Chapter 5: Pay Up
Soon after her training session, Katarina headed back to her room, where her sister was once again waiting for her.
"Did you win?" she greeted at the door, and the assassin shot her an annoyed look.
"Why do you even wait for me?"
Cassiopeia shrugged. "Happened to be around. Why are you always so rude?"
Katarina ignored her and pushed open the door, barely resisting the urge to slam it behind her before her sister could follow. She crossed to her drawer and pulled out a small knife sharpener, flipping onto her bed and removing her knife belt. After examining each blade's edge, she selected one and ran it across the sharpener methodically. Her sister spoke through the entire process, but she tuned most of her words out.
"…and some interesting information from Heimerdinger…"
"Don't want to know," said Katarina absently, switching knives.
"Hmmph. Swain sure seemed to like it," she mused. "He made some sort of discovery about replicating matter."
"Mmm." Katarina examined a chip on one of the blade's edges with a frown. She didn't notice Cassiopeia as she crossed the room and approached her bedside table while glancing around at nothing in particular. If she had noticed, she might have taken more care to hide the icy arrow that currently sat in plain sight.
"…What's this?"
"Hmm?" Katarina looked up from her chipped knife and glanced at the arrow, now in her sister's outstretched hand.
"Wow, it's freezing…" she brought it closer to her face for examination, triggering something within Katarina, who bolted off of the bed instantly and ripped the missile from her sister's hand.
"Don't touch that!" she roared, her eyes flashing in anger as she shoved a perplexed Cassiopeia towards the door.
"That's…Ashe's?" she asked as understanding finally clicked, then gave way to more confusion. "Why on Earth do you have one of –"
"Out!" Katarina yelled, louder this time, unconsciously gripping the chipped knife in her hand.
Cassiopeia's expression was one of annoyance, but her eyes betrayed underlying fear. Although she liked to consider herself immune to her sister's frequent temper flares, a very angry Katarina could unsettle anyone, even those who were most experienced in dealing with her.
"You don't have to yell," she said evenly.
"Get the fuck out of my room, Cass," Katarina repeated, her voice dropping dangerously low, and her sister finally began moving towards the door.
"I will never understand you," she muttered under her breath as she departed, stopping in the doorway to glance over her shoulder, taking in the sight of the assassin, coiled like a spring, murder written all over her face. The serpent woman's eyes narrowed to slits, catching something in Katarina's expression that she couldn't name. The two sisters glared at each other, neither moving a muscle until Cassiopeia finally broke the stare and slithered out of the room wordlessly.
Upon her departure, Katarina let out the breath she had been holding and unclenched the fist that protectively clutched the still-cold arrow. The anger drained away immediately, replaced by discomfort. The intensity of her reaction unsettled her slightly, but she didn't let herself dwell too long on her sudden loss of temper. She wondered vaguely what sort of conclusions her sister would make and sighed, bringing the arrow closer to her face.
She hadn't examined it since she'd removed it from the tree, and she was mildly surprised to find that it hadn't melted at all since two days previously. The head of the arrow was still encased in a solid shell of frost crystals that seemed to radiate cold, and she found that if she held onto the frozen end for more than a few seconds, the chill became almost unbearable.
Curiously, she ran her left index finger briefly over the razor-sharp tip. To test it, she applied slight amount of pressure and let the point break the skin just enough to draw blood. Instantly, she regretted it.
"Shit!" she cursed as the enchantment on the arrow froze the blood in her veins, traveling up her finger and chilling the skin nearly up to the knuckle. She dropped the arrow in surprise and clutched her frostbitten digit, examining it closely.
Her skin was covered in a very delicate coating of ice crystals, and she had lost all feeling in the finger. She tried to bend the joint and found with no surprise that it wouldn't budge. After uttering several more swears under her breath, she shouldered open the bathroom door and submerged her finger under the hot water tap.
She felt nothing for several seconds, then sharp bolts of pain shot up her hand as the skin reacted to being frozen and thawed so quickly. She swore louder, but with a hint of relief as the feeling slowly returned. The skin was now deathly pale and still quite cold to the touch, but her joint was able to bend, though the movement was stiff.
With a sigh and a quick shake of her hand, Katarina returned to the foot of her bed and bent to pick up the fallen arrow that still gleamed in the light. After another moment of quiet observation, the assassin carefully tucked the missile into her drawer and locked it.
Give it to Swain, said a voice inside of her head. She stared at the lock for a long moment and nearly pulled the drawer open again before a sudden knock at the door quickly diverted her attention.
"I said go away!" she ripped the door open with the intent of yelling at her sister, but froze when she instead came face-to-face with the perplexed figure of the Frost Archer, who took several hasty steps away from the door.
Katarina stared at her for half a second, stunned. Her wits returned to her a moment later and she grabbed Ashe's shoulder.
"Hey!" yelped the other woman in surprise as Katarina pulled her into the room, then stuck her head outside the door to search for witnesses. "What the -"
"You shouldn't come to the Eastern wing," muttered Katarina, relieved when she could find no one in the vicinity. She shut the door quickly and turned back to Ashe, who still looked very confused.
"Why not?" she asked.
The assassin shot her a long, loaded look that did nothing to answer Ashe's question. The silence filled between them, nearly becoming awkward until Katarina finally muttered, "Noxians don't deal well with foreigners." Though she didn't intend the words to sound like a threat, they came out with a sinister edge that would have made most people think twice about being alone in a room with a famed Noxian assassin.
Ashe, however, was not most people, and she turned away from the grim-faced woman and instead fixed her gaze on the wall above the bed, where an enormous Noxian standard hung proudly. Her expression was impossible to distinguish.
"I can take care of myself, you know." The surety in her voice caught Katarina off-guard, and her mind was bombarded with a series of conflicting images. She saw Ashe in battle, gripping her taut bow with a certain deadly grace. She saw her in training, surrounded by targets that were coated in a deadly layer of ice. She saw her in the dark, collapsed on the ground and struggling to regain her breath. I'm not so certain, thought the assassin, but she kept the words to herself.
"Besides," Ashe continued, cutting into the lengthy silence, "I have faith in the League's protections. No one will attack me here."
Katarina wasn't sure, but she may have detected some hidden bitterness in the archer's tone. She shook her head and sat back on her bed, re-arranging the knives that still lay there. "That isn't my concern."
Ashe turned to her with a slight smirk on her face. She approached the bed and watched as Katarina organized her blades. "Afraid to be seen with me?" she asked softly.
The assassin shook her head absently, sliding each weapon back in place methodically.
"Why are you 'concerned?'"
Katarina felt unsettled, hearing the same question she'd silently been asking herself. "Why are you here?" she countered, slipping the last knife into place and turning back to the archer, taking care to keep her expression stoic.
Ashe's smirk morphed into a sly grin. "You owe me, remember?"
Katarina answered her question with a look of confusion before suddenly remembering the results of her unfortunate bet. "Fuck," she growled, slapping a hand to her face.
"Don't think you're backing out of this," said Ashe, taking hold of Katarina's hand and pulling it off of her face. The assassin jumped at the touch, startled by the severe temperature difference. Most of her hand was enveloped in the chill given off by Ashe's skin, but her frozen index finger felt warm on contact.
The Frost Archer seemed to notice the difference as well, and she kept hold of Katarina's hand, pulling it closer into the air between them, her face a mask first of surprise, then of realization. The Noxian tolerated the examination for a moment before embarrassment got the better of her, and she pulled her hand from Ashe's grip, unable to meet the other woman's eyes.
"How did you –"
"It's nothing," interrupted Katarina, turning towards the door. "Let's go get this over with," she said quickly to change the subject. After a moment of internal deliberation, Ashe seemed to let the matter slide.
Katarina opened her door and glanced down each end of the hallway, signaling Ashe to stay back as she did so, which caused the archer to roll her eyes.
"Is that really necessary?"
"Yes," replied Katarina when she judged the coast to be clear. "I told you, Noxians don't trust foreigners." She signaled Ashe to follow her out into the corridor.
"I see," said the archer, following Katarina. Despite her previous words, she did slip her cowl over her head as she walked. "And you?" The question came after a moment of not entirely comfortable silence.
The other woman frowned at her words, not liking the way they twisted her stomach into knots. She gave a sideways glance at the other woman beside her, noting that her bruise was starting to fade. Ashe met her gaze with a guarded expression, her bright blue eyes seeming to harden under Katarina's watch.
The Noxian forced a small smile. "Am I supposed to trust someone who comes to my door and drags me away to kiss voidlings?" she joked, hoping that Ashe wouldn't notice that had failed to answer the question.
The Frost Archer let out a soft chuckle but gave no reply. A moment later, the two of them left the East wing and entered the central corridor, giving Katarina a brief flicker of relief. When they reached the doors of the dining hall, Ashe turned to face her. "You aren't so bad, you know," she said softly, "for a Noxian."
The last comment gave Katarina pause, but she had no time to consider it properly. The doors had opened to the half-filled dining hall and Ashe was already crossing to a large counter stacked with piles of hamburger bags.
"Where are we going?" asked Katarina with a hint of dread as she caught up, glancing around at the nearby tables. It was common knowledge that Kog'Maw was banned from the main dining area.
"Getting some bait," answered Ashe, grabbing a bag off of the counter and turning back to the Noxian with a smile that faded the instant she had turned around. Her eyes fixed on something over Katarina's shoulder. The assassin followed her gaze, swearing under her breath when she locked eyes with Tryndamere.
"What the hell are you doing with my wife?" growled the barbarian in a low, dangerous voice, his furious look nearly pinning Katarina to the wall. The Noxian glared right back, but said nothing. Her silence seemed to infuriate him. "I asked you a question."
"Tryndamere," interjected Ashe, her tone filled with ice, "Control yourself."
The man directed his anger towards her, abandoning his low growl in favor of booming yell that turned several nearby heads. "Are you serious? You're telling me to control myself? Do you even know anything about this bitch? Do you have any idea..."
As he ranted, Katarina gradually felt the surrounding dining hall slip away. She watched the barbarian's quick, angry gestures as well as the hulking blade at his back. She heard only the fury in his voice.
Danger.
Her mind filled with images of Ashe crumpled on the floor at his feet, face twisted in pain.
Danger.
Her senses grew more acute, the scene before her unfolding in slow motion. Her killer instincts activated.
I'm going to kill him. The thought was completely calm and seemed perfectly rational to the assassin at that moment. The image in her mind shifted, and suddenly she was back on the Fields of Justice, covered in gore, a wicked snarl on her face as she thrust her dagger straight through the man's heart while the last lingering flickers of rage died in his eyes. Katarina reached for her belt, felt the razor-sharp edge of the knife that hung there, pausing when she felt a cool hand enclose her own.
The dining hall came rushing back to her, adrenaline pounding as she stood frozen, staring at the barbarian over Ashe's shoulder. She realized that the archer had put herself between the two of them, her back to the assassin, where a distracted Tryndamere would fail to see the hand that clutched Katarina's tightly. The Noxian slowly returned to herself, grateful for Ashe's interference.
"I'll thank you not to intrude in my business," said the Frost Archer dismissively, cutting through whatever the barbarian had been saying. He stared at her heavily, hands balled into fists at his sides. Her gaze never faltered, silently daring him.
He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, a soft blue glow surrounded him and his expression grew distant for just a moment. Katarina felt Ashe breathe a soft sigh of relief in front of her, but the cold hand did not loosen its grip.
Tryndamere returned to himself and swore loudly. "Don't think I'm done with you," he said to Katarina as he reached behind him, hand closing around the hilt of his blade. The gesture was meant to be a warning, and one that Katarina would typically respond to, but the Noxian stood in grim silence before Tryndamere's image flickered into nothing.
The moment he was gone, Ashe turned to Katarina, her eyes filled with something like worry, though she said nothing. Katarina let out a breath and nodded her head, gesturing to the paper bag in Ashe's hand to change the subject. "So, will that work?"
The archer's concern faded, and she pulled her hand from the Noxian's. Slowly, a hesitant smile formed on her face. "It's food, of course it will. Come on."
"You're not really going to make me do this," groaned Katarina pleadingly.
"Don't make bets you aren't willing to lose," replied Ashe with a smirk. She passed the paper bag in her hand to the assassin, who accepted it grudgingly. In the distance, an energetic Kog'Maw frolicked in a field, happily chasing a stray butterfly.
"I'm trying not to think about it too much, Katarina muttered as she observed the voidling pause long enough to vomit.
"Good plan. Now stop stalling and go," Ashe emphasized her words with a light push of Katarina's shoulders. The other woman sighed heavily and approached the creature, who took no notice of her and continued to mindlessly chase the butterfly.
"Kog!" she called when she got close enough, but the voidling paid no attention. "Kog!" Her voice was louder this time, but Kog'Maw continued to ignore her.
"Well, I tried," she said as she shrugged, turning around to leave the field. She stopped short when a crystal arrow passed a foot in front of her face, jumping back as if she had been struck by lightning. Her gaze followed the arrow, and she glared at Ashe, who stood concealed in the trees nearby. The archer made several gestures to the bag, causing Katarina to roll her eyes and turn around.
"Food!" she called loudly, and Kog'Maw froze mid-step. Slowly, his huge head turned and he fixed Katarina with a hungry stare.
"Foooood?" he gurgled happily, eyes narrowing on the paper sack that the assassin was holding prominently in the air. "Me. Want. Meat!"
With no other warning, the voidling surged forward, barreling towards Katarina with a speed she hadn't anticipated.
"Oh, shit," whispered the assassin, standing on her toes and holding the bag higher, out of reach as the creature narrowly avoided crashing into her like a truck. "Easy!" she yelled as he leapt into the air excitedly, his entire body wagging back and forth like an energetic puppy.
"Want meat!" he repeated, a trail of green slime dripping from his open mouth.
"Get down!" Katarina snapped at the creature, and after another minute of jumping, he finally stopped and sat down at her feet, eyes never leaving the paper bag.
"Give foooood!" he whined unhappily.
"You'll get your food. But first, you have to let me…kiss you." She forced out the last two words as she watched the growing puddle of goo with disgust.
Kog tilted his head sideways, confused. "Kissss?" he gurled.
"Yes. Just…sit there for a second and don't move."
"Then food?"
"Then food."
The voilding made a series of excited clicking noises and shook himself.
"I said don't move!"
Kog'Maw froze, suddenly as still as a statue. Taking great care to keep the bag aloft, Katarina leaned closer to his gaping mouth. His putrid breath, combined with the up-close view of his gurgling slime nearly made the woman gag.
I am not kissing that.
She shifted her body and planted a feather-light kiss on the top of his head. As she started to pull away, the voildling was seized by a sudden convulsion, and a particularly large wave of slime spewed all over the unfortunate assassin. From the trees, Katarina could hear the sound of Ashe erupting into laughter. She stood perfectly still, her mind trying to erase the last several seconds from her memory. Unfortunately, the sensations did not fade.
"Food now!" yelled Kog'Maw, and Katarina felt the paper bag slip from her fingers and fall to the ground beside her. The voiding shoved his face at it with great enthusiasm and began eating, not distinguishing between the bag and the hamburger inside.
Slowly, as if in a trance, Katarina turned around and began to walk away, leaving a trail of slime in her wake. After a moment, Ashe caught up with the assassin, her amused expression morphing into a mask of sympathy as she got closer. "Are you alright?"
Katarina didn't answer.
"…Katarina?"
She stared straight ahead and kept walking.
"Hello?"
She stopped short, and Ashe followed suit, looking at the other woman with concern as she scraped a handful of goo from the thick coat that surrounded her, holding it out between the two of them. Ashe stared at the offering, confused.
Suddenly, Katarina threw the ball of slime at her, hitting the archer square in the chest. Ashe gave a yelp of surprise at the impact, staring down at her slimed clothes. Both of them stood in silence for a moment before meeting each other's gazes. Katarina bore a sly smile, while Ashe expressed a look of mild terror.
"Payback," muttered the assassin, and Ashe bolted for the Institute. Katarina gave chase, dripping slime as she went. "Get back here!"
The two of them ran through the hallways, Katarina managing to stay on Ashe's heels while the two of them passed groups of Summoners who shot them baffled looks. They kept at that pace for several minutes until Ashe nearly ran headfirst into the bemused figure of General Swain.
When she stopped, Katarina came up behind her, smile fading in an instant as the general turned his hard gaze on her. "May I have a word, please?" he said, completely ignoring Ashe, who was staring at the floor with embarrassment.
"See you later," she muttered to Katarina, turning on her heel and walking back the way they had come. Despite herself, the assassin glanced over her shoulder long enough to watch her depart, noting that her limp was now slightly more pronounced. An uncomfortable feeling stirred inside of her at the sight, and she thought vaguely that perhaps she shouldn't have made the other woman run.
Swain cleared his throat, focusing her attention back to him. He seemed to exude rays of displeasure. "Having fun?"
"Carrying out my mission," she corrected while glowering at him challengingly, as if daring him to question her.
The general snorted in response. "This is completely unlike you –"
"Don't question my methods!" she snapped, her temper growing short.
The man leaned back on his cane and looked her figure up and down. "It's somehow difficult to take you seriously looking like that."
Katarina pushed past him. "Then move aside and let me clean up," she growled under her breath.
The General watched her with a scowl on his face. "Did you at least learn anything while you were regressing to age four?"
Katarina paused without turning around. There was a beat of hesitation before she recited what she'd learned. "She can't fight close-range. She carries a dagger, but can't use it. And I wouldn't go anywhere near that huge arrow, but you probably already knew that." With those words, she disappeared around a corner, heading towards the direction of her room.
In some ways, she knew that Swain was right, and that she should maintain a professional demeanor as she was trained to. On the other hand, she was on a mission and would put on whatever face she had to in order to complete that mission, and Swain could go fuck himself.
Katarina thought back to the training session and how easy it was to be with Ashe. The Frost Archer sure wasn't nearly as much of a hard-ass as she seemed to be on the Fields of Justice. For whatever reason, Ashe seemed to have taken a rather unlikely shine to the Noxian. Katarina couldn't fathom why, but she didn't allow herself to contemplate the reason as long as she could gather information on her, which seemed to please Swain.
She still had no idea what he was planning, but she had a sense of the vast amounts of information he was gathering and assumed that his goal for now was simply to keep tabs on as many people as possible. She also knew that the meager amounts of intelligence she had provided probably paled in comparison to whatever Talon and Cassiopeia had uncovered.
Still, she had warned Swain that she would remain fairly passive at this stage, and the fact that she was involved at all seemed to please the general. She believed him when he promised that her talents would not go to waste.
Katarina was pulled out of her reverie a moment later when she heard another thought intrude on her own. The familiar whispered chant sounded through her head, proclaiming her summons, and a blue glow erupted across her skin.
She froze, glancing down at her ruined clothes. She had just enough time to groan and let out a long string of curse words before the magic took hold of her.
Back on the platform, three pairs of eyes stared at her. A fourth set belonged to Kog'Maw, who stood right beside her, wiggling with excitement.
The Noxian let out an uninhibited scream of frustration.