Second Chances - A preview at my League of Legends story: League of Legends Deceleration
“What is that term again I recall? A second chance?” the machine herald questioned, the limb on his back coming to life as a small whirring emitted from it along with a low glow. The cyborg, or more correctly the machine, Viktor stood over the disgruntled rat. The third arm prepared to follow its masters orders to erase the blight before him.
Viktor, a man before his time they once called him. Ever since he was a child, Viktor’s ingenuity made him a wonder to behold. His personally created tools, revered. His ideas, distant dreams to lower engineers. His machines, a revolution in techmaturgy. A glorious evolution for good was within his grasp. But unlike Viktor, a certain colleague was not infatuated with the idea of helping others, more himself than anyone besides him. Viktor’s work was made out not to be his own and his plea for help fell through. Neglect, rage, and most of all depression, devoured him until he became a shell of his former self, but that would not be his final creation. Viktor tossed away what made him a man to believe in. His humanity, it became the only cost for his greatest invention in all of Valoran.
He arose from his exodus after a time, with something the world had never seen before. He had augmented himself with his very own devices, his body was now mechanized. His mind was now overclocked on a single mission, to forget the memories of old and embrace his new evolution. Viktor no longer cared for benefiting the world. His quest to prove himself had triumphed over him, the machine herald wanted everyone to follow his path. Willingly. Or by force.
Viktor had lost his way.
Twitch gave a tsk of disdain, the rat pushing himself to his feet. The rodent nearly made it to the machine herald’s waist, but his eyes burned holes through the tyrant’s head. Viktor’s eyes narrowed through the lens of his mask, his body rumbling softly from a snort of satisfaction. Twitch remained indifferent to Viktor’s supposed victory. Instead the rat opted to toss his crossbow aside and clench his hands tightly. Defiance along with a smell Viktor couldn’t place, radiated from the creature much to his surprise. Viktor would give the rat credit after vaporizing it, it showed no fear. “Well. Are ya satisfied?” Twitch asked, the rodent’s voice reserved.
Viktor’s head perked at the query, the herald suddenly finding himself perplexed. “What was this creature getting?”, at Viktor’s thoughts demanded.
“Rephrase, rat. I don’t quite understand…” Viktor ordered, his hollow voice resounding with a certain tone that would threaten annihilation if it gave him an incorrect retort.
“I’m asking if you’re finally happy, knowin’ that you’re one step closer to getting rid of everything that makes Valoran worth livin’ in.” Twitch responded, his eyes fixed and unmoving with Viktor’s own glare.
Viktor chuckled at the rat’s misguided perception. Unsurprising, and yet at the same time, he didn’t figure the creature held enough semblance of mind to have a somewhat civilized discussion after such a demoralizing defeat.
“I wouldn’t dare expect a creature such as yourself to understand er...Twitch! A monster that crawled out of sewer and preferred sludge to grass. You suddenly care so much about this world. Maybe you should watch as I take it apart and mold it to my liking eh? Hahaha…” Viktor answered, laughing all the while.
“You’re right.”
Viktor’s laughing ceased immediately. A turn of his head provoked interest and confusion.
“I didn’t care what happened to this world. Hell, a week ago I would have asked ya to block out the sun for me. Save me the trouble of havin’ to endure it when humans finally came and mucked up my sewers with their science.”
Viktor handed his helpful limb his staff, the arm obediently carrying the tool as its master crossed his arms, desiring to hear what Twitch had to say. A shift of his legs and Viktor was comfortable and prepared for something amusing or actually worth his patience.
With the two enemies stagnant, silence filled the air. Twitch finally noticed the beauty of the forest they were in, blades of grass gently moved in the easy warm wind, various forest life teemed among the trees and rustled in the surrounding brush. Birds chirped and animals spoke through calls. Plants danced and butterflies fluttered their wings making their way to wherever their hearts desired. The leaves of trees rattled and flew down, spiraling poetically down onto ground. Twitch eyed a flower next to Viktor’s feet, a bee calmly landing on it and giving it the pollen it needed to nurture life. As he watched, Viktor tapped his metallic fingers against his plated arm, the machine herald’s time wearing thin. Twitch regretted not taking the time to enjoy the outside world. A flash of Tristana briefly entered his mind. Her soft skin, the clean smell of her hair. The tough but helpful look in her eyes. The rest of the yordles Twitch had met each spent their few seconds in remembrance within him. Heimerdinger’s laugh after telling a joke the rat couldn’t hope to understand. Teemo’s assurance that he’d protect Twitch and the green crystal that rested in his satchel. Rumble’s gruff attitude that held a passion for his yordle friends that Twitch wished he could have. Even Lulu’s innocence and affinity for the rodent’s friendship had left its mark on him.
“Life, it ain’t meant to be changed Viktor. It’s something that has to work on its own. Breakin’ it won’t change your way. It’ll only make it harder to escape. I was in deep too, but someone saved me. They gave me a second chance. Somethin’ worth havin’. You can too, if you just give up this crazy idea. Maybe they’ll give you a second chance too.” Twitch spoke, releasing all he had learned the past two weeks. Everything he learned finally struck him, and it hit him hard. Twitch breathed deeply, and as he exhaled, he had gotten his resolve, letting go of his wish to punish humanity for rejecting him.
Even more silence followed after, Twitch staring at the bee laying gently atop the flower. The two remained quiet and still as water, Twitch hoping that he had convinced Viktor to change. It would end all this destruction that followed them.
Viktor raised his foot, stomping down to crush the flower. He crunched and twisted his foot, making sure it was properly taken care of. The bee never escaped.
Twitch’s ears laid flat against his head as he looked up to see Viktor cast one of his tools at him, the object smacking him against the tree he stood in front of. Slumping down, blood trickling from his head Twitch raised his gaze to meet his assailant’s. Viktor’s staff glowed brightly, and his third arm began powering up again, a vivid orange energy resting on the palm.
“You cannot take a chance if you don’t have one, Twitch.” Viktor asserted, preparing to kill the rat. The ray of energy blasted, its beam set directly on Twitch. Twitch held his eyes shut, accepting his fate as the burst of energy came surging towards him.
As the laser travelled towards its target, a loud crash emanated from the woods, followed by a thick impact of energy against a solid surface, and the crackling of ice. There stood the confident, gaudy figure of Braum, his icy shield seemingly unscathed from the intense power of Viktor’s attack. Twitch slowly open his blood-sopped eyes to see his protector, watching him turn his head as he offered a warm smile.
“You had better leave before you get killed, my friend,” said Braum sternly while still offering his comforting visage, nudging Twitch to his feet with his free hand. Twitch groggily nodded, collecting his crossbow and shooting Viktor a confused glance before slipping into the foliage. Returning his glance to the strange cyborg, Braum tightened his facial features to a hard stare, sizing him up and snorting after a lengthy pause.
“What are you trying to kill my twitchy comrade for? He wasn’t hurting anyone.” Braum said, cocking his eyes at Viktor inquisitively. Viktor stood from his relaxed position, returning his staff to his hands and planting the base firmly in the ground, staring his adversary coldly in the eyes.
“Do not interfere with my plans, unless you wish to submit to them. I don’t have time for your games, I have a grudge to settle.”
Braum lifted his hefty shield to his front, gripping the handles tightly and letting it fall to the ground with an earth-shaking thud. “If you wish to hurt my friends, then you will have to go through Braum’s shield.” What was left from his warm guise quickly melted away, leaving a hard, defensive face where his welcoming grin once resided.
“As you wish.” Viktor rose his staff and readied another blast. With surprising quickness, Braum lurched forward, slamming the back of his shield and releasing a large projectile made of ice directly towards his opponent. Viktor blasted the ram’s head, turning it into a fine mist. As the mist fell, Viktor was suddenly taken aback by a weighty blow to his torso by Braum’s shield. Staggering backwards, Viktor was assailed by a barrage of quick-winded but heavy punches, finished by a forceful headbutt that caused him to almost lose him balance. Shaking the impact from his head, Viktor analyzed the pattern of attack he received from Braum and chuckled quietly. Braum once again bursted forwards, readying another bash from his shield as Viktor threw down a curious device at his feet. A large distorted field of energy erupted from the device, and slowed Braum to a halt, much to his to his surprise.
Viktor stepped in front of Braum, the machine herald’s third arm placing its palm gently on the man’s chest. “You only know brute force. Compared to me, it is only a fraction of what I can dispose. If you wish to stop me from killing that insignificant rat, you’ll have to show me true power.” Viktor implored, a laser firing from the arm and through the right side of Braum’s chest. Spiraling backwards, Braum collided heavily with a nearby oak tree, an audible crack resonating from the bark of the tree. Dragging himself to his feet, Braum winced as he hauled his hulking shield up once again, surveying the landscape for any possible advantage. Braum grinned as he fired three projectiles towards Viktor rapidly and slamming his shield down to create a small cloud of dirt. Viktor laughed as he destroyed all three of the projectiles, creating a thick mist in the air. Thunk, thunk, thunk. Viktor’s optic sensors struggled to pierce the mist, but to no avail. He waved it away with his staff, only to be met with an ear-shattering crack and the falling of a massive tree directly above Viktor. Shocked by the sudden incoming mass, his third hand cranked to life once more and splintered the mighty oak, sending debris flying. From over the explosion, Braum leapt high into the air and came crashing down with immense force, creating an icy tremor directly in front of Viktor, launching him into the air and baffling him. Braum let loose a volley of Winter’s Bite into the air, the solid projectiles crashing weightily into Viktor, damaging parts of his robotic body. The impact sent him flying towards a nearby cliff, landing on the ground in a daze. Braum ran to the cliff, bleeding and tired, but his undying spirit urged him to fight. Viktor clambered to his feet, readying himself once more and pulling out another odd device.
“I am done with this mockery,” Viktor spat, pressing various buttons along the sphere. Tossing it into the air, the orb exploded into a chaotic cone of energy, firing radiant bolts of pure energy in erratic patterns.
“Behold! True power!”
Astounded, Braum attempted to raise his shield, but was barraged with the furious attacks from the mechanism. Falling to one knee, Braum struggled to raise his shield above his head to deflect the rays as Viktor convulsed with triumphant laughter. Releasing a guttural roar, Braum leapt into the air one last time and slammed the device towards Viktor. Before he could react, Viktor was blown backwards by the dynamic blast of his own creation. Viktor felt his lenses begin to fade as he began to fall off of the cliff that would soon be his burial site, but a sudden jerk revamped him as he threw his gaze upwards at what had caught his arm. Braum was there, gripping Viktor’s arm tightly with his own and melting his harsh face and replacing it with another one of his accepting smiles. Braum began to pull Viktor up, having a difficult time with his injured arm and tired body. Viktor was too prideful to accept defeat, his third arm once again ramping up to prepare an attack, but something inside of him prevented the release of the beam. He allowed himself to be pulled atop the ledge, trying to regain his sense of consciousness. Suddenly, he felt a powerful tugging at his back, followed by the squeaking of metal and the fracturing of circuits, ending with a loud electrical zap. In front of his damaged eyes he saw his suspicion had come to fruition, his third mechanical arm fell gently to the ground, the last bit of function sputtering out of it.
Viktor narrowed his glare at the man, “You broke my machine!” he exclaimed, angered that he’d have to rebuild it. Braum let out a jovial sigh, crossing his arms and leaning against his shield. Viktor let out a puh of annoyment and walked past Braum, ignoring the large man’s presence and starting off on his way.
“Viktor.”
Viktor came to a stop, turning his head remaining where he was.
A glint shined in Braum’s eye having noticed Viktor’s attention was gained, the burly man began, “I remember hearing about another boy when I was young. I had just finished a warm glass of milk and eaten fresh cooked meat...when someone came looking for an antidote for a particular illness from the Freljord. I remember his posture, quite similar to yours eh?” Braum said.
Viktor kept still, but his hands slowly wraveled into fists.
Braum continued, “The antidote was for a scientist the likes of which the Freljord had never seen. He made robots and tools that befuddled simple men like me. But when the man came with the boy by his side, we had no more ingredients for the antidote. Because I had hid them like a foolish and selfish boy. I didn’t want anyone to have them unless we needed them. But the place I had hid them, my mother had accidentally disposed of the last remaining ingredients.”
Viktor’s hands made an audible break, one of his metallic fingers haven broken in half from the immense pressure Viktor subjected onto himself.
Braum gave a look of gloom at the machine herald. “I’m sorry.”
Viktor turned his body, his most glorious creation cracked and damaged. “You dare approach me after all these years? And what for? To continue ruining everything for me? If I see you again, Braum, legend of the Freljord and a myth in Zaun, I’ll kill you right where you stand. And then I will destroy your entire country.” Viktor announced, his threat igniting a flame in Braum. At the mention of his country being held accountable Braum’s head jerked around to face the him, his kind features missing and replaced with a dangerous glare. “Hold there Viktor. I am to be held accountable. But threaten my country again and we’ll be forced to battle.”
Viktor’s eyes narrowed through the lens, as did Braum’s. Their staring contest a cautious one, one that someone would see and be wary of. “And this battle will have a winner, mark those words friend.” Braum finished. Viktor waved his promise off, stalking back towards the treeline. Braum looked down, before second guessing himself. “Twitch was right, Viktor. Everyone deserves a second chance.” the legend confirmed. Viktor stopped one last time, his head not turning to face the myth of Zaun.
“Just remember. All you know is hate. Compared to my heart, it is only a fraction of the emotion you know.” Braum assured. Viktor started again, laying his hand on a tree and bending over to pick up his staff.
“If only you knew.” Viktor muttered disappearing into the woods.
End of preview
That's the end of the preview showcasing my story, League of Legends: Deceleration. This story stars Twitch and Viktor, two unlikely main characters in a League story to fight for what shall be Valoran's future. A world full of machines, or life prospering as it should. Twitch is initially indifferent to help Jayce and Heimerdinger, who believe if Viktor becomes too confident, could unleash a war across all the countries of Valoran. But will a certain gun blasting yordle commando and her friends change Twitch's mind, and unlock his resolve for a better world? Story written by me and my friend Phillip, who did Braum's entrance and fight with Viktor, along with many edits throughout the preview.