Chapter 5: Revelations pt. 1
Like a steel sentinel, Shen watched over Akali for the next weeks. No sign of Shaco or Mordekaiser trying anything to harm her. Shen asked himself countless times why they were wishing to harm Akali. Had she offended them? No, hardly was she ever out of Shen's sight and even then she never went to Noxus for any business. The Trio despised the city-state and rarely went there. Only during missions did they go but of course none of them went alone.
"You must tell The League of your condition," Shen said to Akali as the two were halfway through their afternoon run. "The danger of losing the child will only increase the longer you let this go unannounced."
Akali only remained silent for a long while before finally speaking, "And what would that say about us? Everyone would know about our…."
"Everyone already knows. They have their suspicions. We can't keep this charade within the fields. You've been lucky I have been paired with good summoners. Who is too say that next time you could possibly lose the child?" Shen argued. He didn't want to keep up their current situation and it was best for both of them if she were to tell the League of her condition.
Akali was more than hesitant to tell anyone. It wasn't that she was embarrassed of Shen, quite the opposite, she wouldn't mind it if people saw them together. What she was scared of was her appearance. She would seem weak, susceptible to human emotions. Everyone had only seen her cold side. The side that they feared, but now they would see the other Akali. The Akali she was around Kennen and Shen.
"I won't force you to tell them, but I am making a suggestion. It would also get Mordekaiser and Shaco off of your back. If you admit your pregnancy, it'll make them look worst than what they already look. People will shun them," Shen explained. It made sense to Akali, if she were to tell everyone it would make Shaco and Mordekaiser look like bullies picking on a pregnant woman.
They neared the end of their run, seeing the finish in sight and Kennen already sitting down at their resting spot. He was full of energy that day, more than usual. Akali groaned slightly out of disgust of her choices. She could ignore Shen's suggestion, possibly lose the baby, and in doing so would piss Shen off. She didn't want Shen angry at her. Or she could tell the League about her pregnancy and look weak in front of everyone.
"Fine, I'll tell them the second we get back to the Institute," She said quietly, fearing Kennen would hear what they were talking about. He would know sooner or later, but she preferred later.
"Good to see you are making the right decision," Shen whispered as they finally got to the end of their run. Shen, with almost no signs of fatigue, sat down on the ground not far from the road they ran on and began a calming meditation to cool off his body. Kennen was already leaving his two comrades behind as he headed for the institute.
The two sat in silence while Shen meditated. Akali had tried it only a few times but only when she really needed the calm feeling it gave her or is he needed to think deeply about something. Shen's duty was to constantly make tough decisions, so his constant meditating didn't seem too out of the ordinary to anyone. She wanted to ask him a few questions but didn't want to disrupt his meditation.
"If there is something you want to ask me, then do so now," Shen said almost as if he had read her mind.
"What are we going to do about Mordekaiser and…Shaco?" Akali asked, deliberately sounding disgusted with saying The Demon Jester's name. Oh how she hated him. Shen's deep, quiet laughter was what she heard in response.
"Just let me handle them. All you need to worry about is keeping yourself…" Shen was interrupted with a sharp stab of pain entering his back. Shaco's face popped out from behind the ninja.
"No, I don't think you will Master Shen," Shaco said, pulling his shiv from Shen's back. Shen fell to the ground, groaning in pain as he bled from the large hole in his back. Akali's eyes widened with shock. No one had ever snuck up on Shen before, let alone while she was staring behind him the entire time.
"Oh no, SHEN!" Akali screamed as she ran over to him, kneeling down beside him. She turned him over, placing his head on her lap. Blood was already beginning to leak out of his mouth showing he had internal bleeding.
"What a useless guardian," Shaco said almost disappointingly. Akali could hear the loud footfalls of who could only be Mordekaiser.
"Good work Shaco," The giant metal man said as he towered over the kneeling girl. "For someone who can take punishment, he was pretty fragile," Mordekaiser said, grabbing Akali's neck and lifting her with ease. She would have reacted but the shock from seeing Shen being downed so easily was still running through her body.
Mordekaiser's grip tightened around Akali's neck, causing her to slowly begin to black out. No, she couldn't let it end this way. Her hands instinctively felt for the smoke bombs she carried on the fields, but felt none. ****, that what she gets for being unprepared. Her vision began to slowly turn black until she heard Shaco's laughter. The next thing she heard was something she couldn't process.
"Let her go," Shen commanded. Akali could almost hear his panting; it was obvious he was still in pain. Shaco was laughing hysterically.
"And if I don't?" Mordekaiser responded. She heard Shen's quiet laugh before finally she fell to the ground. When she hit the ground (on her back luckily) she looked up to see Shen standing behind Mordekaiser. There was a deep cut in The Master of Metal's armor.
"I KNEW IT! I knew you wouldn't be so easy to get rid of. I told Mordekaiser. Remember Mordie? Remember when I told you Shen wasn't going to be easy to get rid of? You didn't listen and now look at the pickle we're in," Shaco babbled.
"SHUT UP YOU FOOL!" Mordekaiser yelled angrily at Shaco. The Master turned to look at Shen, growling slightly. "Get out of our way before you get hurt further. We are under orders to get rid of Akali's child." The revelation caught both Shen and Akali off guard, though Shen hid his surprise.
"Orders from whom?" Shen asked flatly. He could hardly believe that Mordekaiser and Shaco answered to someone. They were independent beings and hearing they were following orders from someone was the last thing he expected to hear.
Mordekaiser shook his head, "No one you need to know of," Mordekaiser replied before turning his attention towards Akali. The woman was already standing up, though her body was still trying to gather air from being almost asphyxiated. She watched as Mordekaiser lifted his mace to swing down at her.
As the mace began to fall, it was suddenly stopped by Shen, pushing upwards against the mace with crossed ninjatos. It was amazing he was able to stop such a huge weapon with only his two thin blades. Shen's back was bloody from the wound but it didn't seem to bother him much. Mordekaiser, not happy with Shen's sudden intervention began to press down harder on the mace, causing Shen's knees to slightly bend. With immense strength, Shen pushed back upwards against the mace and then pushed it to the left, letting Mordekaiser's weapon to strike the ground next to Shen's feet. Before The Master of Metal could lift his mace back up, Shen delivered a kick to Mordekaiser's chest, pushing him backwards.
"Come on Mordie! I've got 1000 gold on you!" Shaco cheered. Akali then remembered his presence and turned towards him, standing in a defensive position to make sure he wouldn't attack her. Shaco looked at her and grinned wider than normal. "Do you really thing I'm going to hurt you? Well you better, because you're right!" Shaco said before disappearing in his signature orange smoke.
Akali began to look around, ready for an attack from any angle. She listened, canceling the noise of Mordekiaser and Shen's battle. Where would Shaco attack if he had an advantage? From behind. Akali spun just as Shaco appeared behind her. The shiv was heading down straight for her, but it never touched her. Akali blocked Shaco's stabbing arm with her own forearm and then delivered a palm punch straight to Shaco's chest, causing him to stumble backwards. She stood there, smiling as he tried to get his footing back.
Shen, on the other hand, was in quite a bit of pain having metal shrapnel cutting him as he tried to get closer to Mordekaiser. The Master of Metal swung his mace again in a large arc, but missed Shen again. He realized that his strength meant nothing if he couldn't hit the ninja.
"Why do you protect her? Why would you sacrifice your own life to save a woman?" Mordekaiser questioned. The two panted from their quick but exhausting battle.
For a long time, Shen did not answer. He merely stood there, catching his breath, hand planted on the handles of his ninjato, ready to strike at any moment. Mordekaiser had seen many a great soldiers before he became The Master of Metal. Shen, was the epitome of a man ready for combat.
Shen finally spoke, but the words that no one expected to come out of his mouth did.
"Because I love her."