The Juggernaut Club: Part 17

Leblanc wakes up from being blasted by Aurelion Sol's Ult to find herself among the dunes of Shurima. Slowly, she gets up.

: Oww... well, that put an end to my deceiving for the time being. Grunts as she steps forward Best make tracks for home.

Using her staff as a steadying stick, she begins walking in the direction of Noxus.

On the edge of the desert bordering Targon, Garen walks onto the sands. He wipes some sweat off his brow.

: Man, it's hot! Though, what am I saying, it's a desert, of COURSE it's hot.

A little ways in, near the entrance to some ruins that he takes cover in from the heat, he sees a figure approaching him. But due to the blowing sands and other deterrents, he's unable to tell quite who it is. But as they come close, their visage becomes clearer...

: Well, skin me alive and give me as a purse to Sivir! What's the Justice-man doing all the way out here in Shurima?

Renekton puts a hand on Garen's shoulder like he were greeting an old friend. Garen lightly pushes the hand off as Renekton looks around him.

: Hey, where's everyone else?

: What do you mean, everyone else?

: The other Juggernaut Club members. You're part of the club, right?

: Chief-of-staff. (Under his breath) Formerly...

: So, yeah, where's everyone else?

: In Noxus.

Renekton snaps his fingers in disappointment.

: Oh man! Then Nasus is there too, right?

: Yup.

: Gahh! Xerath was telling me my fortune and said I'd beat him hard if I fought him today!

: You believe in fortune-telling? And you have Xerath do it for you?

: Hey, centuries of being sealed away can get REAL BORING. New interests and hobbies are a must!

: Is that how the two of you spent the "Countless Millennia" that Nasus told us about, doing things like "New interests and hobbies"?

: Hey, I learned ventriloquism during it, watch!

Renekton pulls out his Crescent Axe/curved blade-weapon. He begins to manipulate the grip and blade, trying to make it look like it were a talking mouth.

(Falsetto): Hey there, Mr. Justice Man! I'm Curvy Kirby, the Butcher of the Sands' best buddy ever!

Renekton nuzzles the weapon before going back to his "ventriloquism".

: You sure are, Kirby!

(Falsetto): We sure have had some good times together, Renek and me. Spending centuries fighting an ethereal being with a god-complex inside a tiny tomb. It's great! And right now we're seeking revenge on Nasus for betraying us!

: That's not how the story goes on HIS end... He said that you TOLD him to seal you in there with Xerath to prevent him from destroying everything.

Renekton exhales sharply for a second before seemingly regaining his composure. After a moment or two, he resumes speaking.

(Falsetto): WHO WAS THERE, JUSTICE-MAN!? NOT YOU! YOUR ANCESTORS WEREN'T EVEN AROUND, DON'T YOU DARE DISRESPECT KIRBY! KIRBY KNOWS HOW DA STORY GOES, HE WAS THERE!

: Now Kirby, you're getting a little worked up...

Renekton's tone of voice is growing angrier, showing HE was the one getting worked up.

(Falsetto): KIRBY IS NOT GETTING WORKED UP, HE JUST WILL NOT TOLERATE GETTING DISSED BY DUMB DEMACIANS!

: I don't have time for this. I need to get back before Darius tries to instate a new "Chief-of-Staff". Who knows if he still recalls what happened last time...

_ His right eye twitches involuntarily as Garen remembers the event. He then tries to move forward, but Renekton gets in his way, flourishing his weapon._

: Alright, Justice-man, NO-ONE DISRESPECTS KIRBY!

Renekton charges at Garen, who dodges.

Because Garen dodged, Renekton smacks into the wall, which causes the already-unsteady ruins to start to shake and crumble.

: Oh boy.

Garen runs out, just in time to avoid it collapsing on his head. When the dust settles, Renekton's head is poking out of the top of the rubble, dazed. A female voice then speaks from behind Garen.

Unknown Female: Well, well, well...

Garen quickly turns around to face them.

In Ionia, the Juggernaut Club members have calmed down enough for Syndra to finish her explanation.

: Look, it's like this... Most the people in Ionia are a little... touched. Having been stuck on peace and harmony so long and then getting a sudden burst of violence kind of... messes with one's head when...

She takes a mocking meditation pose

(Falsetto): Through balance we will always have peace! _ She Scoffs while returning to a normal standing pose as she floats in the air_

: ...Has been the only accepted idea in society. So they were essentially a time-bomb and the first invasion set it off. Now with you coming here, we've had a fallout secondary version.

She chuckles to herself.

: Though really, it was never a matter of if, only when.

: So, why haven't you guys gone nuts?

: Hmm? Oh! We're among the few people who've NOT swallowed down that crock they've been trying to shove in us for all our lives!

: Then why's Zed hunting Jhin?

Zed teleports back into the room via his Living Shadow, with a comically beaten Kayn.

: Because Jhin is one of the OTHER few NON-INSANE Ionians. Speaking of, he's probably gonna need some bodyguarding now that the people are haywire. So if you guys aren't too busy...

Syndra smiles sheepishly at the club members, and Zed is presumably doing the same despite wearing a mask. The Juggernaut Club members groan.

: What?

Walking through the streets of an unnamed village of Ionia is Jhin.

: Where'd everyone go? The streets are empty, and this is BEFORE I've made anyone beautiful!

In the Shadows, 3 pairs of eyes watch Jhin as he walks along.

To Be Continued...