Ill Omen's Light (Lux/Jinx)

Chapter 10: Caught in the Floodlights

Echoes of the robot's fall still trembled through the pavement under their feet as Lux flew to Jinx's side, her hand to her arm, her soft, concerned blue eyes gliding over her face.

"Are you okay?"

Jinx stared up at her.

Are you okay?

Like she was a little girl tripped over with grazed knees, like exactly no-one ever, not Vander, not Silco, not even Vi, had ever said to her, even when she was Powder.

Undercity kids just get told to get up again.

"Y-yeah," she hitched a breath, "Y-you?"

"A little fried," Lux winced, "Hair smells like burnt toast, but I think it was trying to stun us, not kill us, so there's that..."

Jinx winced, "Uh –um, Bertie took a knock...we better check on him..."

Lux creased her brows in worry and nodded. She clung to Jinx's hand and wouldn't let go as they moved through the haze of smoke toward the hulking silhouette, still lying on his side in the gloom.

Bertie flicked his ear at their approach and lifted his head.

"Hey big guy..." Lux said softly, taking point in creeping closer, "You holding up all right?"

The rhino shook his big head, planted his forefeet, and stumbled back onto them.

"Easy, easy..." Lux crept up to his snout and let him sniff her, before laying her hand gently alongside his jaw, and her other on his neck. "It's me, you remember me..."

Jinx peered after her, "Whatcha doin', Sunbeam?"

Her hands glowed softly as she ran them along the rhino's leathery flesh. "It's not perfect, but I can shine my light into something to see if it's hurt. Can't explain how it feels, really, but it bounces back a little different if things aren't right..."

Jinx shuffled from foot to foot, watching her with curiosity and awe, "Heh, maybe don't shine it into me, then..."

The softness of the look Lux gave her cut her to the quick. Dodging her eyes, Jinx flicked hers to the skies, attention drawn for the first time to the airships drifting overhead, the searchlights scanning the streets around their location.

But never falling on the square directly.

"He's a bit bruised," Lux rested her cheek against his flank, and the old rhino bowed his head and lowed quietly, "But he's tough as nails. I think he'll be fine."

She lifted her gaze to the wreckage around them, the layout of the square itself...

Northwestern edge of Piltover, away from the densest and most populated parts; right near the outer walls of the city.

One of which now had a smoking hole in it. Bertie was looking out that way, past the lights and clutter and claustrophobia of the city.

Toward distant foothills and plains beyond, where somewhere out there, his old homeland lay.

Jinx slithered up and plopped her cheek against his big shoulder.

"Gonna miss you, buddy," she croaked, "We had a helluva joyride, didn't we? But it's time fer you to go, like they all do. You gotta go home. Won't forget'cha, for what it's worth..."

"He won't forget you either," Lux said, and her warm hand slid over Jinx's shoulder and spread on her back. "...I mean you literally painted your name on him."

Bertie snorted one more time and rubbed his big blocky head into the two of them, nearly knocking them over, before he stomped toward the hole in the wall.