VIKTOR

Viktor.

Viktor.

Viktor.

He should've asked that Firelight kid, Ekko, for a flashlight before splitting ways with him. But now he had to use the chest's contents from within to help navigate the sewers. And the contents within the chest just wouldn't stay quiet.

He attempted moving on across the pipes, hoping to reach an exit point, and from there head to the Undercity. Somewhere he could hide, perhaps a least populated and more miserable area, for the meantime, and then, maybe later, find an actual place to stay and make something, anything out of a living as he tried performing experiments at the Core. All to try and remedy his condition, and then perhaps finally concluding his original view and discarding it, once and for all, just as Heimerdinger once suggested but didn't bother listening. All for her.

Viktor, talk to me.

The voice kept on, it even spoke in her voice tone.

Any one else would've been frightened, stunned, dazed or amazed by that.

Viktor knew better. That whatever it was, it wasn't her. It couldn't be. That construct's mutation which was caused by the mutagen Singed gave him was the one talking, and it clearly sought to use him for it's own devices. His mind, more sharper than it has been since that close encounter with death, sporting two legs, an accent and a slight aroma of tea, spoke that with clarity. Heimerdinger did have a point, in that case, and Viktor couldn't blame anyone but himself for the avoidable results.

Why was it then, that his heart was saying otherwise, with his eyes darting at times to the chest, somewhat beating at an accelerated pace, and not because of his pace as he tried braving the sewers of the fissures, the sour water at his feet, hoping he wouldn't run across either beasts, rats or even other scoundrels?

Viktor, you can't ignore me forever.

"I can and I will...", Viktor said, almost mumbling, trying to keep his sanity. "If that's what it takes."

Why this, then? Why to save me?

Viktor let out a subtle groan, annoyed. "You're useful, construct.", he answered, slightly stressed.

Construct?

"At best, you should at least be like an actor.", he answered. "Or actress. Just play your part and then step off the stage. For good."

You know who I am, Viktor.

"You won't fool me.", Viktor stated, firmly.

Fool your mind all you want, you know why your heart is beating fast, in anxiety. You know it's me, deep in there. You just don't want to admit it.

"You're not her!", Viktor shouted, angry, trying to focus on his trek. "You killed her! You may have her voice, her memories, even the appealing pleas, but you're not her. You just... use these things."

Well, I should use them, they're mine. They've always been mine. But, right now, this is about you, Viktor.

"Of course it is.", he spat, in contempt. "About me, and how you want me for whatever twisted reason, construct."

I want to help you. But you need to let yourself be helped, first. Just like that tale you've always liked.

"You believe yourself to be my squirrel?", he retorted. "We've very different notions of help, thank you!"

Do we? You wanted to stand up for something, but the only time you ever did, it was when that catastrophe at the Council happened. Every time you tried doing something, it was always someone in your way, be it the Council, that Medarda broad even I didn't like that much, or Heimerdinger. You kept in your work, toiling even while you were sick, yet it was Jayce reaping all the fruits.

"I never even had an interest in the spotlight!", Viktor retorted. "Try harder."

How about when I tried asking you out for a walk, knowing you needed rest, to cool your head off, to enjoy yourself for a little bit? You've denied that. You've always denied yourself, Viktor, believing you were doing something greater, and what did you get for all that in the end? Even Jayce offered you that speech, he did feel you deserved it, and you thought you weren't worthy of it, but we both know the truth.

"You're just using memories, I thought I said to try harder!", Viktor retorted, before then taking a breath to control itself, maybe his loss of control was the construct's devise, all along. He wouldn't have that. "Besides, I know better. Basic urges are always a... a worthy sacrifice in... in the long run. In the name of Progress..."

Who's trying harder to fool now, Viktor? And not me. Yourself.

Viktor just couldn't believe that thing, it seemed like it was using her memories, even his memories, to try and counter his stalwart defense of his consciousness. His emotions and wants were almost like ammunition to the construct, one which was trying to worm it's way into Viktor, but he wouldn't have that. He'd go down fighting, lest he already lost it since before escaping the hospital and didn't even notice it.

"Well, there's one thing, construct.", Viktor affirmed. "She was... kinder, a bit reserved, but brighter, much more than I deserved. Unlike you, you're more...", he almost lost his words.

Incisive? Aggressive? Or maybe I've just looked at you, what was happening, and just said 'this is too much, enough is enough, I'm through just watching from the corner'?

"I told you, you won't fool me!", Viktor retorted. "Besides, even if it were true, all this, it's just not possible."

Well, what's your explanation? I suspected at first you couldn't listen before, how can you, now?

"The mutation, of course!", Viktor answered, offended. "From the Council explosion, combined with the Shimmer. And it's clearly having volatile effects on my cortex, both my intellectual and moral synapses."

You know it's true, Viktor. Even your 'facts' can't deny it.

'Please, the concept alone is absurd.', he thought to himself, shaking his head.

Didn't people say the same about Hextech? How absurd, wielding magic through science?

Viktor paused his trek.

Your thoughts are just as noisy as your words, for me.

Viktor glanced at the chest, for a moment.

"You can read my memories, so you know what I'm talking about.", he said. "Or thinking, at any rate. Even magic has limitations."

Like science has? *chuckle* Viktor, even you know this is pushing it. Either that or you lack imagination...

Viktor refused to say another word, locking eyes front, as he could see a ladder, possibly leading to a manhole to the surface of what'd be South Piltover. Knowing there was almost no way to access the Undercity that easily, at least not without that flying board Ekko had, he took the stairs and used the Hexclaw to both push the manhole off, as well as the chest when he ascended the ladder.

The nightly street seemed empty, devoid of enforcers, but he knew this wouldn't last long, especially as they saw him and Ekko flying across the river. No doubt Jayce must've already ordered the enforcers to go as soon as possible to the Undercity's elevator shafts and guard them from anyone trying to enter the fissures unnoticed. If he hurried, he could have an elevator and take him down to the Lanes, where he could easily walk his way across their citizenry to a safer spot. With the mask, the chest and even the mechanical arm, it's not like the Fissurefolk would easily recognize him that early, he'd just be one of many other odd citizens.

He walked across a couple of streets, taking care to check for potential enforcer patrols, as he eventually spotted one of the elevators, with three enforcers on guard duty, just as Viktor predicted.

His mind started to work on the conundrum. Direct engagement was out of the question - despite the recent engagement, he wasn't a fighter, but a scientist, like he once phrased to Jayce. Plus, even with the Hexclaw, to leave bodies would only intensify the pursuit, something he didn't need, not without a solid footing for him to rest on.

This left him but one alternative, one he had to hope would pay off, if he were to...

Open the chest.

"What?", Viktor asked, suddenly.

You heard me, you and me, we need a distraction. Let me, a good gesture.

"I don't need a good gesture.", Viktor shushed, angry. "And stop reading my-"

I didn't need to, it's obvious by itself.

Viktor tried to consider his surroundings, where he hid, maybe something to set ablaze with the Hexclaw, all just to put that idea out of his mind...

You'd need something combustible, Viktor, there's no time to look around. They could be almost crossing the bridge now.

Viktor groaned. At the situation he was now into. At the little options. And because the construct had a point, and it shouldn't have.

"This will not change anything, construct.", Viktor said.

Weren't for our situation, I'd just leave you on your own until you made up for it. But we got to help each other now, don't we? Now open the chest and point it somewhere.

Viktor then took a deep breath before then doing so, opening the chest, pointing the Hex Core within it at the direction of a corner of a wall by a nearby alleyway.

The Core then started picking up on energy, where Viktor could swear it was slightly groaning, probably from the effort it was pulling up. As the energy intensified, Viktor's concerns grew on whether it was a good idea, what the construct suggested.

And then, a brief flash and then something came out of it, and that it also pushed itself, the chest and Viktor, whom was holding it, back against the wall. The energy projectile, almost twice it's size, headed to it's target in a straight line with the speed of a projectile as the energy sank into the wall, which absorbed it as a sponge, before it then shattered itself apart in a blast whose sound matched the magnitude of the detonation, one which spooked Viktor to a degree..

"What the hell was that!?", a voice roared.

"It was around the corner!", another voice shouted.

"Hey, hey, stay here, anything happens you call for backup!", the first voice, clearly one of the enforcers, ordered.

This is it. Be ready!

Viktor readily closed the chest, silently praying he doesn't do it again, as a pair of enforcers rushed into the alleyway and, noticing the hole at the wall, immediately drew their rifles. Viktor took the chance to sneak behind them and then, noticing the lone enforcer at the elevator, rushed towards him.

The enforcer took notice of the strange, masked rushing figure, holding some sort of treasure chest and tried raising his rifle. "HEY!", he shouted, but that one was too fast as he pushed the enforcer at the wall, almost falling to the ground.

Viktor's next action was one on instinct, however, as he extended the right hand, still wearing the Hexclaw control glove, and the Hexclaw then fired a brief beam right at the enforcer's leg, making a hole in it, and the enforcer roared in agony and pain. It took over a second before Viktor realized what he did and jumped into the elevator, closed the gate and pushed the button as the elevator started it's descent, right as the other two enforcers noticed their downed comrade and opened fire at the elevator gate just a bit too late, as the machine started descending it's load into the fissures.

Viktor breathed heavily as his heart raced at what he just did. But then, the things he did in the past couple of hours weren't of common sense at any rate. All he could do now, as the enforcers above must've been obviously tending to their wounded fellow and calling other enforcers, was to behold the frontal part of the elevator as it descended along the fissure canyon large enough to accommodate a city.

A city of towering buildings and neon lights trying to crawl it's way out of the fissures like worms in a tall can, from beneath the green-lighted mists of the sprawls below, which doubtlessly teemed with people in constant activity, of all status, all mixed in that place.

The place that was his home, at childhood, and now would be again, and would welcome him with open arms, no doubt one holding a knife to stab him on the back if he weren't careful.

The Lanes, the Undercity... Zaun.

The elevator landed in the city across a street with scarce movement, too scarce for these hours, if he remembered correctly, and not because it was past midnight. It must've been something else, forcing the population into their homes. This wasn't good.

Viktor stepped out of the elevator, carrying the chest with the Hex Core but also readily taking a turn into a nearby, trash-filled alleyway, where he could be able to maneuver and stay out of the main streets for as long as he could, as he'd travel to the most least-developed areas, amongst the likely most miserable, for some rest. While obvious, the enforcers at least would take a while to be there as they would first comb Zaun's alleys to try and find him.

"You better come up clean, you little ratshit. How come you got that?"

The voice took Viktor off-guard, this wasn't what he expected, not right now. As he approached a corner of the T-shaped intersection of alleys, a small yard between some buildings, he saw a trio of uniformed enforcers cornering someone. He seemed like some small boy, almost eleven years-old, with some ragged clothes.

The enforcers however, definitely looked different, most of their uniforms purposefully stained in crimson red, almost like blood. They wore body vests clearly expecting open firefights, and sported weapons unlike those of the enforcers above. Viktor remembered what Jayce said at the hospital, that the enforcers had cracked. It seemed this was the main splinter group, or one of them, that Jayce was talking about.

"I-I told you, I paid for that.", the young one answered.

"Paid...", another crimson enforcer, a slim one, scoffed and laughed at that. "As if you knew what the word meant, you're clearly not a school type."

"Did you even work once in your life, you runt?", a third crimson enforcer asked, a female voice behind her mask.

"I did, I do work, helping collect trash and stash it a-", the young boy started.

"Really now, you're full of shit!", the central crimson enforcer said, gesturing around the yard, almost spotting Viktor, whom hid in time. "Admit it, it's just the fruit of some little light hands, ain't it!?"

Despite knowing where this was going, Viktor did fear this one had to run his course, no doubt over self-preservation. He still recalled some of the childhood down there to know better and keep to himself, knowing that if he helped one, the whole Undercity could come right on top of him.

We can do it again. What we did, up there.

Viktor glanced at the chest and then shook his head dismissing it.

It'll distract them, even save the boy.

"We'll be leaving a trail, we don't need attention, not here!", Viktor censored, before he peeked the enforcers again, seeing the way ahead. With the boy focused on the immediate threat and them distracted at him.

"You fissure vermin ain't alone, are you?", the second crimson enforcer asked. "You ain't ever alone."

"Go on, spill it, and maybe you won't get as much bruised...", the first crimson asked.

Viktor took his breath.

This isn't right.

"This isn't a choice.", Viktor stated.

Viktor then tried moving, quietly, across the yard to the corridor, in subtle steps to not warn them.

"Guess we should just kill him and then-", the third enforcer started.

"There's one, right there!", the young one pointed to behind the trio, his eyes having been moving around in nervousness to notice a figure walking.

Viktor's heart raced. 'Seriously!', he thought.

The second enforcer just started laughing. "Really, pissing pants?", he asked, turning his head around slowly to the back of the yard. "C'mon, I've seen better from- wait a minute!"

The trio turned around, pointing guns at the newcomer whom froze at the middle of his way, carrying what looked like a chest, and somehow had a mechanical arm at his back.

"Look at that, looks like it is another one.", the central crimson, with a machine gun, said.

"I'm just passing through.", Viktor stated.

"Where to?", the third crimson, bearing a rifle, asked. "And why not go through the street?"

"And since you come our way, now you'll have to pay your way.", the second enforcer, whom saw him, pointed at the chest. "This might do."

Viktor...

"Out of the question!", Viktor stated firmly.

"Whoa!", the second crimson enforcer was impressed by the boldness and thus pointed his two-barreled shotgun at Viktor and all crimson enforcers did the same. "Feisty one, apparently."

"Now you piqued the interest.", the central one said. "Put it on the ground.", he cocked the machine gun, and his fellows did the same. "Right. Away."

"You don't understand-", Viktor said, before a shot came from the third crimson enforcer and the muzzle hit the nearby wall.

"Might aim right, next time...", the third enforcer warned. "Anytime, now..."

Viktor remained frozen, trying to think on what to do, but could only curse himself for putting himself on that position.

It's okay, you have the claw. Just get ready when I say it.

Viktor didn't like admitting it, but the lack of options, again, did speak for itself.

"Okay.", Viktor replied, though he didn't know whom he was replying - either the Core or the crimson enforcers, as he slowly started lowering the crate to the floor, raising and sliding his right hand, with the Hexclaw glove, to a side of the chest.

Suddenly, the young kid tried moving, before the second crimson turned around, hearing the noise of attempted movement. "Hey, we ain't done with you, yet!", he shouted.

The young one stopped, raising his hands, but bumping off the third one in her back, and it made the central one dart his eyes off Viktor.

Now!

Viktor extended his hand as the Hexclaw, pointed at the third one, fired it's beam, hitting the wall and getting everyone off guard, jumping. The crimson enforcers readily took their arms to try and fire at Viktor, but he was forced to drop the chest and take cover at the alley corner where he came from, as the central crimson fired his machine gun, clearly to suppress Viktor's attempts at retaliation, while the second crimson reloaded. The kid ducked for cover at the floor.

"GO! GO!", the central enforcer roared as the third one tried to move to the line of sight of the alleyway, but Viktor noticed her and fired the Hexclaw beam towards her leg, but he missed by an inch and thus she ducked.

"Flush him!", the third crimson roared, and the machine gun fire stopped, but then two shotgun blasts hit the alley wall too, before something got flying, hitting the wall and bouncing at Viktor's direction.

He didn't have to guess what it was, and between jumping backwards or forward, he made the unfortunate split-second call to jump forward, exposing himself, and then try to run ahead to the next alley for cover, as the crimson enforcers tried firing at him. Viktor engaged the Hexclaw, waving his right hand, without even looking what he was firing at, as he headed straight for the alley.

The beam cut in a direction that caught the third, female crimson, and that one was struck by it that she dropped her rifle, as it fell to the ground, and so did she, though it were two halves of her, cut by the beam. The other crimson enforcers saw the whole thing as they stopped firing, horrified.

"DENISE!", the first crimson roared, anguished, as he then irrationally started firing at the alleyway where Viktor went and charged, the second one with the two-barreled shotgun following. Viktor found a pipe to hide behind as the two crimson enforcers fired at him non-stop

In the meantime, the young cornered boy seeing the whole scene, noticed something just lying there. The chest the newcomer was carrying before the whole firefight started. And the third Ironhand was out of the picture and the other two were now focused on the newcomer, the unexpected savior. This just seemed too tempting to miss, even for one of his stature. Maybe that newcomer would find another one, maybe he wouldn't make it there.

The young one wasn't waiting to find it out. He dashed to the chest, containing the Hex Core and grabbed it.

Hey, don't! Let me go! VIKTOR!

The cry reached Viktor, as only he could hear it, and it was obvious what was happening. "Hey!", he shouted fruitlessly while under fire from the crimson enforcers.

The firing cut to a halt as the first crimson's machine gun only clicked. Out of ammunition.

Viktor!

Viktor heart raced as his mind went overdrive. He needed to be through with that fight and right at that moment. He immediately came out of cover and aimed, with his right hand, the Hexclaw at the crimson enforcer with the machine gun, firing a brief beam that pierced through that one's right lung and made him fall to the ground, as the crimson enforcer with the shotgun fired again, making Viktor pull back to the pipe.

Viktor!

Having used his ammunition and knowing it'd take too long to reload, the remaining crimson enforcer charged to Viktor, dashing to engage him in hand-to-hand combat, pinning the scientist against the wall and punching jabs at the slim torso. Hurting, Viktor pushed the attacker against the wall, but the crimson enforcer, trained for this, bounced back, grabbed Viktor and pinned him down to the ground, attempting to strangle him, while trying to fight off Viktor's right hand, the Hexclaw moving erratically in return.

As Viktor closed his grip, the Hexclaw fired it's energy beam. A beam that pierced through the crimson enforcer's helmet, like a bullet hole, and thus he fell atop of Viktor, whom was breathing heavily.

Viktor!

Viktor pushed the body atop of him and tried getting up, attempting to recover his senses, breathing heavily.

However, a crimson enforcer still lived. The one which had the machine gun. That one tried fighting his newfound condition, trying to muster the strength to unholster his sidearm and point it at the shaken figure's head.

He pulled the trigger and the pistol fired, the bullet hitting the mask. This immediately jumpscared Viktor into reacting irrationally at the aggressor, pointing the Hexclaw and firing at the crimson enforcer, the beam piercing through the torso, shaking the crimson enforcer and taking the last of that one's breath.

Viktor's head felt whistling, the world spin around him, the vision blurred as he attempted to breathe through, to the point he instinctively removed his mask, revealing his shaken expression. It was a whirlwind of dizzyness, akin to the ones he had on Piltover, and yet the impulse to cough or collapse didn't come as they usually were. No, he somewhat knew this was different. He didn't feel sick. He felt alive, despite all that.

He wondered if that was the other side of that feeling.

Not vertigo.

Adrenaline.

Viktor!

The voice of the construct did bring him back to his senses, him noticing the alley. The shot up pipe. The body of the collapsed crimson enforcer which held the machine gun. The body at his feet, belonging to the one whom tried strangling him.

And then the yard ahead, where he left the chest with the Hex Core, his vision was totally stark by then, and he returned in a hurry to the yard to notice the chest was gone. He looked around to no avail. It was when he remembered. "That boy...", he whispered.

Viktor!

He noticed the calling of the construct was coming from Viktor's left, turning around to notice it.

Viktor!

This time it was a bit to his right.

Viktor!

A bit to his left.

Viktor could notice the pattern. It was like the calling could, if not guide him, at least orient him.

Like a compass would.

"Keep calling, construct... keep calling...", he whispered, starting to move out of the yard and the alleys, towards whatever direction the Core was.

To where ever it'd lead him.