Chapter 2: A new workplace
System reboot successful
Time: 13:37
Initiating basic scan.
Current Location: Joint Laboratories of Piltover and Bandle City.
Location considered highly hostile.
Activate defensive mechanisms? Y/N
Viktor was about to send his mechanic body on an autonomous rampage when he remembered that latest events. Slightly disappointed he chose "no". Then he asked the cybernetic part of his mind for a damage report.
No threatening damages found. Mask slightly damaged. Efficiency not reduced. Recommend replacement to avoid looking bad in public. Performing deeper analysis. Result: Damage on mask reduces awesomeness by 45%.
Forty-five percent? That was indeed a troubling number. Still with his eyes closed he manually removed the mask. Then he opened his eyes. Although it was afternoon the room was dark. Someone had covered all the windows, only a few rays of sunlight found their way inside.
In the twilight he could see that the room was very big. Even bigger than his own laboratory. He could spot some boxes that did not seem to fit in this room. When he stood up to inspect them he found a letter: "I asked Zaun for spare equipment. They found some of your old tools, so we brought them over. If you two morons blow this lab up too, I will strip you personally of your rights as a champion. - Singed"
Well, looked like he could not roast Jayce in a Chaos Storm the next time – at least not when they were inside. He looked around to find the bathroom. Apparently this was the main-workplace of whoever lived here. This big room had everything, even a small kitchen. The big bed he was lying on before marked the sleeping area of the laboratory. From there he could hear a slight snore, but Viktor ignored it.
On a second thought he turned towards the sound, but only found a mountain of blankets. Whoever slept here was buried beneath them. Probably just some lab-assistant that had stayed over night. Sleeping at ones laboratory was no unusual practice – especially if you have important research going on. Wasting more than thirty minutes per day for traveling to your lab was inexcusable.
In the twilight he found a door with the word "Bath" on it. He entered, turned on the lights and looked in the mirror. At first he did not recognize himself in the reflection. It must have been years since he had seen his own face.
The upper half of his face was barely modified, but the lower part was made of metal. Every part apart from his mouth and nose had been replaced by implants and augmentations. But even on his nose one could see traces of implants.
His skin was really pale, almost white. It had not seen the light of the sun for months or even years. Easily one could trace every vein under his skin. His black hair let him look even more pale.
Putting his clothes on the floor and making sure every part of his tech was still waterproof he filled the bathtub with water. Strangely there were a lot of bottles surrounding the bathtub. Viktor could only identify four of them: Soap, Shampoo, Lotion and something that could be considered somewhere between these three categories. Just who lived here?
Well, he would find out later. For now he relaxed in the hot water. Just recently he had found a way to make his augments resistant to water. Washing had been a really annoying chore until now, so he really enjoyed being surrounded by the warmth of the bath. Now first of all he had to take over this workshop, then he could work again to reach the final stage of the glorious evolution!
That was if he even could take over.
This was piltovian area. The league might have allowed him to stay, but if he bullied out whoever was working here... this could lead to complications. First he had to build up his own lab again. That had the highest priority. Maybe he could convince the one living here to joining his goal? That would be the best-case scenario - but for that he had to find out who lived there.
Determined he stood up and wrapped a towel around his waist. He would just wash his face in the sink and then he would recruit whoever was sleeping outside. Just as he thought that the door to the bathroom opened and the resident of the apartment entered the room. Viktor's eyes widened in shock. Out of all people Jayce was standing in the door, staring at the almost naked man in his bathroom.
After some moments of awkward silence Viktor realized that someone had just seen him without his mask - and that he was basically naked. His mechanical third arm moved up instantly and shot a devastating death-ray at the still rather sleepy Defender of Tomorrow. In the last second the man dodged.
"VIKTOR?", he asked rather confused. First of all was he confused that the Machine Herald was even here. But he had barely recognized him without the mask and his usual heavy clothes.
He dashed back into his lab and grabbed his Mercury Hammer. Just a short time later Viktor blasted the bathroom door open. He had put on all his clothing and exterior augments in a rush and hid his face beneath the high collar of his lab-coat. But Jayce could still see the deep blue eyes staring at him.
Just before either of them could make a move, a holographic projection appeared in the air between them. It showed Heimerdinger and Singed.
"Drop it, both of you!", growled the chemist, "Or I come up and..."
Heimerdinger interrupted him: "It's good to see you both awake. You two are expected in my workshop in sixty minutes! Jayce, he is your co-worker now, so I expect you treat him respectfully! I will not allow fighting in this institution!"
"The same goes for you!", spoke Singed to the Machine Herald, "So take down THAT GODDAM LASER!"
Out of habit Viktor had aimed at Singed. He mumbled something and the third arm vanished behind his back.
"We both expect you downstairs in one hour. End of transmission."
The image vanished, leaving two confused scientists behind. Both of them only though one thing: How in the world am I supposed to work with this guy?
In silence Viktor just moved his equipment towards an unused part of the giant room and started unpacking. He had no intention for recruiting his roommate anymore... That would be impossible now. Jayce vanished in the bath while he tested his new equipment while repairing his mask. The fact that someone had seen without it made him feel rather uncomfortable. And it had to be Jayce out of all people... Maybe he should just tech him up while he was asleep? In his mind an experimental project Full Metal Jayce appeared, but he shoved it aside for now. He could not complete his greater projects – the equipment necessary for that had been destroyed once more by that moron of an inventor. But there a lot smaller things that needed his attention.
He still had about 45 minutes until Singed expected him. During that time he used whatever he could find in Jayce's lab to create a charging - and maintenance-station for his augments. He could always check them with his mind, but sometimes it was better to take a look from outside to find the flaws he had to improve. Viktor was so absorbed in his work that he did not realize that Jayce had started to watch him. He startled Viktor by putting a part of his supplies next to him.
Jayce was not on friendly terms with the Machine Herald, but he was impressed by the display of skill the scientist showed. Also he wanted to find out what Viktor could do with some "real" materials, not just with some scrap he found. Usually he hated the Machine Herald and his view of the world, but it was fascinating to watch him work – at least when he worked some something comparable "normal".
"Don't meddle with my work, fleshling", mumbled Viktor, still immersed in his work.
"Well, if you want to fry your brain then... I would not use second-hand redglow-wire for a neural connection..."
"Pha, what do YOU know about mechanical biology?", sneered Viktor, but he had to admit that the inventor was right. He allowed Jayce to get a better look of his work.
"Wait, why is there no overload-safety?"
"I don't need one."
"But with these materials..."
"My creations do not overload!", growled Viktor, who in silence had to admit that Jayce was right again. Usually he would not care about needless safety-mechanisms like this, but with these materials... Jayce might have saved his live this very moment, because if this machine overloaded it would turn his brain into boiling soup. He would add a safety-mechanism later when Jayce was not looking.
After some time an holographic image of Singed appeared in the room. It was no transmission, but a recorded message: "Come downstairs to the workshop. The yellow brain has work for us."
Singed knew that without this message Viktor would have forgotten the time working on his projects.
Viktor followed Jayce out of the apartment while explaining the basics of his craft. In the beginning he did not even want to talk with Jayce, but then he did not stop asking questions about his craft and stated some of his own theories that were filled with holes and flaws. He just HAD to correct the inventor – not doing so would have deeply wounded his pride as a prodigy in the field of bio-mechanical augmentation.
Jayce's apartment was on the second floor of a rather futuristic building. Viktor immediately despised the style: too much white, too much light – and bright colors EVERYWHERE. "Destroy, then improve", he mumbled as he walked behind Jayce. In his mind he knew exactly how he would remodel this: black and gray as dominant colors with hints of crimson red. Also a lot of metal and cables running along the wall – that's how a real lab should look like.
The entrance of the building was a nightmare for Viktor: sunlight flooded the lobby, a room with gold as it dominant color and lots of glass. He really missed his old lab. Just a bit of a dangerous and brooding atmosphere... was that too much to ask for?
The workshop did fit his taste more. Lot's of dark wood, parts of machines lying everywhere – while it was not his preferred style of interior architecture, Viktor had to admit that the Revered Inventor had a good taste in that matter.
Singed already expected them "The yellow brain is out somewhere and you two are supposed to keep the store running", he explained, "No further questions. This order is absolute. Any kind of mess-up and you will face the consequences!" He gave both of them his usual death glare and walked away.
"Is he always like this?", Jayce asked Viktor, who just nodded.
They shared the work: Jayce would deal with the customers while Viktor would work in the back, working on the orders or bringing stuff from the storage. His third arm proved surprisingly useful in that matter. The first customers were nothing special: Only summoners who wanted to have some of their household appliances repaired. Viktor fixed most of them in less than several minutes. After some time Master Yi appeared and wanted to have his special goggles readjusted. Jayce took over that job and sent Viktor to the front to deal with the customers.
At first no one was coming – much to the scientist's delight -, but then a certain blonde boy appeared. Ezreal was slightly surprised by the masked man's presence, but he did state his order. Apparently he wanted a climbing gear that was capable of carrying archeological equipment. In his mind Viktor already had the perfect solution for the boy's problem: Mechanical legs should do the trick.
"I know what you need.", he stated as he vanished in the storage," Follow me."
Ezreal followed him, but as soon as he passed the door Viktor's mechanical hand grabbed him and slammed him on a table. Instantly the scientist created a high-gravity field to keep the boy in place. "Steel will fix all your flaws!", he explained as he collected various equipment from the operation. "Calm down, I will just replace some parts of your legs. It won't hurt at all."
That last part was a downright lie.
Meanwhile the boy was screaming in terror. Why do they always freak out? He was just trying to help them! He used his third hand to keep the boy's mouth shut and started taking measurements of the legs. Hmm maybe he should sedate the boy first...? Nah, unnecessary – an unneeded waste of time. He should be strong enough to deal with that little bit of pain. Viktor was just about to make the first cut when a strong hand pulled him back.
"Just what do you think you are doing?", asked a rather angry Jayce
"Doing my job", answered Viktor grim, "Climbing gear for the transport of special equipment. Mechanical legs are the best solution in that matter!"
"You can't just mechanize random people!"
Viktor was actually surprised. They did not allow this kind of philanthropy in Piltover? What a heartless nation! Back in Zaun body-modifications were not that rare at all, but they were expensive in most cases.
"I'm just helping him, so just let me do my job!", he said as he shook of Jayce's hand, "Do you have any idea how much this operation would cost in Zaun? I'm even doing this for free here!"
Jayce internally facepalmed. He wondered if Viktor was really serious or was just acting to make him mad. It should be obvious that people did not like to get cut up and have weird hextech-augments stuffed into them.
"I'm afraid I'll have to confiscate your personal equipment for now."
"YOU WOULD NOT DARE!", growled Viktor behind his mask, "Don't even think about touching my equipment!" Usually he would have pierced Jayce with a laser for that sentence, but then Singed and Heimerdinger would throw him out and then he would still have no lab to work in. Slightly displeased Viktor released Ezreal from the table. Instantly the boy escaped from the workshop. What a fool, thought the Machine Herald, He just missed the opportunity of his life!
"No biological modifications!", ordered Jayce, much to his disappointment.
"And what about external augments?"
"No body-modification in this workshop!", said Jayce in a really serious tone. Viktor knew that he could not convince the inventor. That moron had just no idea about his technology. Maybe he should modify him next night while he was asleep...
"And if they order it?"
"Well then it's not problem, but..."
Viktor did not listen to him and tried to talk every customer into ordering one of his augments. Sadly most of them were not interested at all. And if someone was interested Jayce butted in and sent them of with one of his inventions. What a waste of potential! Why should you give someone an oversized shotgun when you could just implant the weapon inside the body while also adding a neural aiming interface?
The last person that entered to the shop was the Sheriff of Piltover, but when he tried to sell Caitlyn an eye implant that should guarantee perfect aiming for sniping, she almost arrested him.
He had to be saved by Jayce, who tried his best to stop the cop from calling reinforcements. To prevent things from going worse he just left the workshop and walked back up to his new laboratory. The people had not changed much since he had left his lab the last time: still they feared every technology that required the removal of some inefficient biological waste. Just why did they cling to their weak bodies so much? Did they not understand that he could improve them all if they would just let him? Did he not show of the superiority of his craft regularly on the Summoner's Rift?
Arrogant fools! Once the glorious evolution was complete they would all have to admit that he was right – or he would simply destroy them all to prove the power of his technology!
He grabbed whatever he could find in the small kitchen in Jayce's apartment and continued with his project. The Defenders's fridge was almost empty. Well, looked like he would feed of electricity for the next time. Viktor had already taken on the human weakness of requiring food. He would still need some certain nutrients every several weeks, but he could live of the powerful energy for months without showing any sings of inefficiency.
When he was finished he grabbed a chair and sat down inside his invention, strapping the last electrodes to his skull. Finally he pulled a needlessly large lever to power it up. Viktor leaned back while the machine merged with his mind. Now he would spend the next hours with charging and maintaining his body. He could feel how his mind expanded as the flow of electricity poured through his augments and implants. The starting process worked smoother than he had expected. Maybe he could try to use more power for the next stage...
In his anger about "those weak fleshlings" he had totally forgotten to add the overload safety. After a short time all lights in the building started to flicker while enormous static electricity built up in the air. One could see Jayce running up to his rooms, followed by the sound of an explosion short after. Just what had happened up there?
/ Aaaand cliffhanger. Next chapter will come soon, stay tuned ;) Also deleted scene: Viktor trying to sell his tech, looking like a shady drug dealer: "Hey kid, wanna buy some glorious evolution?" This was too stupid to actually add it, but i wanted to share the idea with you guys.