[Arcane] Departure (Caitvi & Timebomb Post S2)

Swain

Two weeks of war tore the southwestern regions of Ionia apart. The most skilled fighters in the region had been holding off the soldiers but failed to push them back. People described the Noxians' use of blue technological weapons that made them like gods. Ekko and Jinx knew what it was. Somehow, a leader in Noxus got Hextech. The only way they could fight back was with the little Hextech they had. There were Jinx's weapons, Ekko's weapons, other weapons Jinx made, and a single remaining Hextech gemstone.

Akali was usually on the front lines doing her part. Ekko joined the occasional fight, too. Jinx, however, thought that Ionia needed a mad scientist-like military engineer. And that was exactly the role she played. She helped make and fix weapons for the people to defend their homeland. Currently, she was working on a bomb to take out the main Noxian cannon. It was portable, and it was nearly indestructible. It was rolling through the lands, wreaking havoc on Ionians. Ekko and Jinx were in an open field with a large hextech-powered mortar. It launches brittle metal cannons that act as conduits for the arcane. They should shatter on impact and cause a massive blast if working.

"It's gonna work, Powder," Ekko reassured.

"You're putting a lot of faith into someone who's completely self-taught," Jinx joked as she picked up a switch.

"Well, I've always had a lot of faith in you," Ekko responded.

Jinx turned around and looked as Ekko walked toward her and put a hand on her arm. She looked at his hand, then into his eyes.

"W-What?" Jinx asked.

"I... really missed you," Ekko revealed.

"You shouldn't have..." JInx mumbled as she looked down toward the ground.

Ekko lifted her chin up and moved in even closer. All she could think about was how she was gonna hurt him again, how she shouldn't do this. But... it's Ekko. It always was Ekko who could ground her. Her heart was pounding.

"I've thought a lot about what happened before we left to fight. The outfits we made... the kisses we shared... that's what our lives should look like. Not halfway across the world from each other, cause... I love you," Ekko murmured.

Jinx dropped the switch in her hand and grabbed his face. A loud boom pulled her out of the moment. She turned around to see that the mortar fired a shot into the empty field, and it blew up on impact.

"Hell yeah..." Jinx whispered.

She quickly turned back to look at Ekko awkwardly staring at her. She quickly planted her lips on his, throwing her arms around his neck. He reached his hands to her back and held onto her as they continued. Powder held on as hard as possible. She never wanted to let go.

"Are you guys celebrating the success of the weapon by... making out?" Akali called out from the other side of the field.

"Oh shit... I forgot she was coming," Jinx chuckled.

Ekko held on for a few more seconds, a giant smile on his face. He eventually let go and Jinx turned around to face Akali.

"I was practicing for your mom!" Jinx yelled.

"Hardy har har. I'm glad to see it's working. Piltover reinforcements should be getting picked up soon and on their way. The journey from Piltover to Ionia should be quicker because of your hextech travel devices. Maybe your sister will show up," Akali theorized.

"And that would be a good thing," Ekko added.

Jinx was quiet for a moment, but she let a small smile out and nodded.



.    .    .



A crow picked at the brittle metal left standing in the spot where Jayce Talis and Viktor disintegrated. It found... something in the aftermath. A cluster of some sort. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Whatever the object was, it held immense power, and inside it was the essence of two lingering souls. The object was brought back to Noxus. It was examined by the leaders... and it was decided the benefits outweighed the risks. When the crow tethered itself to the souls in the object, its master saw every secret of the Arcane. A tool that would forge Noxus into the most powerful entity in Runeterra. Jericho Swain transcended from the direct connection to the arcane.

Swain used this newfound ability to power the Noxian warriors. Testing the Ionian's strength by sending small fleets to the shores. He would make up for the... setback his nation faced previously. Even with the Arcane, news of a holdup reached him. Enforcers and Zaunites were pushing his forces back. The names Jinx, Ekko, Maximus, and Akali were all he heard. It was time for him to enter the battle and weed out the strongest from the Ionian army.