Hey all, Nice to see you guys still sticking it out with me, as usual I don't own anything associated with league or anything with Riot. Just a little not, I may or may not be posting another zed, akali and shen fanfic soon, depending on if I finish editing it. I also have mid terms coming up so updates may or may not suffer for the next little bit but I'll try to update once a week if anything once every two weeks. Hope you guys enjoy it :)
Zed had returned with two meals and he set one at the edge of the bed. His eyes were listless as he uncuffed her and before eating, he quickly ran his hand along her wound, checking his handiwork. There wasn't a sign of infection which was good but he reached for the medical kit kept underneath his bed and took it out, muttering a quick apology while he disinfected her wound and put a bandage on it. He wasn't even trying to defend himself from Akali and if she chose to, she could have gotten a very good hit in. Ever since he saved her, he didn't feel anything. Not anger, not irritation or jealousy. Not even lust. Just… empty.
Aikiko had left to go do her shift. She sighed, annoyed that she couldn't spend more time with Xor. He was so insistent about her leaving him, she felt worried. Shaking her head, she pushed thoughts of jealousy out her mind and went to go do her shift. On the way, she spotted a trail of blood and knelt down, touching it. It was relatively fresh. Curious, she pulled out two daggers from her belt and followed it. At the end of the trail was Xor, pale, slumped over and a wound on his back. Running to her, she knelt down and checked his pulse. He was still alive, praise the shadows. Aikiko would take care of him, and whoever did this. They would pay.
Akali sat a little taller when Zed walked back in, looking at the platters he brought in with interest. When he uncuffed her, she observed a red mark on her wrists where the cuffs must have dug into her skin the previous day. Stretching her arms out in front of her, she looked at Zed cautiously as he reached out to touch her wound and grabbed his wrist before he could touch it. "What are you doing?" she asked. Just because he had saved her from Xor, that did not mean she trusted him. Without sparing her a glance, he took out a first aid kit from under his bed, making Akali raise her brows before letting go of him. Was he the one who stitched my wound?, she thought as she glanced at the contents of the container, conflicting emotions arising. She was taken aback by Zed's apology, not expecting him to ever apologize for anything he did nowadays. As he poured the alcohol on her, she hissed in pain and gripped the bedsheet, relaxing after he put the bandage on. "Thanks," she muttered, not making a move to hit him. It wouldn't accomplish anything anyway. When he backed away, she took the platter with her meal on it and balanced it on her good leg before inspecting it for anything suspicious.
Zed tried to ignore what she said but just the sound of her voice was able to pierce through the numb state that he had achieved. He ate in silence, his thoughts and feelings in turmoil and he wouldn't look at Akali. He took a deep breath inwards and dared to gaze upon her face. Zeds lips twitched and he asked teasingly "Is the food not to your liking?"
Akali continued to poke and prod at her food with a fork despite her stomach grumbling quietly in hunger. She periodically looked up at Zed, curious why his nasty demeanor hadn't showed up yet. Seeing him eat in silence, lost in his thoughts again, made him seem too mundane. It reminded her of when he was still in the Kinkou. This thought sparked anger within her. Thinking of the past would make her feel more secure around him, which was dangerous, to say the least. In the midst of her thoughts, she had arranged the food on her plate into an angry-looking face. Startled by Zed's voice, she moved her gaze onto him and met his red eyes. "I wouldn't know. I haven't tried it yet," she replied, rearranging her food so that there wasn't a face anymore.
Zed got up and sat on the bed near Akali's injured leg. Guessing that it was because of fear of getting poisoned, Zed grabbed a spoonful and plopped it into his mouth, chewing it and swallowing ostensibly. He then grabbed her cup and took a large gulp of water. He set the cup back on her tray and busied himself with checking the bandage again, and he asked her "I need to check on your back as well.". He got up and left to go sit on his desk, his back to her and busied himself with overseeing the maintenance of the facility.
Akali watched Zed like a hawk as he neared her and raised a brow when he demonstrated that her food and water were indeed not poisoned. She didn't think they were but she'd rather be safe than sorry. It wasn't that she was afraid of being killed, but a high enough dosage could be given that she'd be have severe internal pain. The moment he set the cup back down, she took it and downed the rest of its contents before moving onto the food as Zed checked on her leg. Akali gave him a small nod before continuing to shove food into her mouth. When she was done, she set the tray aside and asked for the sake of having something to do, "Why am I in your room?"
Zed turned around when she spoke, only looking to see that she ate and drank everything. Ignoring her question, he got up and left her room, returning a few moments later with a glass and a rather large pitcher. Pouring the water into the cup in front of her, he drank another gulp and refilled the cup, giving it to her. He set the pitcher aside and sat down beside her, looking off to the side.
Akali sighed when he ignored her and left the room. She crossed her arms and shifted so she could lean her back on the headboard since the cuts weren't bothering her all that much. Closing her eyes, she thought of different ways to kill Xor. Imagining the deaths of those who wronged her wasn't a healthy habit but it sure gave her a mood boost when she needed one. While thinking of Xor, Zed's face popped up and she used him instead. He was the one who betrayed them all, killing the Kinkou's master and leaving her - no, everyone - behind. When she heard faint footsteps, she opened her eyes and saw Zed pour water into her glass, testing the water, and refilling the cup. Taking the glass, Akali took sips from it as she stared at him. "Not very talkative today, huh," she remarked. He hadn't said one awful thing to her yet. Was it because of yesterday?
Zed looked at her as she spoke to him and he didn't reply for a while. After a minute of silence, he broke the silence, saying "Get on your side.". He got the kit again and opened it, grabbing some more alcohol and bandages. The cuts weren't too bad, it's just the rocks weren't the cleanest and he didn't want a possibility of her getting sick.
Akali resisted rolling her eyes and got on her stomach instead, crossing her arms in front of her and laying her cheek on top of it. She lifted her shirt up but not enough to expose her breasts. The cuts that she got from Xor's blades were irritated as they rubbed up against the bed but she ignored them.
Zed lifted Akali's shirt up more, his fingers prodding against the small cuts that hit her back. There was one cut that he didn't get to earlier because he didn't want to strip Akali while she was sleeping. He pulled the back of her shirt up so that the hem of the shirt was at her neck. There was some small rocks embedded inside of her cut and with practiced and steady hands, he used a pair of tweezers to remove them. Getting more alcohol, he wiped the wound, cleaning it and then bandaged it after. The cut was too small to require stitching which was good. Zed was silent as he scanned her body, and he felt a warmth in his cheeks again. Shaking the feeling off, he said "How are the cuts on your front? I haven't taken a look at them.".
Akali shot Zed a look when he pushed her shirt up further but said nothing as nothing private was exposed. Angling her head so that she could Zed, she watched him as he worked on her wounds. His brows were furrowed in concentration and he was careful not to let his tools bother her. She didn't know why that mattered in his eyes, but she was appreciative of it nonetheless. Wincing when the alcohol was applied, she was relieved when he was done. His gentleness was too strange. She wasn't even aware that he could be gentle. At his question, she said curtly, "They're alright."
Zed raised an eyebrow at her attitude and said "I need to disinfect it.". He pulled her shirt down and asked her brusquely "What's wrong with that?". He stared at her apathetically while he waited for her answer.
Akali worried her lips before relenting and getting onto her back, not giving him an answer. She didn't want Zed to check the cuts because some of them were very close to her breasts, which she didn't want to show him. But, she had reasoned, I already told myself I won't be bothered by this anymore. Lifting her shirt up, she stopped just shy of her mounds and looked at Zed to see if he was satisfied.
The moment Akali turned on her back, he lifted an eyebrow and immediately shut his eyes when she lifted her shirt. The thought of opening his eyes just brought back the memory of Xor and he raised his lip slightly in anger. Remembering himself, he relaxed his face and reached for his kit, soaking a cloth with alcohol. He placed his fingers lightly against Akali's skin, treating her unnaturally gently as he felt his way around. Everytime he felt a cut, he would work quickly, wiping it down with the alcohol after prodding it to get a general impression of it. After it was disinfected, he would bandage it with a fresh cloth. He did this for every single cut, only stopping when his hand accidentally brushed against her breast. He flinched when that happened and pulled away momentarily to search for anymore cuts, but luckily he didn't find anymore. Letting out a deep breath, he pulled away and began packing away his medication kit, throwing it underneath the bed. Promptly after he was finished, he turned around and left the room without making another sound.
To her surprise, his eyes were closed and he appeared almost angry before it was wiped away. As he worked, he never opened his eyes once, instead using his hands to feel for the cuts Xor inflicted on her. Akali wasn't sure what to make of this predicament. She was confused about whether he was doing it to preserve her modesty or just to have an excuse to touch her. That thought made her tense up. He was almost done when his hand skimmed across her boob, making her inhale sharply. When he flinched away, she relaxed a little. So he didn't mean to do that, she thought, pulling her shirt down as he packed his first aid kit away. He left her alone in his room after and Akali was left to figure him out in silence. She wondered what caused his sudden shift in personality. It couldn't have been because of what he saw with Xor, right? Without anyone to provide her answers, she delved into her thoughts, waiting for her next torture session.
Zed created a shadow inside of his room after he locked it. He would be able to keep tabs on Akali and more importantly, if Xor came back or another student tried to pull that shit again, he would know about it. Zed prowled along the corridor, his senses tingling as he hunted for Xor, intending to find his side of the story.
Akali had her eyes closed for a long time as she thought. When she cracked an eyelid open, she saw a faint outline at the door of Zed - no doubt one of his shadows. Pretending like it was actually him, she asked in a low voice, "Why did you do it?" With that, she laid down and pulled a blanket over herself, falling back asleep.
After an hour or so of hunting, he finally found Aikiko, looking tired and her fear was palpable in the air. Zed cocked his head, his presence intimidating her especially since he had donned his usual garb, complete with armour and unsheathed blades on his arm. She fell to the floor, prostrating herself before him. "I'm so sorry Master. The prisoner! She escaped! Xor is badly injured and I've been taking care of him.". Zed stared at her deathly quiet, and then walked past her, opening the door with a loud bang. Xor was indeed recovering but he had grabbed a weapon and was baring it against Zed. Staring at him, Zed concentrated his energy and he instantly appeared behind Xor, stabbing him in the arm so he dropped his weapon. Xor also shadow switched a moment later and appeared behind Zed but Zed anticipated this and Zed created another shadow previously which tackled Xor onto the floor. Walking up to him, Zed placed a boot on his hand, crushing it and he said deathly quiet. "You're gonna answer my questions, got it?"
Some time later, she woke up to an empty stomach. Pushing herself up and leaning her back against the headrest, Akali glanced at the still empty tray before finishing up the water in her glass. Her gaze slid over to the shadow at the door and she wondered how long she slept. It felt like a long time but she found it unusual how Zed hadn't been back yet and how she was still in his room. She was still confused about why he kept her there. It was obvious he had no intention of using her sexually, although it could just be hidden intent. Nevertheless, he didn't make a move on her and even if he had brought her to his room to treat her wounds, he could have just brought her to the infirmary. The only other fathomable reason as to why he would keep her in his room was so he could keep an eye on her. That would mean his students couldn't check up on her or have their "fun" with her either… but did that mean he was protecting her from them? From Xor?
Zed had finished his interrogation after a lot of questions and a half crazed girl, trying to desperately free Xor. He had to spend a lot of time dealing with her and the two were going to be appropriately punished. He had gotten "his" side of the story and it had made him angry. Just the thought of it made him sick to his stomach. Snarling at Xor, he almost broke his hand extracting a promise that he wouldn't dare do that to Akali again. Aikiko was confused at that but she made no sound. Xor whimpered an oath and Zed uttered a threat. "Do that to her again and I swear, it doesn't matter how promising you are. I'll snap your neck myself.". With that, he shadow switched places so he was in his room and he started disarming himself.
Shen was on the move, having escaped from the Kinkou order. He had forsaken quite a lot in order to go on this suicidal rescue mission of his. He was kept in a prison cell for only formalities, no one thought that the eye of twilight would be so emotionally unbalanced that he would turn on the elders themselves. Shen let out a long breath of frustration. He couldn't just not act when she was trapped. He had to do something. Starting back from the village she was taken, Shen had kept a close watch upon the village while investigating for anything of significance. Sadly he had no luck with the matter but he was patient. He kept his cool about it and just stayed in the area, waiting and watching for a slip up.
Akali cracked an eye open when she heard movement in the room. Seeing Zed in his armour sent her heart racing, reminding her of every confrontation they had with Shen by her side. Except Shen wasn't here with her. Her idea of mundane Zed was wiped away as she saw him taking his blades off and, somehow, she had trouble connecting that the man who had taken care of her wounds with that gentle touch was also the man before her - armed to the teeth and exuding a deadly aura.
In an awful mood, he threw his bladed bracers to the side with a sharp clang and removed his armour with swift movements. All of his movements were hasty and uncontrolled, the armour hitting the mantle with a loud bang and his mask was thrown with an unceremonious clatter as it hit the table. His lip was curled in anger as he got dressed and he ignored the fact that Akali was still in the room. He left promptly when he was done, returning a few moments later with a pitcher of water and some trays of food and he laid it down roughly on the bed for her to eat, spooning his own food into his mouth. Not looking at her, he asked "What's your side of the story?'
Akali watched Zed with a puzzled expression, looking away when he stripped down further. His movements were brash and sloppy as his armour and weapons were taken off and just thrown aside. She would have thought he'd be more organized and quiet but it might have had something to do with that deadly aura. When he came back into the room, she took the tray and ate quietly, sparing him a look when he asked his question. "The story?" she asked. "Do you mean what happened with Xor?"
Zed nodded, his gaze averted on the ground and despite the tray of food that he got for himself, he was not eating.
Akali grimaced and averted her gaze, letting the silence ring out between them for a moment. She didn't really want to talk about it because it just made the unpleasant memories resurface, but she didn't want him to view that situation as her weakness. She spoke as if she didn't care, "He sent the brute and the girl away. I wouldn't eat so he started a fight. He stabbed me in the leg and knocked me out. Then He chained me and force fed me. I kicked him in the balls." She had felt like that was important to mention. "He threw throwing knives at me. He dug his fingers into my wound. He cut my clothes off. He fond-" She choked on the word before clearing her throat. "Fondled my breasts and had his fun with them." To finish it off, she said dryly, "It was such a wonderful time."
Zed's lips twitched as he heard her say he kicked him in the balls and he had the strangest urge to laugh. At her choke in words, he looked up at her face, his face emotionless and he said softly "You don't have to worry about that again. I won't let it happen a second time.".
Akali looked up at him in surprise and faint suspicion. It didn't sit well with her that Zed was being so compassionate; it made her believe that he was lulling her into a false sense of security. He did sound genuine but Akali was compelled not to trust him. "Thank you," she murmured anyways, returning to her food afterwards.
Zed nodded once and continued eating his food. Speaking softly he asked "I don't suppose you'd just give me what I want". He made her an offer. "If you do, I'll let you go and you can go back to the order. Back to Shen.". His face turned into one of derision at the mention of Shen and he looked at Akali expectantly but without too much hope.
Akali didn't bother looking at Zed while he spoke. There was no way she would give him the location of the box. It would lead to the world's destruction. She shifted her gaze over to him when he mentioned Shen, but as much as she wanted to see him again, she wouldn't jeopardize his safety for it. "Shen would want me to keep my mouth shut," she replied, thinking over the incredulity of his words. "How big of a fool do you make me out to be anyways? I'm not going to give you the box's location for my own selfish needs."
Zeds lips curled upwards slightly as she gave him the expected answer. "I don't think you're a fool. I just wanted to give you a chance.". He sighed with disappointment and said softly "I can't treat you like this forever.".
Akali caught the words he said under his breath and was confused by them. "You could always let me go," she suggested.
Zed got up and left without a word resisting the compulsion to say anything. Two main feelings wormed their way in his chest, the desire for her to leave and the pain of seeing her go.
Akali watched him leave, still puzzled by what he had said. She was noticing some really odd behaviour from him and wasn't sure if that was just who he was now or if it had to do with her. The latter was a strange possibility but a possibility nonetheless. Perhaps she should test out her theories.