, more contemporary, matters to attend to.
[Kneel.] The darkin had no need to speak to the others; simply projecting his thoughts to the machine would suffice for the first step in training it. The response was immediate.
[Negative. I am a centurion, second to the Creator. Who are you to have me kneel?] Aatrox looked down slightly, the machine suddenly forced into a kneeling position as the darkin extended his armored right fist, the palm pulsating with ancient power as it hovered over the enraged machine's head.
[Know our power.] Warning signs flared red as Aatrox's armored hand flexed open, bloody light spilling forth to engulf 8-1-12.
8-1-12's optics went dark, fluid movements passing across its mind as old combat protocols were ripped apart and rebuilt. New thoughts, not entirely its own yet somehow seeming to stem from its cognators cycled through its head. The first revelation hit it like a small bomb. The Creator was once a fleshling. Soon afterwards it shut down completely, heavy iron frame colliding with the ground as the darkin addressed Viktor. "It is done."
The large man took a second to scan over the crowd before assuming his perch atop a large, flat roofed, high-rise. Frankly the man found his current assignment despicable but such a place as Ionia warranted the use of less…refined methods of termination. He pulled a duffle bag from his back, the bag shimmering as hexagonal tiles flipped over to reveal an iron case. It was soon popped open by nonchalant hands as the man began to assemble a scoped railgun, slight clicks exiting his mouth as he worked. By the time he had finished a woman wearing a purple and white dress had taken the stage flanked by two other women. The man smirked. "Three little champions…which to choose? Oh, I know…All of them!"
Crimson lightning sparked along the twin magnet arrays, their silver casings affording him a quick glimpse of his assailant as he squeezed the trigger, crimson power armor slamming into the man's side with a heavy iron clang. Blades erupted from beneath the trench coat as the hologram shimmered into the air, Venator digging his clawed hands into the roof as the crimson power armor slid to a halt. A split second glimpse confirmed target injured at the least, Karma surrounded by guards as well as the two women. Venator soon regretted his glimpse as a crimson fist dented his chest plate, a leg following as the machine careened off the roof of the first building, the power armor following shortly after.
It hit the roof of the adjacent building in a roll, Venator quickly turning its momentum into a full sprint as the power armor keep pace perfectly, free running across the rooftops as if born to the dangerous action. As the machine neared the edge of the next high-rise its was forced to stop short, claws digging into concrete as Venator ducked under a thruster aided right hook from the red power armor. Spinning it brought its legs around to sweep the power armor off its feet, the machine's crimson foe crouching as iron met steel, glowing blue eyes possibly more hateful than Venator's own visor seeming to smile at the machine before the left fist of the power armor slammed into the concrete roof, the assassin machine just able to roll away from the blow and continue its mad sprint towards the red lightning arcing across the sky in the distance. For the first time since fighting the Xer' Zix in the forests Venator felt somewhat pleased. Soon thought that morphed into confusion as its head was forced to the side the metal of Venator's neck groaning protest as the machine realized running would solve nothing. The red power armor contemptuously deflected a flurry of stabs and slashes aimed at its neck and armpits before unleashing a thruster aided beat down on the terrified machine, the fighting soon continuing to the streets as Venator was sent hurtling into the crowd by a vicious uppercut cracking the hunter's visor. Terror turned to anger as the red power armor landed in the street, the crowd dispersing as blades erupted from the power armor's forearms their edges sparking with ice blue energy. Blades sprung from their sheaths as Venator removed its collapsible swords for the first time in two years, the edges crackling as the centurion charged them with its own dwindling power. Its swords soon found homes in the walls of the buildings surrounding the two combatants. And Venator laughed. The red lightning had solidified into a crimson pillar, shock troopers accompanied by an alpha materializing in the outskirts before ploughing a path to the assassin. The red power armor was quickly lost in the tide of battle as Venator slipped into the portal to Zaun, the hextech device responsible for the portal shutting off as soon as the battered centurion was safe within the walls of the massive building that stood in place of Zaun.