Author's Note: Got some feedback, grateful to pedrokotil for the conversations and review. Sorry that it took so long to get this chapter done, I injured my right arm which made things difficult. Hopefully this chapter being almost five thousand words makes up for it.

League belongs to Riot, as do their characters, original characters belong to me, usual disclaimer stuff.

Chapter 3: Friends, Allies, and Enemies

"Geez, why did I have to be against you guys?" Summoner Arrow grumbled, putting down his cider as he leaned back in his seat. He had already changed out of his Summoner's robes into a more casual pair of blue denims and a Pentakill t-shirt. His pale blue eyes flicked over the Summoner's Lounge, which was pretty empty at one in the morning.

The Summoner's Lounge wasn't a very big area at the Institute of War, as most people ate in the main cafeteria, or went out to the supporting town. The Lounge was mainly reserved for special events, like the Graduation Ceremony, and tonight the graduating class had the place to themselves. The area was well furnished with dark wood tables and comfortable booths.

"Well they couldn't put all four of us together, we wrecked the exam match in 15 minutes when that happened," Summoner Dispanic replied, finishing off his Graggy Ice. He was fairly thin and of average height, slightly tanned with a gaunt face. His dull green eyes met with those of a waitress and he signalled for another drink. He pulled a few gold coins from his black pants and dropped them on her tray.

"Hell yeah, I swear Talca was going to get demoted after that match," Vriska commented, drinking his own bottle of Graggy. He was almost as tall as Bane, with dark, almost black hair, and bright green eyes. He tended to wear lighter coloured clothing, preferring a white zip up hoodie with blue trim and blue jeans. "He was freaking out at Coplin, wish they had started fighting again. Hey, why isn't he here, everyone else from the match is," he asked, looking to Bane.

Bane turned back to his friends, his near empty glass of Cuba Libre in his left hand, the remaining pieces of ice gently swirling around. He propped his head on his right hand as he took a sip, before setting the glass down with a small sigh.

"Medical wing if he was found, morgue if not," Bane replied, bored with the proceedings already. God damnit, why must I indulge in these things? He thought, finishing off his drink and setting it on the table. "What does it matter, none of us cared about the guy before, we just dealt with him to get to the top. Arrow is a better Marksmen specialist than him."

Vriska coughed on his beer, taken aback by how little Bane seemed to care about Coplin's fate. "Dude, we know you two usually fight, but still, morgue? That's harsh, even for you. What happened after the match tonight?"


"Congratulations." "Nice game guys." "Hell of a match."

"Always a pain competing against you Bane," Summoner Amaryllis said, shaking Bane's hand at the end of the procession. She was pretty at about five and a half feet tall, fair skinned with brown hair with red streaks and bangs. "What's the favour I owe you this time?"

"I was looking to try some of that famed Blackbriar Swamp rum, but since you're offering, mind getting me some?" Bane replied with a smile. Amaryllis hated the fact that he drank when they had dated in the past.

"New flavour of the month is it? Fine, I'll see what I do when I go back to Bilgewater," Amaryllis replied with a strained smile before walking off to talk to Katarina, as the Champions from the match entered the back room. Bane only smirked, before turning away and almost colliding with an approaching Vi.

Vi patted Bane on the back of the shoulder with one of her gauntlets, causing Bane to stumble forward slightly. Vi laughed, while Bane stood up, rotating his shoulder a bit after the impact.

"Heh, you are tougher than the average Summoner, most wouldn't have gotten up after that," Vi said, putting a fist on her hip and leaning to the side.

"What, you just hit every Summoner that works with you? Figured you wouldn't be very popular with that," Bane replied with a smile, feeling the impact with his right hand. That's going to leave a mark. He thought as his shoulder pulsed slightly under his shirt.

"Nah, just the ones that sacrifice me. Told you we should've backed off,"

"Aww, fine, we can still go to Lucia's, just because I lost the bet doesn't mean I should let you suffer."

"Cute, but two things wrong with that," Vi replied, holding up the armoured fingers of her left hand. "One, you got me killed, and two, I never did agree to that bet,"

Bane mockingly clutched his heart and hung his head. "Damn, you hurt me so with such refusals,"

Vi laughed at Bane's antics, glad for the levity after a long day in Piltover and the match. She sighed before holding out her right hand, palm up. "But, despite that, I will sign your Summoning Book."

Bane looked up, already holding his famed black book, and placed it into her hand, open to a blank page. Vi squeezed a control in her left gauntlet, causing it to retract and condense itself into something similar to a bracer. She scribbled a few things on the page before tossing it back to Bane.

"I've gotta get back to Piltover, I'll see ya around Bane," Vi said, turning with a wave and heading towards the portal.

Bane smirked again as he caught the book, flipping to the page she wrote in before he called out to her. "This is your personal crystal frequency?"

Vi looked back over her shoulder, a small gleam in her eye as she stepped onto the portal. Bane knew that she knew he was watching her go. Same every time, hate to see them go, love to watch them leave. Bane thought to himself as Vi disappeared, only turning around when he heard Vriska shouting.

"What the hell man, we won, let Kog'Maw go!" Vriska yelled at Coplin, who appeared to be quite pissed off. He had Kog'Maw grabbed by the two middle antennae and pulling just enough to make Kog'Maw stand on the tips of his toes.

"Stay out of this, this only concerns the Void monster and Defenders of Valoran," Coplin barked back, not taking his glare away from Kog'Maw.

"Let Kog'Maw go, why Summoner mean?" Kog'Maw whined, his head starting to hurt. "You let go, me no spit!" He threatened, wanting to get away from Coplin.

"The Void monster threatens me, an honourable Summoner? Know your place, creature! You attack me and your status as Champion is forfeit!" Coplin yelled, shaking Kog'Maw slightly, causing him to groan and grab at his antennae. "Yet, I, a Preserver was forced to join minds with the likes of you. You shouldn't even exist here. Nor will you when we are done with your kind."

"Neither will you if you don't drop him."

A black gloved fist collided with Coplin's right cheek, sending him to the ground and releasing Kog'Maw. Coplin spat some blood onto the floor, his lip now bleeding. He looked up to see Kog'Maw standing behind Bane's legs. Bane was rotating his right arm and flexing his fingers in his black fingerless gloves. The first knuckles were thicker, filled with a metal that connected with magic and separated when needed.

"I warned you Coplin. You've pissed me off before and I've let it slide," Bane said as he adopted a fighter's stance, hands loose and ready. "You insulted Kog'Maw for no reason other than him existing. You and your cult think yourselves gods or something?"

Coplin got back up, fists ready to fight. "The Void means to destroy us all, and things like him are making you all weak! You defend him, then you are against the good of Valoran!" Coplin yelled, throwing himself at Bane.

"Enough!"

Everyone in the room turned to see Senior Summoner Valkyrie standing there, white light glowing between her hands. With a clap, Bane and Coplin were separated, stuck suspended in the air, glaring at each other.

"The festivities are over. As such, everyone should leave here and take their problems with them," Senior Summoner Valkyrie said in a calm voice. Bane sighed, then took off his gloves and tucked them away. Coplin merely looked away. They were both lowered to the ground, and grudgingly walked away from each other.

"Wait Summoner."

Bane stopped, almost out the door, and looked behind him to find Kog'Maw standing there, tapping his paws together. "What is it Kog'Maw?"

"You help Kog'Maw again...why?" Kog'Maw asked, tilting his head to side and blinking at Bane. "Other Summoners...they hate...they use...not you...why you different?"

Bane crouched down in front of Kog'Maw, pulling out his black book. "Why am I different Kog'Maw? Because I don't think you should be judged by where you came from. As long as you don't try and eat me or someone I know, we can be friends," Bane said, placing the book in front of Kog'Maw. "This isn't just my Summoning book, it's for personal crystal contacts as well. I'd like to have yours in it."

Kog'Maw looked up and 'smiled', raising his arms above him and giving an odd sounding "Yay!" He then looked at the open page and blinked a few times before extending and pressing his tongue on a blank page.

Much to Bane's surprise, his book was not dissolved by the acid, but a crystal code appeared on the page with Kog'Maws' name and symbol, his Living Artillery. Bane picked up the book and pocketed it again, then stood up, only to be hugged tightly around the leg by Kog'Maw.

"Summoner Bane friend! Kog'Maw go now, tell Malzy, bye bye!" Kog'Maw quickly said, turning and taking off for the portal.


"We were all there for that man, spill it, what about when everyone left?" Dispanic questioned, getting another beer. "You were the last on to get here, which never happens."

"And we know you weren't getting any, or you wouldn't have bothered showing up!" Vriska said with a laugh. "You tracked Coplin down when everyone left, didn't you?"


Those damned fools, they don't understand the threat that the Void truly is. Coplin thought, cutting through a back alley to the Summoner's Quarters. He had a mission to do as part of The Preservers, but no one seems to be taking it to heart. He was constantly blown off, ridiculed even for his hatred of the Void, and tonight he was forced to work with one of them.

I have been tainted. I have to contact the others, learn what I must do to cleanse myself. An empty can rattled down the alleyway behind him, causing Coplin to turn around and look back into the darkness.

"Get out here Bane. I knew you'd come after me to finish this," Coplin called out, summoning a pair of fireballs into his hands. He threw them one after the other, illuminating Bane's form as he tilted his head to the side to avoid them.

"Finish? No, that'd be too good for you," Bane said in a low voice, the darkness around him flickering. His right eyed glowed as he pointed at the ground beneath Coplin. "You believed you could judge another for not being of this world. Now, you shall be judged," Bane turned away, much to Coplin's increasing frustration.

"Damned arrogant Cultist! Valoran will be free of your corruption once I'm-"

"You're what?" Bane replied, looking back over his shoulder. "In case you haven't noticed, you can't move your legs, and soon your arms won't either."

Coplin looked down at his feet, seeing a rippling pool of nearly black crimson, barely visible in the darkness, with a thread that lead back to Bane. He tried to move his legs, but found they were too sluggish. He looked back at Bane, who looked at him with such apathy that it only angered him more.

Suddenly he felt a powerful force clasp around his collarbones, forcing a cry of pain past his gritted teeth. He forced his head to turn to see the same crimson colour griping his shoulder, when it suddenly pierced through his flesh, ripping into him and rendering his arms limp.

Coplin dropped to his knees, the pain excruciating. He felt something, probably that crimson substance, grip his hair and force him to look forward at Bane. Bane was giving him that same damn smirk as before, but his eyes were filled with malice now.

"Not all can choose where they came from, or how we got here, but we are what we are, get used to it," Bane said, tracing his right eye with his hand again. "Enjoy your pain, maybe someone will save you in time."

The last thing Coplin remembered was the growling sound from the crimson holding him as he blacked out, Bane not even bothering to look down at him as he collapsed into darkness.


"Just knocked him out, nothing more," Bane replied to Vriska, placing his now empty glass on the table and standing up. "I'm taking off, I'll see ya guys later," Bane said, dropping some gold coins on the table.

"Serious man? You feeling alright?" Arrow asked after Bane, who merely waved as he headed out of the Lounge.

"He's never been the first to leave since I've known him. Should we go after him?" Dispanic asked as he finished his beer.

"Good luck with that, he always seems to disappear when he isn't either here, Summoning, or at a club in town," Arrow replied, giving the waitress some gold coins and taking his new glass of cider.

"Then where the hell does he go?" Vriska questioned, looking to where Bane had walked. But Bane was already out of sight.


Bane walked across one of the smaller courtyards, taking in the night air. It was a cloudy night, not many stars visible, which had made it perfect for his earlier meeting for Coplin, but not so much now.

"You're being watched," a quiet voice whispered behind Bane's ear.

"You're always watching out for me Nine, I'm used to it," Bane replied, not even turning around as he continued towards the Summoner's apartments. Having graduated, they all had been upgraded to new rooms.

"Not me smartass, the darkness covers them well," the voice called 'Nine' said. Bane merely shrugged in response and kept walking.

"Not surprising, but it'll be taken care of."


Three silhouettes could be seen perched on a rooftop looking down as the target moved across the courtyard. One was a yordle wrapped in a purple outfit that concealed everything but his eyes, bearing two shuriken across his back. One was a lithe, busty woman wearing a revealing green outfit and carrying a pair of kama. Standing tall in between his companions was a man wearing a navy blue martial arts uniform with spiked shoulder pauldrons and bracers, and dual ninjato strapped across his back.

"Target spotted, appears to be speaking to someone," the yordle said quietly as he crouched down, watching Bane move towards another alleyway across from their position.

"Has the League confirmed he was responsible for Summoner Coplin's injuries?" the woman asked, spinning her kama in her hands, as she looked to the man in blue.

The man in blue looked on without any sign of emotion or acknowledgement that he heard his companions. "Nothing has been confirmed. He is merely suspected," the man eventually replied, his mouth hardly seeming to move behind the mask covering from nose to throat.

"Then why are we here Shen? He looks like a regular Summoner," the yordle said, rising from his position to face Shen, the man in navy blue.

"Come on Kennen, even I can see that he's not normal," the woman piped up, moving to another nearby rooftop closer to Bane, who kept walking.

"Of course I can tell that Akali, I read the profile," the yordle, Kennen, snapped back as he began to pace on the rooftop. Akali kept her eyes on Bane, who entered into the alleyway.

"He's in, do we move in?" Akali asked, looking back to her companions.

"No, we have company of our own now," Shen said, turning away from his teammates to face the two newcomers.

One was massive figure of a man, easily over six and a half feet tall, with thick muscles under a white t-shirt wrapped with what appears to be continuous metal bands. He was wearing dark brown khakis, again wrapped with metal bands, and black combat boots. His face has a few scars where it's visible beneath the white cloth wrapped around his head, his eyes bearing the look of someone constantly on the run. In each tape-wrapped hand he carries a one-handed chainsaw, the chains running slowly in a loop, but there is no metal that would normally hold the shape, just the chains rotating through the air and back into the box.

The other man was wearing white scaled armour, with ornate runic carvings of dragonflies across the chest and shoulders. He bore two half bucklers on each forearm with visible locking points to show they could be placed together for one shield that could cover his smaller five and a half foot body. The surface of the half bucklers shimmered with the slightest light, distorting their appearance. His face was hidden behind an ornate helm covered with the same metal as his half bucklers.

"Greetings, Triumvirate of the Kinkou Order. My associate and I ask that you leave that Summoner to his business," the armoured man said in a smooth, soothing tone, gesturing to the alleyway where Bane was last seen.

"Speak for yourself Dini, I'm here to tear people apart," the larger man growled, slowly swinging his chainsaws. As he swung, each chainsaws chain grew longer and rotated faster.

"Stand down Jackson, we cannot attack Champions of the League, only defend ourselves," Dini stated, holding out an arm in front of Jackson. He had to quickly pull it back as one of Jackson's chainsaws came crashing into the roof where it was moments before. The chainsaws stop spinning with the impact, returning to their original speed and length.

"Fuck off Dini, get out of my way, once these guys are mincemeat I'll slice you and Six up too!" Jackson yelled, running forward towards the Triumvirate. Kennen quickly advanced, throwing his shuriken at lightning speed, hitting the massive Jackson, but the metal bands wrapping his massive body seemed to deflect most of them.

"Ah hah hah! The little one fights first!" Jackson roars, firing up his chainsaws once again as he quickly closes the gap between himself and Kennen. The cloth covering his mouth falls away, showing his pointed teeth in a crazy grin. He swung his chainsaws with reckless abandon, hardly noticing the many shuriken that were sticking into him now. But after a dozen swings, the chains were reaching over three feet longer than before and were rotating faster than could be tracked.

Kennen was forced back, unable to get close to the maniac now. I just need one Thundering Shuriken to stun him, but those chainsaws are moving so fast now, it can't get through. He thought as he Lightning Rushed out of another swing, barely avoiding the blow.

"Die little one!" Jackson yelled, as he raised both chainsaws above him and quickly brought them down in an 'X'. One down, two to- Jackson thought when Akali appeared right in front of him, slashing him at him with her kama, forcing him back and his chainsaw chains to retract when they impacted the rooftop.

Meanwhile, Dini had slowly approached Shen, his hands raised, while the passive Shen stood there, his arms crossed. "My apologies for Jackson, he can't really stop once he gets going. I hope your companions can tire him out and we can leave peaceably."

Shen looked at Dini for a moment before grasping the ninjato on his back. "You two have disrupted our work for reasons that can only be seen as selfish. Prepare yourself," the Eye of Twilight said, throwing a Vorpal Blade at Dini, only for it disappear against the shimmering half shield of Dini's right arm and reappear out the left, heading back at Shen, who casually moved out of the way.

"I didn't want to do this..." Dini said quietly, bringing his hand, and half bucklers together, creating the large shimmering shield. Shen looked at the shield, watching the metal reflect his image back at him. "Face yourself," Dini proclaimed.

The image distorted itself the more Shen looked at it, until it moved free of the shield to stand in front of Shen, standing just as Dini was. As Shen tried to move past it, Dini moved exactly as Shen did, as did Shen's mirrored image.


"You were right to have them here tonight Nine," Bane said as he ducked into the alleyway. He pulled on his fighting gloves and rolled his shoulders. "Nine, where'd you go?" Bane asked, curious as to the sudden absence of the voice.

She wouldn't have left me unless someone else was here. Bane thought, tensing up before a new presence appeared behind him. A slight scent of lotus blossoms filled his nose as a blade was placed against his throat.

"Dead again Bane," the newcomer said with a sigh, causing Bane to relax and drop his hands to his sides.

"Kat, wearing that perfume I got you I see," Bane said, leaning his head back to meet the top of Katarina Du Couteau's. "What brings your blade to my throat tonight?"

"Because everyone else is making moves towards you tonight, why shouldn't I?" was the reply he heard whispered into his right ear as Katarina withdrew her blade from his throat.

"I'm guessing Talon is above gauging the competition?"

"He wanted to be here, but it wouldn't be best."

"Yeah, he didn't take me breaking up with you very well."

"He is protective of my family. And you aren't part of the family."

Bane paused for a moment to collect himself before he said something that didn't come naturally to him. "I'm sorry Kat."

"...I am too Bane. I didn't know you were suffering."

"I didn't either, until it was too late. But you didn't come here to rehash what happened a decade ago," Bane said with a sigh, memories passing through his mind of happier times in High Noxus. "Swain still after me?"

"He's not pleased with you. You did take his funding, his support, and ran with it."

"That is the Noxian way. The strong, the smart, the powerful succeed," Bane retorted, not wanting to get into this discussion.

"'Forever strong.' Words we Noxians all follow to our graves. But that's not what annoys him," Katarina replied, turning away from Bane and leaning back to back with him. "It's that, even now, you deny what you are."

Bane thought about that statement for a moment before answering. "I don't deny what I am. But with what I'm after, I can't be open about my past with everyone."

"I know Bane, but he won't stop. I'm not the first, or the last, to come after you."

"Swain's lucky the other two came back, the first one didn't. He really pissed me off."

Katarina shifted from one side to other, distracting Bane from the conversation. Damn, it's been a while. I really need to deal with this. He thought, trying to focus his mind on something other than Katarina's body. Bane turned around and placed his hands on Katarina's shoulders.

"I can't keep them back for much longer Bane. You'll have to deal with Swain soon."

"I will. I'll be making a trip to Noxus in a few weeks," Bane said, kissing the top of her head. "Thanks Kitty-"

"Don't push it," Katarina cut him off. "Forever strong," she said, disappearing out of his hands.

Bane merely smirked as he took in one last breath of Katarina's perfume. "Let's go Nine."

"Of course. But remember, no looking at me," Nine said before Bane closed his eyes and disappeared.


Shen continued to combat his mirrored self, unable to get past his own defenses. He used it as more of a chance to gauge his own abilities and observe his companions, as his opponent, the armoured Dini, was passively standing there, guarded by Shen's mirror. It was only when Kennen fell to his knees that Shen teleported to his side, blocking the blow from the massive Jackson.

It was then that he noticed that his mirrored image was standing on a different rooftop, guarding another Dini, that had Talon's large blade placed against Dini's throat. Looking behind, he saw the Dini that was opposing him fade away, as did the Jackson in front of him.

Illusionist. Shen thought as Akali and Kennen both shook their heads, noticing the same thing that he had. Their wounds disappeared, figments of Dini's abilities, but their fatigue did not.

"You owe me twenty gold, Dini, they caught on to your trick," the real Jackson said, chuckling as he watched Dini's shoulders slump forward, his shield separating and his arms dropping to his sides. Jackson made no motion towards Talon's unguarded back, able to see his many blades and knowing the assassin's abilities.

"Outside interference nulls the bet Jackson. Besides, Bane is gone now, job complete, time for us to leave as well," Dini replied as he snapped his fingers, only to have nothing happen. "Crap. Little help here Jackson?"

"Forget it dumbass, you got yourself caught, I'm outta here," was all Dini heard as Jackson took off across the rooftops, quickly disappearing into the night.

Dini stood there, swallowing slightly as he heard the Blade's Shadow move behind him. "Orders are complete, move on illusionist," was all he heard before the blade was retracted and Dini took that as his cue to leave.

Shen watched Dini leave after Jackson, knowing that Talon was nearby, but none of them were able to pursue any of them. "We need more information, move out," he said as he, Kennen, and Akali also disappeared into the night.


"We're home," Nine's voice said as Bane felt solid flooring beneath his feet once again.

"Thanks, I can't let people know where I really live," Bane said as he opened his eyes. He was in his penthouse in the downtown of the Institutes supporting city. He walked out onto the balcony and looked over at the Institute of War, where he had been moments ago. He could hear the parties and boisterous people in the streets below.

"Are you sure this is best? The secrets, the hiding...don't you deserve a normal life by now?" Bane heard Nine ask behind him again.

"You know I can't do that. Your condition is getting worse, I've got people after me, and I've finally found someone with Hexile mark."

"Are you sure Vi has one? You only just met her."

"It's not a normal mark, nor is it like Seven's, Eight's and yours, from that damned sorcerer..."

"He's dead, forget about him. Rest, it's been a long day, it'll look better tomorrow."

"Alright," Bane conceded, undressing to his boxers as he walked into his bedroom. He collapsed onto his mahogany four poster bed, barely awake. He eyes began to grow heavy, just catching a wisp in the corner of his eye.

"Good night Nine," Bane said in a quiet voice, knowing that the wisp was part of her, but he could never see her fully.

"Good night Six."


"You were supposed to detain Summoner Bane as well Dini," a woman's voice said to the armoured man. Dini was breathing heavy, physical exertion not his strongest aspect, as he looked to the shadow where the voice came from.

"He has done nothing against the Justicars of the Light, and you know I can't do that," Dini replied, drawing himself up straight. "He is a blood-brother, that connection is stronger than the Code that Binds Us."

The woman in the shadows sighed, tapping her foot impatiently. "I know, but I need more on Bane, and your rank is beneath mine, so..."

"Don't bother, I have nothing more to tell you," Dini said, turning on his heel and leaving the room.

The woman cursed under her breath, frustrated at how little she had gotten. By the Light we will have the truth. She thought before leaving the Cathedral of Light and heading towards the Institute of War.