CHAPTER 3: RETURN TO RUNETERRA
PILTOVER: ACADEMY GROUNDS: James Lab:
The 30 year old James Talis, looked at his sickly wife, Luna, playing with their baby Julian. Julian had her green eyes and black hair coloring. Her smile as well. James was also sure when the boy grew up he would have her fighter spirit.
His eyes grew sad watching the mother and son play together. She was fighting for her life, in fact she was supposed to be dead already. James felt useless as he tried to force himself to think of any possible way to save her.
They exhausted any and all resources here, and he was pouring back into his research on other worlds. Maybe something there could save her life. Some magic or science from another world. He ran his fingers through his hair. His mother had asked him to come home many times but the man refused to leave the lab. It had gotten to the point that his wife, Luna, had brought their son, Julian, and practically moved into the small space.
It was later that night after tinkering with his new alchemaic invention, the Nexus Crystal, that he wished he just enjoyed his family. As a bright light engulfed him, and his wife called out trying to get to him.
Luna stared at the empty space her husband was just moments before, her heart pounding in her chest. The lab was eerily silent now, save for baby Julian's soft coos.
"James?" she called out, her voice trembling. "James, where are you?"
There was no response. Luna clutched Julian tighter to her chest, her eyes darting around the lab frantically. The Nexus Crystal James had been working on lay on the floor, pulsing with an otherworldly blue light.
Luna's mind raced. She had always known James' obsession with other realms was dangerous, but she never imagined it would lead to this. With shaking hands, she reached for the communication device on James' desk.
"Jayce," she said urgently when her brother-in-law answered. "Something's happened to James. He's... he's gone."
Within minutes, the lab was swarming with Academy officials and enforcers. Luna sat in a corner, clutching baby Julian as she recounted what had happened to a grim-faced Jayce.
"He was working on the Nexus Crystal," she explained, her voice barely above a whisper. "There was a flash of light, and then... he was just gone."
Jayce ran a hand through his hair, his brow furrowed in concern. "I warned him about messing with interdimensional energies. It's too unstable, too unpredictable."
Luna's eyes flashed with a mixture of fear and determination. "We have to find a way to bring him back, Jayce. Julian needs his father."
Jayce nodded, his mind already racing through possibilities. "I'll do everything I can, Luna. But this... this is beyond anything we've dealt with before."
PILTOVER: TALIS HOUSE: Luna's Bedroom
Luna knew her time was coming any day now, she felt weak. Her son, Julian was now almost 4. A whole year and a half had passed since James disappeared and most people gave up on him ever returning, instead turning him into a story to warn other scientists of the danger of uncareful experimentation.
Silent tears fell down Luna's face as she watched her son play on the free spot of her bed. The moonlight fluttered in through the open window as she rested her eyes.
Hearing her son's screeching laugh as well as a monstrous laugh in reply, Luna's eyes shot open in worry. Seeing a shadowy wolf thing swirling around her son. The wolf wore a white lamb looking mask. And standing at the foot of her bed was a humanoid looking lamb with a bow, a black wolf mask adorning her face. The Kindred, death has come for her.
Luna's heart raced as she gazed upon the ethereal figures of Kindred, the embodiment of death itself. The Lamb stood silently at the foot of her bed, while the Wolf playfully circled young Julian, who seemed unaware of the gravity of the situation.
"It's time, isn't it?" Luna whispered, her voice barely audible.
The Lamb nodded solemnly. "Your thread has reached its end, Luna Talis."
Luna's eyes filled with tears as she looked at her son, still laughing and reaching out to touch the Wolf's misty form. "But what about Julian? He's so young... he needs me."
The Lamb's voice was gentle but firm. "All must face their end, regardless of what they leave behind. It is the way of things."
Luna tried to sit up, her weakened body protesting the movement. "Please."
Luna struggled, reaching out towards Julian. The boy seemed oblivious to the supernatural presence, giggling as he tried to catch the Wolf's misty tail. The Wolf's growling laughter filled the room. The wolf-like creature darted playfully around Julian, eliciting delighted squeals from the boy.
"I'm not ready," Luna pleaded. "There's still so much I need to do, to teach him."
The Wolf's growling came as the response. "None are ever truly ready," it said, voice like gravel. "But your time has come all the same."
Luna felt her strength fading rapidly. With trembling hands, she pulled Julian close, breathing in his scent one last time. Tears fell silently as she whispered, "I love you, my sweet boy. Be brave. Be kind. And know that your father and I will always care about you even if we can not physically be here for you."
The Lamb approached, her steps silent on the wooden floor. "It need not be painful," she said softly. "Will you accept my arrow, or do you prefer the Wolf's chase?"
Luna looked at her son once more, then back at the Lamb. With a shaky breath, she nodded. Still worried about what would happen to Julian, Luna gazed bravely into lamb's face, "I accept your arrow but what if..." Luna's voice cracked, and she swallowed hard before continuing. "What if I could offer you something in exchange for the two of you to guide my son?"
The Wolf's ears perked up at this, and he paused in his play with Julian to turn towards Luna. The Lamb remained still, but there was a subtle shift in her posture that suggested interest.
The Lamb tilted her head slightly, considering Luna's words. "What could you possibly offer us, mortal, that would be worth such a task?"
Luna's mind raced. She knew she had precious little to bargain with, but for Julian, she would try anything. "My... my memories," she said, her voice growing stronger with determination. "All the love, joy, and hope I've experienced in my life. The pain and sorrow too. A lifetime of human experiences, freely given."
The Wolf growled, circling closer. "Memories? What use do we have for mortal memories?"
But the Lamb raised a hand, silencing her counterpart. "Interesting," she mused. "It has been long since we tasted the full spectrum of mortal emotion. And your offer is... unique."
Luna nodded eagerly, hope blossoming in her chest. "Please. I just want to know that my son will be watched over, that he won't be alone."
The Lamb and Wolf exchanged a long look, communicating silently. Finally, the Lamb turned back to Luna.
"Very well," she said. "We accept your offer. Your memories, freely given, in exchange for our guidance of your son. We will watch over him, though he may not always know it."
The Wolf growled softly. "The boy will not see us, not as you do now. But we will be there, in the shadows and the light, at every crossroads of his life."
Relief washed over Luna. "Thank you," she whispered.
The Lamb approached, placing a gentle hand on Luna's forehead. "Close your eyes," she instructed softly.
Luna complied, feeling a strange sensation as her memories began to flow out of her. Flashes of her life played before her mind's eye - her childhood, meeting James, the joy of Julian's birth, and everything in between.
PILTOVER: ACADEMY GROUNDS: Jayce Talis Apartment
Vivid green eyes met hers as Powders eyes grew wide with shock as the little four year old before her was replaced by a 10 year old who seemed covered in blood and bruises. The dark circles under his bloodshot eyes showed his tiredness. As her sister Vi, and two friends yelled at her to run with them as they jumped out the window,without thinking she grabbed the boy's hand and pulled him with her. Just as Julian saw his Uncle in the doorway, hand on his head as if dizzy staring off at their retreat.
On the floor of the balcony, Powder gasps and groans from inhaling the smoke from the explosion, Claggor and Mylo grunts from the impact the blast. Suddenly, Violet checks on the rest of her group, before they all start to hear cracks in the ground on the other side of the balcony, turning to see what the hell was going on the young 10 year old Julian saw the building break with a loud crack of lightning coming from the impacting glass. The group tried to hold their footing from the shaking.
"Hold on!" Vi grunted as the now blast-damaged building began to crumble apart. In the distance below two Enforcer officers, watched the chaos unfold.
"Whoa! Look out!" One yelled out as debris began to fall on the ground from three floors from the inventor's apartment.
Looking up the other enforcer yelled, "Hey." Getting the attention of his partner before pointing up at the now 5 kids above them.
"Shit." Vi let out as Julian side eyed her with a raised eyebrow. The 3 older kids had appraised him suspiciously here and there but with all the chaos apparently chose to ignore him until a later time, While Powder, frightened but determined still gripped tightly to his hand.
Julian was in shock, unable to call out and even attempt to explain as Powder's soft hand pulled him out the window of his Uncle Jayce apartment, well what was left after the explosion that originally sent him to the lands between, but now he was back somehow. But he was still 10 and as he realized while he and the other teens ran he was running from the enforcers who probably thought he broke into the apartment with them. Shaking his head Julian ran with them. He knew he wouldn't be able to convince Jayce he was his four year old nephew much less the enforcers.
The alarm was activated blaring across Piltover, alerting the rest of the officers. The 5 of them took off running through the crowds of people down in the streets behind them pursuing them were 3 Enforcers.
"Stop right there!" An enforcer yelled out as he threw out a non lethal capture grenade, but it failed to hit any of them instead it rolled on a lamppost.
"Get them off!" Another enforcer cried out.
The 5 ran through a main square that in Piltover is known as the Zindelo's Incognium
Vi yelled back towards the group to run faster.
Powder screamed about the fact that they still were being pursued while pulling Julian, who didn't quite know where they were going.
The group arrived at a staircase where they hurried down, Vi jumped without stepping on a single step slightly impressing Julian while Mylo slipped on the stair railing.
Julian's mind raced as he ran alongside Powder and the other teens, trying to process everything that had just happened. One moment he was fighting Godrick the Grafted, and the next he was back in Piltover, years in the past but still in his 10-year-old body. The familiar sights and sounds of the city assaulted his senses, so different from the brutal world he'd left behind.
Stumbling into the main thoroughfare, Julian was engulfed by a sea of bodies. Street vendors hawking their wares, their shouts mingling with the hiss of steam vents and the distant rumble of machinery.
"Come on, keep up!" Vi shouted from the front of the group, her pink hair a blur as she led them through winding alleys and narrow streets.
Julian's muscles screamed in protest, still aching from the battle at Stormveil Castle. But the adrenaline coursing through his veins pushed him forward, his hand still clasped tightly in Powder's.
They ducked into a hidden passage, the sounds of pursuing enforcers growing farther.
"Hey! Hey!" A man called out as they pushed past.
"Look out!" A woman shouted as she too was shoved through, as they tried to escape the enforcers.
Another capture grenade landed on the ground near Powder, barely missing, causing a metallic clack.
Two more Enforcers from the traffic bridge watch as the group of 5 kids were running under before they jumped down and joined their colleagues to chase them.
"Down there! You can't get away!"
The 5 kids arrive at the point of the bascule bridge that connected between the two cities,
Julian watched as far ahead of the young Powder and himself the bridge began to open with the intention of stopping them.
Vi and the others were still miles in front of them as a bridge began raising up. Julian, thinking fast, quickly scooped up Powder into his arms, not noticing the slight dusting of a blush appearing on her face because of his actions. And in a blink of an eye he used the last bit of his energy to practically teleport forward. Bringing himself and Powder way in front of the group.
Vi glanced over surprised but happy to see Powder
"HEY!"
"Come on!" Came the shouts from behind them.
When each of the Enforcers jumped, one of them fell into the water below, not making the jump.
"This way!" Violet called out while crashinb into the wall to go through a tight alley between the building, Julian and Powder slam into it next, both him and her grunting from the impact to change direction, a few balls that the Enforcers threw towards Mylo hit the wall that he was just at a moment before as the boys managed to get through the alley as well.
Violet breaks some bronze pipes causing steam to spray out as the group entered another secret alley.
Vi runs up to a sloppy grating, grunting she opened the lid and threw it to the ground. Mylo gave the chute down a disgusted look, "Oh, man, not again."
Mylo backed away slightly. As Julian and Powded lept in first. Powder still clutching onto Julian.
Hearing Mylos complaining about his new shirt as Vi kicks him down the chute after them.
The sewer's dank air hit Julian like a wall as they plunged into darkness. The stench was overwhelming, but he'd faced worse in the Lands Between. Powder clung to him tightly as they splashed landing in the murky water.
"Who are you?" Powder whispered, her breath warm against his ear. "How did you do all that?"
Julian hesitated, unsure how to explain. "It's... complicated. I'm Julian. We've met before, sort of."
Before Powder could respond, Mylo and Claggor came sliding down the sewer hole behind them, landing in the muck below as well.
Mylo tried to wipe the shlop off him as Vi emerged as well. Mylo shot one of his complaints her way, "I thought last time was the last time we were gonna do this."
"Well this time is the last." Vi shot back.
"Guys what was that? What the hell happened back there?" Claggor asked refocusing the group, everyone turned to look at Powder who was still resting on Julian.
"I don't know! I didn't do anything!" Powder shot back at everyone else's looks.
"You can fill a damn library with all the things you didn't do." Came Mylos reply.
Vi seemed like she was about to say something her eyes on Julian before noise above them shook her mind back on the mission as she quickly shot up hearing enforcers scouring around getting closer, "This way! We're almost there!"
They emerged into a wider tunnel, dim light filtering through grates above. The group slowed, catching their breath. Vi turned to Julian, eyes narrowed with suspicion.
"Alright, spill it. Who are you and how'd you move so fast?"
Julian gently set Powder down to her disappointment as he did his best to explain.
Julian took a deep breath, trying to organize his thoughts. How could he possibly explain everything he'd been through?
"My name is Julian," he began cautiously. "I know this sounds crazy, but I'm from... well, here, but also not here. I was that little kid in the apartment you guys broke into years ago. Well I guess for you all, the apartment you just broke into."
Vi's eyes widened in recognition, then narrowed again. "That's impossible. That kid was like, four."
"I know it sounds insane," Julian said, running a hand through his blood-matted hair. "But when that hex crystal exploded, it sent me to another world. I've been there for years, training, fighting. And then suddenly, I was back here, but still... this age."
The other kids looked at him skeptically, but Powder's eyes were wide with fascination. "Is that how you moved so fast? Magic from the other world?"
"No that's From this" Julian lifted up his shirt to reveal the hex crystal embedded into his chest."
"I learned magic and spells from that world, yes, but the ability comes from this crystal that allows me to absorb and use almost anything."
Powder reached out and lightly touched it before realizing what she was doing and moved her hand away red faced.
Vi raised an eyebrow at that.
Julian felt a tingle of warmth where Powder had touched the hex crystal. He quickly pulled his shirt back down, feeling his own face flush slightly.
Vi stepped forward, her stance wary but curious. "So this crystal, it gives you powers? What else can you do?"
Julian hesitated, unsure how much to reveal. "I can absorb energy and use it in different ways. Magic, strength, speed. But it takes a lot out of me."
Mylo, scoffed. "Sounds like a load of-"
A distant shout echoed through the tunnels, cutting him off. The enforcers were still searching.
"We can talk more later," Vi said, her voice tense. "Right now, we need to get to the Lanes. Can you keep up?"
Julian nodded, pushing aside his exhaustion.
And with that they took off again. Powder yet again slipped her hand into his with a comforting squeeze and together they ran off to get lost into the crowd. As they led him deeper into Zaun's winding streets, Julian felt a mix of trepidation and hope. He was back, finally. And maybe, just maybe, he'd found a way home.
Julian was able to somewhat zone out as they began to more calmly walk.
That turned out to be a mistake as a few people began to surround them apparently looking to take the loot off from the group.
"Nice haul?"
"You could say that." Mylo replied to the guy hands behind his head trying to act nonchalant.
Blond-haired thug replied back, "I heard there was some action across the river."
The group of them stopped. Julian took notice of the many other young teens around them, seemingly watching and listening.
Blond-haired thug continued on, playing with a coin in his left hand. "Someone, uh, someone really kicked the nest, huh?"
"Is that so?" Violet replied before turning back to continue on with the group copying her actions. Julians instincts from his times in The Lands screaming at him that this was an ambush. Gripping Powder's hands tightly for a second.
She glanced up at him in concern before seeing his eyes squinted darting around at all the people shifting around them. The group had been surrounded.
"But now you're, you're tracking this mess of yours through my streets."
'Your streets? What makes you think–"
Claggor sensing where this was going quickly interrupted Vi while slowly approaching the blonde guy. "Listen, we don't want any trouble, okay?"
Another teen laughed, Julian glanced at the shaved thug, "Hear that, Deckard? They don't want any trouble."
Blondie, or as he was apparently called, Deckard replied, "You know, in my experience, trouble finds you. There's no reason this has to get ugly. How about you share a little taste of your treasure there and we'll call it even?"
"No, no, no. We worked too hard to…" Mylo immediately tried to shoot down the idea, but Violet interrupted him. She walked forward toward Deckard.
Violet stood facing Deckard, with an apparent downward glance, and responds menacingly. "Just a taste?"
Deckard looked down at her with a smirk, "Just a–" Violet slams the bag full of items into the boys face causing him to howl out in pain and fall to the ground. Julian quickly getting into a stance trying to put Powder behind him, causing her to shoot him an annoyed look.
Violet throws the sack of loot at Powder quickly. In an instant fighting broke off around them and Julian lost Powder in the chaos. She began to panic looking to see her sister too busy fighting and she couldn't find the boy, Julian, either.
Deckard gets up, the shaved teen attacks Mylo and tackles him to the ground.
Mylo fought hard as well taking the beatings. Claggor charged into the fray and lifted up another thug without difficulty and threw him to the ground, and then kicked him.
Powder looked around from behind Julian as he did his best to stay and protect her. She didnt want his help, she wanted to fight, but she was grateful at the same time because despite what she wanted to do she was afraid she felt, paralyzed. She let out a soft whimper as another guy tackled Julian from the side pushing away from his spot of defense.
Powder watched with wide eyes as Julian threw tackled and fought off 3 others less focused on them and more on getting back to her.
Vi blocks a frontal attack from Deckard, they both grunt, she pushes him but he responded by a left, Violet takes the blow, spittle splashing out of her mouth.
Powder watches fearfully away from the fight. Mylo was still taking the beating from the shaved thug, but with a right hand he got a good hit in and was able to get the guy off of him.
Mylo stood up and raised his fist to hit the shaved thug hard onto the ground.
Powder watching this hugs the sack of loot in terror, falling to the ground. Claggor held one thug by his thick arm around the thugs neck, and knocked down the other with a hard kick. Then Claggor overpowers one of the henchmen and throws him to the ground.
Powder whips her head to Julian as three people were on the ground desperately trying to pull Julian down with them. As one was sent knocked out with a gut punch.
One of the older teens who Claggor had sent to the ground, began to get back up grumbling in pain, focused his attention on Powder.
She watched as the guy wheezed while staring at her before fulling standing and come at her so she took off running.
Julian's eyes widened in alarm. He needed to get to Powder. Julian looked at the 15 rival teens before him and smirked, his magic and super abilities might be drained and it seemed he couldn't reach the same level in this world even if he was not, but he could easily beat them.
Julian's voice cut through the air, a blend of Piltover authority and Zaun street grit. "Back off. Now." Noticing the boys just closing in, not taking the young 10 year old seriously, he smiled.
With that Julian joined the fight.
Meanwhile, Mylo counters the shaven-headed thug who returned one of the attacks, snarling in front of the exchange of the beatings; on the other hand, Violet moans and coughs from Deckard's low blow that was checked by a hook upwards, leaving Violet in the rubble, only to retake with an attack that allows him to throw and grab Deckard's arm with full force, feeling an intense howl of pain and throws her into the same rubble, and finishes him off with a strong kick that destroys the rubble box with Deckard's body, Violet spits on the ground, wounded in her right eyebrow.
As Claggor and Mylo got rid of the people attacking them Mylo piped up cheerfully, "This day's turning out all right after all."
Deckard stands up to pull out a handmade tin knife. "Wait!"
"Wanna see how that ends?"
Deckard desperately tries to restrain himself in fear before Violet reacts to the threat, who is approaching the tip of the knife of the defeated thug in front with a look of rage and intimidation.
Deckard drops his weapon, feeling frightened of his defeat, picks it up and walks away, running out of the scene.
Violet looked around, "Where's Powder?" Before turning around and seeing Julian handling the rest of the thugs.
Julian's fists flew with practiced precision, each strike honed from countless hours of training with Dane. The street thugs, expecting an easy target, were caught off guard by his skill. He ducked under a wild swing, countering with a sharp jab to the attacker's solar plexus. As the man doubled over, Julian used the momentum to flip him into two of his companions.
Vi, fighting nearby, glanced over with a mixture of surprise and approval. "Not bad, new kid!" she called out, before headbutting another assailant.
But Julian's focus was elsewhere. Through the chaos of the brawl, he caught a glimpse of Powder's blue hair disappearing down an alley. Without hesitation, he broke away from the fight, sprinting after her.
Only for his path to be blocked by three others. Julian was getting irritated. Not even 30 of these brats would be able to touch him.
Julian was fighting on a level that even Vi, Mylo, and Clagger just stood watching shocked
Julian's movements were a blur, his body flowing with a grace and precision that seemed impossible for someone his age. The three thugs who had blocked his path barely had time to register what was happening before they were on the ground, groaning in pain.
"Holy shit," Mylo whispered, his eyes wide with disbelief.
Vi nodded, equally stunned. "He wasn't kidding about that training."
But Julian paid them no mind. His focus was singular: find Powder. He dashed down the alley where he'd seen her disappear, his heart pounding with worry. The maze-like streets of the Lanes stretched out before him, filled with potential dangers for a young girl on her own.
As he ran, Julian reached out with his senses, trying to tap into the residual energy from the hex crystal. It was faint, but he could feel a slight pull, guiding him through.
Only to race into Powder running right into his chest, Julian wrapped his arms around Powder protectively as she collided with his chest. Her small frame was shaking, but she seemed unharmed.
"You're okay," he murmured, relief washing over him. "I've got you."
Powder looked up at him, her eyes wide and brimming with unshed tears. "I-I threw the bag away," she stammered. "I'm sorry, I just wanted to get away from them."
Julian shook his head, giving her a reassuring smile. "You did the right thing. Your safety is more important than any loot."
Mylo caught up to them, his face twisted in anger. "You did what?! Do you have any idea how much that stuff was worth?"
Before Julian could intervene, Vi appeared, placing a firm hand on Mylo's shoulder. "Enough. She's safe, that's what matters."
"Not bad, crystal boy," she said, a hint of newfound respect in her voice. "Maybe you're not completely useless after all."
Julian allowed himself a small smile. "Thanks... I think."
The complaints from Mylo kept coming as the group arrived outside a deserted house, Julian glanced back to see an annoyed Mylo and embarrassed Powder.
"I'm sorry. I tried to fight him off with Mouser, but... she didn't work."
Mylo rolled his eyes, "Who saw that coming?"
Claggor added, "We never should have gone over there."
Vi approached Powder, "Doesn't matter. The stuff's gone." She patted her younger sister on the shoulder in disappointment. "It's all right, Powder. At least you're okay."
"Okay?! What about us?" Mylo carried on As Violet opened the door to the abandoned house, "I get my face bashed in, and she just gets a pass?"
Vi and Julian answer simultaneously as the group enters the abandoned house, "Yup."
The abandoned house contained a secret elevator, activated by a lever. Mylo looks at a chagrined Powder.
"Every time. Every time she comes, something goes wrong." He leaned close to Powder's ear, "She jinxes every job." At Powder's look, Julian glared at Mylo, finding himself not liking the guy much as he re-grabbed the girl's hand and pulled her more towards him.
Vi, also getting annoyed, shot out, "Just drop it, Mylo."
As the elevator descended Julian got his first look at the Undercity.
Vi puts up her hood of her sweater leading them all to there destination. The elevator arrives in the commercial street of the place surrounded by many people Julian saw as he looked around at all the merchants, bums, and foreigners.
Mylo took advantage of a sleeping merchant at a free fair to steal a fruit.
Violet continued walking in front of them all, depite it all Julians head seemed to be on a swivel trying to take in everything as they passed an ambulant from outside the city muttering , then weird specimens with cages of small creatures, a vendor of bladed weapons and knives.
Julians young eyes went a bit wide at the brothel which Claggor turned away from the dreadfulness of the place, at the same time a pantless drunk man is brought out of the same brothel caused by a quarrel inside it.
"Come on, get out of here! You gotta pay!" came a shout from a brothel woman.
Julian did not know where to even focus on as he drunk in all the sights much to Powder's amusement as she kept giggling.
ZAUN: THE LAST DROP: Vanders Residence
First they got Julian cleaned up for introductions. As Vi took Powders hand and led Julian and the rest to their final stop, a bar, The Last Drop. Entering in the building Julian immediately saw the one known as Vander in a convo as the group passed through.
A Feline-eyes sailor girl picks up Vander's pipe to smoke, but ends up coughing, "This is vile." She returns the pipe to Vander.
"You'll learn to love it." Vander replied before noticing that the 5 kids had arrived at the bar. Violet looked away from Vander in the crowd of customers. Vander decided to leave his consumers from the table with the following welcome message, "Welcome to the Lanes."
Below the bar, in their respective room shared between the 2 girls, the boys room being down the hall yet they all squeezed into Vis and Powders at the moment. with the lights on in the lamp on the table, Violet sits on the main couch exhausted and exhaled from the bad day, Claggor grunts from the beating hours ago and threw his glasses on the table, Mylo also grunts from the pain and settled in as he left his feet on the table, Powder hugs her own leg out of anguish to be in a fetal position resting near Julian making sure he felt okay as well.
"Vander learns none of this." Vi told them all.
Mylo, with irony, replied, "No worries there. Powder took care of the evidence."
"I tried, okay? You don't get it. You're older, you're bigger. It, it isn't fair."
"So stick with us! Take a punch or two." Julian was about to snap and it was only Powder squeezing his arm feeling him tensing up that stopped him.
Suddenly, the door opens revealing Vander who is looking at the group of them. There was laughter in the crowd in the distance before Vander shut the door behind him, "Everyone all right?"
"Never better." Mylo replied.
"Good. I don't suppose you can explain why it is that I'm hearing about an explosion and a foot chase topside? Five children fleeing the scene."
Vander stopped near Violet. "What the hell were you thinking?"
"That we can handle a real job."
"A real job?"
"We got our own tip, planned a route, nobody even saw." Vi argued.
"You blew up a building."
"That wasn't…"
"Did you even stop to think about what could have happened to you? Eh? To them?" Violet reflects on that day's actions and may have caused an unintended consequence of her actions. Vander sighs with an expression of desperation before noticing the fifth member a face of a young boy he did not recognize.
Julian stood nervously before Vander, acutely aware of the imposing man's scrutiny. The cleanup had helped, but he still felt disheveled and out of place. Vander's eyes moved between Julian and Powder, then settled on Vi with a questioning look.
"And who might this be?" Vander asked, his deep voice resonating through the room.
Vi stepped forward, placing a hand on Julian's shoulder. "This is Julian. He... helped us out of a tight spot. He's got some unique talents."
Vander's eyebrow raised further. "Talents, you say? Care to elaborate, young man?"
Julian swallowed hard, feeling the weight of everyone's gaze. He glanced at Powder, who gave him an encouraging nod.
"Sir," Julian began, straightening his posture, "I have abilities that are... difficult to explain. But"
Julian went into detail about his past and his grueling training. To the shock of everyone around him. Vander knew this boy saw more bloodshed than even he did.
Then Julian spoke about the Tarnished Julian's voice grew somber as he spoke of the Tarnished. "He found me when I first arrived in that world, just a scared little boy. He took me in, trained me, and became like a father to me. We fought side by side against horrors you couldn't imagine."
Vander listened intently, his expression unreadable. The others in the room were silent, hanging on Julian's every word.
"The last thing I remember," Julian continued, "was fighting alongside him against a monstrous being called Godrick the Grafted. There was an explosion of energy, and suddenly... I was back here."
Powder's hand found Julian's, squeezing it gently. He gave her a grateful smile before turning back to Vander.
"I know it sounds impossible," Julian said. "But I swear to you, every word is true."
Vander studied Julian for a long moment, his eyes sharp and assessing. Finally, he spoke, his voice gruff but not unkind. "I've seen and heard many strange things in my time, boy. Your tale... it's beyond anything I could have imagined."
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Yet, I see no deceit in your eyes. And your actions today, protecting these kids, speak volumes."
Vander's gaze shifted to where Julian and Powder's hands were intertwined. A hint of a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"It seems you've made quite an impression already," he said, nodding towards their linked hands. Powder blushed slightly but didn't let go.
He turned to Vi. "And you vouch for him? For his abilities?"
Vi nodded firmly. "I saw him fight, Vander. He moves like nothing I've ever seen. And that thing in his chest..." She gestured to Julian's hex crystal. "It's real. It's powerful."
Vander sighed heavily, running a hand through his graying hair. "Very well. Julian, you're welcome to stay here, at least for now. But understand this - I won't have any trouble. No using these... abilities of yours unless absolutely necessary. We keep a low profile down here in the Lanes. Understood?"
Julian nodded solemnly. "Yes, sir. I understand. Thank you for your hospitality."
Nodding at Julian, Vander turned back to Vi staying silent for a moment.
Vander stood, his imposing figure filling the room. "Alright then. Claggor, show him where he can bunk down. And all of you, get some rest. It's been a long day. Vi stay here I need to speak to you."
As the group filed out of the room, Powder lingered behind, her hand still in Julian's. She looked up at him, her eyes filled with a mix of curiosity and something else Julian couldn't quite place. Julian's eyes met Powder's, and he felt a spark of connection. She grinned up at him, her blue hair catching the dim light of the hideout. Before she glanced back at the sulking Vi and the seemingly tired Vander as she closed the door behind them giving the two privacy.
"C'mon," Powder tugged at his hand. "I wanna show you something."
As they moved to a quieter corner, Julian noticed the intricate gadgets strewn across a workbench. Powder's eyes lit up as she picked up a small, metallic contraption.
"This is my latest project," she beamed, her fingers deftly manipulating the device. "It's supposed to create a smoke screen, but I can't get the mixture right."
"Star shards from the Lands Between probably would have helped, I'm not as good at crafting as The Tarnished tho." Julian said looking at all her brilliant ideas slightly surprised at her ingenuity.
"Will you tell me more about your adventures?"
Julian laughed and agreed.
He definitely felt like he couldn't say no but Vi apparently had other ideas. Vi and Vander had finished up their chat.
"Not tonight powder let the boy sleep sounds like he has been through a lot his past few nights. C'mon I'll show you your room which is the farthest from Powders." Vi gave a soft punch to Julian's arm in a friendly manner while Powder rolled her eyes not quite getting the joke but knowing there was one.
Julian was grateful for the small room he was given. The bed, although not soft by most standards, was softer than anything Julian can remember sleeping on in the Lands between. As his exhaustion took over he dreamt of The Tarnished, of Dane, of Selene, sword fighting with Rellana, and Dragon hunting with Yura
Julian awoke with a start, his heart racing. The familiar surroundings of his small room in Vander's hideout slowly came into focus, grounding him back in this new reality. He took a deep breath, trying to shake off the lingering images of his dream - the Tarnished's face, Dane's gruff voice, the heat of dragon fire.
Sunlight filtered through the grimy window, indicating it was well into the morning. Julian stretched, his muscles still aching from yesterday's events. As he sat up, his hand instinctively went to the hex crystal embedded in his chest. It pulsed faintly, a constant reminder of his journey.
A soft knock at the door caught his attention. "Julian?" Powder's voice called out tentatively. "Are you awake?"
"Come in," he replied, quickly pulling on a shirt.
The door creaked open, as Julian quickly tried to fix his messy black hair. Powder met Julian's deep green eyes.
"Vander says he wants to take you and Claggor on a mission."
Julian's eyebrows raised in surprise. "A mission? Already?"
Powder nodded, a mix of excitement and worry in her eyes. "Vi says it's just a simple job, but..." She trailed off, biting her lip.
Julian stood up, stretching his still-sore muscles. "But you're worried," he finished for her.
Powder nodded again. "It's just... you just got here, and you're still recovering, and..." She looked down at her feet. "I don't want anything to happen to you."
Julian felt a warmth spread through his chest at her concern. He stepped closer, gently lifting her chin so she met his eyes. "Hey, it's okay. I've faced much worse than anything Zaun can throw at me. I'll be fine."
Powder's cheeks flushed slightly at the contact. "Promise?"
"Promise"
ZAUN: BENZO'S SHOP
The mission itself turned out not to be difficult at all. It was a simple trip to a guy named Benzo. Ekko and Julian became fast friends.
That's how the days began to flow. Vander started sending Julian on more and more missions. In his free time he could be found telling Powder stories of his adventures in the Lands Between or Powder telling Julian different legends from her world, she moved onto the Noxian myths and legends when she ran out of the ones from her own city. One of his favorites being the aspect of death from the land of Noxus known as Kindred, the lamb and the wolf.
He smiled as he remembered Powders story telling, "There was once a pale man with dark hair who was very lonely, all things must meet this man so they shunned him. He took an axe and split himself in two. Right. Down. The middle. So he would always have a friend…" The idea that even death was lonely it resonated with the boy. Pretty soon becoming a game he would play with Powder the wolf and the lamb as they would chase each other around the room laughing with the promise of always being there for one another.
If he wasn't doing anything else Julian could be found running around hanging out with Ekko.
The group of them Vi, Claggor, Mylo, Julian, Powder and occasionally Ekko would spend the passing days together.
Whether it was simply walking around the lanes with Powder dancing around in front of the group leading them with a smile.
Sometimes a group of them would watch Vi demonstrate her fighting as she did her best to teach everyone. To which Powder would excitedly drag Ekko and Julian later on trying, and not quite getting. Giggling when Ekko tried and fell.
But each day the trio trained and broke away a bit more from Vi and her group, to which she smiled slightly. Glad Powder was finding her own group.
To the nights they went to go eat fish together at one of the food stalls, Powder playing with her food making jokes as Julian laughed. Vi stuffing her face.
To the times at Vanders where Julian and Powder would jump around or work on her inventions.
One day the kids were hanging out and taking up residence in what appeared to be an abandoned arcade, marking it as an ideal spot to "lay low" since enforcers "never" come down there. However, Marcus and a team of enforcers arrive just outside and begin questioning locals about the children. One man spits on Marcus's shoe, prompting the enforcers to violently throw him through the stained glass wall of the arcade. When Marcus sees the children within, he orders them searched. Mylo taunts the enforcers, claiming that their search will be fruitless, but Powder anxiously clutches the pouch of hex crystals at her side, attracting the attention of Marcus. Claggor flips the light switch, darkening the arcade as the children begin their escape. After a brief altercation, they flee out the back door, only to find themselves surrounded in the alley. Luckily, Ekko appears, offering a ladder leading up into a dark passageway. The kids kick down the ladder behind them, with Vi and Powder agreeing that they need to hide the crystals
But the enforcers kept coming to investigate Zaun. Creating a lot of unrest. Julian and Powder would run around the lanes causing slight pranks on the enforcers. Powder feeling like she wanted to live up to what her sister represented.
The violence on the street was getting worse, the patrols more often. Julian once saw Powder mime shooting one of the guards when a group of them passed by.
One night the group was even chased down by the enforcers, the group getting caught because Powder was not fast enough.
That argument that night as Vi shoved and yelled at Powder was not pretty. Powder who yearned for the days that the only fights between her and her sister were the pillow fights they used to have laughing.
The undercity was just getting worse and Powder wanted to do something, everyone wanted to. Tensions were at an all time high.
Unknown to Vander and his new friends Julian would put on a Kindred mask and with a group of other young Zaunites would fight off Enforcers, as a mini rebel group during the nights.
Julian stood on a rooftop, the Kindred mask obscuring his features as he surveyed the streets below. The night air was thick with tension, the distant sound of enforcer sirens piercing the usual cacophony of Zaun. Behind him, a group of young Zaunites huddled, their faces a mix of excitement and nervousness.
"You sure about this, Jules?" whispered Ekko, adjusting his own mask. "Vander would flip if he knew."
Julian nodded, his voice low and determined. "We can't keep letting them push us around. Someone has to stand up to them."
A flare of blue light in the distance signaled the approach of enforcers. Julian's hand instinctively went to the hex crystal in his chest, feeling its familiar warmth.
"Remember the plan," he said to the group. "We hit fast, we hit hard"
Julian looked out at all the Zaunites with him, following him. None knew each other's real face or name (besides him and Ekko) so betrayal would be impossible.
The feelings of the young teens in front of him were palpable. Their fear, their willingness to fight, the feeling that they have no other choice, the feeling of being abandoned. And most prominent the feeling of hope of following behind a leader who cares for them.
All of this gave Julian Deja vu.
Flash back:
He landed with a thud on the cold, damp earth of the lands between, the breath knocked from his lungs. The world swam into focus slowly, revealing a landscape unlike anything he had ever imagined.
Towering, skeletal trees clawed at a bruised, blood-red sky. The air was thick with the stench of decay and damp earth, a miasma of death and despair. Strange, monstrous creatures, their forms twisted and grotesque, stalked the shadows, their eyes glowing with malevolent hunger. Their guttural growls and shrieks echoed through the desolate landscape, a chilling symphony of primal fear.
The small four year old Julian was absolutely terrified.
Panic seized him. He was alone, utterly and terrifyingly alone, in a world that felt both ancient and alien. Tears welled in his eyes, blurring the already indistinct forms of the creatures that circled him, their movements unnervingly slow and deliberate. He scrambled to his feet, his small legs trembling with a mixture of fear and adrenaline. He cried out for his uncle, his voice a thin, reedy sound lost in the vast, echoing emptiness.
His cries went unanswered. The only response was the relentless advance of the grotesque creatures, their forms growing larger, more menacing with each passing moment. He stumbled through the undergrowth, desperately trying to escape their relentless pursuit, his small body a frail vessel against the monstrous power they represented. He felt a strange pull within him, a resonance with the very energy of this horrific world. The hex crystal, he realized with a chilling certainty, was somehow still within him, its power both terrifying and strangely comforting.
He ran blindly, driven by an instinct for survival that felt older than he was, older than any human memory. He stumbled, fell, and rose again, his determination fueled by a primal fear that resonated deep within his very being. He stumbled upon a crumbling, forgotten structure - a remnant of a forgotten civilization, swallowed by the relentless march of time and the encroaching blight of this cursed land. It was a sanctuary, however desolate. He found refuge within its crumbling walls, his heart pounding like a war drum against his ribs.
Days blurred into nights. Julian, fueled by a desperate hunger and the ever-present fear, scavenged for scraps of food and water, constantly vigilant against the ever-present threat of the monstrous creatures. He learned to listen to the rustling of leaves, the snap of twigs, the subtle sounds that could mean the difference between life and death.
He learned to move like a shadow, to blend into the grim landscape, to anticipate the attacks of his hunters. He was a tiny spark of life, clinging desperately to existence in a world designed to extinguish it.
He learned to harness the hex crystal's energy, a terrifying yet empowering process.
It was an involuntary reaction at first, a surge of power that instinctively shielded him from the creatures' attacks. A faint blue glow would emanate from his skin in moments of extreme duress, pushing back the
encroaching darkness with a wave of energy that could temporarily stun his aggressors.
This was his first taste of the power that the hex crystal had bestowed upon him, a power that was both a blessing and a curse, a gift wrapped in a shroud of terrible, unrelenting danger. He found he could absorb the energy of the dying, a strange, macabre power that sustained him, replenishing his own dwindling strength.
One night, huddled deep within the ruins, shivering from cold and hunger, he felt it again—the same overwhelming, pulsating energy he had encountered in his uncle's workshop. But this time, there was a difference. This was more than just the hex crystal; it was something more, a profound, resonating energy pulse that pulsed through him, not just with the brute power he had used to survive, but something akin to... guidance. He felt drawn, compelled to move towards a distant light, a beacon in the oppressive darkness, a promise of something, anything beyond this desolate landscape. He felt a flicker of hope, a fragile ember against the cold despair of this cursed world. He followed it.
His journey led him through treacherous landscapes, across fields of twisted, decaying vegetation and through forests teeming with grotesque creatures that lurked in the shadows, ready to pounce at any sign of vulnerability. He learned to fight, not with fists or weapons, but with the raw, untamed energy he was beginning to understand. He learned to use the energy, his newly-discovered power, to deflect blows, to shield himself from attacks, to even strike back with surprising force. He felt a terrifying power bloom within him, a power that frightened him as much as it empowered him.
His movements became quicker, more fluid, more efficient. His very existence seemed to be in tune with the rhythm of this brutal, unforgiving world. He learned from the very creatures that tried to kill him, adapting his defense and attack to match their brutal efficiency. He was a student of the Lands Between, learning the deadly dance of survival from the most dangerous of masters.
Then, he saw it.
A figure, silhouetted against the desolate landscape. A warrior, cloaked in somber attire, their movements fluid and powerful, an aura of silent strength surrounding them like a shield. They moved with a grace that belied the harshness of their surroundings, a predator moving through a world that it understood intimately. This was no ordinary being. This was The Tarnished. And he was about to change Julian's life forever. The Tarnished's gaze fell upon him, and in their eyes, Julian didn't see hostility, but something else. Curiosity? Recognition? A flicker of something that resonated deep within Julian himself - a shared understanding of the harsh realities of the Lands Between.
Hope, for the first time since the accident, blossomed within his small chest. He was not alone anymore. His journey was just beginning.
End Flashback
"Hey you okay man? The young Ekko shook the 10 year old out of his thoughts.
Clearing his voice Julian nodded, putting his brown wood Kindred mask in place. Glancing around at his small crew of boys barely any in the ages of double digits.
They were the next freedom fighters of Zaun even if the topside or undercity did not realize it yet.
"Let's move out," Julian said, more sure than he felt.
Every night they kept the missions short and sweet. They'd find a patrol of enforcers then use their knowledge of the undercity to divide them into groups of one and then group up on them about 5 to 1.
So despite being kids they could last long enough for Julian to rush around to help finish each one off.
Although he could only use his abilities to get from place to place not allowing the enforcers to see his abilities out of fear of one day being able to tie them to him in an investigation. Plus unlike the Lands Between, this world wasn't as saturated with ambient magic which in the previous world boosted all his physical abilities 3 fold and his magical 10 fold. Here he was just a kid.
Sure he was a kid who had the knowledge and skill of a trained warrior, and if time given he had the ability to store up enough kinetic energy to get himself to his Lands Between self for maybe about 3 minutes, 1 if he decided to use his magic. There just weren't enough sources to absorb to be able to go all out as he used to, and the sources that did exist. Well since his body wasn't covered in the constant source of energy as before, lets just say he would die on impact before he would even be able to absorb anything to keep him at his old skill level for any substantial time.
But even despite that Julian was the second best fighter in Zaun losing only to Vi and that's only because after she trained under Julian a bit she quickly learned everything Dane taught him.
Much to Julian's irritation, realizing if Vi trained under Dane she would've been a monster of a fighter. Unlike anyone the lanes have ever seen.
Although Julian did know more forms of fighting and had a better tactical mind than Vi that was for sure.
Plus he didn't want Vander to exactly know how he spent his nights defying his orders of laying low.
But the lands between made him a fighter. And the restlessness from not being able to find a way back to his Uncle Jayce or his father figure the Tarnished pushed him to put all his effort into protecting this new found family in the Undercity.
With his mind lingering on Powder, Julian took a deep breath and dived off the roof he was on down onto an enforcer below.
AN:
Answering unasked questions 2:
No, Kindred is not going to be a major character in the book 1, there are subtle hints and at the end of the book 1 you will understand more. Other than that dont expect to really see more than a whisper.
Why does Julian fall for someone so fast and vice versa. Key answer: Codependency. Powder while not yet at Jinx level has codependent issues, we see the first instance of canon divergence in characterization with Julian being added into Powders codependency along with Vi, as he lives with her while Ekko does not. (In every other universe thats a mirror to this one Jinx and Ekko are a thing and yes thats also intentional) Julians is codependency as well moreso in the area that he had put the last girl he saw on a pedestal and linked her to home as a small child, and as he grew up Powder and home became one in the same to him.