Summary: In a desperate attempt to save the world, Vayne has to go back in time to fix a grave mistake and prevent the event that triggers the end of the world."

Vayne sprinted across the desolate hell-scape, weaving between the battered vehicles that lay within craters of scrap metal, shattered glass and bent car axles. Up ahead, the vampire queen could spot her goal, the upgraded time-machine of the diseased boy-miracle, shining brightly amidst the rust and the grime that covered the ground. Shimmering mockingly beside the torn arm of its dead inventor.

Yet, as she watched, Vayne noticed the light of the miraculous machine dimming under the shadow of her pursuer. A shadow so abominable and dark that even caused the sun to cower from it in fear, allowing a pitch darkness to spread, viscous like molasses and all the more dreadful. But Vayne had been expecting the appearance of the hellish demon stalking her from the skies, and so when she heard the air whistle and howl above her, the Night Hunter knew to instantly change her course mid-stride and to tumble to the side as fast as possible.

Not even a moment later, the mangled carcass of a rusty, old school bus landed close by her, shaking the very earth from the violent clash of its mass colliding with the ground below.

The demon pursuing her screamed in anger, their furry a threat of a violent death as their bloodstained wings flapped in agitation, causing the sand in half a mile radius to sprout up from the ground and strike the husks of the cars in the ancient battlefield, creating choking clouds of dust.

Vayne didn't let the sight of the growing maelstrom deter her from reaching her goal, however, already vaulting over an abandoned motorbike, her crimson sunglasses somewhat protecting her from the harsh accumulating sand and chipped pieces of rock that were attempting to blind her. The vampire queen knew that save from getting a hold of Ekko's toy, there would be no hope of stopping the screeching beast from the abyss that had put an end to the world.

And yet, despite Vayne's enchanted speed and vampire reflexes, reaching her goal was no easy task. The winds of the sandstorm would shove her aside as Vayne sprinted with all her might, and whenever the vampire queen would find a path through maze of destroyed vehicles and the swirling sand curtains some kind of obstacle would plummet in front of her path with rambunctious cacophony, as if Vayne was an ant and the flying demon was a child boxing her in by placing its toys in her way.

Vayne cursed when a yacht suddenly fell from the sky, almost landing on top of her. Entire pieces of the damn thing bursting outwards like a cracked watermelon, as shards of glass rained down on Vayne's hair and showered her boots in sharp nasty bits. The yacht's propeller which was still rotating, shoveling copious amounts of sand all over her clothes, before the engine abruptly died with an agonized clanking noise as the propeller stopped half-embedded in the ochre sand and brownish dirt. Vayne then raised her eyes towards the sky, growling at the devious beast which cawed in amusement with a sound like a thousand cackling hags. The vampire queen shot a crossbow bolt at the emperor of the ruined Runeterra, but her silver-tipped bolt was merely engulfed in the shifting curtains of the bruising coarse sand vanishing from her sight.

Vayne bared her fangs at the gargantuan shadow she could barely make out in the sandstorm, forcing her legs to carry her forward as mounds of sand gathered behind her feet and her ankles disappeared under a sheet of grainy particles. And yet Vayne pressed on, because there was no other choice but to do so. Each footstep becoming a monumental task she had to strive with all her conviction and stubbornness to achieve, as her feet slipped on the upper layer of the ground which was been washed away under her feet by the raging winds of the maelstrom. Meanwhile the demon continued throwing things at the Night Hunter, that Vayne managed to avoid at the last moment. Rolling away and lunging behind a blurry metallic chassis for cover as she heard iron groan, cement break and windshields shriek next to her. Walking blindly inside the sandstorm completely lost and disoriented. Seeking the distinct glimmer of the Z-drive in a world surrendered to dry earth and shadow.

*Thud* A fridge rattled loudly as it was dropped a few meters away from the frustrated vampire queen. *Bump* a worn train engine fell over to her right. Vayne saw a shadow drawing closer after she covered a few more feet and upon sidestepping the collapsing object the Demacian woman was left narrowing her eyes at the sight of a giant wardrobe the frame of which was gouged in the shape of enormous talons. Yet her minute distraction had been enough, and by the time Vayne noticed the colossal head of Galio rolling her way amidst the sandstorm, pulverized everything in its way, the vampire queen could only curse at the beast and she threw herself inside the fridge that had almost crushed her mere moments earlier.

0000

The winds of the desolate land are still upset and nothing can be seen save from the half-buried power-chamber of Ekko's Z-drive pulsing softly in his sandy grave. Nothing but the howling gusts can be heard and the noise is an ear-piercing constant weep devoid of life.

Then suddenly, a bloodied arm appears from behind the mountains of hissing grains and torn soil. A hand as pale as the moon snakes closer, patting blindly around Ekko's invention for the activation cord of the Z-drive. A moment of suspense follows when the searching hand abruptly stops. Then a sudden jerking move, a tensing cord and the Z-drive hums into life once more.

0000

"No, Valor, you can't have this! You can barely put on your armor as it is! You need to go on a diet." Quinn admonishes her feathered partner as she looks at him sternly, glaring at the pouting eagle while she holds a bird snack above Valor's head so the eagle can't reach it.

"It's still a no," The Demacian ranger says sternly when Valor caws in protest, sucking in his stomach to appear thinner, pantomiming he is doing push-ups.

Quinn ignores him, turning around when she hears someone approaching them. Her lips twitching in a smile the second she recognizes the silhouette of her lover drawing near, dragging some kind of shiny tank along. Said smile quickly disappearing when Vayne abruptly stops in front of her and slaps the bird-snack out of Quinn's hand with a frown.

"No." The Night Hunter growls simply, and Quinn can only blink at her, stunned. Staring at the vampire in confusion. While Valor, taking advantage of his owner being distracted, instantly lunges for the bird-snack with a triumphant squawk exiting his throat.