BRAVE NEW WORLD

Piltover - Veteran's Center - [The Future]

"Me and Mason... we were something else."

Dressed in a flannel shirt and cargo pants, Frank Woods still clung to his military past. He muttered to himself, voice rough from years of shouting orders.

Frank Woods sat motionless in his wheelchair, the quiet hum of early morning the only sound. Sunlight filtered through swaying curtains, casting soft golden hues on the floor. Outside, birds chirped—a stark contrast to the silence inside.

Woods' weathered hands, scarred from years of war, slowly cradled an old photograph. His eyes, once fierce, now held the weight of memories too painful to shake. The photo trembled in his grip—two young men in crisp uniforms clad in Piltover's colors, their faces determined. Frank Woods and Alex Mason—brothers in arms, bound by battles they couldn't leave behind.

Across from him, Cole Lawson, the young Enforcer sat quietly, watching. He was here for answers—about a Corporation. But as Woods drifted into the past, Lawson stayed silent, respecting the weight of the story. Woods finally looked up, his expression shifting. "Why're you so interested in Mason, kid?"

Lawson leaned forward. "I've read the reports, but there's a lot that doesn't add up. I just want to understand... what was he like? Mason's more than just another soldier, isn't he?"

Woods' grip tightened on the photo, his voice low. "You have no idea."

Silence stretched between them, heavy with untold history. Lawson had seen veterans before, but there was something different about Woods. The way he spoke about Mason hinted at something deeper.

"Mason... he wasn't like the rest of us," Woods continued, his voice stronger now. "There was always something more. Like he knew things we didn't."

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Lawson leaned in. "I've heard stories about how he saw things... how it broke him. Some say he was unstable."

Woods chuckled darkly. "Unstable? Yeah, you could say that. The numbers... they screwed him up. But don't think for a second that made him any less dangerous. Even at his worst, Mason was always five steps ahead."

Lawson nodded, absorbing the words. "So what happened? How did it all end?" Woods' face hardened.

"Like all wars, with loss. We never stopped fighting, even when the war was over." The room fell silent, tension thick in the air. Lawson could feel the depth of history, but he didn't push for more. Woods studied him, his eyes narrowing. "You're not here for one of Mason's stories are you? It's Obsidian you want to talk to about, isn't it?"

Lawson chuckled softly. "You're sharp, Woods. It's more than that. I need to understand how all of this happened."

Woods exhaled slowly. "Don't know much, kid. What I do know is that the company was a fluke, wolf in sheep's clothing. Saying bullshit to pollute people's damn minds."

The room felt smaller, the tension growing. Woods eyed Lawson, knowing the kid wasn't just asking about Mason—he was asking about everything. "You want to understand what we're fighting for?" Woods said, his voice edged with warning. "Once you start looking, you can't unsee it. And trust me—there's some shit out there you'll wish you hadn't seen."

Lawson swallowed hard. "I'm ready. Lay it on me."

Woods nodded, eyes drifting back to the photo. "All of this... started igniting many years back, ever since Viktor became a threat within neighboring cities, it brought some wild inspiration for some corporation."

Woods paused as he leaned back, his voice turning gruff. "Jayce Talis, the golden boy on the Piltover council, had a watchful eye with Obsidian. Saying that it was the new City of Progress. Heh, who knew Piltover would have competition." Woods paused, tension flickering across his face. "I had my own issues with that asshole... but that's history. Let's just say Jayce and some other people were right about this mess."

Lawson leaned forward. "Mess? What kind of mess?"

Woods' eyes darkened. "The kind that will hopefully expose Obsidian. Put an end to their magical nonsense. And because of them... they're the reason I'm in this fucking wheelchair in the first place."

Lawson gave Woods a sympathetic look. "Sorry to hear that, man..."

Woods chuckled darkly, a bitterness in his tone. "Just the reality of war, kid. You never know what it's gonna throw at you."

He paused, staring off into the distance as he continued, "Years ago, Piltover was falling into war. The Council had no idea what hit them, and some street was in chaos. All because of Jinx. That's when things started spiraling—that was the spark that led to Obsidian getting involved."

Lawson nodded slowly, absorbing Woods' words. He was beginning to understand that Obsidian wasn't just another corporation but a force that had emerged from the city's darkest days, aiming to take advantage of the chaos in Zaun and Piltover alike.