By The Cthonaut
Arcane Fanfiction
All Rights to Arcane/LoL belongs to Netflix and Riot Games
Authors Notes
Ok, here we are. Another attempt at my Arcane fic. I felt my last one was terrible but new start. This will be a rewrite of Season 1 but I'm making Jayce the main character. Never played the games, only watched the show. Fight me on that. So yes, Jayce and Vi will be a couple in this fic as she will be bisexual. I'm also crossing over Batman. Jayce will become the Bat, so I am psyched. I decided to hop on the Arcane Bandwagon as per S2 release. I hope you all enjoy and please leave feedback in the reviews. Enjoy!!!
Chapter 1: Favored Son Returns
Piltover
It was a glorious day for the city. Progress Day. The city had seen a major technological development in the last few years, thanks to one man: Viktor, the inventor of Hextech. No one knew his last name but he had such a way with the technology, everyone gave him the title Machine Herald. Rumor was that he was going to be unveiling a new invention at the presentation.
But this day was also special because there was a special guest, a young man who meant a lot to the city: Jayce Talis.
Talis had left the land several years ago to travel and study abroad after his dismissal from the Academy. Seven long years, he had been away. But now, the young man was returning.
It was not known, but it was his work that created Hextech. Viktor was his partner. But when Jayce left, he left everything to his partner. But…it backfired.
Viktor cut Jayce off and took all credit for the technology Jayce had created. And Viktor wormed his way into the Council's minds. And he dug deeper.
Before he left, he took a lot of files about each Council member. Finances, relationships, their…operations. Not only were they accepting bribes from Zaun crime lords, they were apart of it.
Drugs, weapons, technology: it was all there. Jayce was shocked and disgusted by what he had seen and knew he had to do something.
So he left to prepare. The whole studying abroad thing was a lie. He was truly off those years training his skills, body and mind.
He spent nearly a decade traveling the lands by learning from the best: Martial Artists, Scholars, Engineers, you name it.
His body had seen a lot of stress and work over the years. From being a thin fit guy to a built, muscular man. His body, hidden by his clothes, was now in peak condition. His face also had some noticeable damage. A few scars and a grizzled look.
In his airship, he looked out into the crowd from the window. There was a lot of people there to see him. He sighed as he watched the citizens crowd the dock, eagerly awaiting for his arrival. "Showtime…" The man said as he got up.
In the crowd was his mother, Ximena Talis. She had not seen her baby boy in so many years. And she was so excited.
Enforcers were on crowd control. One of them was an old friend of Jayce, Caitlyn Kiramman. She was now an enforcer. Bottom of the totem pole. She was upset at her position, but still, it could be worse. At least her assignment was to escort Jayce for the day.
The ship's hatch opened and out he came…Jayce Talis. Everyone cheered, but there were also some gasps as they saw his new look.
He smiled and waved to everyone as he came down. It felt so good to be home. He greeted everyone and made his way to his mother. He smiled as he hugged her. "Hey, mom..."
Ximena hugged back. "My boy...you're home." She said as she held back tears.
Reporters tried to get a word from Jayce, but he turned them away.
Caitlyn walked over. "Hello, Jayce." She said in her British accent. "I have been assigned to be you escort for the day."
"There's no need for that." Jayce smiled. "I'm capable of walking to the presentation myself."
Caitlyn replied. "It was also by the order of Councilman Viktor."
Jayce sighed. "Figures. He wouldn't want me to go snooping where I don't belong."
"Sweetie, calm down. Let's just go listen to the speech." His mother said as she held his arm.
The trio made their way to the auditorium where a lot of high society members were.
They all recognized Jayce. It was the usual conversations from everyone they saw. How tall he was, was he eating well, how his travels were. Small talk things.
Eventually, it was time for everyone to take their seats.
Onto the stage, came a well dressed man with a cane. He had a pale skin complexion with brown hair and yellow eyes. It was Viktor.
Jayce watched as everyone clapped for him, the people unaware of Viktor's actions.
Viktor smiled as he raised his hand, the clapping ceasing.
"Citizens of Piltover ." He said in his odd accent. "Many years ago, I had one of the biggest breakthroughs in our nation's extensive history. The creation of Hextech. Not long after…came the Hexgates." He pointed to the large structure out the window. It had a giant sphere on top with other design elements. "With their construction, we opened up our borders to the world and Piltover has prospered since then."
Everyone cheered for him while Jayce just stared, his mind in shock still that Viktor took his ideas.
Viktor smiled. "...and tonight…I unveil something never seen before. Something…that I have been working on for a long time."
He pulled the curtains back and everyone was in shock. It was a small sphere, blue in color.
"I give you the Hexcore, this is able to power anything. With this device, we will excel into a new age of technological advancement and innovation, a better tomorrow!!" He said proudly.
There was more clapping.
Jayce examined the crystals from his seat. This was very insane. If any of Piltover's enemies got their hands on this…the fallout would be catastrophic!!!!
All of a sudden…there was an explosion. People were panicking as the lights went out.
It came back on and the core was gone.
"It's gone!!" One individual said.
Viktor looked at the Enforcer guards. "Find it!!!"
Jayce looked up at the windows and saw a blue haired girl escape through the window.
He got up and made his way out the exit. He climbed to the roof just in time to see the girl run past.
"Hey!! Stop!!" Jayce said as he gave chase.
The blue girl turned around and stuck her tongue out. "Eat it, Topsider." She threw something behind her as she jumped to the next roof.
Jayce stopped as he looked at what she threw. It was a grenade with a shark head.
It ticked and chomped.
"Shit!!" He ran, but barely missed the blast, throwing him off of the building.
Jayce caught onto a balcony and let himself down.
He looked at where the earlier explosion came from.
It was a building not too far from the auditorium. The fire had been put out but there were six bodies outside. Enforcers… dead.
Caitlyn ran up to Jayce. "Explosives. They were lured in there."
Jayce nodded. "Think I saw your culprit. She almost tried to kill me." He looked at her as he started to walk away.
"Really? What did she look like?" The Enforcer woman asked.
"She was short, had long blue hair. Her clothes looked as if she was from the Undercity." He explained as they walked.
Caitlyn nodded. "That matches the description of a suspect I've been tracking."
"What else has she done?"
"Ruined a sting operation months ago. We were trying to catch one of the Chem Barons." Caitlyn explained.
"Who?" Jayce asked.
Caitlyn remembered. "Right. You left when they rose to power. The Chem Barons run Zaun's Shimmer operation. Distribution, manufacturing, exporting; you name it. All of it is under the control of one man: Silco, the Lord of Zaun."
"Wait…Silco. I remember that name." Jayce said. "His name appeared in a lot of Council files. He was one of their biggest donors for their campaigns. Not only did he fund them, they also supplied him with weapons. If he gets his hands on Hextech, you can kiss Piltover goodbye."
Caitlyn was shocked. "Jayce, do you have any idea what you are saying? This is TREASON!!" She said in both aggravation and questioning his antics.
"Caitlyn, if this is true, those dirtbags have been profiting off the suffering of innocent people. I've been to other lands, and saw what their weaponry had done. These people must be taken down. The Barons AND The Council." Jayce told her.
Caitlyn sighed. "You're going to get yourself killed…you know that?"
Jayce smiled. "At least it's for a good cause."
She nodded. "A good place to start would be in Zaun…that's where most of the drug is manufactured. Talk to some people, but do not let them know you are from Piltover."
Jayce nodded. "Thank you, Caitlyn…I promise to keep you updated." He smiled.
Caitlyn smiled back and left him to his own devices.
Jayce looked out upon the city towards Zaun. It was time to begin.
Over the next few days, Jayce was gathering everything he needed.
He fired up the old forge and got to work.
Hammering and banging steel.
As he was working…he had a memory from his childhood.
Flashback
Little Jayce was playing on the outskirts of his family's home. He had a toy airship, swooshing it through the air.
His family was having a picnic on a beautiful sunny day.
"Vrmmmmm!!!" Little Jayce said as he was running with the airship.
His mother and father were looking for him.
"Jayce?" His father shouted.
"Don't go too far!!" His mother shouted as well.
Little Jayce wasn't paying attention and fell into a hole.
"AHHHHHH" The little boy screamed as he dropped.
"Jayce!!" His mother and father shouted at the same time as they ran over.
The boy was crying in pain as he looked around in the dark.
There was a sound….squeaking.
He looked into the darkness, seeing red eyes.
Then…a giant bat flew towards him.
He screamed.
Current Day
Jayce was standing there as he pulled out what he was making….
A bat symbol…
Soon, the criminals would know fear.
One day his mother came into the forge, food in hand.
"Jayce, sweetie. Are you here? I brought you dinner." She smiled as she brought Jayce his favorite food.
She looked around and saw him.
Jayce was putting on a black armored suit, getting ready to go out.
Ximena was confused. "What are you wearing?"
"Tonight I am going to Zaun. It's where I'm going to begin my investigation." He said as he put on a bandana over his face.
She nodded. "But not before you eat." She put the plate down. It was spaghetti. "Can't fight evil on an empty stomach." She smiled as she kissed his cheek.
Jayce removed the mask and smiled. "Thanks, mom." He began to eat.
After dinner…
Jayce made his way across the bridge to Zaun. He took to the rooftops.
Earlier, Caitlyn gave him a tip of where to start: an old warehouse.
Jayce climbed the roof with his grappling hook and made his way along the top to a skylight.
The black clad man opened the window and climbed onto a scaffolding.
He peeked in and saw machinery pumping this purple liquid.
Workers were manufacturing Shimmer here. They looked ill, starved and exhausted.
"Jackpot." He said to himself. He pulled out a portable camera and began to take pictures of the operation.
He watched as he saw a muscular woman with brown skin, black hair and gray eyes. She had a mechanical arm covered by a cloak. She had a cigarette in her mouth.
Jayce took pictures of her as he was watching the operation.
She scoffed as she looked around and spoke to a frail man next to her. "Is this the best Zaun has to offer? These peasants couldn't even stand on their own feet."
The man stammered as he tried to explain. "Sevika, these people have been working endlessly. No breaks or-"
He was cut off as Sevika grabbed his throat with her mechanical arm.
"Does it look like I'm in the mood for excuses? Silco asked for the shipment to be ready by midnight. And from what I see, you're not even close to being done." Sevika sneered.
Jayce continued to watch this from his hiding spot.
The man struggled to breathe and Sevika let him go. "Be ready soon or I will snap your neck like a twig."
He nodded and coughed.
Sevika turned to the direction of the intruder. "And take care of your guest." She picked up a metal rod and threw it at Jayce.
Jayce jumped down as the rod impaled the wall.
He gulped and turned to Sevika.
She smirked as two big burly men stood by her side, along with several goons. "Looks like we got a rat, boys. Rip that mask off and bring me his head." She said as she smoked her cigarette.
The henchmen charged at Jayce as he got into a fighting stance.
He was able to counter their hits.
One of them tried to punch him, but Jayce grabbed the man's arm and shattered it before tossing him into two others and sending them flying into the wall.
He got hit a couple of times, even took a metal pole to the ribs, but he still stood strong.
When he took down the normal goons, he turned to the big guys. He jumped on top of one of them, basically using him as a mode of transport. He agitated him and made him charge towards the other.
Sevika watched as Jayce took down these two bruisers.
He jumped off the one he was riding as the big man hit the wall, going unconscious.
Jayce looked a Sevika, who was putting out the cigarette. She chuckled. "You got guts, rat. Now how about we see them?" She extended a blade from her arm.
"Or we could not?" He suggested, but it was too late as she charged him, swinging the blade. He dodged out of the way. It slashed his chest, causing him to bleed from a massive gash. He looked around and picked up a brick he found lying on the ground.
The man chucked it at her, hitting her in the face when she tried to attack him again.
Sevika groaned as it stunned her. She touched her face as she was bleeding. "You little shit!!" She growled as she looked up, but he was gone.
"Whoever you are…good luck hiding. When I find you, I'm going to rip your spine out." She gritted her teeth.
Meanwhile…
Jayce returned to the forge, beaten and bruised.
He removed his shirt, revealing the bruises and cuts. It hurt like hell.
The man sat down, looking for his medical supplies to patch himself up.
It was at that moment he heard the door open. It was Caitlyn.
She saw Jayce and gasped. "What the bloody hell happened?!" She ran over and helped him patch himself up.
Jayce explained what he saw. The Shimmer operation, the equipment. Even Sevika.
Caitlyn sighed. "Sevika is Silco's enforcer. She's known to be brutal, sadistic and strong."
Jayce sighed. "Yeah…I found that out the hard way.." He winced as she began to stitch him up.
"Oh! Stop your whining! You took the cut, you can take the stitch." She rolled her eyes.
Jayce then asked. "Why did you come here anyway? I thought you were busy."
Caitlyn replied. "I told your mother I would check on you. Looks like I came in time." She said as she put the bandage on. "I also brought you a gift."
Jayce got up and she led him over to a large chest. She opened it and revealed an armor set.
"Prototype armor for the next generation of Enforcers. Unfortunately, the council got cheap and it was never put into production." She explained.
Jayce held up a chest plate. "Are you sure it's okay to use?"
She nodded. "It's basically just collecting dust. Better you put it to use rather than it going to go to waste."
He smiled. "Thank you..."
Caitlyn smiled back. "Just please be safe…" She hugged him and went to leave, but remembered something.
She gave him a mugshot of a recent criminal she brought in. "This man is part of Silco's operation. Currently, he's in Stillwater Prison. If you can find a way in…he's the one to talk to."
Jayce nodded and she left.
Over the next few days, he got to work on his new suit. Taking inspiration from his childhood fears, he crafted a suit that would instill that same terror to the foes he would face. He had a lot of work to do but this would be a great start.
A few nights later...
A child in Zaun was looking out their window at the murky night sky. Through the smog, they could see the shiny lights of Piltover.
Then...SWOOSH!!!
A dark figure ran past the window.
The child was in awe. "Momma!!" They exclaimed as they went to tell their mother.
The figure grappeled along the roofs, catching the attention of many.
Some even took photos as best they could.
One thing they couldn't mistake was it's appearance. A bat.
It was Jayce, now protected by the armor Caitlyn gave him. It was fashioned to look like the bat that gave him nightmares as a child.
He stood outside Stillwater.
This was going to be interesting….
Authors Notes
Finally!! Ah man. This chapter took a lot of corrections and rewrites but overall I'm very happy with it!! I don't really have much to say except thank you to my editor who helped immensely. She and I are huge fans of Arcane and have wanted to write this for a while. Thank you all for reading and see you next chapter!! Peace!!!
Editor Notes: Arcane is back, baby! But yes many, many, many…MANY corrections! But overall an amazing chapter dear author! I always enjoy editing your brilliance.
For now bye lovely readers!