Chapter 8: Come Out And Play

Summary:

Viktor tried breaching the walls of Jayce's mind and couldn't break through. So, instead of getting inside he opted to temporarily block Jayce's memories (all memories since Viktor traveled from Piltover to the outskirts of Zaun, founding his Commune) and at the end of our latest chapter he discovered Jayce's complete memory has been wiped away. Which was definitely NOT part of Viktor's plan. Losing control of the situation, Viktor decides he needs to take some drastic action in our current chapter. Viktor's bothered a lot by Jayce not remembering him, so he takes another shot to get inside of Jayce's deepest part of his mind. He needs to know what has happened in the weeks he and Jayce had been separated, so he's better able to "cure" him. Will he succeed this time? What will he find out?

Nothing is without consequences. Pick your battles wisely whilst you still can, Viktor.

Notes:

Don't worry about "open" plot points. I've got it covered.

Whose tears rolled down? Of course, these easter eggs will resurface later on. For now, let's see what happens next. Will Viktor back down? Nope. Just like the scientist he is, he will find a way to get to those memories. They won't be blocked forever... though... Who blocked these in the first place? Viktor surely didn't block all of Jayce's memories, so what the heck is going on?

IMPORTANT: This chapter plays out INSIDE of Jayce's mind. And a little bit on the outside. Just to be sure ;) Don't want you to get a headache after reading this part thinking about real Gates and Fortresses. The Gates, Stronghold, Fortress, Mind Palace and outer Walls are symbolical, in a metaphysical realm. Viktor sees them, just like they would exist for real, but they're of course unsolid, fragments of Jayce's mind.

Enjoy! Don't forget the tea on your way out.

(See the end of the chapter formore notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 8. Come Out And Play

Viktor's P.O.V.

The past week had been unlike any other.

A Jayce who had attacked him several times.
A Jayce who was wounded, even more so in spirit than in body. A wild look in his eyes, those golden orbs radiating fire. Scratches and bruises all over his body. A festering wound on his still-broken leg. His weapon nearly disintegrated, looking nothing like the beautiful creation it once was.

Everything shattered into tiny pieces.

Just like Jayce himself.

Dismantled. Decayed.

Disintegrated.

You have become unrecognisable to me. However, I do recognise the essence of your soul, but when I look at you, all I see is someone who won't stop until he's taken me out.

The Jayce I know would never have attacked me in the first place. So something's deeply wrong.

You left me no choice. I had to stop you before irreversible damage was done. The only way I could do that was to bring you here. To the Commune, to my private quarters. Essentially, to keep you prisoner for as long as it would take me to find a cure. Don't worry, I won't stop until I've found the last missing piece of the puzzle. To cure you of your demons, your delusions, your bloodlust.

To bring you back. I must bring you back.

I know in time you will come to understand... You will forgive me after I have completed your treatment. When you come to your senses, we could be allies once again you know... you and I, Jayce... Surely...we will be allies again, standing side by side.

Though I know I will never forgive myself. Knowing what must be done. Knowing what can't be undone. Knowing that I must transgress for your own good.

You don't need to fight me anymore. But somehow, your stubborness remains all the same.

From now on, let this be my final warning, if you don't let me in, if you keep me out of that Fortress in the depths of your mind, I will choose to break down áll of your mental walls, and in every way possible. In every conceivable manner. By any means necessary.

I acknowledge your decision to hide behind these Gates may buy you some time. Your strength and resilience are to be admired. But until you come out, this siege will continue.

I won't stop, Jayce. I won't let you do this to yourself. Since that day... I promised to protect you from any harm. I promised to never hurt you again, like I did that day I left you without a proper goodbye. I'm awfully sorry about the impact this has had on your mental health, I feel fully responsible...

And you are fully aware that entails any harm whatsoever. I won't let you endanger yourself, you won't get even close, not under my watch. Right now, this mind of yours, is your biggest threat. This suicide mission of yours has to stop.

I don't see the difference: you trying to throw yourself off a building or your attempts to fight me, are all more of the same. They're merely symptoms of insanity, festering in your mind like that wound on your leg. Somewhere deep inside of that mind of yours, Jayce, you feel drawn to darkness. To irreversible consquences. This reckless behavior has to stop.

As you said... You told me that you wouldn't rest until you had me arrested. Do you remember that? Of course you do remember that. I speak directly to yóú.

Your essence. Your memory. Well, I won't stop until you open up. About everything that has happened after I left Piltover, which you refuse to talk about. Which you refuse to explain to me. You can't keep hiding from me forever, you know.

So, dear Jayce. My dearest friend. My dearest adversary.
Until you face me,
Until you cooperate and show me your most recent memories,
Instead of blocking them all, trying to thwart me.
As long as you do not let me in,

I'm not going to leave any time soon.

Even if I have to heal your body afterwards. Even if you break down in my arms and beg me to stop, which already happened thrice in a row although it didn't break this - deeply concerning - resistant attitude of yours. Even if I have to put all the pieces of you back together again. I don't mind, Jayce. As you and I both know, I operate solely on reason alone. Emotions don't have the same effect on me as they do on you. Thus, I have the advantage. You clearly don't. You should know when defeat is inevitable.

It's only a matter of time before I find you.

I will continue to do so, to do as I see fit. Because you, even you, the unconscious part of you, doesn't seem to understand. So if you want me to fight you on two different realms, be my guest. The outcome will be all the same.

You will break.

You will succumb.

You can fight me in the realm of the unconscious mind all you want. I look at "your situation" this way: It's like a disease: I know things will get even worse before they better.

'This is going to be a long and painful process if you decide to drag this out, Jayce.' Viktor reminded Jayce's sleeping form. He sighed as he watched his patient toss and turn. The man's fever hadn't broken yet, which was a bit of a worry, though his fever wasn't Viktor's main concern at the moment.

No, you are. Yes, you there.

Jayce's subconscious was fighting him witheverythingit had.

Well, time's up and we both know it.

Viktor rolled his eyes before closing them. Jayce fought his intrusions tooth and nail which Viktor couldn't fully understand: he should know by now to give up. Every wall could be taken down as long as enough force collides with it. Jayce's mind palace, this fortress of his, is no exception to that rule. This law of the universe.

I understand what must be done. As you wish.

His hand returned to Jayce's head, his fingers creating that familiar light blue glow. The glow intensified at first, just before the last remnants slowly faded away, fully absorbed by Jayce's mind.

It's time.

For now, he could only wait and see. Watchful waiting is the term used in medicine, describing moments like these. The Herald is a patient man. He didn't mind.

'No need to hide that subconscious part of your mind any longer, Jayce. Come out and play.'

Viktor's focus remained solely on his target. The walls and its two Gates the only barrier standing in between him and Jayce's memory. Just one big, final hurdle to reach inside Jayce's Mind Palace, a stronghold protecting his memories from being breached. Henceforth, Viktor stayed fully attuned to their connection in The Arcane, vigilant and ready to strike at any moment. His final attack on Jayce's mind one which could tear down his Gates for good. A worthy sacrifice to save Jayce from his own downfall. A small price to pay.

It's just a matter or time... Any time now, Jayce's subconscious mind will let me in. Sooner or later, he will accept his these Gates need to swing open. And that's when all of your hidden secrets, the final piece of the puzzle, will be mine.

The Arcane informed Viktor just in time. Jayce groaned, he tried to wake up, arousing from his deep slumber. Viktor didn't let him. His arcanic assault on the Gates deliberately stopped for a short moment as he suppressed Jayce's consciousness with even more force than he did before.Don't wake up now. We can't have that, do we?

After being distracted for a short moment, Viktor's focus shifted back towards his unconscious mind.

Viktor gasped at the sight.

The Gates opened on their own accord.

Unlike anything he would have predicted beforehand,someonewalked through.

Someone fully dressed in black, and with a golden embroidered "T" on his cloak.

This man smiled. More like a smirk than a smile, Viktor observed. This man couldn't be... Jayce's subconscious embodied in human form? Inside of his own mind?

'Come out and play, ah?' subconscious Jayce sneered. 'We will see about that.'

TO BE CONTINUED

Notes:

Thank you so much for all your kudos and comments 3

We'll hit 200 kudos soon, I bet.

Please leave a comment, I love to hear your thoughts! I hope you put two and two together (THANK YOU my dear reader hit_that_target, for pointing out it's "two and two" instead of "one and two", which resulted in me laughing uncontrollably here) at this point, of course I won't spoil, in case you haven't :) Did you solve the biggest riddle yet? What has happened here? And how will this impact the story to come? Can you guess? Love to hear it.