02: Tortured Souls or Kindred Spirits
The Lanes were quiet, the normal chaos disrupted by a new gang looking to take over already occupied territory, and now there was a quiet calm befalling Zaun and her people.
Down in the Lanes an abandoned arcade stood boarded up and powerless. Naruto found himself inside him and his friends' old hangout. His nose twitched from the dust and his vision seemed to gain a purplish tint due to how his eyes adapted to the darkness. After a couple of minutes of routing through the dark and a couple of cables reconnecting, and power was restored.
The blonde eyed the boxing machine with the legends who clocked the highest score being plastered up on the wall behind.
5th – NIN3ZZ
4th - VIOLET
3rd- CLAGG0
2nd- VIOLET
1st- VIOLET
As the blonde took a step towards the machine he kicked a silver plate across the floor. The clanging drew his attention as he reached for the metal plate that had a childish sketch of Mylo on it, coloured in crayon and all.
"Did Vi draw this so she could punch Mylo?" Naruto commented before a from came over his whiskered face. "Why did you leave her?" he muttered after growling loosely as he thought of the pinkette disappearing four years ago made his way toward the 'I'mgonnaKnockyourblockoff' machine also known as the Return Fire 2000.
Slotting the plate seemed to awaken the machine as the screen showed a type of name prompt to which Naruto hummed for a second before entering his old nickname, that his friends gave him when they thought he was a simple fox.
The circus was in town bringing a show of mystical wonders from all comers of Runeterra.
A large main ten was set up for the main attraction.
The atmosphere was electric and charged as many Piltover citizens enjoyed their peaceful night.
The excitement even reached the undercity down in the lanes one small crew of four kids snuck across the border into the realm of the topsiders. The four were led by a fearless pink haired girl as they stuck to the rooftops and shadows as the rich elite made their way for the carnival.
"Ladies, Gentlemen and children of all ages come and lay your eyes on the mystical menagerie of mystical creatures from across the lands!" a loud booming voice echoed calling out to all.
An invitation to the main tent.
Even the four who were enamoured with the bright colours and smell of exotic foods that Clagger and Powder managed to lift from unexpecting stalls. As they stuffed their faces with sweet treats they couldn't even pronounce or name they snuck into the main tent through the side sneaking in underneath bright crimson- and gold-coloured drapes.
As the kids snuck they found themselves beneath the feet and seats of Piltover as they watched on from the stands.
A man with a black top hat and red coattails with some kind of customised microphone.
"Now ladies and gentlemen our opening act from the mystical mountains of Ionia, liberated from the Forrest of Death the blazing Direfox!"
A metal box was rolled into the centre of the arena.
The crowd looked on in fear and anticipation as the iron box looked damaged from dents bursting outwards from within.
The Beast tamer had the gate swung open by two young stagehands open all could see burning crimson reflective cat eyes from within the enclosed darkness.
The lights all seemed to dim as a spotlight was fixed on the cage and the ringmaster.
The beast slowly stepped out of the cage was a large wolf sized orange fox with a black reverse spiked collar around its neck.
The metal reflected the spotlight glinting in the dim light catching Powders attention as her face gained a frown on her face.
The foxed looked around and saw several humans looking down at in from their seats, his nose twitched uncomfortable with onslaught of sudden smells.
The beast began to pace.
"Heel monster fox!" the beast tamer shouted as he pulled a whip from his belt and cracked it against the floor electing a collective gasp from the audience.
The fox ignored the order and continued to pace.
The next crack was a lot closer causing the fox to growl lowly.
"Disrespectful beast." The ring master muttered before drawing a lighter and placing its open flame near the whip and the crowd watched in awe as the whip became alight with orange flames.
And the next crack wasn't whip against sand covered tarp its was burning whip against fur and flesh.
The fox whined slightly before growling again defiant in its actions.
"As you can see ladies and gentlemen this beast only responds to strength! Now how will my beast tamer control this vile carnivore!"
A wave of chatter passed through the audience some not impressed others blind to the clear cruelty before them.
The churning of gears entered his ears and the screen folded away its keyboard before the speakers began to talk.
"Are you ready? Because if not prepare to get your shit rocked!" the automated voice said before Naruto fist impacted the first pad signalling the machine it was time to swing.
The machine retaliated with a flurry of jabs from the reinforced boxing gloves. Naruto weaved left, right and ducking the wild mechanical blows. Naruto lashed out with a front kick before hopping up slightly to avoid the sweeping baton coming for his legs. Before he could land he span to avoid a haymaker powered swing and struck another pad as hie feet touched the platform once more.
The main show had come to an end and the fox was back in its cell. Its fur now covered in various burns from several burning whips strikes marring his fur.
The fox was currently laying in the darkness licking his badly burnt left paw. The pain caused the fox shake. Its nine tailed form revealed as he lay on the hay covered floor of his prison.
Then there was light as his gate swung open and even before he could react a blue haired human came skidding.
"Huh? He is a lot smaller up close." The girl muttered as she looked down at the unmoving fox as it watched her carefully. "More like a puppy than a wolf. And you have nine tails?"
She locked eyes with the creature, and it met her gaze.
Her eyes slightly widened. "You're like me?" she whispered as the direfox tilted its head to the side.
"Mylo where is Powder?" the bluenettes heard from outside.
'Vi?' Powder thought before glancing at the injured fox before her and in a rapid decision she scooped up the injured pup and made a mad dash to her siblings.
The machine span around swiping at the blond just as he was on one foot before leaping the sweeping strike by placing both hands on the bat that was aiming for his knee. In that split second Naruto smashed out with a kick striking another pad.
The force had the metal instrument groaning from the power behind the strike despite the padding.
The machine retaliated by levelling up and increasing the difficulty and its punching power and speed increased.
Down in the lanes the four Zaunites made it back to their home, the Last Drop Mylo, Clagger and Vi were getting told off by Vander their caretaker for sneaking Topside again. While Powder found her way into Mylo's lock picking kit.
"Now then Mr Fox, let's get that collar off you." Powder whispered as she slowly approached the wounded animal.
After several broken picks, there was a sudden click, and spikes left his throat.
The girl reached for the collar and tossed it across the room.
The fox eyes widened at the sudden freedom before looking toward the bluenettes and opened his mouth.
"Thank you…"
Powder froze her eyes widened. "You can talk?"
She watched the fox glow, and the nine tailed fox became a single fox tailed human with blonde hair and whisker like marks on his cheeks.
"You're a kid like me?" Powder said as she looked at the kid who looked younger than Vi but older than her.
"Yeah, the name is Naruto… and th-thanks for getting that thing off my neck Powder."
"Naruto? Cool I was gonna call you Ninez… you know because of the tails, and how do you know my name."
"Your family shouts it a lot." Naruto responded before wincing from the burns.
Before Powder could move the door at the top of the stairs swung open and a large mountain of a man began walking down the stairs with a toolbox under one arm.
The boy scrambled off the bed behind Powder in fear.
"Ok Powder where is the patient?" the man asked as he looked down at his youngest with a smile, before arching a brow at the now blonde boy who stood in rags.
"Vander…" Powder introduced. "This is Naruto and he got hurt at the Carnival."
Vander just put the toolbox down. "I thought it was a fox you snuck in here…" Vander said before spotting the boy's tail. Reading the room and the shifty/anxious behaviour was easy for the man. "Ahh…Well like Powder said the name is Vander nice to meet you Naruto."
Hydraulics pumped as the machine kicked into overdrive, signalling its peak, and letting Naruto know this will be the final flurry
The blonde flipped once more as his swerved to the side avoiding a spring-loaded jab to the face. It was just as the glove past the blonde's whisker like marks his single tail burst into nine flowing tails before side stepping another strike and the tails merged back into on just as fast, before a clawed strike smashed into the Mylo face plate spinning it wildly.
Naruto inhaled only to get clocked by a fast left that crack him in the temple that sent him reeling, but he retaliated with a spinning backhand into another pad.
The flow and pattern continued for three minutes of Naruto duck, leaping and weaving while returning a healthy plethora of combos in return. A beep signified the end of the round and as the machine stopped dead in its tracks.
Naruto was breathing slightly heavy from the exertion he had put into that work out before his ears twitched slightly and he glanced to the bored counting his score up.
5th – VIOLET
4th – CLAGG0
3rd- VIOLET
2nd- NIN3ZZ
1st- VIOLET
"Tch still can't hold a candle to you in straight hands." Naruto huffed, annoyed that the one who abandoned Jinx record still stood after all this time. "Bet you still block wid your face though if your still alive, Vi for the sake of the Jinx I hope you never come back," he whispered as he stared up at top of the leader board.
A green light flickered in through the boarded-up windows, drawing the blonde's attention.
'Is it that time already.' The blonde thought as he knew what that colour meant. "The Chem Barons…" he muttered as he hopped over the railing and headed toward the exit.
The tension in the room was palpable as Silco sat at the metal table, facing the four other Chem Barons. Behind each baron stood their top three enforcers, a silent display of power and intimidation. Silco's own formidable trio Naruto, Jinx, and Sevika loomed behind him, their presence a stark reminder of his influence in the Lanes.
The air was thick with the scent of chemicals and ambition as the barons bickered amongst themselves. Their voices, a cacophony of complaints and curses, echoed off the walls of the dimly lit room. The current state of the Lanes was a contentious topic, each baron vying for more control and resources.
Sevika's keen eye caught sight of an unfamiliar face. "Someone's new?" she muttered, nodding towards Margot's lineup. The petite blonde baron sat before two women clad in latex and a third with distinct Vastayan features – lynx-like ears and fur-covered skin.
Naruto's gaze was drawn to the new Vastayan enforcer, blue eyes meeting amber. He tilted his head, seemingly entranced, until Jinx's foot came down hard on his own.
"What the hell, Jinx?" Naruto yelped, breaking the spell.
"Hmph, no leering," Jinx retorted, a hint of jealousy in her voice.
"Leering? You don't even know what that word means," Naruto shot back, looking down at the much shorter Jinx.
Their bickering drew the attention of the room, creating an unexpected spectacle until Silco cleared his throat, silencing them both with a single gesture.
Silco's voice cut through the tension like a knife. "The Laughing Coffin gang has forcibly taken over most of your territories, and now you all come to me to settle your affairs." His words were measured, each syllable dripping with disdain. "You want me to handle it, otherwise this meeting would never have been so abrupt."
The shame was evident on the faces of the other Chem-Barons. Their inability to handle their own business had forced them to seek Silco's aid against the psychotic clown who led the Laughing Coffin gang.
With a snap of his fingers, Silco issued his command. "Jinx, Naruto, go handle our guests and show them the farewell deserved of any who are not us."
The air shifted perceptibly as Jinx and Naruto nodded, moving to leave the room. "Oh and considering how much this issue is costing us wipe em' all out."
Jinx giggled and Naruto chuckled as they were just told go all out.
Sevika's eyes widened but he forbade them from ever cutting loose in Zaun. She remembers the amount of paint covering the streets from the prank war between the tweens. 'No one was safe, if you're in the way game over.'
As Naruto reached the door, Finn's voice rang out, laced with contempt. "What a good little pup."
In an instant, Jinx spun around, her gun already drawn and aimed squarely at Finn. The baron's eyes widened in shock as his men ducked for cover.
BANG!
The gunshot echoed through the room. Finn, eyes squeezed shut, frantically checked himself for wounds. When he opened his eyes, he saw Jinx's hand raised to the ceiling, Naruto's grip firm around the barrel of her gun. The acrid smell of gunpowder wafted from the smoking hole in the chair next to Finn's cheek.
Silco's chuckle broke the tense silence. "Careful which one of mine you insult, Finn," he warned, his voice a dangerous purr. "Naruto might not be there to save you next time."
Sevika snorted as Naruto and Jinx finally left the room.
Silco's gaze swept across the assembled barons, his mismatched eyes glinting in the low light. "Now then," he said, his voice silky smooth yet laced with menace, "is there any more matters we need to discuss?"
The other Chem-Barons shifted uncomfortably in their seats, the demonstration of Silco's power, his enforcers fresh in their minds. Finn, still visibly shaken, attempted to recompose himself, but the message was clear – in the Lanes, Silco's word was law, and his enforcers were not to be messed with.
BANG
THUD
Three days had passed. Three days and nights of an absolute war. Naruto and Jinx cleared out and pushed back Laughing Coffing out of the East and West sides of the Lanes. The pair left nothing but destruction in their wake. Buildings levelled, bodies dropped but oddly the pair kept it colourful with a mix of paint and nail bombs being mixed together over the last three days. The pair kept increasing the level of chaos until the duo landed at Smeech's main weapon's factory.
Depsite being covered in dirt, sweat and other peoples blood Naruto stood tall with his custom revolver type pistol in hand the barrel was smoking as blood dripped along the barrel. His coat hung loosely off his shoulders and his scrapyard sword attached to his coat hung with it. His previous grey vest was covered in blood. His patched work combat trousers and steel caps had various splatters of blood covering them.
Jinx stood next to the blonde with her trusty tri-barrelled minigun, its barrels glowing orange from the heat build-up. Her hair braided into twin tails that reached her mid back. Her pale skin covered in splotches of blood as her ripped trousers and sleeveless crop top left a lot of skin exposed.
Before the pair were a dozen mask wearing goons laid out either dead or dying.
Jinx began to reload. "You think they'll be more?"
Naruto just nodded. "Most definitely and have I ever told you how much I hate clowns?"
"Is it the same amount you have for ghosts?"
"Ghost are real and cannot be harmed its such bullshit…." Naruto ranted before pausing at the sound of a groan.
The blonde raised his gun and fired toward the gang member who survived the last salvo.
BANG
The gun rang out echoing throughout the area. Before the body of the wannabe harlequin flopped to the ground lifeless.
"You ready?" Naruto asked as his tail swayed behind the blonde as he observed the dark entrance before them both.
There was a click, signalling that Jinx had finished reloading.
"You know it." Jinx responded as she swung her minigun around her waist and drew her own pistol.
"Alright then…" Naruto responded as the pair began stepping over the bodies they just mowed down and entered the powerless weapons factory.
After entering the dark the pair went into their best stealth mode blending in with the shadows figuratively Naruto shifted into his smaller fox form while Jinx used her lithe frame to sneak around the pipe work that went around the entire factory.
'Remember Jinx, small hands may not throw the best punches, but they are pretty good for thieving.' Jinx remembered one of Silco's many lessons over the years.
It took them a few minutes, but the pair came across a lone clown sitting on a throne that overlooked the production floor. He was dressed as a jester with black and red chequered trousers, spiked pauldrons and he completed the look with clown make up and an unnaturally wide grin plastered across his face.
The clown twitched.
Naruto leapt from his hiding spot as a knife was flung straight for him.
Glowing mid leap he transformed to his humanoid form spinning around in time to draw his blade from his back as he blocked twin daggers from piercing his torso.
"So, you're the punk dismantling my operation." The clown accused.
"One of em." Naruto responded before batting the clown away.
"One of them?!"
Jinx flipped from her hiding spot pistol drawn before… "Hey Pale-face! Guess what…"
BANG
The clown reacted by twisting in mid-air as he deflected the bullet, but his blade shattered before he came to a skidding stop. The clown couldn't even take a breath as the blonde was in his wave already swinging his scrap greatsword looking to bisect the clown.
The clown bent backwoods into a crab like stretch avoiding Naruto's swing and the clown rotated its body unnaturally before kicking the blonde back towards the blue haired gunslinger.
Naruto recovered and came to a stop by his partner. "Looks like we ain't got just run of the mill scrub." He commented as he crouched low and placed his palm on the ground with his sword arm held out. His eyes never leaving their target.
The clown began to shimmer before nine duplicates stood before the pair.
"Illusions?" Jinx questioned but the clown just lodged a dagger into one of the clone's head.
The pair watched it collapse before a new clone took its place emerging from the shadow of the clown.
"Well, it's about time someone interesting showed up I was about to go back home and demand the Barons should get some more backbone because these guys are straight puss." Jinx taunted out loud while giggling while she reached for her minigun. "Let's get active."
"We heard you named Shaco, and you're the big bad boss of Laughing Coffin." Naruto stated rather than asked.
The clown just laughed before he back away from his clones and they began to walk towards the pair.
"Well, that answers that." Naruto said as his nine tails flicked into existence briefly before his disappeared and in a step and was suddenly behind the copies slicing his sword down upon the original who blocked with two daggers.
The floor beneath began to crater from the weight of the blow.
Behind the blonde the familiar whirl of Jinx's minigun coming life before roaring as it unloaded on the clones who were trying to press her and jump him from behind.
Naruto broke through the guard and missed by a shallow inch as his blade slashed through the red jacket be he was kicked away by the Shaco, the original before he leapt out of the way of stray blades and bullets.
"Why don't you get lost and tell Silco to send a real challenge."
"That's a lot of talk for someone whose crew lost to two teenagers with so many issues we've turned many a doctor into quack doctors." Jinx shouted over her machine gun symphony.
During his short flight he glanced over towards Jinx and saw nothing but glee on that girls face as she pulled the trigger. 'She's kind of beau-Nope Naruto focus on the job." The blonde thought as he flipped with his momentum as he found himself skidding at the back of another clone in middle of launching a dagger at Jinx.
That clone gasped in shock as it felt a rusty blade pierce his back and burst from his chest.
Quickly dislodging his blade, ignoring the clone as it fell, Naruto leapt towards Jinx, standing at her back with his revolver now drawn.
'It's not much but after each one dies they all slow down.' Naruto noted as he spotted another clown clone go down from a hail of bullets.
The four remaining clowns leapt around and swung from pipes and shadows throwing an almost endless amount of steel daggers. The destruction caused by Jinx's minigun caused dust and debris to fall as it tore through the backdrop with every miss, but with every hit the clones slowed.
Naruto would cover what Jinx and he couldn't dodge knocking away projectiles with his sword while both he and Jinx returned fire, blasting an unrelenting salvo against the seemingly impossible to hit clowns.
"Just die why won't you DIE!" Shaco's voice wailed as a bullet pierced his shoulder. "Gah!"
Jinx's Minigun began to wind down as smoke began to settle and before them stood two more doppelgangers, while seven clones stayed unmoving as they were littered with bullet holes.
'Who are these kids?' the clown thought at being pressed by anyone in their teens.
Around the pair were countless bullet casings along deflected with daggers scattering the room floor.
As jinx aimed her own pistol at one of the two doppelgangers Naruto trained his pistol on the other, but his eyes glanced at the bodies.
'Seven?!' the blonde thought as his ears twitched to the sound of air splitting. His eyes widened as he spun around moved towards Jinx swinging his blade so hard it shattered the approaching steel dagger that was going for the gunslinger's blind spot.
Jinx moved on instinct ducking underneath the blonde's arm and taking aim from where the knife came from and fired. Naruto also reared his sword arm back and launched his scrap blade like a javelin in the same moment Jinx fired.
The two clones before them launched for daggers at the pair, and Naruto ensuring Jinx was behind him raised both hands up with purplish static wafting from his skin and as the blades got close were slightly pushed of course by an invisible force that caused the blades to veer off and go around Naruto and Jinx as a near translucent bubble covered the pair of them. The blades found them stabbing themselves deep into the opposing wall.
The clones then collapsed as if their maker had just died.
Still on high alert the pair went toward the where the sneaky one was hiding, and they came across a jester pinned to the wall with a javelin in his chest and a bullet hole in his head.
What drew concern was the writing on the wall in black blood it was written.
'You brats get round one, but I'll be back, you damned punks.'
Jinx and Naruto both read before they shrugged and drew their pistols and aimed at the so-called corpse.
Their faces revealed malicious and wild grins before unloading two more shots each before glancing at each other.
"Always remember to double tap." The said in time before Naruto ripped his sword free.
"I'm spent," Jinx said as she holstered her weapons and began to walk with the blonde toward the exit.
As they made it outside they saw the destroyed lot, along buildings blown to hell.
"On the plus we've boomed the construction business." Naruto chuckled as he looked at the levelled area.
"You think this is why Silco said cut loose… because we are in another turf."
"I mean it makes sense." Naruto responded with a shrug. "The old man better pay us well for this."
Jinx arched a brow.
"What?! Do you know how much explosives and bullets we spent over the last three days."
Jinx just smiled and shook her head.
"Take me home, foxy."
"You got legs…" Naruto snipped before he spotted Jinx's wild eye. "Man I bet Margot's girl wouldn't ask for a ride." the blonde muttered before freezing in place, he turned his head slightly only to see an insane blood thirsty grin plastered across her face 'Oh shit, why do I open my mouth.' He thought before shifting into a fox and making a mad dash with Jinx hot on his tail.
"Get back here foxy and take this skinning like a man!"
"Don't wanna!" Naruto yipped back.
The surviving residents began to creep out of their secure spaces and watched as the chaotic natural disaster that is Naruto and Jinx leave their part of town with a relief before looking at the destruction and death that litter the streets.
These three days would be later known as the War of Clowns and Bullets by the South side residents of the Lanes.
The END
A.N.
OK chapter complete..
Lemme know what ya think...
Shaco a nightmare clown who will be recurring until i wanna kill him
Naruto will be showing off his actual weapon next chapter as it will starting canon timeline post s1 episode 3 but we may visit that time again with Naruto being apart of the crew just mainly as a fox.
currently its been 4 years since Vi left
Jinx - 15
Naruto - 16
Margot new Lieutenant is actually in the series - Lest is going to have a slightly bigger role.
Tried to intersect the backstory into the narrative
Mainly to break up the Naruto boxing scene better let me know how that worked
Only three locations but a lot of ground covered
IF people can't picture Naruto in his youth think Appa in a circus from ATLA wihc Lycan collars from the Underworld series.
Will be doing Jinx's voices soon there is a reason we haven't seen any yet, i promise its not laziness.
Also finished s2 now and conflicted-
the pacing was deffo Odd and fuck Maddie, god how she got taken out chefs kiss i ain't cheered so hard.. character gave me the ick from jump.
Overall I enjoyed S2 and Ekko really is the Boy Saviour and the sound track killed ngl and i'm a hip hop head but some of the punk stuff was really good. Mel ngl kind felt Mary Sueish but but i still liked the character Caitlyn/Vi drama was hard for me to care but then it lead to bare knuckle VI whose design i really liked.
Im probz gonna keep some endings the same but others fuck no if you know you know... (Not gonna spoil)
Jinx was goated but she got her ass kicked a lot in that season.
Warwick if you know you know and let us not forget a goat such as iron jaw for being jobber of the decade for losing to the same person three times (probzz more)
Anyways till next time...
Stay Chilling Y'all