The Measured Tread

by frostiifae

Summary:

The Noxians have no creed or discipline that guides them - save the pursuit of strength, and the meaning that that pursuit gives them. But for some, strength is about more than just yourself. Katarina has worked tirelessly for the sake of something bigger than herself, only to watch it crumble around her. She stands outside of the office of a political rival, in the hopes that she can find some way to start rebuilding the things she held dear.

The Demacians, however, have a creed that they follow religiously - even zealously. It is known as the Measured Tread.

Katarina gripped the hilt of the knife at her hip as she entered Leblanc's office - invited in, all too formally, exactly on schedule. Her instincts were screaming about everything right now - the cramped space she was being made to walk through, the lack of windows to be seen through, the emptiness and privacy of their meeting grounds... Under most circumstances, this would be an obvious trap. The only reassurance was that Leblanc didn't have any reason to be Katarina's enemy... but even so, Katarina didn't know how this meeting was going to go at all. Maybe that would change. And if it did, the young assassin was quite worried that she had no viable way out.

"So, my dear," Leblanc crooned, as she circled around to brace herself against the side of the desk while Katarina stood stiffly at the doorway. Katarina had never seen Leblanc's actual office - this was just a study, in her reserved quarters at the Institute, and it was as close to the Black Rose's inner workings as any ordinary person could ever dream of getting. "Go on, sit," the sorceress offered.

"I'd rather stand," Katarina said quietly. Leblanc raised an eyebrow.

"As you wish, then," she sighed. "Well, I've said it before, lady of blades; yours is a vital house for Noxus, and even High Command recognizes that. Whatever we can do for you to repay your support is no hardship for us. So what is it that you need?"

"I just wanted to ask you about something." Katarina took a deep breath. All of this fencing of words and subtlety was not for her. Cassiopeia should be doing this. Cassiopeia should be the one here, instead of her. But this was not a task that she was willing to delegate to her sister, for other reasons - their relationship was strained at best, and as much as she'd tried, Katarina was not able to bring them together over their father's disappearance. Old wounds ran too deep. So now she was here alone... Very alone.

"Yes?" Leblanc turned her head slightly. "Seems a bit unnecessary to make such a fuss over a question. Surely you couldn't have asked me between matches?"

Katarina lifted her free hand - crumpled in it was an envelope. She placed it on Leblanc's desk, keeping her eyes fixed on the illusionist's face. "My father gave Cassiopeia this, the night he disappeared," she intoned, as evenly as she could, trying her damnedest not to react to the adrenaline that was filling her. "It's marked with the Black Rose. What do you know about it?"

Leblanc's smile faded. She gathered the letter up, inspecting it with apparent surprise, and lifted a little scrap of paper out of it. Katarina had memorized what had been written on it: Transcendence Way, the Ivory Ward, 5:00 pm. The place, and time, he had vanished. And underneath it was the rose stamp. The note had helped Katarina determine the truth behind the Kalamanda crisis years ago; it had led her to the Ivory Ward, where she'd found a coded message that in turn led her to the Viper's Nest, the secret room built beneath Demacia's prison for spies to meet up in. Her father's evidence had been compiled there, and with it, she and Jarvan IV were able to trace several fabricated names back to the Institute.

The mystery seemed solved - until Leblanc came forward. Now, the Black Rose wasn't just a strange stamp on a letter. Katarina should have brought the letter forward then and there, but uncertainty had held her back. She remembered the last time she had acted hastily, the last time she had thought she'd taken matters into her own hands. She had failed the Noxian people - she had failed her father. And now she was doing that again? She just couldn't bring herself to assume. The circumstances of his disappearance were so convenient - even without this letter, such an accusation wouldn't be far-fetched. But this all but sealed the Black Rose's responsibility. Yet, she had waited - nervous, and unsure. Cassiopeia was furious with the delay; Talon had silently searched, far and wide, for counterevidence. But there was none. There was almost no evidence at all. This was all there was.

"This is the letter you used to unearth the Kalamanda conspiracy, is it not?" Leblanc said, with a tone of innocent curiosity. "Interesting. I suppose your point is to implicate the Black Rose in that conspiracy, then?"

"I - " What? She was just... Katarina blinked, surprised, trying to figure out if this was a confession, and Leblanc just smiled at her patiently. "The Rose came out in support of Swain not too long after he was coronated," she said, allowing herself to sound confused. "Why - would you think no one would notice this?"

"Notice?" Leblanc shrugged. "If you only just noticed this, Katarina, perhaps your perception is growing dull. Everyone knew. There were rumors about it even at the time, don't you remember?"

Again, Katarina hesitated. "Knew that you assassinated Boram Darkwill?" she said softly, after a few moments.

"Is that supposed to impress me?" Leblanc huffed. "That's quite a claim to make, and any more, I doubt anyone will care about you making it anyway. If your father were still around, I bet you would've been happy - he'd be Grand General. And you might be on High Command."

A chill ran down Katarina's spine and her hair stood on end. "How dare you," she breathed.

"Darkwill's death was a necessary tragedy. Despite what our propaganda loves to say, the Ionian invasion was weak. Botched. And it was hardly his first offense." Leblanc sat back, smiling smugly. "Such is the role of the Black Rose, Katarina. We prune Noxus of weakness."

"Weakness," Katarina seethed. "And is that what you say to the disappearance of my father? Weakness?"

Leblanc didn't respond.

"Whoever was responsible for Kalamanda was responsible for the death of my father," Katarina growled.

"Now now, don't jump to conclusions," Leblanc chided. "He could have met with a terrible accident on the road, for all you know. It would be bizarre, yes, but bizarre things happen in this world."

"So you deny responsibility, then!?" Katarina snarled, stepping forward. "None of your plot to get Swain in power would've worked if he couldn't magically step into my father's place in High Command!"

"What's wrong?" Leblanc cooed. "Jealous he was picked instead of you?"

"No!" Katarina swept her arm out. "Stop evading the point! I am accusing you of killing him!"

"And this letter is your proof?" Leblanc sighed, and tutted. "Not exactly damning, my dear. What do you plan on doing about it even if you could prove it was me? Kill me?"

Katarina paused, still glaring at her, and she smirked, and sat up with a little sigh.

"No, otherwise you'd have just done it, wouldn't you," she sighed. "So what is it that you want? Were you going to try to blackmail me with it or something? I can't say I'm impressed, but at least you're trying. That's worth something."

How was this going so wrong?! Katarina had hoped that Leblanc would be evasive and give something away, but here she was just smiling and taunting and offering no evidence whatsoever. She was just attacking Katarina's very reason for being here. "I don't have to justify myself to the likes of you."

"No?" Leblanc tilted her head. "That's an odd thing to say. So you really do just want revenge, I assume? But maybe you aren't sure." Her eyes glittered and her lips curled. "That must be it. You didn't want to go after me unless you were sure. It's wise of you to be hesitant - the Black Rose is not an enemy you want to make so lightly."

Neither am I, Katarina wanted to say, but those words were empty.

"Well, sorry to say, I'm not exactly interested in helping you incriminate me," she said, taking the letter and placing it in a drawer in her desk. "And might I add, I strongly suggest you give it up. Noxus' strength is in its unity, and unless you intend to challenge the Grand General himself, you should focus on your duty to the state."

"What about my duty to my family?" Katarina hissed.

"What about it?" Leblanc sighed. "You ought to be more worried about proving your worth to High Command than opposing it. I'd hate for General Darius to decide you aren't worth keeping around after all. It took so much work to convince him to leave you, after all." She took up her staff, and waved it lazily at the door. "Go on then. I don't have anything more to say to you."

 

Though Katarina burned with anger, on her walk back, she moved limply, as if her strength had been sapped away. She wanted action. She wanted vengeance. But she couldn't act until she knew. And now not only did she know nothing - she had no leads, either. She braced against the wall as she walked, watching the floor with a sightless glare, until she found her own quarters again.

When she closed the door behind her, she took one deep, shivering breath, turning hot and beginning to shake. Her limbs ached and burned; her body was crying out for action. Do something. Do anything. But she just stood in her doorway, breathing slowly, and deeply. The lesson against acting too quickly had ingrained itself deep in her mind. Besides, even if all she wanted was to kill Leblanc, it would be so difficult to do; Leblanc was a master at controlling her own space, and dealing with someone as slippery and deceitful as she, it would be impossible to harm her anywhere that she had control. Her only hope was to draw Leblanc out somehow. But how could she do that?

She slumped into one of her chairs, propping her head up in her hands. This was just like the Kalamanda crisis. Back then, she'd sought help. The stakes were higher; everyone was on edge. She couldn't trust anyone in Noxus to believe her, even though support for her father was still there. So she trusted - she believed in Demacians to want truth more than they wanted war. And it had paid off. But she remembered the tension surrounding that effort, how many times she'd nearly been killed by Demacians attempting to defend their prince, and more than that she remembered Jarvan's words as they went their separate ways after the trial. May we never cross paths again, he had said. A hollow smile came to her as she remembered it. She'd laughed, at the time, relieved to be done with it.

Any more, what was she going to do? Go to Caitlyn or something and say "I need you to help me incriminate the right-hand to the Grand General in killing my father so I can feel good about killing her back"? Katarina wasn't worried about surviving the fallout that such an assassination might cause; it might cost her an execution, but at least she'd have brought back her father's honor. And hell, maybe she'd prove herself to be a better bodyguard, and maybe she'd even inherit a General's seat in the process... or even the Black Rose itself. With that sort of clout she could reinstate her family's power. He had died invisibly, the most tragic and disrespectful way for a General to go; Katarina intended to live a glorious life in his name. This was the first step, and if it was also the last, it would be a good one.

But she couldn't expect anyone outside of Noxus to understand or care about that. And she couldn't expect anyone IN Noxus to care about her cause, either. Cassiopeia and Talon had done all the work they could, and were still doing it, and that wasn't enough. She needed someone that could get in and out of Noxian dungeons like it was nothing. Someone that had experience sneaking around in such secure and secretive places, who could get in and out unnoticed, who knew places that maybe even Katarina didn't, who knew how not to leave a trail in that blasted city.

Someone like a celebrated Demacian spy -

All at once Katarina knew who she needed and she stood and stormed out, snatching a winter coat off of a rack by the door as she went. She didn't know how she was going to make this work, but for the memory and honor of her father, she had to try.

 

She found the girl caroling with a number of other Champions, largely independent, except Sona who was strumming along happily while the small, impromptu choir sang. Lux stood at the front, cheerful as could be, her hairband trimmed with a bit of holly and a snowflake-patterned scarf wrapped around her neck. Katarina knew better than to interrupt - so she followed along, silently fuming at Lux's jolliness, listening as they traveled around the freezing grounds singing happily to whoever they passed. They got the most favorable response from the Ionian building, where several of the girls joined in. Katarina couldn't help but smirk at Irelia's singing voice; it wasn't very well-practiced and, so, wasn't very good. Not like Kat's was any better.

The wind began to kick up before too long and the carolers agreed to disperse before it got any worse; the Institute had many protections against even magical blizzards, but that didn't stop it from being terribly cold and unpleasant, and she doubted it had never gotten so bad as to be deadly. Again, she singled out Lux, and followed her quietly at a distance as she made her way back to the Demacian building, humming to herself. It was only when she was alone, and they were rounding a bend out of sight from her home, did Katarina finally start to advance and make herself known.

Lux spun around immediately, smiling an acidic smile. She'd seen it before, and if things weren't so desperate, Katarina would've delightfully grinned back. "Season's greetings," she said cheerfully. "You don't have to lurk so far back if you want to carol, you know. I'm sure we can teach you some of the basic songs if you're interested in learning."

"Another time, maybe," Katarina said a bit stiffly, rather uninspired by the idea of singing for anyone, ever. "I need to talk to you."

"That's strange." Lux pouted. "Do you have me confused for someone else, maybe? I don't think it's terribly appropriate for you to be cornering Demacian girls alone on the road."

That was an odd mental image. Katarina took a deep breath. "You have this book... The Measured Tread."

"Mhm." Lux's eyebrows rose.

"Victory for our allies, defeat for our enemies, and justice for all."

"Yes, that's a part of it." Lux nodded slowly. "I'm not sure why you bring that up."

"I need help bringing someone to justice." Her throat stung as she said it. "We - we aren't allies. But right now, Noxus isn't really my ally, either."

"So you want me to be a co-conspirator to an internal assassination," Lux said matter-of-factly. She closed her eyes and folded her arms. "I'm afraid I'll have to decline. You will have to deal with your mess of a nation yourself."

Katarina sighed. "This is - it's related to the Kalamanda scandal. This isn't just about Noxus, the whole of Valoran could be at risk here." A stretch. But only sort of.

"The whole of Valoran is already at risk because of your existence," Lux said pointedly, opening one palm upward and resting her head to one side. "I won't help one plague defeat another."

Plague? Katarina shook her head. "I'm not doing this to advance Noxus at all," she growled. "Look - I'm offering you a chance to help assassinate a high-ranking official with the High Command. I can't do it by myself."

"You want me to help start a war, then?" Lux gasped, feigning delight. "Oh my! You should propose that to my commanding officer!"

"I wasn't aware sarcasm was part of the Demacian sense of humor," Katarina muttered, distinctly stung now. "You could just say no."

"It's fun using the tools of the enemy against them," the mage responded, smiling just a bit more sincerely. "I'm sure you must be very bored without a war to fight for a few years, but sorry to say, keeping the peace is part of my job."

"It's part of mine, too, in case you forgot," Katarina sighed. "Listen. I - I'm desperate, okay?" She shifted her legs together, wrapping her arms around herself. Lux's eyes narrowed. "I'm not a spy, I'm trained for battlefield engagements. I can't... I can't do this internal home front espionage. You don't have to do any of the actual murder, believe me, I'm perfectly good at that, I just need someone to help me prove that they're actually responsible."

Lux was quiet for a moment. She tapped her foot a few times.

"Responsible for what?" she asked. Kat looked away. She knew better than to lie here; it would obviously be uncovered, and then... well, it'd be bad.

"The death of my father," Katarina said quietly.

 

Something changed. Lux went totally still. When Katarina looked back up, startled, Lux was staring through her, her brows knitted and her lips drawn tight. Her hands clutched her arms tightly. But she was silent and unmoving, for several moments as Katarina watched her with a vague, pathetic hope. The image was unsettling; even in her cold refusal Lux was a cheerful and playful person... this didn't look anything like Lux. This looked more like her brother.

 

"So it's a personal vendetta." Lux's voice was deadpan.

"Yes," Katarina said softly. "He... he died without glory. He was trying to help us - not just Noxus, but Valoran - he was trying to stop the conspiracy, and for that, a heroic man won't be remembered as a hero. I just want to bring some honor to his memory."

"By murdering the murderer."

"By bringing them to justice." Katarina's voice stayed quiet. She didn't have the strength to fully protest this.

"Demacia will bring all of you to justice soon enough." Lux turned and walked away, her arms still folded tightly.

Katarina followed, swiftly, unwilling to give up. "Well, you can start with this one, then," she insisted.

Lux tossed her hair and didn't look back. "I will not provide assistance to the enemy," she said flatly.

"Lux, please. You know what, we can - we can give them up to Demacia and you can present them like it was your capture and Demacia can execute them."

"I will not provide assistance to the enemy." They were almost in sight of the building now.

"Fine!" Katarina cried. "If you help me I'll repay you with - "

"Repay me?" Lux whirled around again, arms still folded and eyes still narrowed, still eerily not herself. "Don't repay me. I don't care. I serve Demacia, not myself."

Katarina's eyes widened a little. That was... a little more Demacian than she had ever heard. Even out of, you know, Demacians.

"Please," she whispered, defeatedly. "You don't understand, Lux. I'll do anything."

"Anything," she murmured. "Then find someone else."

"Someone else that can get in and out of Noxus' most dangerous places unseen?" Katarina huffed. "No such person exists."

 

Lux pursed her lips. "Anything," she murmured again. Katarina nodded slowly, aware she was making a very dangerous agreement. "You're lying."

"I probably am," Katarina agreed quietly. "But you have to understand, if I'm begging a Demacian for help..."

Lux laughed, and it was a very strange, foreign sound, albeit a pleasing one - a soft, low laugh, and her eyes glittered haughtily along with it. "You must really be desperate," she agreed.

"Our people have one thing in common, and that is we believe in honor," Katarina sighed. "Honor means - it means you respect people. Even your enemies. I feel like Noxus has lost sight of that."

"Is selling out to the enemy honorable?" Lux muttered.

"No," Katarina agreed, looking down. "No, it's... it's not. But this isn't about my honor."

"I wasn't aware Noxians valued family honor."

"I loved him."

 

Lux was quiet.

"I loved him, Lux. He - he helped me. He made me feel beautiful. He forgave me when I failed. He gave me a purpose and something to fight for. When I was lost, he welcomed me home, and showed me my path again. I..."

Katarina was tearing up, now, and she shook her head trying to stop it, but it was pointless. She sniffled a bit loudly. She could feel Lux's gaze, piercing her, weakening her.

"I guess you've made your point," Katarina mumbled, shaking her head. She turned away. "Sorry to bother you."

"Happy Snowdown," Lux said softly.

"Happy Snowdown."

 

The feeling of weight and emptiness was almost unbearable when she finally made it back to her own room. She was freezing, shivering, but felt no warmth in her heart. It barely felt like she was safe from the cold.

Though some of that life was shocked back into her as she looked up, and saw Lux sitting at one of her tables, legs and arms crossed, watching her sternly.

"Lux...?" Katarina's eyes widened. "You're...?"

"If word of this reaches Demacian OR Noxian officials before the investigation is concluded, I will kill you," Lux said swiftly. Her voice was very angry, but it had returned to its normal octave range. "My involvement with you is strictly off-record."

"Yes," Katarina breathed. I can't believe this. I can't believe this.

"I take it since you thought to initiate this during Snowdown that time is of the essence," she continued.

"Yeah. It's - there isn't an immediate rush, but it gets more dangerous the longer I wait."

"Very well. We'll start immediately." She gestured for Katarina to sit down, and swiftly the assassin did so. "Tell me what you know."

 

"You're an expert spy," Katarina said quietly, "so I'm going to assume you already know about the Black Rose."

"A secretive organization that was last active nearly a century ago, headed by Emilia Leblanc," Lux recited. A tiny smile came to her lips. "Is she our suspect?"

"Yes."

"An obvious guess but a difficult chase. I see why this is such a problem for you." She closed her eyes and hummed briefly. "Go on."

"The day my father disappeared, he gave Cassiopeia a letter," Katarina continued. "You'll recall this was the information I used to get to the root of the Kalamanda scandal. It was stamped with the Black Rose's emblem."

Lux's eyebrows raised, but she was quiet. Katarina bit her lip.

"That's... that's all, technically," she muttered.

Lux snorted. "So you think that she's responsible because she may have given you the tip that led to the discovery that he may have been killed for?"

"No, it's... The Black Rose openly supports Swain's rule as the Grand General. He wouldn't have been able to get there without my father's disappearance. He became a High Command general in my father's place and then won over everyone's support with the way he handled the Kalamanda crisis."

Lux's brow knitted...

...then her eyes opened sharply and she gasped. "You think the Black Rose orchestrated the whole thing!" she cried.

Katarina nodded, opening her palms and pushing down in front of her, silently instructing Lux to be more quiet. "I confronted her about it, and she admitted to being involved in Kalamanda, but wouldn't say anything about my father. But she took the letter away."

"Hmmmm." Lux nodded, tapping her cheek rapidly a few times, and her foot tapped against the floor in time. "Okay! Then we'll investigate the Black Rose together. I'll compose a report for my commanding officer, and we'll find out if they were involved in your father's disappearance."

"Okay."

Lux smiled a little. "Do you consider the Black Rose your enemy?"

"If they killed my father, yes," she murmured, "and either way, they'll consider me their enemy before too long."

"Good. Then you won't mind if this potentially leads to their destruction."

"No, I won't."

"Great!" Lux beamed. "If you could do me a favor and open the door for a bit, then, I'll get ready to go. We'll meet in front of the Hall of Victory in the Ivory Ward, tomorrow at sundown. I'll be wearing a soldier's uniform and a knife pendant."

Katarina nodded. "Works for me." Lux gestured towards the door, and Kat stood and moved over to open it - when she looked back, Lux had disappeared, though instinctively she felt something move past her - a brush of air, the faintest sounds of footsteps - and she delicately closed the door again.

 

 

The journey to the Noxian capital could be perilous during Snowdown - all travel had that potential - but it was kind to Katarina, as she experienced only light snowfall on her way. Noxus had been hit much harder in recent days and drifts piled up along the walls and the alleys.

Higher and deeper in the bastion was the Ivory Ward. She had spent a lot of time here, in her childhood, but didn't like to come back here after the Kalamanda crisis... but here she was. It was one of the more ornate parts of the capital city, well-lit and well-decorated; here and there colored flames adorned torches, small symbols of the spirit of Snowdown. The Hall of Victory stood tall at the end of one lane, and as ever boisterous song and chatter could be heard inside; what was once a gathering hall for the Generals returning from the battlefield, generations ago, had become the only pub in the Ivory Ward. To make it this far proved Lux was an accomplished spy indeed.

And there she was. She wore a hood - dark hair tumbled out of it - but the soldier's uniform she recognized, and the knife pendant shortly after. She approached, her arms folded, her gaze stern. Lux's eyes beamed back up at her knowingly from the hood. Katarina's upper lip curled preemptively.

"What did you say your name was again?" she growled.

"Aleina," Lux said, feigning anxiety. "M-Miss."

Katarina huffed. "This is a poor meeting place," she murmured. "We'll talk at the manor."

She led Lux further still towards the central spire, where High Command held council. Near its base, overlooking the eastern sea, was the Du Couteau manor, once proud and alive and now quiet. Guards still patrolled its premises, but Katarina could never be too sure where their loyalty lay anymore. Her father had commanded great respect. She expected these soldiers only followed her for fear of Talon's wrath if they sold out.

They greeted her, stiffly. The ones at the door asked who Lux was. "An acquaintance," Katarina said quietly. "We have matters of the Institute to discuss." That was good enough.

Inside, it was quieter still. Her father - sire of two girls - had insisted on an external guard only. Katarina had come to appreciate this. She hoped now that they would protect her perimeter; if they didn't, and a Black Rose spy was watching them...

There was a war room, and Katarina took them to it, plastering up a map of the capital city on the far wall. Lux set down a pack that Katarina hadn't seen her wearing before, let down her hood and sat at the table before her, brushing out her cloak.

"The Black Rose's letter instructed father to be at the Ivory Ward at 5:00 pm," Katarina began. "He disappeared from there, and that is where we found the decoding rubric that led us to the Viper's Nest."

"He disappeared," Lux repeated thoughtfully. "Hmm. Tell me more about that."

"He was traveling with guards, but slipped away from them," she said simply. "We.... never saw him again after that."

Lux nodded, and hummed again, tapping her cheek. "Well; do you know of the sewer passage near the Hall of Victory?"

"Yeah. Here, right?" She tapped the map - just behind the Hall. The Noxian sewers were supposed to be an inaccessible extension of the underground dungeon network, but anywhere supposedly inaccessible makes an entirely too useful meeting place or secret passage, and so almost everyone knew about some passage or another, and access to them was highly valuable; any way you could sneak through dungeons where you didn't belong tended to be quite useful before too long. "Talon found it, a long time ago, and he's taken me through it before."

"Do you suppose your father knew about it?"

"Yeah, it was the closest to our manor - you think he went through there?"

"Almost definitely." Lux beamed. "There's another passage to a Black Rose base down there. I found it years ago, tailing Jericho Swain, and that is where we derived a lot of intel about the Ionian occupation. But I can't get very far in. There are a lot of illusion-based traps leading deeper, where I expect offices and such are located. It's likely he was allowed in and - if the Black Rose really is responsible - killed out of sight."

Katarina bristled. She had always had a hard time imagining how someone would get the upper hand on her father like that. He wouldn't venture into the Black Rose's nest and... let them poison him, or something like that. There had to be a fight someone cheated at, or some magical trap he somehow didn't see. Either way, she wasn't sure she'd find the evidence she wanted. How could you determine the cause of someone's death four years after it happened?

"I recommend we sneak in," Lux was continuing, "find an office that could have viably belonged to either Swain or Leblanc, and look for anything that could have been in the room at the time General Du Couteau was killed. If you can bring something that you know belonged to him, we can perform an associative divination that will indicate whether Du Couteau was nearby and, if so, when."

Katarina looked up, shocked out of her train of thoughts. "Wait, you can do that?"

"I can do a lot of things," Lux said happily. "It's not terribly precise, and we need something with some significance - a weapon, for example. But we should be able to determine whether he was there at around the time of his disappearance."

"Is there any way we can know what happened to him while he was there?" Katarina pressed. Lux shook her head.

"It doesn't work like that," Lux explained. "We're only proving that the owners of two objects were in the same space as one of those objects at the same time. Beyond that, who knows what other evidence we might find? For all we know she keeps his sword framed above her desk or something." Katarina gripped the table tightly and closed her eyes, tensing up at the very idea, and Lux giggled as she watched. "For her sake, I certainly hope she doesn't."

 

Their passage through the underground was quiet. Lux hummed gently to herself, and walked with a spring and skip to her steps that was entirely foreign to Katarina, but she didn't address Katarina - just led the way, sometimes whirling around briefly to be sure that Katarina was still following.

At the end of one tunnel, Lux felt along a wall for some mechanism - and then was able to push a section of stone wall inward, slowly and carefully, before gesturing for Katarina to proceed inside. They entered what seemed to be a warehouse, with crates and chests stacked in piles scattered around; above them catwalks led up to what must have been an entire city block, all interconnected underground.

"No one's here," Katarina murmured.

"We don't know that," Lux whispered urgently. "But it does look quiet. We'll want to go upstairs."

"How far can you get?"

"I couldn't get out of the warehouse. Don't get too far in front of me in case they've moved their traps around."

There was a staircase within sight; Katarina moved over to it, watching the upper walkways, but as she reached it Lux suddenly grabbed her wrist. She flinched and turned around, but Lux, looking oh so sweetly smug, pressed into the handrail beside her...

"There's a light grid here," she said softly, "and a button here to disable it. It's a door. But if you didn't know it was here, it'd scorch you and alert anyone upstairs."

"Do they have crap like this all around?" Katarina asked, exasperated.

"Yes. To someone talented with illusions and light magic, it's almost literally visible." Lux gestured onward, still holding the rail. "There'll be another one at the top that I'll hold open for you."

 

And they proceeded in this way for a while. Eventually, they came upon traps that Lux couldn't disable, as they were about to climb into one of the larger ground-level buildings, but Katarina by now had figured out what was needed. They were just thin barriers. Someone like Lux had to walk through them. Very few people could avoid just walking through something. But Katarina could do something much more impressive than that.

"What am I looking for?" she asked, her arms folded tersely, a little smile on her lips.

"It could be a lot of things," Lux admitted. "It would be easiest if you could just... take me with you somehow?"

Katarina blinked. "Take you..."

"You know. In your... little teleport thing."

"I can't just teach you to shunpo."

"Okay, but can you like - hold my wrist, or something, and I'll come with you?"

"Your hand might come with me," Katarina said hopefully. Lux growled.

"Okay, then something else." She was sounding impatient, and her irritation made Katarina smile even more. "Look, I can't get through this without some help, and you won't get very far without me pointing out traps. There's got to be - "

Katarina lunged - Lux yelped - but Kat just wrapped her arms around the mage, and called on the little burst of energy her mind could summon, pulling Lux right up against herself as it consumed them both - when they emerged out of it, they were on the other side of the barrier (well, Katarina assumed), at the base of a staircase. Lux squeaked, as Katarina let her go, panting harshly; Kat started up the stairs swiftly, eager not to discuss what she'd just done.

"That works," Lux said, her voice a bit weak. It might've just been her imagination, but Lux seemed to be sticking a bit closer than before.

 

Upstairs they entered a rather ordinary-looking office space, albeit very dark; the staircase opened up into a main room behind some reception desk, and as they crept around it they found a hallway that led further in. Katarina got a glance outside and recognized that they were down a few levels from the Ivory Ward now, though she didn't remember exactly where. They ventured further inside, and the building didn't allow in much light after that front area; they were working off of Lux's now very dim wandlight and nothing else.

But no one challenged them. They reached an office that Katarina somehow immediately knew was Leblanc's - the pompous decor, its placement in the building, the double doors leading to it... there was a desk, sure, but it was pushed back, and it looked more like a study, with bookshelves on either side and posh velvet chairs for reclining in...
...she froze in place, and turned pale, as her gaze returned to the desk.

"What?" Lux gasped, as quietly as she could. "Katarina?"

Katarina flash-stepped forward - it happened by accident sometimes when she hurried - and was immediately at the desk. She slowly walked around it, reaching out to the chair behind - turning its back to face her. Draped over the back of it... There was no mistaking her father's coat, the mantle he wore over his armor, blazoned with her family's crest; even just the shoulders she knew from seeing that mantle so many times, from hoping that one day she could proudly wear it in his name. She started to lift it...

A flash of color out of the corner of her eye -

She stumbled backwards, expecting to be able to flash-step, but she'd just done it by accident and the searing pain in her head when she tried to do it twice knocked her over. The bolt of binding light she had seen flashed just barely over her head, scorching the wall behind her as it dissipated. She rolled to her feet as Lux started to back up, holding the choke point hostage; she hurled a singularity of light forward, and it stopped right in the center of the doorway, glowing with an ominous white-violet light and distorting Lux's visage on the other side.

"You little shit," Katarina said, but she laughed, and she felt an odd surge of relief knowing that it was just Lux turning on her. "Good try! Very good try."

"Just stay there, while I keep looking around," Lux said, her voice unsteady but still singsong and delightful as ever. "And I'll come deal with you in a little while."

In one blinding motion Katarina drew a knife from her hip and threw it through the singularity; the ball of light detonated and Lux cried out in pain as the knife found its mark. Katarina ran forward, drawing a second short sword as Lux recovered, and shoved her hard into the wall, pressing her new blade into the girl's neck.

"I'm not exactly interested in starting another war," Katarina hissed, "so I'm not going to kill you here. So just let this scar remind you of the time you tried to kill me and failed." She reached down and pulled her knife out of Lux's wrist, drawing a groan of agony from the Demacian. Turned out she hadn't lost her touch after all!

"Get off," Lux snarled, a bit weakly, and Kat stepped back; the girl held her wounded hand to her chest, hunched over a little. Blood had already started running down her palm and forearm; she glared at Katarina now, with a surprising hate in her eyes, her breaths labored. Katarina couldn't help but grin at it - it was such a rare sight to see, the Demacian consumed by their killer's instinct, the reminder that they truly were a noble challenge for Noxus' strength. In particular, Katarina wasn't sure she'd ever seen Lux like this. Garen, Quinn, Xin Zhao, even Jarvan - but never Lux. She was very pretty, when she let the veil down. Katarina even didn't feel a need to curse herself for enjoying it. She wondered if she could make Lux look like this more often.

"Now now," Katarina chided, "since I've got what I came for, it's time to go, isn't it?"

Lux raised her wand, but Katarina caught it as she swung down, and the spell on it faded; Lux winced as her motion was stopped, stumbling forward a bit. "Don't push your luck," Katarina said, a little more seriously.

"I can't - be caught here, with you," Lux panted. She spoke shortly, in gasps, and the sickening cheer to her voice was choked out of her. "Treason. Have to - Have to kill you."

"Now, I'm sure we can arrange something less likely to spark international crisis," Kat replied in what she hoped was a reassuring voice, though she couldn't help but be rather unnerved. This injury shouldn't have hurt so much as to inhibit Lux's ability to speak. It wasn't like it was a mortal wound, was it? It was just her hand...

Lux's eyes widened - "Move!" she cried, and Katarina blinked and let go of her wand, shunpoing backwards into the office. A strange burst of orange-gold light slashed across where she had been standing, and before Lux could move to follow her, Katarina watched two cloaked men descend on her, pinning her to the floor, a hand covering her mouth to muffle her sounds of pain and fright. Katarina gathered up her father's coat, and set it around her shoulders, before drawing two knives and striding forward - she heard a very panicked squeal from Lux, and one of the men laughed, but she hurled a knife at his skull and it pinned him to the wall behind. The other whirled around, shocked, and Katarina rushed him and slit his throat in a single easy motion. Lux yelped again, trying to point with her free hand, but before Katarina could turn the burning chains had lashed around her - she snarled and struggled to turn around, knowing exactly who she would find there. She just heard Leblanc's huff of disappointment before she blacked out.

 

She woke up in darkness. Her wrists and ankles were tied, leaving her to awkwardly shuffle around. She could dimly make out bars, and she smelled mildew and dust on the air - wherever she was, it wasn't frequently used.

"Katarina?" Lux's voice floated over to her from somewhere out of sight. Kat groaned as she found a wall to sit up against.

"How's your hand," Katarina muttered.

"Bad." Lux's voice sounded weak and defeated. Still another sound Kat had not heard before from her. Katarina was learning all kinds of things today. "Hurts a lot."

"Stab wounds tend to, yeah." Katarina grunted as she shoved backwards against the wall, trying to stand. "Where are we?"

"Some dungeon of Leblanc's, I guess." She heard Lux kick something.

"Are you tied up?"

"No. They took my wand. I've been trying to cast spells but I can't. They must have a rune down here shutting off our magic."

So no shunpo, obviously. Katarina sighed, finally managing to find the purchase to stand up. She noticed that the coat was gone - Leblanc had likely destroyed it by now.

"They're going to kill one of us," Lux said very softly. Katarina hesitated. "And then they'll blame the other for it."

"Did she tell you that?" Katarina murmured.

"No, but it makes the most sense." Her voice was almost a whisper now. "I'll either die to feed some scheme or get blamed for killing you and be executed."

God, there was so much wrong with this. Katarina was distinctly reminded of the despair she'd felt as she realized what happened to her father, but as she shook that off she was struck by how bizarre this fear was. Executed for what, exactly? If she was so afraid of getting caught like this, why'd she try to kill Katarina in the first place? "No, you aren't," she growled, feeling around the walls for her bars, and starting to judge how far apart they were. Definitely too close for her to squeeze through, as small as she was. There were horizontal crossbeams to make things extra complicated.
"Why?" Lux asked dryly. "Are you going to save me?"

"Yes."

"After I tried to kill you?"

"I told you, I'm not interested in starting a war," Katarina sighed, continuing to feel around, looking for a hinge somewhere. Leblanc tended to be cocky as hell. It wouldn't surprise Kat if she protected against magical escape and completely forgot about old-school mundane methods.

"If you can escape, why wouldn't you just go? You could gather up all your things and escape, and you couldn't be framed."

"Listen, Lux, I'm not about just randomly killing people if it seems vaguely convenient." Maybe there were other reasons, but she didn't need to bring that up or give voice to it. She found something. No, wait, that was just a foundation bar. Extra thick. Keep going. "I'm sure that's hard to believe, from your perspective, but here in Noxus we have rules about how and why you kill people."

Lux was silent.

"Had," Katarina corrected, bitterly. "We HAD rules. I don't know what the fuck new regime Leblanc is running. If she intended to kill us I bet she would've by now, though."

"Why wouldn't you just let me die here?" Lux asked weakly. Katarina paused. Somehow, she could see Lux perfectly in her mind - slumped against a filthy stone wall, eyes dimmed and wet, cradling her injured hand, waiting for fate to take her. She'd given up so fast... why? She wanted to be angry about it, she SHOULD be angry about it, but after seeing her so full of fire before, it worried her instead...

"Because," she said, trying to sound impatient, "I don't gain anything from it. And the thing is -- " she found a hinge, and started pulling on it with a grunt - "you came out here to help me - bring honor to my father." There was a loud clang, and the hinge came loose; Katarina let it drop to the side and knelt down, looking for another. "You came out here because you respect that honor. And I respect you for doing it. So tell you what. We're gonna get out of here, and you can die a hero some other time, in some glorious battle against Noxus where your people will remember you and sing songs about you."

Again, Lux was silent.

"Alright? It's what I would've wanted for father. It's what he would have wanted for you. So I'm gonna - I'm gonna honor his memory... by making sure you get it!" This last bit finally came out in a grunt, and as she heaved to remove the second hinge, it just snapped off and the door to her cell fell to the floor with a crash. Lux's cell was across from hers - Katarina shuffled forward, and when she pushed against the bars, she could dimly make out Lux's prone form curled on the ground, facing away. She looked vulnerable. Weak. But the visceral reaction to weakness - to stab it, purge it - was absent. Katarina knew there was strength here, and it burned her up to see that strength suppressed.

 

"Aleina," Katarina said, now definitely impatient. "We're getting you out of here."

"You really did love your father, didn't you," Lux whispered.

"Yes, I did."

Lux slowly rolled over. Her blue eyes were so bright that they seemed to illuminate her face. Kat could see the color, not just her shape. "What will you do once you've avenged him?" she whispered.

"Follow his example," Katarina said quietly, raising an eyebrow, feeling along for another hinge. It took considerable time, given her bound wrists. "Live honorably. Fight for glory. Be the strongest I can be. Bring out the strength of others."

"Bring out...?" Her eyes widened. They were so big and childlike. Like a certain young girl watching a blade-artist perform for the first time. Kat felt a strange warmth and relief in her chest as she saw it.

"Like he did for me," she sighed, yanking on the hinge as she found it. "It's kinda our family tradition." With a loud clang it came free, and she knelt down to look for the next one. "Our head of house becomes the strongest warrior, the sharpest blade... and then they sharpen other blades. Children, usually." She grunted; this one was fighting back a bit more than the others had. Lux was crawling towards her. "I'm not one for kids, myself," she continued, starting to pant with her exertion. "But - I dunno. Maybe I'll change my mind."

"Kat," Lux said very softly. The affectionate shortening of her name should have annoyed Katarina, but instead she was surprised and taken aback. "Let me untie your hands."

"Uh. Okay." She poked her wrists through the bars, and Lux gingerly reached up, working the rope with her fingers until it came free. Then Katarina was able to pry the hinge free with ease, catching the door this time and delicately setting it aside. Lux crawled up a bit more, and untied Katarina's ankles. And Katarina then helped her to her feet.

 

"You don't serve Noxus," Lux said slowly, her voice now a bit louder, above a whisper. Katarina raised one eyebrow. What was this supposed to mean?

"Yes, I do," Katarina muttered. But Lux shook her head.

"You serve your father."

There was a strange twinge of an idea in Katarina's brain, as if she were finally watching her target separate himself from his guards, as if the fates had given her an opportunity she had wanted for a long time. A shadow of a smile came to her lips. "Yeah, and he served Noxus. What do you mean?"

"But you don't -" She paused, looking down. "You serve... the way he wanted to. He did it his own way."

"We all do." Katarina's smile grew a little lopsided. It almost felt like she had to be cheerful, to make up for Lux, and something in her enjoyed it. "That's part of the thing about us. We don't follow big hefty books of guidance and justice and creed. We make our own rules, and if we're strong enough to uphold them, we inspire other people and they follow them, too."

"But..."

"Father told me that Noxus isn't a country. It's a philosophy. Strength begets strength, we say. And strength above all." She took Lux by the wrist, leading her forward, down the hallway, in search of - something. An exit, their equipment, anything. "You can't take that away from us. You can't beat it out of us. We take pride in it. Someone is strong when they can live by the path they have made for themselves, no matter what country they're a part of, and that's part of why we like fighting you bastards so damn much, is because while you're accusing us of all of these atrocities, we just smile and watch you do the exact same thing we believe in the first place."

 

For a moment, Lux continued to lag along behind silently. But after that she jogged forward and kept up. She didn't look at or speak to Katarina; her jaw was set, her eyes dark, and her expression blank. For a moment, Katarina had felt a swell of pride for herself that she'd somehow rekindled Lux's fighting spirit - but seeing her like this, it seemed that was far from what had happened, and then her worry came back in full force.

Either way, she found their things piled by the door - and scattered all around, hints of battle, little dashes of fresh blood. Lux didn't seem to notice. But Katarina squinted at them. Either way, she accepted the blessing when it showed itself, and once they had re-equipped, they continued on their way.

 

"We should leave Noxus," Lux murmured, after they'd been wandering a while, unchallenged. There were guards in the more mainstream tunnels, but they were all just High Command cronies, who seemed perfectly happy to just let them go on by.

"Yeah." Katarina sighed. Now she had the proof she had been looking for. It wasn't so that she could present that proof to anyone - Leblanc destroying the mantle was inconsequential. Katarina would have another made, when her family name was restored. She just needed to see it to know that she wasn't acting in haste. "Did you leave anything at the manor?"

"Yes," Lux said quietly. "How easily can we get out from there?"

"It won't be too bad, as long as we hurry."

"Very well. Lead on."

 

When they arrived at the manor, the guards tried to stop Kat at the door, and - fearing the worst - she drew on them. But they shuffled back immediately. "Lady Cassiopeia was looking for you," one of them stammered, and Katarina groaned.

"Go get your things, quickly," she urged; Lux didn't need telling twice, dashing through with her head held low so that the guards wouldn't see that her illusion was gone. Katarina hurried to Cassiopeia's quarters before her sister could intercept them, and sure enough caught her on her way into the main part of the ground floor.

 

They glared at each other for a few moments. Cassiopeia's tail slowly curled into a coil beneath her.

 

Even as far as sour sibling relationships went, Katarina and Cassiopeia had never got along. Katarina had always cursed Cassiopeia's effortless beauty and confidence. She was severly punished once, when they were very small, when Cassiopeia made her angry and they started fighting, because Katarina naturally was bigger and stronger. But then Cassiopeia was protected by their father, and so when he wasn't looking, she would make fun of Kat. Worse than being made fun of, though, was being made to feel powerless, and Cassiopeia thrived on that feeling more than anything.

"I heard you were arrested by the Black Rose," Cassiopeia said levelly, the seductive sway to her voice entirely absent. Katarina stiffened.

"Word travels quickly in Noxus," she said quietly.

"I also heard you were traveling with a Demacian."

Katarina paled a little. Oh no.

"Is that her?" Cassio nodded towards the foyer. "The girl who came in earlier?"

"It's not of any consequence," Katarina hissed. "I'm seeing her out and returning to the Institute."

"Really? In this weather?" Cassio sounded surprisingly sincere in her concern. "Not to tell you how to do your job, but there are easier ways to kill someone, aren't there?" Wait. Never mind.

Katarina sighed angrily, burying her face in a palm. "Look, she helped me infiltrate the Rose, and I found something we can talk about later. For now - "

"She helped you."

"Yes!" Katarina snarled, looking up again. "We don't have time for this. Leblanc will be looking for us."

"Oh, more than the Black Rose is looking for you," Cassiopeia drawled, icily. Kat's eyes widened a little.

"Wh-" She didn't even start to ask before she knew the answer. Cass' eyes thinned to angry slits and her tail curled about herself, mimicking her folded arms. "Who? When?"

"Your boyfriend, and the falconer," Cass replied, now dryly. "They came by not so long ago, and I told them you weren't here. They say you kidnapped her."

"I ---"

 

All color now drained from her face, Katarina's eyes glassed over as the full meaning of this surged through her. Lux had come here without permission. She'd assumed that somehow Lux would arrange for it, with whoever her superior was, or at least tell someone she was going - 'There's an opportunity to investigate the Black Rose so I'm off, be back before second banquet!' - but for some bizarre reason she must not have. Was this part of a ploy to get Katarina in trouble? Probably, probably some kind of failsafe so that she'd be safe from trial if she'd managed to kill Kat. But would that have even worked? Would she really do that?

The most reasonable course of action, then, was to find them, and give Lux back - but if Lux was left alone, or caught on, she'd try to escape or worse. This was a horribly delicate situation; even if she did manage to just hand Lux over there was no guarantee she'd avoid allegations. It'd be her word against theirs, and just the process of proving her innocence could be the next Kalamanda depending on how Lux and Leblanc told their stories.

"What did you tell them?" Katarina asked, wind knocked out of her voice.

"I know nothing about it, obviously," Cass sighed, turning around, the swagger back in her tone. "I told them that, and that I doubt you have an interest in starting a major political catastrophe, and they ought to have tried framing someone a bit more believable."

Well, that only sort of helped. "This was before you found out I was arrested?"

"Yes. They'll know by now, too."

Oh no. Katarina groaned and rested her face in her hand again. Leblanc had left them alive because she intended to give them back to Demacia. More of her damned scheming. "Well, if you can continue telling them you don't know anything, that would be ideal."

"Katarina, this is a new low for our house," Cassiopeia hissed, turning back again. "Your cooperation with the fucking prince was one thing but being accused of kidnapping a Demacian champion is unacceptable. We're an assassin's guild, not some petty hostage-takers."

"I asked her for help and she agreed to come along," Katarina countered, "this was not supposed to be any different from working with Jarvan!"

"How are you going to explain this to General Darius, hmmmmm?" Cassiopeia leaned in - she was quite a bit taller than Kat now, and her eyes' sinister yellow gleam was intense, but somehow less intimidating than the hateful green eyes of her youth. "Some petty and failed power play from one of the last remaining noble houses - he's been dying for an excuse for our execution, you know, and this would make a brilliant one!"

"General Darius can choke on a dagger," Katarina snarled back. She turned, and leaned heavily against the wall beside her, still clutching her forehead. "Why would she do this?" she breathed.

"Because you left yourself open, you imbecile," Cassiopeia snarled. "You should've left the internal searching to -"

"Not Leblanc, Lux. Why did Lux do this."

"I don't know! It doesn't matter!"

"It does matter." Katarina's eyes narrowed. "Listen, Demacians are so in love with their rules you wouldn't believe it. It's unthinkable that they would ever break them, and that's why execution for basically every offense is acceptable to them. If they think she was kidnapped, that means she didn't report in to an officer -"

"Unless this was some ploy by the Demacians all along, to start a war again..."

"Yeah, because that went so well last time." She shook her head. "No, I know Jarvan, and that's not the kind of shit he would pull. He worked with me because he was so desperate for there not to be a war. I don't see him changing his mind all of a sudden after four years of nothing." She looked up at Cass. "But none of the other Noxians know that," she added lowly. "Cass - listen, I know you're pissed at me but - "

"For the glory of the house," she said dully, "yes, I'll help, and yes, that's very smart and I'll see if I can play that angle until something else comes out."

"Just pretend we never talked, you never saw me come home from the Institute," Katarina sighed, turning to lean backwards instead, eyes closed. "I'm going to go have a stern talk with Lux and figure out what the fuck is going on here. I'll probably just give her back, but otherwise, if anyone shows up I'll take us through the dungeons. Just stall."

"Fine." Cass slithered past. Katarina waited, breathing slowly, thinking, but few thoughts came to her mind; she was a good planner at times, but that was about all she was good for. Shaking her head, she pushed herself up and made her way towards the war room.

 

Lux sat on the floor, her pack next to her, back against the wall and legs pulled up, her injured hand cradled close to her chest while she held a book with her other hand. She was reading. Just placidly, quietly reading. Katarina stared at her blankly, a sudden rage building.

"What are you doing?" she asked hoarsely.

"It's time, right?" Lux said, looking up, and making to stand.

"No, no no, before that, you're explaining something to me," Katarina hissed, standing over her with her arms crossed. Lux looked up at her, her eyes wide and strangely concerned. "Why the fuck did you leave without telling anyone?"

"I - " Her lips hung parted, a look of horror coming over her. "O-oh no," she whispered. "They're here, aren't they?"

"A Demacian tracking team came here, looking for you, because they think I kidnapped you." Katarina's voice was quivering. "What kind of bullshit setup is this?"

"We have to run," Lux gasped. "P-please, we have to hurry!"

"Oh, no, we're not going anywhere," Katarina snarled, "I'm giving you the fuck back after you explain to me why you did this."

"I --" Her voice choked up. "Please, Katarina, I - I'll explain later - " she tried to stand up and Katarina stepped forward, her boot coming down on Lux's shoulder, holding her in place.

"No." What was going on!? Nothing Lux was doing, nothing she had done at all in the last hour and a half, none of it made any sense. Was this some kind of awful Black Rose impersonation? No, it couldn't be, they'd never be this completely out of character.

"If they find me they'll execute me for working with you!" Lux cried, tearing up. "You - you said you were going to help me, because it was what your father wanted - "

"My father would not have tolerated some ploy to frame him for kidnapping," Katarina spat. "Is that what this is!?"

"No," Lux whimpered, "I just wanted to help you, I wanted to help your father - I - "

"Bullshit you did! Tell me!"

"I just couldn't, I had - I had to help your father - I wanted to believe that he - that I... I..."

She broke down into wailing sobs, hiding her face in her knees and curling up even tighter.

 

Katarina watched her, for a few moments. The rage in her heart was fading, replaced with a dull, exhausted confusion. This didn't make any sense, but there's a certain kind of not-making-sense that tends to feel like a plot against you, and while that included things like people helping you when they didn't have any reason to and then things going wrong because of their help, this broken-down helplessness wasn't that. And it left her without any idea what to do, or who to trust. The vicious and beautiful Lux she had seen earlier was now here, crying, over something, and for all the mysteries of the day Katarina could no longer focus on any of them except what was possibly hurting her so bad.
She knelt down, after a moment, and took the book from Lux's grip. Lux cried out in despair, trying to grab it back, but Katarina carefully held it out of reach and inspected it. It was a battered copy of the Measured Tread. Kat had seen the codex a few times before... the Demacian manual of morality and justice, the code all their soldiers were to live by. A doctrine, more or less. Her eyes narrowed. Why was she...?

"Why were you reading this?" She brandished it.

"It comforts me," Lux sobbed. "Give it back."

"It comforts you?"

"Please believe me, Katarina. I didn't want any of this to happen. I don't know what I expected. I just couldn't abandon you. I couldn't bear it." She sniffled, loudly, trying to control herself. "We need to go." She looked up, defeatedly. "Please," she added, in a final whisper.

The little spark of an idea she'd felt back in the dungeons suddenly kicked to life again and she felt an odd fire in her heart. Her eyes narrowed, as she looked over Lux. Just a girl - weak. Helpless. Dull. It was the Du Couteau tradition to sharpen that which had great potential. She again recalled the instinctive fire in Lux's eyes in the hideout... not the imperious look of the assassin who's got the upper hand, but the primal fire of someone who has to kill because their heart demands it and they cannot say no. That was... special. There was potential here. There was serious potential here. She could imagine it, she could see herself...

...No, what was she thinking? She shook her head, drew herself up, took a deep breath. Turn her in, Kat. Turn her in.

Don't fall for this. There's nothing here for you! Stop crushing on a Demacian girl. Demacians hate you, they will kill you, they will make you suffer. They don't care about you.

They don't care about anything you care about...

...she couldn't convince herself. Her eyes softened, her shoulders slumped. The jig was up; somehow this helpless little thing had weakened her in a way no one had ever managed before, and there was nothing she could do about it. For her own peace of mind, she had to help, somehow.

"There's a passage in the basement we can use to get down to the dungeons, and from there to the lower levels," she sighed. "We'll go back to the Institute before they catch us and take asylum there. Once we do that they have to let us explain ourselves. We'll figure it out."

Lux nodded. "Please give me that," she asked, reaching for the Measured Tread again. Katarina handed it to her. She stood up, slowly, shakily, and pulled her pack over her shoulders again.

 

It wasn't Garen and Quinn who came to the Du Couteau manor next. Cassiopeia was surprised to have Leblanc herself stroll into the foyer, after she instructed the forward guards to allow the visitor in. Kat had said to stall - but she probably didn't want this particular visitor around. And Cass most definitely didn't either.

"I suppose you've heard by now," Leblanc said tiredly. She stood, leaning on her staff a bit, the faintest sign of her age. Cass' tongue flicked out briefly, an instinct she couldn't really control since the transformation.

"You found them, then," she replied. "How fortunate. I'm sure there's a logical explanation for - "

"We found them, and they escaped," Leblanc interrupted. "I'm afraid I need to request your help in finding them."

"Escaped?" Cassiopeia feigned surprise. "How could the Black Rose... ah, never mind that. I'm sure she misunderstood your intent, Matron. If I find her, I'll inform you."

Leblanc's eyes had narrowed a bit, but she just sighed, and nodded gratefully. "I do appreciate that. Though I feel I should warn you... Katarina has seemed a bit... unstable, lately."

"Unstable?" Again, she pretended this was new to her. Katarina had never been terribly stable in her eyes.

"It may be in the best interests of High Command if she were... relieved of her responsibilities, a bit," Leblanc said seriously. "I'm sure you would be more than happy to take over her head of house status..."

Cassiopeia's tongue flicked out again. She drew herself up a bit, arms folding tighter. This was true. This was very true. Katarina was going to take the house to her grave if she had her way much longer...

"Something perhaps I can help to arrange?" Leblanc continued, a bit hopefully, expectantly. Ah. She saw where this was going.

"If something really is afoot," she said, tersely, "they'll be returning to the Institute by now, I expect. You won't be able to catch them - but that tracking eagle might."

"I see." Leblanc showed a relieved smile. "Truly, thank you for your cooperation, my dear. I'll see that it is repaid duly."

"You had better." Cassiopeia gestured for the door. Leblanc disappeared entirely instead.

 

Lux was silent again as they journeyed through the lower levels of Noxus and back out into the cold; now both cloaked and hooded, they forged out into the snowstorm together, and Katarina counted herself lucky that the guards hadn't seen either of them - too distracted, presumably, by how damn freezing it was. But now that they were out here the cold itself was as much of a threat as capture was. Maybe even more. Though to Lux, it seemed it didn't make a difference.

They made good progress, as much as you could hope for traveling through weather that could at any time turn into a deadly blizzard - the advantage here was obviously they'd be much harder to track, if not impossible. Someone would have to know where they were going, and even then, they'd have to get pretty lucky.

By nightfall, the snow had subsided, but the cold remained. Off the road a ways they found a small grove of trees where Katarina had them lay out the bedrolls and tarps they had brought. She was used to traveling like this, and she assumed Lux was, too; there still weren't many more economical ways of travel than just walking between city-states, it was a day and a half to travel between them and the Institute. Sometimes you could find a zeppelin or something, but not in this weather.

Still silent, Lux didn't waste any time helping Kat build a fire - finding kindling, arranging it neatly, holding Katarina back and using her light magic to ignite it. Then she sat down by it and took the Measured Tread out of her pack, and began to read again. Her eyes seemed glossy, and Katarina watched for a while without seeing her turn a page...

"Can you explain why you didn't tell anyone you were going now?" she asked darkly. Slowly, Lux lowered the book, looking into the flames.

"No," she said quietly. "I don't know."

"You don't - " she sighed. "You don't know."

"They wouldn't have let me go, if I asked, so I had to. They'd have made you explain what was going on to someone higher up, probably all the way up to the prince. I didn't think you would get help that way."

"No," Katarina agreed, "I probably wouldn't have."

"And I wanted to help you."

 

Katarina nodded slowly. This made sense. Sort of. Not really. But before she could try to clarify, Lux continued:

 

"I wanted to believe that you really did have a good father." She sighed. "That he was worth helping."

"He was a Noxian, you know," Katarina muttered. Lux nodded.

"I guess I forgot."

Something about this stung at Katarina. She shifted a little uncomfortably, molding her feeling into words. "Is it really so hard for you to believe that there could be a good person who's also Noxian?"

"What's there to believe?" Lux shrugged, and lifted the book. "'Justice is a light that shows all for who they truly are, and if you are impure, you shall burn.'"

"You read that, out of the book."

"Yes. It's our doctrine."

"No, I mean, you read it." Katarina smirked, regarding Lux a bit curiously. "I've never seen a Demacian do that before. You all recite it by memory. Don't you have it memorized?"

 

Something came over Lux. She paled and stared through the book, into the fire, her hands shivering a little, which they had not been doing before.

"You don't." Katarina's voice was not playful and curious anymore. She had stumbled upon something possibly very bad, from what little she knew of the Measured Tread and its significance. "How - how don't you?"

"I forgot," Lux said weakly.

"You forgot?"

"No. I can't - I can't rem- "

All at once she screamed and flung the book toward the fire, and if Katarina's reflexes hadn't been so fast it would've made it there. Lux curled up and hid under her cloak, shaking. Katarina stared at her in shock. Slowly, she crawled over, and touched her shoulder - Lux squeaked and shuffled away.

"Lux?" she said softly.

"No, please," she whimpered. "I just want to be home, I just want to be home, I just want it to be okay..."

 

Katarina sat back again, watching her, bewildered, her thoughts totally blank. At length, she looked down at the book again. It comforts me.

She cleared her throat, and lifted it, and went to the beginning, her eyebrow raised. She stared at the words there for a few moments. 'If you choose to bring justice to Valoran, walk the Measured Tread and stand tall.' She mouthed them to herself, once or twice.

What was she doing?

"If you choose to bring justice to Valoran," she said slowly, "walk the Measured Tread, and stand tall."

Lux's shivering slowed. Katarina paused.

"Keep going," Lux murmured, under her cloth shield.

"I dunno if I can." She regarded the book with distaste. "It's all - doctrine-y, and weird."

"Just... find bits you like."

 

Katarina raised her eyebrows, skimming through. Yeah, right. Like she'd find anything she liked among the Demacian creed. It was all about... this weird... concept of justice. Nothing about strength. Nothing about power, and the meaning of power. It was about the protection of the weak, as if there were something special and good about it - why? What a waste. The strong show their power, the weak are inspired and become strong and then everyone is strong.

...wait.

"Lead by example," she whispered, blinking, and she tracked back a few sentences. "'Truth is a virtue shown, not taught. Live the life of glory and inspire those around you. Lead by example, not by command.'"

 

...She liked that. She thought she head Lux hum softly, and she looked over at her and smiled a little.

 

She kept looking. "'The power to destroy evil and bring about justice is in all of us,'" she continued. "'Forget not your place, and walk in confidence that Demacia walks with you.' No, not that... 'Those that walk beside... ' Yeah. 'Those that walk beside you will grow for your presence, and you will grow for their presence. Watch for them, teach them, and be taught, and...' Yeah."

"Yeah?" Lux shuffled around a little under her cloak.

"I dunno. Sounds a little -" Noxian, she almost said. "Like what I believe," she said carefully. "Strength begets strength, right? Being strong brings other people up to you." She kept going. Lux poked her head out from her hood, watching, but Katarina didn't see. "'In pursuit of the truth, the virtuous heart will guide you in darkness'... 'the word of the righteous is mightier than the sword of the wicked'...?"

"Yeah, right," Lux muttered. Katarina couldn't help but burst with laughter.

"Let's try 'the sword of the righteous', eh?" Katarina grinned down at Lux, momentarily forgetting that the girl was hurting, but Lux was smiling back at her, albeit tiredly. "The sword of the righteous is mightier than the sword of the wicked."

"That's how you see it, isn't it?" Lux slowly pushed herself back up. "If you're right, fight for it... and you'll win."

Not quite. But she supposed she could see Demacians seeing it that way. "If you fight for it, it becomes right," she murmured.

Lux bristled. "But... if evil wins..."

"Just don't lose." Katarina shrugged, lowering the book. "Keep fighting. It's not winning that matters, Lux, it's that what you're doing is worth fighting for."

 

Lux's eyes widened at this. Katarina watched her, hoping maybe she'd fixed it - hoping to see that fierce, cheerful Lux again. She wanted to see that again, she wanted to see it on the Field of Justice, and know that she was the one that had sharpened a blade of Demacia, so talented and inspiring was she. She maybe wanted to see it all the time - she maybe wanted to try to sharpen her more. But as she built herself up, wondering if she could ask something forward, Lux looked down. She shook again, and choked once.

"What am I doing," she whispered. "What am I fighting for?"

"I don't know." Katarina looked at the book. "It's in here somewhere, I guess."

"I don't want to think about that," Lux cried; Kat looked over at her startled and there she was, fierce, angry, fists clenched in the snow, tearful eyes full of fire. "I don't want to talk about that book! Throw it away!"

Katarina slowly put it down, her eyes fixed on Lux's, captivated.

"Tell me," she hissed, "why I fight you."

"I - I don't - don't you think I'm evil? And you have to stamp out evil?"

"Are you?" Lux turned her head. "You don't seem evil."

 

Katarina felt a strange heat in her chest and her cheeks. Was that... a compliment?

 

"I don't really know, Lux," she said slowly. "Demacia follows these... these rules, and doctrines, and I don't care about them."

Lux nodded slowly. "And that's why I fight you? Because you don't follow it?"

"I don't know, Lux," she repeated. Fuck's sake, Lux was so gorgeous like this. She wanted to fight her and hold her and make fun of her and have her make fun back so they'd laugh at each other and get stronger together. It was a stupid mental image that occupied so much of her mind that she could barely think, and when she tried, all that came to her was that tiny glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, she had a chance of making it happen. She again drew herself up to ask -

But Lux just withdrew, her fire slowly fading away, her eyes slipping closed. She took a deep breath, and when it came out, it was shaking.

"You okay?" Katarina asked softly.

Lux didn't answer. She just sat back and pulled her knees up to her chest again, hugging herself tightly. Katarina tried to hand her the book - but she didn't take it. So Kat kept it.

 

And Lux didn't move. Kat heated up rations for them but Lux didn't eat. Katarina sat up against a tree, intending to keep some manner of watch, hoping to come up with words to say to bring Lux back to life again. But it was cold and her bedroll was warm, and she struggled to stay awake...

 

 

Lux stared into the flames, watching them consume.

I loved him. I loved him. I loved him.

Forgave me when I failed.
Welcomed me when I was lost.
Showed me my path again.

No father. She had no father. She had no mother. Demacia were her parents. The King was her parents. All the parenting she'd ever need.

She hated them. She remembered. They told her and she refused to look at them. Why. Why would you do this to me. All I wanted was to make you proud, make you happy, and you throw me away. I'll show you, she had said, she had screamed, in her room. Curse you, I'll show you, I'll show all of you.

The Measured Tread. Kat still had it. She'd read it again and again and again. It brought her comfort. She couldn't remember why. She couldn't remember that comfort now. It was a fact recited by her memory, not a feeling remembered with warmth and pride. She remembered - with a shiver, with a wince of pain, she remembered - walking under Demacian banners with that bright smile on, she remembered indoctrinating a new incoming class, all stern faces, like the one she'd been taught to use at first, until she started smiling. She didn't remember when she started smiling.

You'll die a hero. In some glorious battle against Noxus where your people will remember you and sing songs about you. It's what he would have wanted for you.

It's what I would have wanted for him. So I'm gonna honor his memory, by making sure you get it.

I loved him.

No, Lux. She doesn't love you. She doesn't love anyone. She's a Noxian. A killer. A murderer. Evil.

I loved him.

She's not evil. She's just trying to save her family. I would do the same, for my family. For Demacia. And that means I'm good, right?

Lux's eyes flicked over to Katarina. The assassin was asleep. She looked up at the stars. They were bright and beautiful. She wished she could stay and stare at them forever. It was peaceful. She wished she didn't have to think about this. She wished she didn't have to think at all. Why had she done this? Why had she done this to herself? Her vision grew blurry. Her eyes stung. It hurt so much to think about it - to try to reach deep in herself, for those memories that she'd held so dear, and to realize that they were just empty visions. Feelings, real feelings - real feelings of relief, affection, inspiration - they had assaulted her, shocked her, on this journey, and now she was questioning herself, trying to remember why Kat was her enemy, but she couldn't look back and feel those feelings again without - the burning feeling inside her, that threatened to choke her, that scorched her when she looked too closely at her old scripture...

"Kat?" her voice was broken; she was crying.

"huh?" Katarina responded with a dull, faint voice, barely aware. Lux looked down at her, but then hid her gaze in her knees again.

"Never mind," she whimpered. Why do you keep asking Kat for things? She won't give you answers. She'll just make you feel more. Hurt more.

She's answered all of my questions. She's the only one here. She's taking care of me. She makes me feel alive. I want to feel that way. I want it not to hurt.

She heard Katarina sigh heavily, and push herself up, with a grunt. "Are you alright?"

Lux didn't say anything. She didn't know what to say. She just felt this tightness in her heart and throat and she felt like if she opened her mouth she would throw up, and her stomach and heart and intestines would come out and she would die. Katarina sighed.

"You know," Katarina said slowly, "I should thank you."

I tried to kill you, you moron. I want you dead. You are evil and you hate me.

"Without you, I wouldn't have been able to figure out what happened to father, for sure." Katarina sighed, and it was a relieved, happy sigh, and Lux looked up faintly to see Katarina looking at the stars, too. She was smiling, and her eyes were shining, and Lux remembered that face: it was the face she made in her visions when she looked up at the Demacian banner. In that moment it captivated her, and her heart was filled with Katarina's joy, and she wanted to feel it, share in it, to know what it was like to feel that way, and as she thought about it - as she thought about the man Katarina had described, and the mental image Lux had pieced together - even though it plagued her with guilt to do so, she imagined that man, and the honor Kat was going to restore, and she really did feel happy. She felt relieved. She had done a good thing.

"I can avenge him," Katarina whispered. "I can restore his honor and make him proud of me again. I'll... inherit the house, like he wanted. And carry on the tradition."

She knows what she's fighting for. Listen to her. It's evil. You hate her. She's your enemy. You have to destroy people who care about the things she cares about. Listen to these evil things she's saying. She speaks of honor. Pride. Tradition. What does she know about those things?

What do I know about those things? Don't do this to me. I was happy. Let me be happy.

"So, thank you," Katarina said, looking down at Lux, with that bright, sincere smile, and Lux's heart swelled and her breath caught. "Really, thank you so, so much. I'll remember you for this. I'll remember that we..."

You'll die a hero. Your people will remember you.

All at once the guilt raged. How could she, how could she, how could she become a hero of the enemy!? "Don't say that," Lux whimpered, reaching back, trying to scramble away, as if somehow she could escape herself.

Katarina looked astonished, and the happiness left her eyes immediately. The fleeting joy in Lux's heart died - and with it, Lux felt herself die a little, too. "Oh," Katarina said, weakly. "I... I'm sorry."

NO. DON'T - BE - SORRY - FOR - ME -

Katarina shook her head, and looked into the fire, too. "I guess we're still enemies, at the end of the day," she murmured.

Lux became aware that she was crying again. These - these affectionate emotions, they were building up in her, out of control. She had to fight them! She had to control them! For pride, for Demacia, for justice! She scrambled around suddenly, looking for the Measured Tread, trying to will her favorite quotes to her mind, but she didn't have favorite quotes -

"This?" Katarina handed the book back. Lux gasped, and snatched it up. "Um, yeah. Knock yourself out."

She opened it hurriedly. She flipped through it. There was something in this chapter, she remembered, but then she found it, and it was just words. Where was her pride and happiness and relief and joy that she remembered? She didn't remember those things. She remembered reading, tears on her cheeks, curled on a cot in the Academy-

She seized up and whined and dropped the book in the snow and hid from it, no, no, no I don't want to remember those things, I don't want to remember that, it hurts, it hurts me -

"Lux?" Katarina was moving forward now, and real concern was in her voice. "Are you okay? Really, are you-"

"DON'T TOUCH ME," Lux screamed, flailing away, but it wasn't Katarina's touch she was afraid of, it was the swelling and burning in her heart when she saw the concern in Katarina's eyes, that look that people gave each other when they cared about them; she screamed again and hid her face, please no, please no, I can't be doing this, I can't be feeling this -

"I won't touch you, then," the assassin insisted, "I just - "

Lux wailed something indistinct. Katarina stepped back.

"Okay," she said quietly. "Okay. Fine. Sorry."

She heard Kat sit down again. She heard Kat give up. She felt Kat's eyes on her, and she heard Kat's despairing sigh as she looked away. It was too much - something in Lux shattered, and she could not longer stop herself from feeling.

For just a moment. For just a moment, in that dungeon cell, Lux had felt truly inspired. One man's beliefs had inspired Katarina to save Lux. And those same beliefs inspired her to protect, to enable others, to teach them. To bring out their strength.

And then she realized she had never felt inspired before. Not really. She could never remember feeling it... never.

Everything was wrong. Everything was wrong, wrong, wrong. And to understand what was right, she had to look back, and it hurt, and she couldn't do it. She was doomed. This had only happened once before, but then it was just sadness and despair and emptiness, and this time it was so much worse because somewhere there glimmered a light nearby and if she could just reach out and grab it she felt like she would be safe and happy again - but it wasn't her light, it was - katarina's - general du couteau's - how could she feel like this!?

"Lux," Katarina's voice said, very softly. Lux whimpered in pain. "I... I want to help."

I know you do, you fucking freak of nature. Why weren't you born Demacian. Why couldn't we be friends. Why couldn't I have known someone that cared about me?

"I know I can't do much," she was continuing - her voice sounded hurt, maybe broken. Maybe... maybe she was even crying. Lux could barely imagine it. "But you - you look really cold."

...I am cold.

"Can I... hold you?"

Lux didn't really give herself a chance to think. She shuffled up on all fours, avoiding Kat's gaze, but Katarina snatched her up and held her in her lap, and Lux immediately hid herself again, refusing to acknowledge it. But now she heard Katarina sigh with a measured relief. She could feel Katarina breathing, slowly and deeply. It brought her peace. She closed her eyes, and willed away her thoughts, and... for now, at least, they left her. She could just sit, and be something close to happy.

This somehow worked out brilliantly, Kat thought, as she held a tiny frail little Lux in her lap. She almost asked her. But it felt wrong. It felt... dishonorable. Lux was weak. Ask her when she's strong, not when she was weak. Ask her when she feels that fire you want her to feel. She smiled a little. Yeah. That felt right. She'd just have to help her find that fire again.

 

 

An eagle's cry sounded above them. Both Lux and Katarina sat up in alarm.

"Shit," Katarina hissed, hastily shifting to the side and throwing herself over the fire, stamping it out. The moon was high, the sky was clear, of course, of course, gods damn it Katarina, you're smarter than this - "We have to move, quickly, gather - "

But Lux was doing it already, rolling up both their beds and shoving them together and setting them in her pack. They grabbed their things, kicked away the firewood, and began to run deeper into the woods. But Valor had seen them, and with a wince Katarina knew it had to be too late.

They didn't make it far. Quinn was far too fast, and Garen was going to catch up shortly after. Katarina didn't intend to fight them if she could help it, and so once she caught sight of Quinn behind them she just urged Lux to stop, and they waited with their hands up.

"Give me Lux," Quinn ordered, pointing her crossbow at them as she emerged from the brush, before Garen arrived.

"Take her," Katarina said easily. "I've just been trying to get her back to the Institute."

Lux stepped forward once, hesitantly. She had a more believable expression on than the blank look Kat had seen on her for a while, but it looked angry, bitter, not relieved - tight lips and stern eyes, focused directly on Quinn. Valor, perched on a branch above them, squawked with apprehension and spread his wings.

"Good to see you safe," Quinn sighed. "Come here."

"What's going to happen to me?" Lux asked slowly, levelly.

"There'll be an investigation," Quinn said, looking over at Katarina, "assuming you're not going to confess to - "

"I can't believe you are accusing me of this," Katarina sighed, rolling her eyes. "As if I have nothing better to do than kidnap Demacian idols."

"Yeah, well, save it for the investigation. We'll get to the bottom of it." She looked back to Lux, and nodded backwards, encouraging Lux to step forward. But Lux didn't move.

"And what if I didn't do it?" Katarina said easily, raising an eyebrow. "What if Lux just came with me on a pleasure trip to Noxus of her own will?"

"She wouldn't," Quinn retorted, "and you'd better find a smarter alibi than that." Behind her, Garen was lumbering onto the scene; Katarina could see his eyes narrowed. He was listening.

"I'm not saying that's my alibi. I'm asking you a question." Her eyes tracked from Quinn to Garen as he entered the clearing.

"We have no obligation to answer you, Noxian scum," Garen spat.

"Then answer me," Lux said quietly. All eyes snapped to her. "What if she didn't do it?"

There was an awkward pause.

"Lux, you're basically telling us she's innocent," Quinn said slowly. "That means..."

"You would be operating within an enemy bastion in peacetime without authorization," Garen said lowly. "You're not that stupid."

"That would be a court martial," Quinn finished softly. "If Noxus presses charges, you... you could be executed for that."

Katarina's eyes narrowed. "That seems a bit extreme," she said lowly, trying not to sound panicked, and mostly succeeding.

"You will not be without fault, if you're found to be a part of this," Garen sneered in her direction. "Justice will always be served no matter the perpetrators. That is the Demacian way."

"But that's not what happened," Quinn said hastily, "right, Lux?"

 

Lux stared, back and forth, between Garen and Quinn.

Who were these people to her? Acquaintances. She remembered when Garen had left her crying in the Judgment chamber when she had finally been recruited, saying only "you know what you must do". She remembered Quinn's eyeroll when Lux had first introduced herself, the glares she and her eagle had thrown her when she tried to be bright, positive, cheerful, the only thing she knew how to do to make people like her - they didn't like her. That much was clear. She could deny it no longer, as they stared her down with the threat of execution. She felt a strange chill run through her, her hands curling into fists and her eyes setting on Garen's.

You... you'd just kill me. Just like that. How could you...? Is our family worth nothing to you...?

But no, Lux, your family isn't worth anything. Don't you remember?

She shuddered, the comforting cold suddenly leaving her again and her eyes widening with a gasp, as though struck by a blow. She did remember. But it hurt her. The burning and strangling in her heart was spreading. She remembered, and couldn't stop.

With a scream she slashed her wand wide - the Demacian pair flinched, and her snare caught them both. "LUX!" Katarina cried, and Lux bolted. She heard some kind of commotion behind her but couldn't stop. She couldn't be seen like this. She couldn't let them see her questioning the creed...

 

She came into another clearing, this time at the top of a hill, panting, bracing against her knees. Looking back, and up, she couldn't see them - or Valor, even. She felt a heavy spike of guilt as she realized she had left Katarina alone, and hoped the assassin could fend for herself. But it wasn't like Lux could help her... no matter what her heart wanted. Even if she wanted to feel that wonderful surge of happiness again, that feeling that she had done something good, she couldn't. It was treason.

Moonlight began to angle around her, distorted by her magic, or by some other force she didn't control. It enveloped her, dazzling her, full of color and life. She remembered what this was, and let it wrap around her. She was invisible. Truly invisible, not that mockery that she'd learned in her studies, the invisibility where light ignores you rather than you having to tell it what to do. She remembered the last time she had done this, and remembered how happy it made her - real happiness. Sincere happiness. She remembered, and she smiled. She hadn't been able to make this happen since she was a child...

...since she was a child. Her smile faded, and the pain grew in her again, but she stamped her foot and snarled and said I Have Had Enough Of This. She was invisible. No one was watching. No one could see, no one could know, and more than that, someone - someone cared. Someone wanted to help her, sincerely, and that person had held her close when no one else would, that person had answered questions no one else would answer. Whatever her heart wanted for her, she could go somewhere now, and that gave her power and confidence; for the first time in her life, she was ready to really face herself.

She remembered when she came home to show her parents her magic trick, and overheard them agreeing to send Lux to the Academy. She remembered screaming at them, hiding from them, refusing to come out until she was forcibly dragged. Cursing her parents, their name. The name she now bore proudly, for nothing. Not proudly... Emptily. She remembered the years of loneliness, hopelessness, as she was surrounded by people who were so happy to be taken away, their identity shredded and replaced with a mantra, a doctrine, that they were force-fed rather than taught. She remembered giving up hope that anyone would understand her - deciding, at the bottom of depression, that there was no love for her real feelings. She could only be loved if she did as she was told.

She remembered finding her way to one of the upper towers and teetering over the edge for a few minutes, watching the other happy Demacians below her. They didn't suffer. They weren't lonely. Something was wrong with her. Maybe, she remembered thinking, she was wrong. Broken. They'd reject her. But for the sake of her brother, she had to try. She wanted to meet him. She wanted to be as celebrated as he was. As loved as he was.

The way he had looked at her just now...

Tears came to her eyes, and she shook her head slowly. No love for Lux. In the end, love of a mask was not enough. And when she felt the barest tinge of real love, even when it wasn't for her, she remembered what she had wanted, what she was missing. She felt that resignation that had filled her the day she'd stood atop that wall, and smiled bitterly at it, welcoming it. Hello, my heart, my real heart; I missed you. I guess I really am broken.

...But we can feel again. Someone has helped us feel again.

Behind her, Garen burst into the clearing; she could hear his tromping bootsteps, his harsh breathing. She smiled a little more, wistfully now, as he walked up the hill, probably following her footprints in the snow. Goodbye, brother, whom I hate. You never liked me. You inspired me - falsely. I will follow my real inspiration now, just as you did. May we each meet glory at our end.

She took a deep breath, and let it out, without caring to be quiet. Garen whirled around at the sound, confused. She raised her baton.

Garen didn't see the binding coming. As the illusion slid off of her, Lux just smiled, sweetly, sadly, at him. His eyes widened.

"Lux, what are you doing?" He shoved aganist the ethereal binding, but it didn't give.

"I could kill you," she said softly. "But I'm not in the business of randomly killing people if it seems vaguely convenient. I believe there should be rules in how and why we kill people, after all."

"Luxanna Crownguard, you will release me this instant," Garen warned. Lux's smile faded.

"Do not ever call me that again," Lux growled. "I stand accused of treason to Demacia, and claim asylum under the laws of the Institute of War."

"Wait - you can't - you aren't - " Garen's exasperation, his baffled expression, was delicious. "Demacia does not - "

"I don't need your permission," she cooed. "Now. I'm going to go help my friend. This will be the last we see of each other, I hope. Good bye."

With that, she fled the clearing, her heart full of purpose.

 

She almost ran headlong into Katarina, who gasped, snatched her up, and immediately teleported away. It was only a short hop, as ever, it was better than nothing. Lux giggled as they came out of it, dismissing her lightheadedness from the sudden movement easily; Katarina grabbed her wrist and made to keep running, but Lux tugged back, grasping her hand and holding her in place.

"What?" Katarina breathed, looking back, panicked. "Aren't we - escaping?"

She wasn't really ready for what met her. Lux's face was right next to hers. Her eyes were so big and blue, the moon reflected in them, and her own inner fire so bright it illuminated the moon instead of vice versa. She smiled so gently and broadly, with such relief, and let out a soft, short sigh. "You're okay," Lux said faintly, in her higher range, her cheerful voice. "Yes, we should escape."

"U-Uh... r-... right." Katarina gulped. This was the time. Lux's eyes glowed with ferocity, more than Katarina had seen, more than she had ever hoped to see. She didn't know how it got there, but her limbs and heart screamed for action, in a way she had never felt, an impulse stronger than any murderous instinct. It made her jumpy and tense, and yet she felt safer than she felt in her own home. "Listen, um..."

"Yes?" Lux cocked her head slightly. She was holding Katarina's hand. They were so close. She could feel the heat of Lux's breath.

"I- This is really forward," Katarina mumbled, looking away, though she couldn't avert her gaze from the radiance of Lux's face for long. "B-But - I just - You seem like you... you need a - a friend, or something, and..."

"Yes...?" Lux leaned in a little. Katarina's breath came out all at once. She couldn't keep talking.

So she just kissed her. As if she had been waiting for it, Lux kissed back.

"I'm going to live by a path I'll make for myself, from now on," Lux whispered, as they parted. "Will you help me?"

"Yes," Katarina breathed, smiling, slightly, then growing. "Yes. Hell yes."

"Then let me help you." She leaned in a little closer, resting her forehead against Kat's. "Leblanc is thirty feet on your left."

 

Katarina didn't need to be told anything else. She let go - Lux backed away and twirled her wand immediately - Katarina was already gone. She flashed forward and threw a knife, letting instinct guide her. She heard Leblanc curse and a puff of smoke alerted her to the mage's presence.

"You won't escape!" Lux cried, throwing a binding - it was too slow, but Katarina knew what it was for, and ignoring the pain in her mind, she jumped again, this time into a tree, following the angle of that binding. She ran along the branches, sliding and leaping through, watching the flutter of the cloak ahead of her; Leblanc could only teleport so many times, to so many places -

An eagle was in her face, all at once; she slashed at it with a snarl, and Valor snarled back, clawing at her face, forcing her to jump down. She whirled, looking for Leblanc; the illusionist suddenly dashed forward from cover, lashing outward with a chain, and as Katarina made to dodge she vanished - and was behind her! The chains lashed and burned and Katarina roared in alarm. Leblanc sneered, but before she could speak, a singularity exploded somewhere nearby and bindings suddenly filled their air as Lux cried out, in a strange spell Kat had never seen before; as each binding hit something it multiplied, like light erupting from prisms. There was nowhere to run; Leblanc was caught as she tried to back away, and as the chains shattered Katarina was able to deftly flash-step away from one. Her vision blacked out; she clutched her head, trying to move in spite of the agony. She dimly heard Leblanc and Lux both yelling. Come on, snap out of it! She slumped against a tree, snarling to herself, recalling Lux's happiness, the bright smile, the raging passion that had glowed in her eyes. Fight! Fight! Don't let her show you up!

Lux stomped through the woods behind them, wand extended, directing bindings along as she went, willing light and power to life from a cold fire that burned deeper than any pride she'd ever imagined for herself. Leblanc had to keep backing away. The bindings singed and scorched; the trees began to ignite, and around them the world burst into flame, as Lux's rampant magic continued to spread. It made for good cover, it made for a powerful image that fueled her confidence, and she concentrated - not on killing Leblanc, but on herding her, keeping her away. Right now, she had to protect Katarina.

Behind her, she heard movement, and whirled to throw out a binding - it caught Valor, but Quinn rolled to the side behind him and leveled her crossbow. Lux cursed and veiled herself in a barrier, but Quinn hesitated, unwilling to fire, and Lux darted away - but before her now was Garen, his sword drawn and crashing down. Garen, he had no qualms, and Lux smirked as she saw it. Her barrier stopped the worst of the blow and she cast another singularity between them as she backed away; he tried to wade through it, but she detonated it as he did. He grunted as it scorched at his armor, seemingly unfazed. Leblanc suddenly poofed back behind her - she gasped, as a new ethereal chain lashed around her, and screamed in anger. Garen raised his sword -

And Katarina was above him, kicking and slashing with roars of delight. She pranced off of his shoulder as he disengaged and hurled a knife at Lux' neck - but she shifted to one side, and heard Leblanc curse again as the chains dissipated, Leblanc forced back away where they couldn't hold. For a second, their eyes met, and Lux nodded; Kat winked.

Lux raised her wand, letting it float between her hands as she focused. Determination filled her, and she overflowed with a greater power than she had ever felt. No words willed themselves to her mind; only the emotion of Katarina's offer, of the justice she had wrought, and the relief that she could at last feel for herself again. They built up as the air around her began to shimmer, and she closed her eyes, releasing it all at once with an earsplitting scream - the air ignited in a circle around her, and prismatic fire burst from her in all directions.

 

When it cleared, the forest around them was levelled and burning with fervor; the smoke was becoming thick. Lux shielded herself again, coughing and stumbling, a weight of fatigue settling on her heavily. Katarina suddenly appeared next to her, causing her to jump, but she wrapped her arms tightly around the assassin with a sigh of relief.

"That was quite a spell," Katarina laughed. "We have to go, quickly, while they're recovering."

"Yes." She squeezed tighter. "Shunpo us out."

"Of course." But she could only go a short way; she picked behind a particularly big cloud of spoke, and protected by Lux's barrier, they ran on towards the Institute, hand in hand.

 

 

Luxanna Crownguard had her last name officially revoked - by choice - and took asylum with the Institute of War. It was unorthodox for a Demacian to evade capture, but because she claimed innocence, and because allegations against her were considered international, no harm could come to her unless the Institute of War's investigation turned up evidence against her. Leblanc would have to work very hard now to see Lux punished for her intrusion, since Lux hadn't taken anything of value and there likely weren't any clues that she'd been there. She doubted Leblanc would bother. Katarina was her enemy... not Lux.

During the process, Lux seemed drained. She filled out paperwork and answered questions dully. It was hard to watch, and made Katarina fear she had made a mistake, though the thrill of their fight just the night before was still fresh in her mind. But when it was all done, Lux left the building and met Kat just outside, and silently took her hand and leaned against her shoulder, and they began to walk towards the residential sector together in the snow. Katarina watched her, as she closed her eyes, and breathed slowly and deeply, clouds of fog issuing from her as they went...

"When this is over, I want to disappear," Lux said softly. "With you."

"Disappear with me," Katarina repeated quietly, nodding thoughtfully. She was no stranger to disappearing acts. "Yeah. We can make that happen."

"Wait for this to blow over a little, and then... I don't know, maybe I'll take up wandering, or try to find a new identity, or something. I'll figure it out."

Katarina nodded again. She'd thought a few times to offer Lux a position in the house, as a champion of Noxus. But that was too much, she knew, and Lux would forge her own path either way. To bring her under the Du Couteau banner would be... subversive. If she really wanted to honor the Du Couteau tradition, she would let Lux grow on her own, and inspire her to join forces of her own will.

Lux squeezed her hand. "You'll kiss me again, won't you?" the mage asked softly. Katarina blushed and rolled her eyes, looking away.

"If you insist," she mumbled, trying to hide her smile. She kind of expected the whole inspiration part to be pretty easy.

"What about you and Leblanc?" Lux asked, as they approached her new temporary home.

"She can't prove anything," Katarina said with a shrug. "Bloodshed at the Institute isn't tolerated, obviously, and there's not really much of a due process for this kind of thing back home. So she and I just have to be careful when we go out. Like I always do, really."

"Like you always do, huh." Lux nodded, a bit dejectedly, holding Kat's hand more tightly. "I hate her."

"Me too," Katarina chuckled, squeezing her hand back. "Oh, man, me too."

"Do you think your father will be disappointed that I helped you?"

"Maybe." She hadn't thought about this, but an answer made its way to her mind readily nonetheless. "If so, though, we'll just have to prove that you belong."

"Yeah."

 

They walked on in silence for a bit.

 

"What path are you going to make?" Katarina asked.

"I don't know yet." She took a deep breath, and stood a little straighter. "I liked helping honor your family. Maybe I'll keep looking for ways to bring honor to Valoran. Honor, and glory, and justice."

"But your way." Katarina smiled a little crookedly. Lux nodded, her eyes narrowing.

"Not Demacian justice," she growled. "Where anything less than absolute service to something you're told to believe in is sacrilege. Not arbitrary justice."

"What kind, then?"

"I'll figure it out as I go." Lux smiled again, sighing briskly. Maybe, just maybe, she'd inspire Katarina to fight for justice with her. And then she'd know it was the justice she really believed in, a real ideal to fight for - when others would choose to pursue it, too.

"Alright." Katarina grinned. "I look forward to finding out."

 

"Cassiopeia won't be happy."

 

The snow-covered spire of the Noxian building at the Institute was a hard place for most people to reach. It made a great meeting place for the only two Noxians to have mastered shunpo, the art of flash-stepping.

Katarina tossed her hair and looked out over the grounds. A bitter wind was rushing past them. The clinking of Talon's bladed cloak was a comforting sound in some ways. It reminded her of safety, one of the only partners she felt she could trust. His voice wasn't so bad either, but it wasn't as comforting as father's.

"I'm head of house," Katarina snorted. "She can deal with it."

"There are rumors that people are trying to change that." Talon's voice was always bitter and serious, even when his words weren't; it was hard to know how much gravity he intended to put into this.

"Rumors," Katarina repeated. "Tell me more."

"Favor with the Black Rose could lead to that sort of thing. It's possible she's been compromised."

Katarina's eyes slipped closed, briefly. "Compromised, huh," she sighed. "How about you?"

"I haven't decided." He drew himself up a little, folding his arms in Katarina's periphery. "Maybe someone worthy of commanding me will rise once the General's honor is restored."

"Maybe?" Katarina looked back at him. "If I didn't know better I'd think you were implying something."

Talon huffed. Maybe that was a laugh. Hard to tell with that hood. "You're his daughter. I respect you and the way you learned from him."

"And what do you think of this... development?" It was hard for Katarina to admit what had happened, though after last night it was hard to deny, too. No going back now; not only was she harboring a Demacian fugitive, she was sleeping with her, too.

"Your business, not mine." Talon looked away this time. "She'd better be strong if you intend to keep her close. Just because you showed mercy doesn't mean anyone else will."

Katarina set her jaw, tensing up at his words. But he was right, of course, and this meant the strongest support she could've expected from him.

"I won't disappoint you." She looked over, with a sideways smirk. "While I'm thinking about it, thanks for taking care of our exit for us. I'd recognize your work anywhere."

"I hope you're the only one." He shifted uncomfortably. "Be glad I was in the area."

"Believe me, I am." She sighed. "Keep me informed on Cassiopeia."

"She said to do the same of you." Talon huffed again. "The sooner you can end this rift, one way or another, the better."

"Fine." She tossed her hair again. "And Leblanc?"

"Hasn't reappeared, and probably won't," he replied. "It's out of character for her to attack you in person. She has many other tricks available to her. Even if she expected this to work easily, it's not like her to take these risks."

"So what do you suspect?"

"She's toying with you. Maybe wants you to feel closer than you actually are. Your find is proof enough to act on, but she must have some other reason to feel safe."

Katarina's eyes slipped closed again, and she leaned back. "I know information gathering isn't your favorite line of work, Talon, but could you try to look into the Generals' responses to this little fiasco for me?"

"It'll be hard not to hear about it," Talon snorted. "Fine."

"And look for traces of a body double. That's the sort of foul play I would expect of her. Leblanc herself hiding well out of sight somewhere while a loyal crony impersonates her in everyday affairs."

"Yes. Will we be delaying longer then?"

Katarina groaned, and it grew into a snarl, then a shout of anger, and she turned and pounded the wall beside her.

 

"I take it that's a yes." Talon actually sounded a bit disconcerted.

 

"How are we going to do this?" Katarina said weakly. "There's never going to be a good opportunity, Talon. She's got too much power and control. She knows she can just prance around because we have standards she doesn't have."

"Then we need to make an opportunity." Talon stepped closer. "The Black Rose controls Noxus. One woman, no matter how strong, can't expect to oppose them alone."

Katarina blinked, and looked up, startled. "What are you implying?" But she knew immediately, and straightened herself somewhat; Talon smirked at her. "You're implying that we make an ordeal out of this," she murmured. "That we treat this as a coup."

"Isn't that what it is?" He spread his arms a bit. "You're challenging the upper echelons of Noxian leadership, and almost literally High Command itself. You'll need support from all sides to make this work, and revenge isn't a good enough motivator to secure it."

Katarina tossed her head and looked away. "You mean to make me Grand General," she snarled, intending to joke, but her voice was weak; the very concept frightened her. She was never going to be good at leadership, like her father, or politics, like her mother and sister. She could dream and hope, but in the end, it would be foolish, and it would kill her.

"Then find someone else," Talon said dismissively, "if you're so opposed. We're assassins; our work needs distractions. We've sat around waiting long enough, Katarina. It's time we take this more seriously and go on the offensive."

Katarina pursed her lips, still looking out over the grounds sightlessly. Her hair fluttered from behind her as a new breeze kicked up; she heard Talon's cloak tinkling soothingly. "I didn't take you for the scheming type," she said softly.

"You'll find I'm full of surprises, Lady Du Couteau."

He had never called her that, and it made a little smile come to her face. A whisper of wind later, she was alone.

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 2 of The Resurgence of Noxus