DISCLAIMERS
1- While being fanfiction, each chapter was formatted as if it were a 'scene' of a whole episode which is this work, as part of a hypothetical season which is the The Unofficial Acts (TUA) series.
2 - This, once again emphasized here, is a HYPOTHETICAL SCENARIO and UNOFFICIAL, so it shouldn't be taken with severe scrutiny. Care was taken to approach this work as close to the canon element as possible, but there are no guarantees of non-discrepancy, especially in regards to added elements that are introduced here. Some other elements from the original LoL universe (especially but not limited to origin stories) have been altered in as much a sense as they were originally in the series.
3 - The elements depicted here contain multiple SPOILERS from Arcane: League of Legends Season 01. This is a warning to those whom have not completely watched the entire series, prior to start reading this fanfiction.
4 - Elements of graphical violence, angst, psychosis and paranoia might be included across not only this chapter, but also the series. You were warned.
Based on Arcane: League of Legends by Netflix and Fortiche Studios.
League of Legends universe and characters by Riot Games.
PROLOGUE - THE FALLOUT
THE CHILD
A century ago...
Sometimes, the prime law of Nature, survival of the fittest, isn't enough. And Nature itself is humble enough to recognize this.
Some jungles deep within Runeterra do hide as much secrets as dangers, present in the predators roaming about, venomous plants and dangers hidden by the thick vegetation. Some in the form of ruins, others in the form of yet-undiscovered plants or species. In other cases, it can be a gateway, like the one which opened by the spacious, circle-like roots of a large, ancient tree.
A gateway to another realm. A realm indeed unlike any other, of strange creatures, supposedly simple yet advanced in nature, living in harmony and satisfied in their world, yet choosing to explore other realms.
The realm of Bandle City. The home of the little and known-yet-enigmatic Yordles, almost animal-like anthropomorphic creatures with an affinity towards nature, even magic. Of course, some acquired an affinity for crafting and eventually inventions, allowing such a nimble species to develop a civilization of their own, practically free of most dangers except when venturing into the outside world.
And thus the first signs of this civilization stepped into the wilderness, in the form of a furry cyan-colored Yordle stepping forward, along with a few others, most of them minors. Some other adults were close by as well.
"Now remember, everyone with me!", the cyan Yordle said, with a tone of joy. "And yes, that includes the parents."
Sometimes, to see it's intent true, Nature requires another hand. One that is not hers.
The parents and children started walking along, following the Teacher across a path she treaded around the tree of Bandlewood some times already, already gazing at wonder and delight at the nature around them.
Amongst them, a simple family, accompanied by a small, perhaps too young, caramel brown Yordle looking around not just at delight. At wonder as well, as if everything was simply... magical.
As all of the Yordles crossed the trail and the caramel's parents looked by a nearby assortment of beautiful plants close by another tree, the caramel child himself spotted something flying around him, that at first made him jump but then it somehow enchanted him.
A small, flying insect which glowed a green trail. An insect others would later call a Firelight. It flew around and around him, until he flew towards some bushes close to him.
Any other would not be so curious as to go chasing it, away from their parents' gaze. But sadly, the caramel Yordleling is so young. So innocent. Just too naive.
A hand of something else or someone.
The Yordle child crossed the bush, running after the insect, just to catch it. To have it in his hand, to know how it lets out such a beautiful glow. The insect flew away from the nimble giant.
It just flew away until, as the child stops, watching some strange, bulbous plants, of an almost lime green color. Almost like the flying wonderful thing.
The Yordleling looks at it, in total wonder. It's tiny mind, which hasn't learned much already, fathoms this must be where such things come from.
Someone different. In thought and deed, but whose... vision of intent, is alike.
The caramel Yordle approaches the plant. He touches it. The touch is nice, welcoming. He tries grabbing one of the glowing things, thinking it's the insect, resting. He's simply too innocent.
And then the plant moves. As if it was tickled. It starts moving, perhaps too much, and the caramel child notices it. He steps back a bit, but doesn't turn. He's simply staying there.
Suddenly, it all happens in a second.
The plant unwraps, all of a sudden. A shockwave. A sudden lime-green flurry. It's all too much for the young caramel Yordle child.
Someone... like Fate.
"What was that?", someone asked, scared, getting the teacher's attention, whom looked backwards and noticed something at the background, which rose up.
A lime green cloud creeping across the vegetation.
"Everyone, get clear of there.", the cyan teacher called. "That's a noxious gas cloud, not very good for breathing."
The Yordles all nodded and started walking a bit forward. The simple couple looked around and noticed something wrong. Something missing.
"Hon, where is our kid?", the mother asked.
"I don't know, he was right here.", the father answered, concerned, before looking at the large lime cloud. "Ziggmund!"
"Ziggmund!", the mother called, also staring at the green lime cloud.
Nature and Fate... So different, yet working together.
Within the cloud, a downed, lone caramel Yordle coughed. It didn't know what happened or why. He simply called as his eyes opened, once normal ones, now his pupils flashing yellow.
Nature and Fate, working... in tandem.
Almost like... sisters.
MEL
Mere seconds passed by, and all she could remember, as she woke up with the heaviest lift on her body pinned to the ground, was the high-pitched noise ringing in her ears, the heat beyond anything she imagined - even in the hottest days the climate of Piltover could offer - and the scent. A scent of things burning. When she opened her eyes, though it was all blurred, she could see the dominant white fabric, as her body worked to push whatever it was that pinned her down out of the way. It was only when the sights started going crisp that she saw it all.
Her once pristine dressing almost ruined and scarred. Her body collecting dust and ashes.
A once pristine room where the fate of not one, but two cities was decided, now inexplicably turned into a warzone.
Fellow councilmen and women, once proudly standing and voting for the formation of the 'Independant Nation of Zaun', now lying on the floor.
And besides her... Him.
The man she loved, whom laid atop her as if he were shielding her.
The already expression of horror turned into despair nigh-immediately.
"JAYCE!", screamed Mel Medarda as she kneeled before him, turning his body, clearly bruised and bleeding, and his expression, once one so young and strong, now reeling in a pain Mel herself couldn't bear to imagine. Not moments ago this man was a vivid one, willing to put everything on the line for the sake of Piltover's safety, to give time to prepare or perhaps avoid the ever-brewing war between both cities, all being orchestrated by the once-leading voice of Zaun, Silco. All in exchange for the end to the terrors being orchestrated by Silco through his young lieutenant, known only as Jinx. For Jayce Talis, keeping the city safe was the priority, no matter the blow to Piltover's pride.
The scene made abundantly clear it was all for nothing. And soon enough, her mother, if she didn't witness it, yet, would steamroll on Mel with the usual 'told you so' rhetoric, when Mel knew well better how Noxians go.
Mel could see Jayce was still breathing. Hopefully, it wouldn't take long for the enforcers to come in and start fighting the fires and rescue them. The explosion of any building, especially the Council Chambers, wasn't something to be ignored, even more given this cataclysmic one.
She then started hovering around, perhaps there were more people to help, see if they could be saved.
That's when the initial impressions scarred her more than all the 'tutoring' her mother put her through in her childhood. A lot of the bodies in bad shape, all by the impact of whatever hit the chambers.
In a corner, blasted against the wall, was Cassandra Kiramman, with blank staring eyes, the pose as if she was hit the wall with total force, a bloodied stream coming out of her mouth. Nothing more could be done for her.
On the other side, two other councillors, Hoskel and Salo, laid on the floor, their skins showing extensive burns. They weren't breathing, either.
Close to the pair of councilors, parts of the once councilor Bolbok were scattered everywhere. Near him, Shoola was laying on the ground, the cog necklace attempting to keep on turning, though it wasn't known if she was still alive or not.
And then, close by, another person was laying on the ground, and that particular image was what brought the most horror of all.
It was the limping friend of Jayce, Viktor, whom was writhing slowly on the floor, with the burns persisting through him, most of the skin almost melting revealing muscles beneath him, though they weren't living, red meat. They were more like living steel ligaments. Almost silver-ish.
To not mention his eyes were almost burning bright, as if the explosion made them burn for an eternity. His teeth, almost silver-like.
It was too much for Mel to bear. She looked away, around, at the devastation, her heart racing, her breathing erratic. The horror first-hand. She wanted to scream, but the roar of anguish remained trapped in her mouth. And only one thing kept on hammering on ther mind, over and over again, as she stared at the horizon through the cracked walls and windows of the Council Chambers.
A simple question.
'What happened?'
Mere seconds passed by.
HEIMERDINGER & EKKO
It was impressive how, even with over three centuries of experience, one Yordle such as himself could still be impressed.
Cecil B. Heimerdinger, in his years as both inventor, professor and even Head of the Council in Piltover had seen many wonders, many innovations and curiosities explored. And yet, as he stood and witnessed something so much as simple as a haven created by the young one named Ekko, with it's dozens of people keeping it whole and even beautiful, he often wondered how such small wonders often were left unnoticed, especially in the wake of the Hextech Revolution.
Sadly, though, the same Revolution that cost him everything in Piltover.
He was old enough to be aware that the animosity between both Piltover and the Undercity was just a scar too deep to heal. A dreadful story that the combination of ignorance, arrogance and disparity had brought. But when the Undercity started becoming more active over the past few days, with it's development of the dreadful chemical known as Shimmer, and then the more frequent attacks on Piltover, culminating in the theft of a Hextech gemstone which the fissurefolk could turn into a weapon, if given time, his very prodigy Jayce stated something had to be done, anything, and Heimerdinger's speeches just weren't enough, no matter how inspiring or well-crafted they were. And it was all it took to sway the other Councillors to vote him out.
'Humans don't live for centuries!', the words echoed in Heimerdinger's mind. 'We can't wait for progress! We need a leadership, focused on the future, not the past.'
Heimerdinger sighed as he looked up the new promising schematics this Ekko was putting up together. Apparently some sort of non-lethal explosive device with sonic properties, meant to disorient adversaries better than the crystalline bombs his group, these Firelights, were employing.
Perhaps with the right guidance, some restraint and a considerable amount of years, he could be ready for Piltover. And Piltover could be ready for him.
The distraction faded away as the thoughts returned to his old days on the Council he made a part of, not days ago. Prior to his... retirement, and how much it hurt the retribution to the founder of the City of Progress.
Apart from being cast out by the vote of them all, what hurt the most wasn't that Jayce turned on him or stood up to him.
What hurt most was that he didn't understand. But then, the old Yordle wondered, how could he? As he rashly but rightfully said, humans don't live for centuries.
The problem wasn't the speeches. It was the actions and the ramifications they'd bring. Heimerdinger himself was an inventor, and inventions were easy, and this concerned politics, a whole different puzzle. A puzzle that rippled across the lives of tens of thousands. He could and should've intervened in the Undercity ages ago, true, but this would bring consequences in retaliation from the Chem-Barons, the local population, merchants, Piltovan nobles... People with something to lose. Jayce just couldn't see it wasn't just simple doing.
"That one's still on the sketches yet.", the young voice called up behind him, as he saw the young black man with the white hourglass tatoo limping behind him, reaching for a chair. "And even then I'd need time I don't have."
"Yes, yes, curious...", Heimerdinger replied. "Time, I mean."
"What?", Ekko asked, shrugging.
"How limited and restrained we are by it, though we are free to move and act at will.", Heimerdinger explained. "And how judged we are by it's application, though there are no law books whatsoever written on it."
The wooden door opened to reveal one of Ekko's lieutenants, a Vastayan, a bat-like humanoid, heavily breathing and with a distressed look, almost alarmed. Something happened.
"Ekko!", Scar spoke, almost in despair. "Topside! The Council Chambers!"
The pair, noticing the distressed look, immediately got up and hurried to one of Ekko's flying boards, a creation famed to the Firelights which became Heimerdinger's entry point for the Firelight haven.
Ekko, despite his recent leg injury, kneeled with his back to Heimerdinger. "Hop in!", he said, and the Yordle followed suit, hopping at the back, and thus Ekko climbed the board, which powered itself up and started flying upwards across the open chasm above the large treehouse, where they'd have a better view of Piltover in the horizon.
It took but seconds for Ekko and a group of his fellow flyers to raise upwards, granting a view of the pristine City of Progress, with it's modest architecture.
Modest, save for the flames erupting in a portion of the city, smoke columns rising. On a district that Heimerdinger used to walk upon not days ago.
"Holy...", Ekko mumbled, holding his breath in awe.
Heimerdinger, holding behind Ekko, witnessed it and immediate horror and dread filled him.
"No.", was all the Yordle could muster, before he lost his grip on Ekko's back with the revelation and started falling, screaming when he realized it.
One of the Firelights was quick to grab Heimerdinger and carry him on his arm, returning him side by side, at the same height as Ekko. It did little to hide his expression of pain, shock, all the feelings of dread he hoped never to feel again, his worst fears he once professed days, years ago, now made manifest.
"And I warned them...", Heimerdinger muttered. "I warned them, over and over..."
"What could've caused all this?", one of the nearby Firelights, a young girl, asked.
"Not what.", Ekko said, picking the pieces together, grinding his teeth as his expression of awe turned into one of bitterness. "Who."
SEVIKA
The most ruthless woman in Zaun was NOT having a good day. First she loses her mechanical arm in the fist fight with that insufferable pink-haired girl, whom just happened to be the sister to Silco's most loyal and unstable right hand. The same pink-hair whom was seemingly gone and Sevika was left to her own in the Last Drop.
Both the Loose Cannon and the boss himself haven't reported in, yet. Even with the supposed news that Piltover was finally going to cave in to Silco's appeals, he should have appeared by now. Or perhaps not, given the rumors - the rumors that one of the terms was that the same Loose Cannon was to be turned in.
If that was true, everyone was in for pretty bad news. Bad news for Piltover, bad news for Zaun.
And now, just as when she was recovering herself and starting to work on building back her lost arm, suddenly one of the thugs comes in informing her something happened topside, something having caught fire. While the topsiders were the least of her concerns, at the moment, she knew that something was amiss, for Silco to haven't even returned, yet.
Having to rely on the group of thugs as her guard and escort, she could appropriate one of the elevators to go topside and then storm one of the buildings to reach the rooftops, all for the sake of seeing what was going on that warranted her attention.
When she saw, her desire that she didn't want to know anything about it only intensified. But it wouldn't make much difference now. She knew. Just as soon as all other Chem-Barons would.
She knew what SHE had done.
VI & CAITLYN
'Are we... still sisters?'
'Nothing is -ever- going to change that.'
The mind attempted to process that, even though the purple-eyes once blue witnessed her deed, the long blue braided hair blowing in the wind of the ruins of that cursed cannery, somehow telling her that this deed indeed changed that.
The fact they were still sisters, that is, especially considering the latest minutes.
'I'm sorry, Powder. I never meant to leave you...'
The thoughts kept going on, swirling within her head. The eyes, just beholding, not even admiring the smoke column on that crappy city.
Of course, it had to be another lie. She always did that. Leaving, that is. And lying... And still using that name...
'Vi, she's too far gone!'
Now, that was a thought she didn't need. Who the hell was THAT one to ever say something like that? As if that one ever understood. Of course, typical of topsiders and their holier-than-thou attitude.
'Her name is JINX!'
That one stinged her harder than most. That voice that she heard only a few minutes ago, and now she wouldn't ever hear it again, except if inside her mind. Just like all the others, that'd always torment her. At least this one she'd bother to heed. Her shoulder started letting go of Fishbones, her newly-made rocket launcher, which fell at the catwalk's steel floor.
Fishbones. Based on the sea monsters he quite liked, staring down at the deep waters he was once almost drowned on. If only he could've seen, now, what she'd done for him...
"MONSTER!", that voiced roared from behind her, like needles on her ears, disrupting her thoughts, her apparent sole moment of peace, after all that hell. That voice that makes her wonder how the hell her sister preferred that one over her own blood. "YOU'RE A MONSTER!"
She started breathing, closing her eyes, grinding her teeth, trying to ignore the urge to just shut that one, no matter how much *it* had it coming, for everything *it* had done.
"Caitlyn, we gotta go-"
"We're not going anywhere!", the voice dropped the second one, the former sister, away. "My mother was up there! She was in there, and you blasted her!"
The new information disturbed everything again, only this time her eyes opened, everything went blank. Every sound in the world became muffled as the girl of the long blue hair, pale skin and purple eyes turned around, to face the accuser of the voice.
The holier-than-thou enforcer in white and the pink-haired ex-sister.
"Mother...", Jinx deadpanned.
As the ex-sister, Vi, was barely recovering herself, the enforcer started baring her teeth, rage built up in her. A rage that, strangely enough, Jinx could relate with.
The feeling of losing someone, something she didn't think she'd ever see in a Piltie.
Jinx simply unholstered her sidearm, glanced at it for a bit... And then threw it forward, the sidearm hitting the ramp and bouncing downwards towards Caitlyn's direction, until it stopped bouncing. The enforcer couldn't believe it, as she stared at the sidearm, just laying in there in wait, and the blue-haired girl atop the blasted catwalk, staring at her with blank eyes. The eyes and expression that pretty much said what didn't require much a mouth to.
Take the shot.
Vi, whom was simply watching through all of this, knew something was wrong, as her heart raced. "Caitlyn.", she shook her head. "Don't. She's-"
An audible thud hit the ground as the rotary machine gun, the ever faithful Pow-Pow, was dropped as well. Vi, as she saw it, couldn't believe it. Her sister was simply there, having disarmed herself, as if nothing else mattered anymore.
Caitlyn didn't think twice and took a dive to reach the sidearm, triggering it and aiming at Jinx. Hopefully chest or head.
The aim could be faulty for all she cared, but Caitlyn's training with Grayson would all pay off at that instant.
"NO!", shouted Vi, jumping and grabbing the gun right as the enforcer pulled the trigger.
The projectile, in a couple of seconds, would have hit the Loose Cannon in a definitely vital organ.
Instead, thanks to the bump, the muzzle only hit the edge of Jinx' left shoulder, making her fall nonetheless on the ground, though groaning with pain.
'Goddammit, sis!', was all she could think to Vi's apparent attempts to try and bring things back to normal. Couldn't she get that the bridge was already burned and still there she was, the ever-stubborn pink-hair brawler, attempting to cross the fissure over?
Vi, on her part, struggled to keep the weapon from being aimed at the supposed target, only for Caitlyn to eventually lose her patience and push Vi away with a strength the Kiramman youngling didn't know she had up to that point, and rapidly pointed the sidearm to Vi, whom fell to the floor on her back.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?", the enforcer roared.
"That's not you, Cupcake!", Vi shouted back, a second later.
Caitlyn ignored Vi and aimed back at where Jinx was supposed to be.
Except Jinx wasn't there anymore. Or Pow-Pow. Or Fishbones.
The enforcer immediately rushed up the ramp, despite her leg injury, with Vi getting up and following her, right into the ruins. The brawler looked around, amidst the rubble, the remainder of the cannery destroyed all those years ago, which brought dreadful memories to Vi.
The place where she lost everything. Old life. Childhood. Innocence. Family. And now sister, once again.
Caitlyn reached the catwalk of the ruined cannery, which overlooked the river which kept the cities apart - The northern isthmus of Piltover which housed the now former Council Chambers and Hexgates and the southern whose fissures housed Zaun, that is. Caitlyn headed to the edge of the platform, immediately looking at the outside and then below, at the close by man-made shore and river, noticing some waves as if they were just moved.
It didn't take much to figure it out.
Jinx wanted the enforcer to take the shot, the only one she'd ever have in life. She did, but didn't do it right, no thanks to the sister. And so took her leave, though wounded by it.
It only made the pain within the topside youngling hit harder. The one chance for justice, no matter how primitive or brutal, gone. She simply looked at the burning Council building, before she turned around started walking the way back, stopping after she went past Vi.
Hurt eyes crossed the ones belonging to the brawler, with little need for words, but the message being as loud as if they were announced across a wide square.
It's on you. What happens from now on, it's all on you.
As Caitlyn started walking again, dropping the sidearm, Vi stayed there for a moment, absorbing the pain of those words. It was painful because Caitlyn was right. It'd be her fault. Hell, everything was her fault, since the beginning. And she had to live with it.
Vi took a breath and steeled herself, turning around to follow Caitlyn back to Piltover and the Council Chambers. It wasn't over. Heck, even after everything, Vi knew - It hadn't even started.
Below, the waves moved as a gloved hand erupted from the water and touched the shore's walls.
AMBESSA
Noxians could make great soldiers, but wouldn't make them such great firefighters. Of course, they were still adept at following orders and that's pretty much what Ambessa Medarda expected of them, as they assisted the soft-yet-useful Piltovans in putting out the flames in the Council Chambers between her and her daughter, which she hoped was still alive in the Council.
Else, the Undercity, as much more of an interesting place than Piltover ever was, would have a much more bigger issue than a retaliation from the enforcers.
It was already complicated to arrange transportation and an escort from the empire itself, already occupied in it's multiple fronts with both Ionia and Demacia. According to Swain, and he wasn't quite wrong on that, 'there are bigger things to worry about than a scruffle between lowlifes and nobles in a fancy city'. But the recent news of Piltover turning to making weaponry out of their recent Hextech discovery did garner enough attention of the Grand General to give Ambessa permission to travel and... keep a closer look.
It wasn't just that for Ambessa, though. The recent loss of her son has indeed put quite some pressures and burdens she couldn't afford to have, and as much of a soft, weakling daughter she was, she now was only worthy successor. All because her son was foolish enough to cross the wrong man. Now, that one had to be groomed into being both a fox and a wolf, no matter what the cost. Perhaps this disaster, if she were still alive, would be the wake-up call so desperately needed.
Fox and Wolf. Curious how they complemented one another. The former an animal of guile and resourcefulness. The latter an animal of ferocity and ruthlessness. But still forged pretty much of what formed today the grand nation of Noxus.
Ambessa's bodyguards were just finishing up clearing the way across the stairs and halls of the Piltovan Council Chambers blocked by all the debris and fire, though much couldn't be done with the smoke and stench of burning. Even though it was advised of her to stay outside until someone gave her the all clear to come within the building, Ambessa preferred to go on as much as she could before being forced to stop as her henchmen did most of the work. As she finally reached the doors to the Council meeting room, she did her part in helping open up the rubble, and cross the smoke.
As she crossed it, did she witness the chaos that came out of nowhere. The pristine room, all ruined, bodies everywhere that Piltover's finest immediately went to attend. A scenario perhaps too close to home, for someone of her campaigns.
And right there, in the middle, was her daughter, standing on her knees, the very figurative black sheep of the Medarda bloodline holding the one Councillor she knew most and talked with days ago, including all nude and out of a bath.
At first, when looking at each other, Ambessa sighed in relief, closing her eyes.
But a brief time passed.
Ambessa looked away from Mel for a simple second. That's when her expression of relief became one of disappointment.
Exactly as Mel saw it coming.
Mel could do nothing but steel herself for what would come next.