Arcane: Bond Beyond Death

Jinx's grin stretched wide, a manic gleam in her eyes as she watched the explosion rock the VIP section. The chaos that erupted sent shockwaves through the crowd, with people scrambling in every direction.

Her hand trembled with adrenaline as she pulled Pow-Pow Eta from its holster, the weapon feeling like an extension of her own chaotic spirit.

"THIS IS IT! LET'S MAKE IT A PARTY!" she screamed, her voice shrill with glee.

She fired, the weapon roaring as the rounds tore through the air. The high-pitched whine of the bullets as they flew through the smoke was almost drowned out by the shouts of terror from the crowd. The sound of bodies hitting the ground, followed by the metallic screech of bullets embedding into walls and furniture, only fueled her insanity.

Her laughter mixed with the rapid fire of Pow-Pow Eta, and for a moment, she seemed almost serene in the chaos.

She shot at a group of people near the front, their faces contorting in fear as the bullets flew. One man tried to hide behind a pillar, but it was no use. The rapid fire tore into the stone, fragments of rock raining down as he collapsed to the floor, a bullet wound in his side.

"RUN, YOU COWARDS!" she shouted, her voice thick with manic glee. "YOU CAN'T ESCAPE!"

Bael didn't need to stop her, though. Jinx was beyond control at this point. He simply hoped she wouldn't hurt herself or something.

With a smirk, Bael turned and began making his way deeper into the chaos, already planning his next move. Jinx had set the stage, but he still had his part to play.

As Jayce made a break for the Hextech Gauntlets, the chaos swirling around him seemed to amplify his desperation. His eyes locked on the weapon, knowing it was his only chance to regain control of the situation. He dashed toward it, ignoring the gunfire, the screams, and the thick smoke billowing through the air.

But Jinx saw him.

Her eyes narrowed, tracking his every movement through the smoke. Her finger hovered over the button. She grinned manically, the sound of the crowd's panic a delightful backdrop to her growing excitement. With a wicked chuckle, she pressed the "Unleash" button on Pow-Pow Eta, triggering a shudder in the weapon's frame as a burst of purple energy flowed through it.

The shimmer-infused ammo loaded into the chamber glowed ominously, a sickly purpulish hue seeping from the barrel as the next shot was prepared. This was no ordinary ammunition—it was lethal, chemically enhanced with the toxic properties of Shimmer, twisted into a form more deadly than anything Bael or anyone else could have imagined.

Jinx, her grin widening, aimed the barrel towards Jayce. The poison-laced round, a concoction of pure destruction, was about to be released.

She squeezed the trigger.

The shot rang out with a deafening roar, the shimmer-infused bullet slicing through the air with terrifying precision. It was fast, too fast for anyone to react in time. The purple glow traced its path, streaking across the battlefield with a malevolent hum.

Jayce had no time to dodge. He barely even registered the sound of the shot before it collided with his side, the force of the impact sending him staggering to the ground. A chilling wave of nausea washed over him as the Shimmer poison spread through his system, the venom coursing through his veins like fire, freezing his limbs and blurring his vision.

His body shook uncontrollably as the toxic effects took hold. His breath came in ragged gasps, his hands clawing at the wound as if trying to stop the poison from consuming him. But it was too late. The damage was done.

Jayce collapsed, his vision fading to black as the poison took its toll. The Hextech Gauntlets were just out of reach, and now he could only watch helplessly as his body betrayed him.

Enforcers stormed in one by one, but Jinx held them off effortlessly with Pow-Pow Eta. The shimmer-laced bullets left trails of deadly poison, creating an expanding toxic zone that consumed everything around them.

Amidst the chaos, Bael tossed her a breathing mask. "Here, Jinx! Catch!" he called out.

Jinx caught it with one hand, still firing with the other. She slipped it on quickly, her grin visible even through the translucent shield. "Thanks, babe!" she yelled back, her voice playful despite the carnage.

Bael froze for a moment, almost missing the sound of her words amidst the gunfire. "Babe...?" he muttered to himself, but shook it off. Now wasn't the time to get distracted.

...

From a safe vantage point high above the chaos, Bael peered through his binoculars, scanning the unfolding aftermath. The once-prestigious Progress Day celebration had turned into a disaster zone.

Counselor Salo stood at the center of it all, red-faced and shouting at a group of security guards who cowered under his verbal onslaught. His sharp gestures and furious tone made it clear he was placing the blame for the fiasco squarely on their shoulders.

Evacuation efforts continued in the background, with medics rushing civilians out of the shimmering, purple-hued cloud of poison that lingered ominously in the air. The shimmer toxin created by Jinx's bullets was potent, far beyond what anyone in Piltover had encountered before.

Bael muttered under his breath, lowering the binoculars. "That old fossile always knows how to keep his composure."

Behind him, Jinx was leaning against a railing, playing with a flickering spark on Pow-Pow Eta's barrel. She glanced at Bael, catching his contemplative look.

"So, babe," she teased, stretching the word, "what's the verdict? Did we give those shiny-top Piltover folks enough of a show?"

Bael smirked, his gaze still focused on the scene below. "Oh, they'll remember this day for years," he replied. "But they're already trying to figure out what hit them. Especially Jayce. He's not going to let this go. If he's not dead, he's atleast paralyzed."

"Good," Jinx said with a wicked grin. "Let them scramble. Makes it more fun for us." She adjusted the mask around her neck and twirled Eta around. "What's next, boss? Another bang or a quiet exit?"

Bael turned to her, his expression serious. "Quiet, for now. We've done enough damage here. But stay sharp, Jinx. This is only the beginning."

Jinx's eyes lit up, and she slung Pow-Pow Eta over her shoulder, following him as they disappeared into the shadows, leaving Piltover to clean up the wreckage of their perfect Progress Day.

...

As Marcus, the Sheriff of Piltover, trudged into his home, his mind burned with humiliation and rage. The scolding he had endured from Sylo was merciless—every ounce of his pride stripped away in front of Piltover's elite. He had barely managed to keep his position, reduced to groveling and begging for one last chance.

"I'm going to give him a piece of my mind," Marcus muttered through clenched teeth as he stormed into the living room, ready to plot his retaliation.

But the sight before him stopped him cold.

There, sitting calmly on his worn couch, was Silco. The crime lord lounged like he owned the place, a slight smirk curling his lips as he held Marcus's daughter's favorite doll. Next to him, his daughter giggled with delight, her tiny hands clapping as Silco animated the doll in a whimsical, exaggerated manner.

"—and then the brave little knight said, 'I'll protect you, princess, no matter the cost!'" Silco's voice, rich and commanding, carried a surprising warmth as he performed the voices for her amusement.

Marcus's mouth went dry, his heart pounding in his chest. "What... what the hell are you doing here?" he stammered, his voice laced with both fear and anger.

Silco turned his head slowly, his mismatched eyes locking onto Marcus with an almost casual intensity. The smirk never left his face. "Ah, Sheriff," he said smoothly, as if they were old friends. "Home at last. I hope you don't mind—I thought I'd keep your little one company while you were out... enduring the wrath of Piltover's Council."

The mention of the Council stung, and Marcus's jaw tightened. "You have no right to be here. Get out."

Silco ignored the command entirely, turning his attention back to Marcus's daughter. "Your father is quite the hero, you know," he said to her, his tone dripping with mock sincerity. "Keeping the streets safe, making sure the bad guys don't win. Isn't that right, Sheriff?"

Marcus took a step forward, his fists clenching. "I said, get out!"

Silco's smirk faded slightly, and his expression darkened. He rose from the couch with deliberate slowness, placing the doll gently on the table. His towering presence seemed to fill the room as he approached Marcus, who instinctively took a step back.

"You seem... upset," Silco said, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "Let me remind you of something, Sheriff. Your position, your life, your family—they all exist because I allow them to. And yet, you dare to raise your voice at me? In your own home, no less?"

Marcus's daughter looked up, confused by the sudden tension. "Daddy?" she said softly, her small voice cutting through the heavy silence.

Silco glanced at her, his expression softening ever so slightly. He crouched down to her level, his tone gentle. "Run along now, little one. Your father and I need to have a grown-up conversation."

The girl hesitated but eventually nodded, retreating to her room with her doll in hand.

Once she was gone, Silco straightened and fixed Marcus with a piercing gaze. "You seem to forget, Marcus, that we're partners in this. And partners don't throw tantrums when things don't go their way."

Marcus's anger faltered, replaced by a sickening dread. "I didn't—"

Silco cut him off, his voice sharp as a blade. "I've been very patient with you, Sheriff. But patience has its limits. You will clean up this mess, you will ensure Piltover doesn't retaliate, and you will continue to do your job. Or…" He leaned in closer, his mismatched eyes boring into Marcus's. "I'll make sure you lose far more than just your badge."

Marcus swallowed hard, his bravado completely shattered. "I... I understand."

Silco stepped back, smoothing his coat as if the conversation had been nothing more than a minor inconvenience. "Good. Now, I'll be taking my leave. Give your daughter my regards."

Without another word, Silco strode past Marcus and out the door, leaving the Sheriff standing in his living room, trembling with a mix of fury and helplessness.

...

Jayce's unconscious body was rushed through the hospital corridors, his normally imposing figure looking frail and broken as the enforcers struggled to keep pace with the medics.

The toxin was active, pulsing with a sinister, bioluminescent glow. It wasn't just a wound—it was a ticking time bomb, pumping shimmer through his veins and ravaging his system with every passing second. His breathing was shallow, his skin clammy, and his pulse erratic.

In the operating room, a team of Piltover's finest medics and Hextech engineers scrambled to save him. Tools powered by Hextech hummed and whirred as they worked, their precision unmatched but still insufficient against the unknown nature of the toxin.

"This isn't just a poison—it's alive!" one of the doctors exclaimed, staring at the shimmer tendrils creeping through Jayce's veins, glowing faintly beneath his skin. "It's mutating, adapting to his body. If we don't neutralize it soon..."

"But how do we neutralize shimmer when we don't even know what's in it?" another retorted, their voice edged with panic.

Caitlyn, pale and visibly shaken, stood just outside the operating room. Her uniform was scorched and tattered, a grim reminder of the chaos she had barely survived. She clenched her fists, her mind racing as guilt and fury churned within her.

"This shouldn't have happened..." she whispered to herself. "I should've stopped it."

Mel Medarda arrived moments later, her calm demeanor masking the storm beneath. "What's his condition?" she demanded, her piercing eyes fixed on the head medic.

The medic hesitated before answering. "Critical. The shimmer toxin is unlike anything we've encountered. It's fused with the bullet, and we can't remove it without risking further contamination."

Mel's jaw tightened. "Then find another way. Jayce Talis is the symbol of Piltover—he cannot die here."

Inside the room, the surgeons made a desperate decision. Using a prototype Hextech device designed for precision surgery, they attempted to isolate the shimmer-infused bullet. The device whirred to life, its crystalline components glowing as it carefully extracted the foreign object.

Jayce's body convulsed, his vitals spiking erratically. The toxin fought back, sending a shockwave of energy through the room as the bullet was finally dislodged. The moment it was removed, the shimmer tendrils began retracting, but the damage was done.

The surgeons placed the extracted bullet into a containment unit, its malevolent glow dimming as it was sealed away.

"We've stabilized him," one of the doctors announced, though their tone was far from celebratory. "But the shimmer is still in his system. He'll need constant treatment to prevent it from spreading again."

Outside, Caitlyn and Mel exchanged a tense glance.

"This isn't just an attack," Caitlyn said, her voice cold and steady. "This is a declaration of war. Whoever did this wasn't just after the gauntlets—they wanted to send a message."

Mel nodded, her expression unreadable. "And they succeeded. But we'll send one of our own."

As Jayce lay unconscious, his body fighting against the remnants of shimmer, the city of Piltover braced itself. The attack was over, but the consequences were only beginning to unfold. And somewhere in the shadows of Zaun, Bael and Jinx were already preparing for the next move.

...

The aftermath of the operation was bittersweet. Jayce made it out alive, but just barely. As he stirred awake in the sterile confines of Piltover's most advanced hospital room, his eyes flickered open, unfocused and hazy. He tried to move, to sit up, but his body refused to cooperate.

Panic set in as he glanced down at his legs. The once-powerful limbs that carried him through countless battles and moments of triumph now lay motionless under the crisp white sheets. He tried again—willing his legs to move, even a little—but nothing happened.

The door creaked open, and Caitlyn entered, her face pale and drawn. Her eyes softened when she saw him awake, but the pain in her gaze was unmistakable.

"Jayce..." she said softly, stepping closer to his bedside.

He looked at her, his voice hoarse and weak. "Caitlyn... what happened? Why... why can't I feel my legs?"

Caitlyn hesitated, her hands gripping the back of a chair as if steadying herself. "The shimmer toxin... it attacked your nervous system. The doctors managed to save you, but..." She swallowed hard, forcing the words out. "Your legs... they're paralyzed."

The words hit Jayce like a hammer. He stared at her, his breath quickening as the weight of her statement sank in. "No... no, that can't be..." He clenched his fists, the only part of his body that still felt like his own. "There has to be a way to fix this! Hextech... we can use Hextech to—"

"We're already looking into it," Caitlyn interrupted gently, trying to calm him. "Heimerdinger and Viktor are working on solutions. But it's going to take time."

Jayce's head fell back against the pillow, his eyes staring up at the ceiling. The memory of the attack replayed in his mind—the shimmer toxin, the chaos, the pain. And now this. The thought of being unable to stand, to walk, to fight for Piltover—it was unbearable.

Mel entered the room shortly after, her usual confidence tinged with a rare vulnerability. She approached cautiously, her voice low. "Jayce, I'm so sorry. This shouldn't have happened to you."

He turned his head to look at her, his jaw tight. "Mel, we need to stop them. Whoever did this—they can't get away with it."

Mel nodded, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We will. But for now, you need to focus on recovering. Piltover needs you, Jayce. Even like this, you're still its hero."

Jayce closed his eyes, his mind racing. He had survived, but at what cost? As the city around him reeled from the attack, he knew this was only the beginning. His legs may have failed him, but his resolve burned stronger than ever.

Somewhere in Zaun, the ones responsible for this were plotting their next move. And Jayce swore to himself, paralyzed or not, he'd find a way to fight back.