[Arcane] Departure (Caitvi & Timebomb Post S2)

War

Over the next few weeks after the Noxian ship was taken down, Jinx found a place to have her new workshop and got it set up with Akali's help. Jinx heavily contemplated the battles she fought in Zaun and Piltover. The constant fighting, the pain, the suffering, the death. Would this place be like that? As she made a variety of weapons, she felt more compelled to stay out of the fight than join it.

Jinx gave the new weapons away soon after. She thought that if she wasn't going to use them, this coastal militia might have more purpose for them. The people were appreciative. Even more than appreciative, they were eager to take them. She made sure to hold onto her old weapons for safekeeping.

After handing out the weapons, Jinx didn't really know what to do here. She went to her little lab hidden away, but she had nothing to do with it. She looked around and realized she didn't have anyone now. Akali helped set up, but they weren't friends. Akali only helped because Jinx 'knows what she's doing.' There's no Vi, no Silco, no... Isha.

Jinx recoiled at the thought immediately.

"Isha... I got you killed. I'm sorry," Jinx whispered.

"What was that?" A voice asked from behind her.

Jinx swiveled to face the source of the sound. She saw Akali leaning in the doorway.

"Nothin," Jinx blurted.

"Just coming to... check up on you down here," Akali said.

"Check up on my progress?" Jinx questioned.

"Nah, I already know how that's going. I'm just ensuring you aren't giving away all your belongings because you plan to off yourself," Akali stated bluntly.

"Bet it disappointed you to hear I'm not planning on fighting more bad guys," Jinx mumbled.

"You just supplied half these people with some of the best weapons we could have gotten for this fight. I'm pretty thrilled honestly," Akali responded.

"Everyone's always wanted me to fight..." Jinx mumbled.

Akali closed the distance between her and Jinx, walking over and taking a seat next to the blue-haired girl.

"You can do whatever you want here. Although I can't promise 'here' will exist forever, I'm trying," Akali commented.

"You never really asked me anything about my life. I could be a murderer," Jinx explained."We have both watched each other kill people so I feel like killing isn't exactly our biggest concern," Akali joked.

"Maybe it should be," Jinx muttered.

"I- sorry. I didn't think it was a sensitive subject for you," Akali apologized.

"I killed my dad. Killed my sister's girlfriend's mom too," Jinx revealed

"Damn, that's rough man," Akali replied

"Yeah. Damn," Jinx repeated.

"Is that why you left? You hurt your sister?" Akali wondered.

"It's not that I hurt her once. I kept hurting her, and she kept coming back to me, and it would happen again and again," Jinx complained.

"Sounds like she's pretty determined. Maybe she'll come here and beat up some Noxians to find you," Akali chuckled.

Jinx widened her eyes at Akali's statement. Sounds just like Vi....

...

Akali put that thought in the back of Jinx's mind for the next few weeks. At this point, it had been one and a half months since she left Piltover, trying her best to not think about them. She spent most of her time with Akali lately. Or she was making weapons for the people to defend themselves when the Noxians eventually returned. Akali and Jinx would call each other friends at this point. Jinx had honestly run out of weapons to build so she would just hang out with Akali in a treehouse she built. Not a childish treehouse but a super epic spy treehouse. Jinx was sitting at a table when Akali delivered a plate with some sort of pastry and a cup of tea.

"Some Ionian delicacies here, so you better enjoy it," Akali teased.

"Wow! Actual food that isn't berries or bread!" Jinx celebrated.

"It's kinda berries AND bread, just in a different... format," Akali responded.

"I'll take what I can get!" Jinx continued.

She reached for her tea when a giant rumble nearly knocked the table over. A shockwave started tearing the structure apart. Jinx quickly leaped for Akali and exited the treehouse, sliding down the base of the tree. As she held Akali, she saw it. A Noxian boat. No, multiple Noxian boats. At least 10 in the distance. Akali hopped out of her grasp and sprinted towards the village. A massive crater was in the center of what used to be the town square.

"But... how? They don't have missiles!" Jinx yelled as she followed Akali.

Jinx looked at the boats again and squinted at the one in front. On the edge of the deck was a cannon. It looked like hextech.

"No way... no way! They can't have that!" Jinx screamed.

Akali had completely tuned Jinx out as she ran to the village getting people out of the way of the cannon fire.

"No, no, no! This shouldn't be happening here. Why is it here?" Jinx continued.

The citizens of the town got into archer towers with the weapons Jinx designed, firing at the boats. Akali looked at the people with fear in her eyes.

"You can't win! You have to leave. There's too many of them!" Akali cried.

"We won't go without a fight," a man replied.

Akali recognized him as one of the figures for leadership here. While these people weren't governed, he was the one that really held this place together. They would follow his lead no matter what.

The enforcers that crashed here in Ionia were grouped together, staring at the boats. The group contemplated with fear in their eyes.

"We won't watch the Noxians rampage a country that doesn't belong to them twice. Enforcers, take positions!" Maximus shouted. They nodded and ran to some houses while firing at the ships.

Dead. They were all good as dead. Jinx looked as another charge was shot from the cannon. It blew down an archer tower. At this point, they had reached the shore and soldiers began marching towards the village. Hundreds. From each boat. For a single coastal village. This wasn't just an attack on the beach. They were sending an army into the whole of Ionia. This was just the start.

Akali ran to Jinx and grabbed her arms.

"Listen to me. You don't have to fight, but you need to go to Ionia City. On the council is a woman named Irelia. You need to tell her they are back, the Noxians. Not a small ship invading the shores, but a whole army. And you need to go now!" Akali yelled.

Jinx was stunned but she nodded.

"Where?" Jinx asked.

"Here..." Akali pulled out a map and quickly put a small tear on the place Jinx needed to go. "Run to that big area, don't stop. Tell her we need reinforcements on the coast."

"Don't die, Akali..." Jinx whispered.

Akali didn't reply. She turned around and ran into battle.