Piltover - The Hexgate

The tension atop the Hexgate was palpable, a storm of conflict and raw emotion swirling above the city of Piltover. White-clad figures, once human but now mindless machines under Viktor's control, moved with mechanical precision. Their movements were synchronized, their eyes blank, devoid of any trace of humanity. At the center of it all stood Viktor, his body a grotesque amalgamation of man and machine. His transformation was complete, his figure unrecognizable—an embodiment of cold intellect and metallic dominance.

Jayce knelt before him, his once-proud demeanor reduced to a trance-like state. His grip on the Mercury Hammer was slack, the weapon a shadow of its former glory in his hands. Viktor's hand rested firmly on Jayce's head, an aura of control and manipulation radiating from him.

Above, thunder roared, the darkened skies flickering with flashes of lightning. But this moment was far from over. A streak of movement burst through the white-clad machines, a figure defying the mechanical tide with speed and purpose.

Ekko.

Ekko's hoverboard hummed beneath him as he weaved through the advancing machines, his sword gleaming with purpose. The device strapped to his side, the Z-Drive, pulsed faintly, ready to turn back time at his command. His resolve was unshakable, his determination burning as he tore through the battlefield.

A machine lunged at him, its metallic claws swiping mere inches from his face. Ekko twisted mid-air, the hoverboard reacting as if an extension of his body. With a swift motion, he slashed the machine apart, its pieces clattering to the ground as he landed back on his board with precision. Another machine tried to block his path, but Ekko leaped high, flipping over it, landing back on his board with a thunderous smash that sent sparks flying.

He pressed forward, carving a path toward Viktor. Every strike he delivered was calculated, his mind already thinking four seconds ahead thanks to the Z-Drive. Yet, as he neared Viktor's towering figure, a machine burst out of nowhere, its hand catching Ekko off guard. The impact sent him reeling, his hoverboard spinning out from under him.

Ekko wasted no time. His hand shot to the chain of the Z-Drive, yanking it with force. The world around him shimmered and reversed—a mechanical hum echoing as time rewound four seconds. Back on his board, he anticipated the machine's ambush this time, ducking under its attack and continuing his advance.

A wave of white-clad machines moved to block his path. Ekko's eyes scanned the situation, his mind working faster than the storm above. With a quick adjustment, he propelled himself upward, using his board's energy to leap over the wall. The wind rushed past him as he soared, landing seamlessly on the other side. He barely had a moment to celebrate the maneuver when another machine lunged at him.

It collided with him mid-air, sending them both tumbling to the ground. Ekko gritted his teeth as he yanked the chain of the Z-Drive once more. Time reversed, the scene replaying itself as Ekko adjusted his course, this time striking the machine before it could reach him.

But his victory was short-lived. Another machine, faster and more agile, caught his arm mid-swing. Ekko tried to break free, but a second machine grabbed his other arm. He struggled against their iron grips, their strength far surpassing his own. Desperately, Ekko yanked at the Z-Drive's chain, reversing time again and again, but he was still caught in their grasp. Each rewind only replayed the same moment of failure, the machines' hold tightening every time.

Thunder crashed overhead, the storm's fury mirroring Ekko's rising panic. His eyes darted to the Z-Drive, its mechanisms humming faintly. His mind raced. He was running out of options, out of time. Gritting his teeth, he made a split-second decision.

He reached for the Z-Drive's knob and twisted it hard. Sparks flew from the device as it whirred to life, its energy surging beyond its intended limits. Ekko felt the strain immediately, the Z-Drive's power coursing through him like wildfire. Ignoring the danger, he yanked the chain again.

The world around him blurred and rewound further, snapping him back seconds before he had been caught. This time, Ekko didn't hesitate. He surged forward, gripping the Z-Drive in one hand and his sword in the other.

Viktor loomed ahead, his back turned, his focus entirely on Jayce. Ekko seized the opportunity, throwing the Z-Drive with all his strength. The device arced through the air, its glow intensifying as it spiraled toward Viktor.

Viktor turned at the last moment, his mechanical eyes locking onto the device. "That device can't be—"

Before he could finish, the Z-Drive detonated in a burst of raw arcane energy. The explosion ripped through the air, a blinding surge of light and power engulfing everything in its wake. Machines crumbled, their bodies disintegrating under the force. The storm above seemed to recoil, the thunder silenced by the sheer intensity of the blast.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

The tension on the rooftop of the Hexgate platform was palpable, as if time itself had frozen in deference to the confrontation unfolding in the void. The atmosphere buzzed with energy—both electric and eerie—as Viktor and Jayce floated weightlessly in a dimension of swirling, starless space. The void stretched endlessly around them, a liminal expanse where nothing and everything existed simultaneously.

Viktor, now a shadow of his former self, bore a visage split between two worlds. Half of his face was consumed by the cold, metallic mask of his evolution—mechanized, unfeeling, and alien. The other half remained human, though weary and lined with regret. His golden eye glimmered faintly, betraying a conflict that churned within.

Jayce hovered opposite him, his body pale and translucent, almost ghost-like in the void's strange light. His once-proud, sculpted figure was gaunt, and his long, unkempt hair drifted around him like tendrils of smoke. Slowly, his eyes fluttered open, a soft gasp escaping his lips as he regained consciousness from the trance. He looked down at himself, confusion dawning before his gaze turned to Viktor.

"I thought..." Jayce's voice cracked, his words trembling in the vacuum of the void. He looked at Viktor, his face shadowed by grief. "I thought we wanted to give magic to the world."

He took a tentative step forward, floating closer. His gaze met Viktor's fully, the weight of their history pressing against them both. "Now all I want... is my partner back."

Viktor's mechanical hand twitched, his human side grimacing at Jayce's words. He glanced down, his voice quiet, almost breaking. "Why do you persist?" He shook his head, the faint hum of his augmentations filling the silence. "After everything I've done?"

Jayce moved closer, his movements deliberate and slow, his eyes never leaving Viktor. "Because I promised you," he whispered. And then, before Viktor could respond, Jayce wrapped his arms around him in an embrace.

Viktor's breath hitched, his mechanical side stiffening. For a moment, the void shifted, and images flashed around them—a fractured timeline where Hextech had run rampant, destroying Piltover, Zaun, and all of Runeterra. Jayce was powerless to stop it, watching helplessly as the devastation unfolded, all born from Viktor's ambition.

Viktor gasped, recoiling as he saw the vision for himself, the weight of it crushing. He pushed Jayce away, his hands trembling as he turned his back, staring into the endless void.

"You must go, Jayce," Viktor said, his voice low and fractured. He closed his eyes as if trying to will the moment away.

Jayce floated to his side, his hand reaching out to rest on Viktor's shoulder. Viktor flinched at the touch, as he opened his eyes once more as he turned to Jayce.

Jayce's face softened, his expression one of unwavering determination. He reached down to his wrist, where a rune glowed faintly. His hand phased through it, as if drawing something forth. With purpose, he pressed the glowing rune into Viktor's hand, his voice steady and resolute. "We finish this together."

The rune in Viktor's hand began to shine, its light brightening the void. Symbols began to etch themselves into the air around them, the energy growing until it was nearly unbearable. Viktor winced at the surge, but Jayce moved closer, placing his hands over Viktor's to steady it.

Their eyes met, and for a brief moment, the weight of everything unsaid passed between them. Jayce leaned in, their foreheads touching, both closing their eyes as they braced against the storm of energy.

As the tension began to rise, Viktor opened his eyes, his voice barely a whisper. "I'm sorry, Jayce." he paused as he then continued with conviction, "but your time is not done yet."

Jayce's eyes fluttered open, confusion etched across his face. "What?"

Before he could react, Viktor shoved him backward with an unexpected force. Jayce stumbled through the void, trying to close the distance again, his voice rising in desperation. "Viktor, wait!"

But Viktor only smiled—a soft, bittersweet expression that belonged to the man Jayce had once known. "Goodbye, Jayce," Viktor said, his gaze falling to the rune as its light consumed him.

"No!" Jayce screamed, but it was too late. The rune erupted, a blinding white light swallowing everything.

The blinding light faded, and the hum of the Hexgate returned to the silence of the real world. Jayce knelt on the ground, his Mercury Hammer clutched tightly in his grasp. His body trembled, his breath coming in shallow, ragged gasps. Viktor's hand had been on his head moments ago, but now it was gone. All that remained was emptiness.

Jayce blinked, his white, trance-like eyes clearing to their natural state. He looked up slowly, his gaze searching the space where Viktor had stood. There was nothing. No trace. Just the faint echo of energy dissipating into the air.

"Viktor..." Jayce whispered, his voice hoarse and broken.

A crash behind him jolted him back to the present. Ekko landed hard on the platform, his Zero Drive sputtering as he regained his footing. Around them, Viktor's machines collapsed, their lifeless forms clattering to the ground like discarded toys.

"Jayce!" Ekko called, his voice urgent as he sprinted over. He knelt beside Jayce, his hand gripping the older man's shoulder. "Are you okay? What happened?"

Jayce didn't answer immediately. His head hung low, his shoulders rising and falling with each heavy breath. His hands pressed into the cold steel of the platform as he tried to steady himself. Finally, he looked up at Ekko, his expression distant, his eyes glassy with unshed tears. He gave a small nod, his lips parting as if to speak, but no words came.

Ekko frowned, his grip tightening on Jayce's shoulder. "Come on, we need to move."

Jayce didn't respond. His gaze drifted back to the empty space where Viktor had vanished. His face softened, and for a moment, the corners of his mouth twitched upward in a faint, bittersweet smile.

"I promised him," Jayce murmured under his breath, so quietly Ekko barely caught it.

"Promised who?" Ekko asked, glancing between Jayce and the lifeless machines surrounding them.

Jayce closed his eyes, his hand tightening around the shaft of his hammer. "My partner."

A faint tremor rippled through the Hexgate platform, and Ekko stood, pulling Jayce to his feet. The world around them felt heavier, the air thick with the aftermath of what had transpired. As they made their way down from the platform, Jayce glanced back one last time, his heart aching with the weight of what he had lost—and what he still had to do.