Sheriff Marcus x Reader

Forty-Eight

Panting and sweating, Marcus pushed open the door to Jayce's forge.

Heat hit his face. Glowing sparks danced in the hot air and fizzled out.

Surprised by the sudden visit, Jayce turned around. He was stripped down to his pants and a pair of safety gloves and smeared from top to bottom with soot.

"Sheriff?", he frowned in confusion, wanting to shake his hand in greeting.

But Marcus pushed him away harshly, wiped everything off the desk and gently placed you down on the tabletop.

With a loud clang, the tools fell to the floor and immediately got covered with drops of your blood.

Shocked, Jayce looked at him.

"What-what is the meaning of this?!", he asked.

Angrily, Marcus slammed the safe down on the table.

"I need help!", he said, his grip on the case tightening.

Jayce glanced at your motionless body.

"I can see that. I'm not a doctor."

"But a scientist."

"I don't know anything about medicine."

Without taking his eyes off him, Marcus slid a hand under your shoulder and gently pushed you to your side.

Your destroyed spine was revealed. The places where the magic orbs had previously been embedded in the metal spine still glowed weakly in a light blue glow.

Jayce had to inhale sharply at the sight.

"What is that?", he asked, visibly unsettled.

"An experiment.", there was so much disgust in Marcus voice but he forced himself to stay civil.

"This- is this hextech?"

"Apparently an artificial spine. The magic healed the body and stopped the internal damage long ago."

"I don't know anything about that."

"Supposedly it's Viktor's work. I don't know exactly what it is either. But you have to fix it."

Jayce looked at him with horror in his eyes.

"How am I supposed to do that?", the council member asked.

Marcus shook his head grimly.

"That's up to you to figure out.", he growled, showing him the open safe. "Or I'll say that all the previous problems were caused by your research."

"You want to blackmail me?!"

"I want you to fix it. As soon as I don't have to worry about my best friend dying anymore, I'll give you the orb and never come back."

Jayce frowned.

"I-I'm not familiar with Viktor's work.", he tried to explain himself. "He does a lot of research on his own... I need time to find out what kind of processes were done."

Impatiently, Marcus tapped his foot on the floor. Sweat dripped from his forehead.

"Fix it.", he growled again. "And be quick. We're running out of time."

"I can't!"

"FIX IT!", his voice trembled with fear as he yelled at him with the last bit of his strength.

The possibility of losing you was driving him crazy. It felt like something in his chest was trying to destroy him from the inside out. And again and again there was this quiet voice in his head whispering that it was all his fault.

He had failed. One wrong decision by his former, dumber self would cost him everything.

Just the thought of it made him whimper.

With a sharp intake of breath, he squeezed his eyes shut and lowered his head. His hands were propped on the table as your cold blood kissed his fingers. With blurred vision, he could see your chest slowly rising and falling, barely noticeable.

"I-I can't leave this shit hole alone.", he gasped. "If I have to, then I'll stay behind alone. But I can't go alone."

His gaze rose, so weak and desperate.

Jayce swallowed heavily. Holding his breath, he looked down at you, then back up at Marcus.

"I'll try...", he agreed, pulling a suitcase from under his workbench. "On one condition."

"Anything. I will do everything I have to. And I am willing to pay a high price. The highest, if need be."

Jayce nodded. When he opened the suitcase, his serious face was bathed in a blue glow. Carefully, he took one of the orbs out of the padding. It was identical to those that had been keeping you alive.

"I can try to replace the source of energy, but I don't know how unstable they are. An explosion could kill us all."

Marcus glanced down at you. The hardness in his eyes softened. With a heavy sigh, he bent down to press a kiss to your bloody forehead.

Then he looked at Jayce again.

"What do you want from me?", he asked, expecting the worst.

For a moment he hesitated. His brown eyes jumped to a stack of paper.

"I want to know everything.", he demanded. "Every last detail and everything Silco has ever asked of you. His corruption, his power, every single business he is involved in. Let me in on everything. Write it down and vouch for it with your name. Then I'll see what I can do."

Marcus' lips curled.

Written words would not endanger him as much as an audience with the council. He could be long gone before Silco would know that he had been backstabbed. On the other hand, he was one slick motherfucker. Wherever Marcus would go, Silco might be able to find him.

But in the end, it was worth a try. At least he hoped so.

"On one condition.", his brown eyes met Jayce's. "Promise me that my daughter and (Y/N) may leave the city before you deliver my confession to the council."

Jayce raised an eyebrow.

"And you?"

"I am ready to pay for my mistakes. I know what I did. I am part of the problem. And if the council wants my head too, so be it."

For a moment, Jayce eyed him. He was looking for a hint of fear, a weakness that could make him change his mind. But as he found nothing but a string will, he sighed and nodded.

"I must say, I'm not a fan of yours sheriff.", he huffed. "But a man should be respected if he deserves it. Fine. We have a deal."

But as he wanted to grab the orb from Marcus, the sheriff took a step back. Protective, he hung the strap across his chest, his hands placed over the opening.

"Don't be insulted.", Marcus said with a sour grin. "But I'll keep this as an insurance. Just in case."

"Huh. Quite the sceptical one, aren't we?"

"I've worked too long for Silco. I can't afford to be naive now. Again, I'm sorry. But this time there is too much on the line for me."