AWAKENING
There was nothing but black at first. And silence. Endless. Non-stop. Near irritating.
As the whistle came in, muffled sounds came on as well. Of blasts. Of gunshots. Of screams.
Muffled voices followed next, that became clearer and clearer...
'A sad, self-pitying, pathetic little girl!'
'It's not that black and white!'
'You could fill a damn *library* with the things you didn't do...'
'What were you thinking?'
'Apparently you have a talent...'
'Everyone betrays us...'
'Their blood will not heal your pain...'
'Bet Silco must be so proud of you!'
'...though unfortunately a destructive one...'
And then images followed. Gunshots and gun exchanges. People charging. Fistfights. A monstrous sight of one once loved.
The hulking man in a spider-ish frame, a cannon larger than life pointed, ready to finish it all.
The flash and the thundering boom, before the waves took her.
And then her purple eyes opened, sight all blurred, before they shut again and now opened slowly as the vision started becoming a stark one.
And, as one whom believed there was a good place where she and her sister would go... Jinx found it *odd* to be a runout, small dark room, akin to the ones in Zaun. Even up to the damp smell, and the dim lightning of the outside window.
As she tried rising from her bed, using her left arm to prop herself from the barely comfortable couch, she was definitely caught offguard by the pain of it, making her groan in pain and fall back sitting down to the bed, the Loose Cannon taking notice of what looked like to be a splint tied up by fresh bandages over her original sleeve glove. Even trying to flex slowly seemed to hurt a bit, but it seemed almost... healing.
The *realization* of it, plus the small, the lack of lightning, it all started creeping into Jinx.
Of course that didn't look like a good place. Of course the pain was still there, both external and within. Of course she still felt that meaty piece called a heart and the lungs breathing and her head all dizzy...
Of course she was denied even *that*. Even when pinned by Urgot, that cannon pointed...
She was denied that.
Denied that...
Denied...
But, it *shouldn't* have been...!
Jinx started violently rubbing her right temple violenly with her right hand, trying to recall what had happened, trying to move her head so a bit of that unbearable ringing between her ears would fade. And yet, as hard as she tried to remember, she still had trouble recalling the exact imagery to connect where she was to where she is now.
She groaned, in frustation. "C'mon, come on!", she said, a bit angry. "Work it, dammit, focus!"
'Unbelievable.', that familiar, annoying voice. 'Even in that? Is that serious, even in *that*!?'
"Shut up, alright, I'm trying to!", she blew back.
'It makes no sense, how we're still here?', the Claggor asked, as well.
'Something saved us...', the Vander asked. 'Or someone.'
'So, against all odds, and that certainty it would've finally been *it, we're still here...', the Silco mused, although in sarcasm. 'Wonder how you'll use this second chance, this time...'
Seeing rubbing the temple was little use, as it'd take time she didn't like waiting, Jinx decided to seek out the answer by herself. She got up from the bed, feeling the body still a bit numb in spite of all the apparent time still in bed. As she started walking slowly, she started looking around, taking notice of the room itself.
Clear disrepair, it visibly wasn't in use for a good time.
Just a window on the side and a wooden door on the corner.
Impossible to see the dark celing.
Wooden floor.
Rack besides the bed with Chompers, pistol, Pow-Pow, and Fishbon- wait, what?
Jinx's attention now definitely snapped off her numbness as she stared, dumbstruck, at several of the weapons she did leave on the bridge, plus the fresh batch of Chompers when all of them had been used up during the battle up top. Her hands did touch Fishbones, apparently being the same as it was when she dumped it along with Pow-Pow on the bridge, including the glowing eye with the stupid gemstone within. As she opened the maw, she could even see it was already loaded, a rocket with a monster drawn out just ready to be set out loose. She shut it, putting it away, as she'd know when she reloaded it, and she could be very peeved out when someone other than her touched her stuff.
She then checked the sidearm. Also filled up with bullets. And then Pow-Pow, it's chamber also filled up with ammunition, as if it weren't even ever used. Her eyes immediately set to the door, before she decided to strap and holster all weapons in her, including the Chompers.
In normal days, it could've been easy to just blow that wall and waltz off to somewhere else, to think properly. But someone did touch her guns, which was a way big no-no. And now she was curious to find out *who* it was, before she started blowing up walls as much as this one joker.
Heading to the door, she slowly opened it up to enter a corridor, clearly one belonging to a tenement, totally empty. As much as she wanted to bust door-to-door, it might warn the gun-messer, and it was always best to surprise them. Just like she did with the demon Cupcake on that fancy bathroom...
She walked slow and carefully close to each door, trying to see if she could hear something, and in most of them she had little luck. All but one peculiar door, almost totally closed, which had it's lights own. She took a quick peek into a staircase where she swore she had seen some real fast movement, but was now too far down to even try chasing.
She proceeded slowly to the lighted up room, and tried to take an ear peek at the door.
"I don't know. If she wakes up tomorrow, *if* we get to wake her up, I'll at least feel more relieved."
The voice seemed a bit young, yet matured. And defintely accented.
"I can only hope so. At least it better be about that animal..."
Jinx filled her chest before she then rapidly opened up the door and unholstered her sidearm, pulling the hammer to trigger it as she walked in.
The figure stood before a black board, like the ones seen in schools, on a white shirt, suspenders, pants and a harness where a mechanical arm extended out from his back. He also seemed to sport a mullet. The room itself seemed definitely like a corner one turned into some sort of small lab, with tables with some books spread out, the black board itself, a chair and bed right by the corner.
What called the most attention, though, was some sort of floating magic orb right atop one of the tables, hovering over some paper sheets, one which twitched the moment Jinx walked into the room. This orb seemed to be organic and metallic at the same time, endlessly pulsing as like a heart racing, a first for a girl like her.
"So you're awake now.", the man said, his back still kept to the Loose Cannon, all immobile as she kept the gun trained on her. "How do you feel?"
Jinx's eyes darted for a second again on the floating orb, which she could perceive the thing was nervous, before checking the materials at the room and then returning to staring at the man's back.
"Clearly some geeker...", Jinx started. "Explains the amateur moves. Ya just don't leave guns in the same room with the kidnapped, even more full o' ammo! And you nab someone, you sure tie'em all up, like you would a pig!"
"If I were to ever kidnap you, that is.", the man replied, trying to maintain his calm. "Which would be stupid of my part, anyway."
"Ha ha!", Jinx snickered loudly, in sarcasm. "Spoke the genius..."
"And I've better things to do, to ever consider such a thing.", the man replied.
"Turn around will ya?", Jinx ordered. "Lemme see your ugly mug..."
The man turned slowly after a second, hands up and exposed, one of them clearly mechanical aside from the one on his shoulder, to face the Loose Cannon, whom got a bit off by the man's appearance. Clearly thin, if it weren't for the metal that apparently made up his face and some sort of glowing magic energy thingy flowing around his face. The eyes were clearly inhuman, only the amber-ish irises prominent aside from some glow in them as well.
"I-I didn't *mean* on the ugly...", Jinx commented, put off guard.
"I'm appreciated.", the man said, in some apparent sarcasm. "The name is Viktor, by the way."
"Shut up.", Jinx growled, sidearm trained though slightly shaking. "Why'd you bring me here?"
"Your friend asked me to.", Viktor answered. "Begged me to help him save you."
"S-save me?", Jinx asked, incredulous. "F-friend!? I-I don't have friends, just enemies!"
"You don't have friends?", Viktor asked, incredulous, before he nodded towards the door. "Then *what* do you call him?"
Jinx turned around to the door leading to the corridor, pointing the sidearm... except it was empty. Jinx, not understanding looked around until she looked down and spotted it.
A very familiar, short furry figure with his hands up, sporting a helmet. And an armored tactical suit. And googles.
"Hi, Jinx.", Ziggmund - aka Ziggs - said, trying to be polite.
"Zi- Zigger?", Jinx stuttered, caught off-guard by that, too, as the Yordle Bomber simply let out a clearly nervous grin, in an attempt to defuse the tense, chaotic situation.
The Loose Cannon immediately picking the Yordle up and holding him aloft, while pointing the sidearm, pretty much told the result.
"Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay...", Ziggs repeated out very loud.
"What did you do to me!?", Jinx asked, clearly pissed off. Which was a compliment if compared to Jinx's actual state. "Answer!"
"I- I saved your life!", Ziggs answered.
"Yes, you did, but I ain't asked for it!", Jinx blew back, angry. "And I'm meaning the spell you put on me!"
"Spell- I didn't put any spell on you!", Ziggs exclaimed, the voice tone firm.
"Liar!", Jinx growled.
Alright, that's getting too surreal for my taste.
Viktor readily sushed the Core, an act that drew attention of the Loose Cannon for a couple of seconds.
"You know what spell, Zigger.", Jinx said. "You said if I did it, I wouldn't ever forgive myself!"
"It's no spell, Jinx!", Ziggs exclaimed. "It's the truth!"
"No, it ain't!", Jinx pushed the sidearm to Ziggs' face, between the googles. "It- it's *gotta* be magic, I don't feel for Pilts, and I felt, when I...", she stopped herself the memories of all that butchering coming to her mind.
"It *is* truth, Jinx.", Ziggs said. "Just that. No spell involved. You just didn't know you could feel something, in spite of all you said they had it coming..."
"B-but I wasn't supposed to!", Jinx exclaimed, a bit anguished, twitching. "I wasn't! Pilties only murder and lie and steal and- SHUT UP! JUST SHUT THE HECK UP, IT'S ME AND HIM HERE!"
The outburst made Viktor jump back.
"It's her ghosts, Viktor!", Ziggs readily said. "Leave it."
Ghosts? It sounds more like psychosis...
Viktor glanced for a second at the core before returning to the tense situation.
Jinx groaned, feeling her chest ache. "You shouldn't have... you had no right.", she said. "Y'know what I did. Shoulda ended me instead..."
Ziggs took a couple of seconds, glancing at Jinx. "For a moment, I nearly did.", he said.
Hours ago...
"I don't know what else I can do. I don't know!"
Ziggs walked from a corner to another on an abandoned, though furnitured room of one of the few buildings left standing from that earthquake. The distant sounds of gunfire were now evident from outside, barely muffled by the building's walls. He walked nervously, absolutely aware of what was going on. And especially WHY that was going on.
The pleas were in vain. The one whom thought was a friend... or rather enemy... was deadset on retribution. Not one of pure spite, like those Ironhand enforcers he regretted fighting with, taking that Camille's offer.
It was one driven by pain, and now this pain was expressed in a way too horrifying... So horrifying that it used his passion. The only explosion he was indeed harrowed, recalling the pain he and they all felt on that day, when his machine malfunctioned.
When he lost... her. His dearest Brunny. The one only friend he had, and he lost her because of his passion.
Her picture lied on top of the big bomb that he did carry around. Her sweet smile and eyes of kindness, although they did pierce through the Yordle bomber, every time he looked at it. His heart was racing, knowing that this wouldn't be the last time Jinx would do that. That clearly whomever faced her would be met with the same violent retribution that bomb, that 'Baby Powder' demonstrated.
That Jinx *had* to be stopped, and it led to one single path. The path Ziggs learned to never take.
And the issue was all other paths were closed. All of them.
"I-I mean, I've never done this, I had an education of right and wrong back home!", he said out loudly, staring at Brunny's immobile picture. "But she- But Jinx- if only you saw..."
Brunny's eyes, though gentle, continued to pierce through Ziggs, in a way incredibly judgmental.
"Why you're looking at me like this?", Ziggs asked. "She just won't stop, I can feel it! And someone has to stop her, but I don't know who! I just don't!"
Ziggs' eyes darted aside, taking breaths to try and calm himself down, as he knew what needed to be done. It was about having the heart to do it.
And to clear his mind of what guilty conscience he had.
"Don't think ill of me, Brunny.", he said, picking up her picture. "Please, just don't. Wherever you are, I know you can see what's going on... and why I *have* to."
Taking a final breath, he put Brunny's picture away and readied up, on which he then left the building, with the bombs he planned to unleash on topside - more for symbolic landmark destruction - and make an ambush.
And he *knew* where it had to be done. Right by the southern isthmus end of the bridge, where at least he knew Jinx would come back through there. More practical and less wet, with the access all open to her, with the cultists as allies and the enforcers all occupied and out of the way. He could find the best vantage point, that would grant him the privileged sight while keeping out of sight. That was where his height - position and physical - did pay off, for once.
He had to stand there, an eye on the bridge, while at the same time having to fight off the recent memories, even the bad ones... and *especially* the good ones. That very brief good time he was with... her.
A potential new friend after all that time, suffering in that asylum. And now he would lose her... just as he had Brunny.
Eventually he could get a glimpse of Jinx on the bridge, on which he saw her briefly discussing with someone else before they got into a fight. It seemed like one of the cultists. A fight that didn't last long, as Jinx quickly pinned her attacker down and shot several times, before pulling off and running away, far too fast for Ziggs to try and follow.
That did set Ziggs a bit off, somehow. He did ask Jinx about the 'new fellows' which were the cultists but didn't want to know when asked back. He did assume were in good terms, but didn't seem like the case. Unless something was going on or did happen at...
Ziggs shook his head again, stronger this time. This was NOT the time for doubt, not with what Jinx did. Not with what she could do.
He'd have to wait again.
And he did wait, until after a couple of hours where Jinx suddenly appeared from somewhere and took a rest at a vantage point close to the Bridge of Progress for a time. Ziggs took his chance to leave the building, seeing she was waiting for something or someone, and try to approach the bridge, sneak to get into a close range.
As he took a peek from his position, he saw Jinx come face to face with someone. Someone whom had a pair of very large ironclad hands.
He met that one before. She fought him and the Ironhands.
Both girls faced off on one of the most violent duels Ziggs had ever seen. One where their weapons were used. Until they could no more. And then the weapons got discared and it devolved to a fist fight. Of a violence beyond any sort of measure... It eventually came to a point where the big-handed one had pinned Jinx down, but ended up hesitating, almost giving up. Jinx tried forcing the fight, but apparently failed, even to the point of attempting an execution. Ziggs was at the point of lighting up a fuse as he then witnessed Jinx breaking down, collapsing in tears.
And shortly after then, the once big-handed one got on her feet and shielded Jinx from a sudden shot coming in the distance. He saw Jinx react and break down to that, to the point she returned fire to the shooter while wailing in agony, before picking up the big-handed one's gauntlets and running away, no doubt down to the fissures.
Ziggs felt compelled to follow, tracing the steps Jinx took to below, in spite of his size and what he carried on his back. It was on the middle of the way that he saw her again, ahead of him, and it stopped the Yordle in his tracks.
The hooded woman. The one whom pointed him to Viktor, before...
"You wish to help her.", the hooded one said. "In spite of what she did."
Ziggs didn't say anything, but nodded, a second later.
"Come with me.", the hooded woman said. "You'll need help."
Jinx shook her head, taking heavy breaths. "You still shouldn't have saved me, Zigger...", she said, in pain, seconds later. "Wasn't the way I figured, but... I-I was ready for it. You shoulda just let me..."
"You don't get a say on that."
The sudden voice, feminine and calm, had gotten Jinx off-guard as she turned her head to suddenly notice some hooded figure in white, standing by the door. One Jinx noticed Viktor staring and taking a step back, in spite of the tight room.
"Your very words, I believe.", the hooded figure said. "When you saved your sister."
"I don't have a sister.", Jinx said a second later, pointing the gun at her. "Not anymore."
"Much as we pretend, we can only decieve ourselves for so long.", the hooded woman replied.
Jinx released her grip on Ziggs, letting the Yordle drop to the ground, allowing the Loose Cannon to adjust herself, pointing the sidearm at the hooded one with a vengeance.
"You the one, then?", she asked. "*You* had these two save me?"
"I did.", the hooded woman answered, bluntly. "In spite of your yearning to die, I did."
"You admitting it, just like that?", Jinx asked, off-guard, as she got triggered. "And who're you to decide if I live or die, why you-"
Jinx suddenly pulled the sidearm's trigger, the sudden, thundering gunshot noise getting everyone off guard, making Ziggs shout out the Loose Cannon's name alarmed.
As she did shoot and raised the shooting arm, however, Jinx noticed the hooded figure didn't bounce back and fell down, like most bodies, but instead remained on it's feet. She also notice the blast gust blew the hood back, exposing the recently shot figure's appearance to broad light.
The now un-hooded woman had a messy short hair, almost as black as ink, and pointy ears, really pointy, unlike most people Jinx had met. The hooded one, aside from the gunshot round stapled to her forehead like a coin pressed to her head, apparenly had a face pain on her closed eyes, heavily shaded as if they were a makeup, as if there were tears long run by, below.
The unhooded woman raised her hand to remove the bullet round pressed against her forehead, Jinx noticing it didn't even make a dent on that one's skin, making her heart race.
"If it makes you feel any better...", the woman said, unfazed, before she opened her eyes, revealing an unnaturally pair of glowing purple eyes, forever smoking. "That hurt."
Jinx took a step back, nervous like she hasn't in some time, pointing the sidearm at her again. "Wha- what are you?", she asked. "Y-you're another of Doc's test-toads, with a shitload of Purps?"
"I've lived far longer than even the oldest here.", the unhooded woman answered. "Far before the one you call Singed was born. Far before Shimmer was first conceptualised."
A glow appeared in the front of the white robes, cutting a straight line as the unhooded one used this to undress the robes as if they were a jacket or overcoat.
The appearance beneath the robes clearly had shown the unhooded one could actually back her claims she was indeed something far older... and even wilder, beyond imagination. The body was mostly human, but far more pale, hidden behind a black and golden dress that almost recalled an armor. Black sleeves also complemented her look, as well as nails as ink-black as her hair.
But the definite sight wasn't what was in front, but behind her - a pair of wings, almost black as well but with a tint of magenta, about the size of her body, tied up on their folds by sets of what looked like ancient ribbons, which originate from her waist level. Another pair pf wings, far smaller in comparison to the first one, did rise from her shoulders to cover her head's back, as if they formed some sort of crown.
The sight made Jinx breathe faster. It was indeed outworldy, almost... divine. Something she *knew* was definitely out of her league.
'Well, look at that!', the Mylo exclaimed. 'You shot a goddess in the face!'
'It's not good.', the Claggor said. 'Definitely not good.'
'Shoot her!', the Silco ordered. 'Shoot her and make a run for it!'
'Don't shoot her, don't make it any worse!', the Vander ordered, otherwise.
"The Veil Lady.", Viktor spoke, getting the woman's attention, as well as Jinx's, snapping her out of her voices' harassment. "It's what they call you, isn't it? At least that's what one of the children told me..."
The Veil Lady glanced at Viktor for a second. "I've had many names through out the ages, indeed, Viktor.", she said, glancing back at the Loose Cannon, whom glanced back. "But you all may call me by my birth name - Morgana."
The room remained tense, although it wasn't one of noise, but now one of anxiety, of a disturbing silence. Jinx kept the sidearm, shaking, pointed at Morgana's face. Viktor and Ziggs kept holding their breath.
"Why?", the Loose Cannon broke the silence. "Why'd you... me?"
"Because of the greatest lie of all, Jinx.", Morgana answered, a second later. "The lie laid before everyone, yet none ever dared to call it out. The lie called 'Rest in Peace'."
"Wait, what?", Jinx voice shook, dumbstruck.
"I have seen people denied of their final comfort.", Morgana answered. "I have seen names wrested from their long-deserved slumber to serve ambitions. I have seen sorrow, blind passion and greed turned into un-life. Enough proof that 'Rest in Peace' is a lie.", she took a step forward. "Death and Peace *do not* walk hand in hand."
Jinx's hold on the sidearm was trembling. "I-I don't believe you... crowlady.", she shook her head. "It- it's something else."
"You believe what you wish to believe.", Morgana replied, totally in control.
"I-", Jinx started, almost croaking. "I-I would've been to a better place. I-I woulda been waiting my sis there, even if it were long before that, even if boring as hell!", she then shook her head. "Not like you'd believe me..."
"There *is* a better place.", Morgana stated, matter-of-factly. "Except they'd *never* let you in. Believe me, I know too well whom guards the gate."
Jinx almost felt her heart stop.
'Well, look at that, the final confirmatio-', the Mylo started, before Morgana suddenly reached and grasped Jinx's sidearm, lowering it, getting her attention.
"But this does *not* make this world any worse.", the Veil Lady stated. "And this is something we can work on. Unlike that other world, we can make this one better, no need to rely on anyone else's deeds or decisions. But this world... must begin here.", she pointed to Jinx's chest.
The Loose Cannon's heart kept on racing, as she stared for a couple of seconds at the near divine woman, before she shook her head. "N-no, no!", she backed away. "Y-you're playing me... You wanna do something to me, I'm useful for somethin', I know it!"
"All I will do is this.", Morgana then stepped aside, clearing the doorway out, and then gesturing at it. "This represents what I offer. Not today, but tomorrow. It remains your choice to walk through it or not. You'll not be considered weak for either choice."
"I'm not weak!", Jinx immediately affirmed angrily, although visibly shaken. "I'm... I'm perfect."
"Yes, you are perfect.", Morgana nodded. "And you *can* continue to grow beyond that treshhold. Think about it, for tonight."
Jinx glanced nervously for a moment at the dark-winged one before she then hastily walked off back into the corridor, clearly back to her room, not looking behind, shutting it down, as all in Viktor's room witnessed it.
"I thought *this* would finally be the chance to tell us why we need her.", Viktor said, back in the room.
"The Piltovan method of thinking still speaks for you, Viktor.", Morgana replied, glancing at her. "She is a person. Not a tool. You shouldn't need any other reasonings to why take her with us."
...she's right, to a fault.
Viktor could see Morgana glancing for a moment at the Hex Core before staring back at him.
"You think she'll take the help?", Ziggs asked.
"She wants to help, Ziggs.", Morgana replied, a second later. "Always wanted. She's simply forgot that help must be received as much as it is given."
"Even with... what she did?", he asked.
"*Especially* because of what she did.", Morgana replied.
Notes:
Explanation and reasonings will be in the final notes, by the end of this episode.