Marvel: Playing Iron Man, Falling In and Out of Love with Jinx

"This is it."

Carefully, Duke retrieved the Hextech Primal Crystal from Alicia's chest, where it rested atop her still form.

Thanks to the crystal's unique properties, Alicia's body showed no signs of decay. She looked merely asleep, her skin, her hair, even the calm expression on her face, all perfectly preserved.

After all, Camille, who had a Hextech Primal Crystal implanted as her heart core, had retained her youth for eighty years. So a corpse remaining untouched by time was hardly a surprise.

"Forgive me, madam, for the intrusion," Duke whispered as he examined the crystal in his palm.

Compared to the grape-sized Hextech gemstones produced by Jayce, this crystal surpassed them all in both size and quality. It was the size of a clenched fist, with naturally formed facets and planes shimmering with surging inner magic. The sight of it made Duke's mouth flood with envy.

The Primal Crystals were both the heart and mind of the Brackern, the crystalline species Skarner hailed from. They were essential to their being, passed down through generations. Removing one meant death.

Now, only Skarner remained. He wandered the world, using his connection to the crystals in hopes of finding his kin's lost cores, trying to revive his dying species.

But if Skarner ever did find this place, to the people of Piltover he would be no more than a sentient gem. Anyone who understood the value of such a crystal wouldn't hesitate to tear him apart.

Duke snorted. "I hope Skarner stays lost underground forever."

"So beautiful," he murmured, mesmerized. This would be the core of his creation, its heart, just as it was for the Brackern.

"Father, a high-energy lifeform is approaching!"

"What?!"

Startled, Duke turned to the direction WALL-E indicated. Without his mask, all he could see was a glimmer of blue light slicing through the darkness.

"Damn it... Camille?! Why now?!"

He snapped his mask shut and quickly resealed the sarcophagus, tossing it back into the grave. He didn't bother covering the disturbed soil. With the crystal secured, the Hextech engine on his back roared to life.

Magic energy surged, and Duke shot skyward.

"Why is she here? Could it be..."

A terrifying realization struck him, Skarner could sense the crystals, and so could Camille. Her heart was made of a Primal Crystal too.

"Damn! I should've taken the sarcophagus with me and removed the crystal later!"

He gritted his teeth, cursing his oversight.

Whoosh!

A sharp whistling cut through the air. Duke had already climbed five meters when two steel cables zipped past him, embedding into the high wall. A figure was now flying toward him at high speed.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Her cool, metallic voice rang out. A gleaming blade swept toward him, Camille's Tactical Sweep (W).

Duke bent backward mid-air. Runes on his legs lit up, pushing him down at an angle to dodge.

Shing!

The blade slashed the air. Behind him, a blade embedded into stone. As Duke stabilized, more strikes rained in.

Camille's leg blades glowed with Hextech energy, her body encased in a faint crystalline shield.

"Father, we must retaliate!"

"I know!"

As Duke barely evaded Camille's Precision Protocol (Q), a powerful strike slammed into his chest. He was flung backward like a ragdoll.

"Damn it. I need to end this quickly, not to win, but to escape."

He flipped his hands. Two elegantly crafted firearms, Ebony and Ivory, appeared.

As he fell, he fired Ebony.

Bang!

The thunderous shot echoed through the night. The recoil propelled him upward.

Camille advanced, but the blast had left a scorch mark on her shield, forcing her to step back. Her blades left shallow grooves as they scraped the stone.

She glanced at the dent. "Interesting."

"But where will you run?"

She launched herself again. Twin grapples shot from her legs and dug into the ground around Duke.

Thunk!

The tethers retracted, pulling her forward like a missile.

"So this is the strength of Piltover's elite heroes..."

Duke flicked his wrist and fired an arc round. Sparks bloomed. Camille swayed sideways, another dent appeared in her shield.

"You're facing me head-on, yet you struck my left. Clever."

Her eyes narrowed. She charged again. As she neared Duke, her blade swept outward.

Duke stepped back and fired Ivory.

Ratatatat!

Flames burst from the barrel. The recoil pushed him further back. Sparks danced along Camille's shield.

Distance restored.

Gun Kata, Sweep!

"You're only trying to knock me back, not hurt me?" Camille scoffed. "Naïve."

"Whoever you are, give back what you stole. Surrender."

"Sorry, lady. That crystal decides my future. I can't give it up."

Duke aimed both guns down, firing again. The recoil lifted him upward.

Vrrrrmmm...

The Hextech engine kicked into overdrive. Magic surged. Duke soared into the sky.

"Cowards always run," Camille murmured.

She channeled the crystal's energy into her cracked shield. It ballooned outward, thickening into a dense bubble.

Duke's eyes narrowed. Something wasn't right.

If you've ever played Camille, and see a low-health enemy nearby...

You know exactly what comes next:

R. SPAM THE R BUTTON!

Camille leapt with poise, like a dancer at a royal ball.

She raised her leg high, then brought it crashing down on Duke.

BOOM!

The ground shattered. Pebbles and grass scattered. Her shield expanded into a hexagonal field.

Duke was yanked midair and slammed to the ground.

"Father, we are trapped inside a containment field!"

"No kidding! Shut up, WALL-E!"

Duke's eyes flickered. Camille's shield transformed into a six-sided prison. The thick crystalline walls surrounded him.

Camille R, Hextech Ultimatum!

No escape. Snared. Slowed. Locked in.

Camille approached. Her legs hummed with energy, blue light tracing through the dark veins by her eyes. She walked with cold elegance.

"Hello there."

Her voice was lazy, regal. She stood before Duke, head raised in triumph.

"Little thief."

(End of chapter)