Arcane: Bond Beyond Death

The lair was silent, with only the faint hum of machinery and Jinx's soft breathing breaking the stillness. Bael had drifted off into a light sleep, they made love for a many hours and now they were intertwined to each other like moth to a flame. Their bond was stronger and surely nothing could ruin the moment.

Right?

Well... Something pricked at his senses—an almost imperceptible shift in the atmosphere, like the calm before a storm. His instincts flared, forcing his eyes open in an instant.

He lay still for a moment, scanning the room. Jinx was curled up against him, her arms draped across his chest, completely unaware. But Bael's gut told him something was wrong. The subtle vibrations in the ground, the faintest sounds of movement outside the lair—something was coming.

He carefully untangled himself from Jinx, moving with precision to not wake her. As he sat up, the faint noise became clearer: heavy footsteps, the unmistakable hum of machinery, and the muffled whispers of voices. His heart quickened.

"Shit," Bael muttered under his breath.

He turned to Jinx, gently shaking her shoulder. "Jinx, wake up," he whispered urgently.

Jinx stirred, blinking groggily before her eyes locked on Bael's tense expression. "What's going on?" she asked, her voice still heavy with sleep.

"We're under attack," Bael said, his voice steady but urgent. "Silco's making his move."

Jinx's eyes widened, the sleepiness vanishing in an instant. She sat up, her hand already reaching for Fishbones. "That bastard… he's really doing this now?"

Bael nodded, already pulling on his gear. "We don't have much time. They're coming for us, Jinx. We need to move."

Jinx grinned, her excitement barely contained. "Move? Hell no, babe. We're gonna give 'em a welcome they won't forget."

Bael sighed, shaking his head. "We can't take all of them head-on, not here. We need to outthink them."

Jinx pouted but nodded, her manic energy still crackling beneath the surface. "Fine. But when we do fight back, I'm blowing up everything."

Bael smirked despite the situation. "Wouldn't expect anything less."

But after a few minutes, the sounds stopped and everything went silent like before.

"This is odd..." Bael comments.

Jinx gets off-guard, "You sure you heard something?" Jinx asked.

Bael could've sworn there was something. His shimmer-enhanced senses can't be wrong.

And suddenly, multiple gas grenades were thrown into their position.

Jinx starts coughing, Bael luckily has immunity thanks to his shimmer-enhanced body. He went to help Jinx, "JINX! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!" He shouts in concern.

Bael quickly goes and grabs all gas grenades and throws them away, but the gas didn't stop spreading.

Bael's mind raced as he cradled Jinx, her breathing shallow but steady enough for now. The acrid smoke curled around him, choking the room with its suffocating presence. His eyes darted toward the figures materializing from the haze—Sevika, towering and intimidating, flanked by her subordinates, all clad in gas masks.

"Damn it," Bael muttered under his breath, gently laying Jinx down in the corner. He brushed her cheek softly, whispering, "Stay with me, Jinx. Just a bit longer."

He straightened, his body tense and ready. The weight of Pow-Pow Eta on his back felt useless now; firing it in these conditions would only ignite the room in flames, endangering Jinx even more. His boom-boom tattoos, which relied on precision and clarity, were now rendered ineffective by the blinding smoke.

Sevika stepped forward, her mechanical arm gleaming ominously in the faint light. "Bael," she sneered, her voice muffled through the gas mask but laced with malice. "You've been quite the thorn in our side. But this ends now."

Bael cracked his knuckles, his eyes narrowing as he calculated his options. He couldn't rely on his weapons or tattoos. All that was left were his enhanced speed and raw combat skills.

"You're making a mistake," Bael said, his voice calm but deadly. "I'm not going down without a fight. And if you think I'll let you touch her..." His gaze flicked to Jinx, who was barely conscious in the corner. "...you've got another thing coming."

Sevika laughed coldly. "Bold words for someone cornered. Let's see how long you last."

With a sharp gesture from her, her subordinates lunged forward. Bael's body moved before his mind even caught up, a blur of motion slicing through the smoke. His first strike landed on the nearest assailant, a brutal uppercut that sent the man crashing into the wall.

Another came at him from the side, but Bael ducked low, his heightened reflexes guiding him as he swept the attacker's legs out from under him. The sound of Sevika's mechanical arm charging up drew his attention, and he barely had time to dodge as it slammed into the ground where he had just been standing, leaving a crater in its wake.

"You're fast," Sevika growled, her tone begrudgingly impressed. "But you can't keep this up forever."

"Watch me," Bael snapped, darting forward with lightning speed. He delivered a flurry of punches to Sevika's torso, his fists moving faster than the eye could track. She stumbled back but managed to block most of the blows with her mechanical arm.

Bael didn't relent. He leapt back, using his momentum to spring off the wall and aim a powerful kick at her head. Sevika raised her arm just in time to block, but the force of the impact sent her skidding backward.

"You've pissed off the wrong guy," Bael hissed, his voice low and menacing.

Bael staggered back, clutching his chest as a searing pain rippled through his body. His breaths grew labored, each one rasping with the unmistakable wet, guttural sound of Shimmer bubbling inside him. The familiar violet hue began to creep into the edges of his vision.

"Damn it...," he hissed through clenched teeth, his body trembling. "This gas... It's not just smoke... It's reacting with the Shimmer...."

Sevika smirked behind her mask, towering over him as he faltered. "Oh, did I forget to mention?" she taunted, her mechanical arm whirring menacingly. "Singed cooked this up just for you, Bael. It destabilizes Shimmer in the bloodstream. Hope you're ready for the full withdrawal experience."

Bael fell to one knee, coughing violently as a spatter of violet liquid escaped his lips. His head pounded, the headache splitting and relentless. His once-enhanced reflexes began to dull, the Shimmer that had fueled his body now turning against him.

"Bael!" Jinx's voice, weak and strained, called out from the corner. She was trying to rise, her frame trembling as she fought the effects of the gas.

Hearing her voice grounded him. "No...," Bael growled, forcing himself to stand despite the pain. His legs shook, and his vision blurred, but he clenched his fists, refusing to go down.

Sevika's smirk widened as she stepped closer, towering over him like a predator about to pounce. "Still standing? Impressive. But it won't matter." She raised her mechanical arm, charging up for another devastating strike.

Bael's thoughts raced. He couldn't use his tattoos, his speed was failing him, and his body felt like it was breaking apart from the inside. But he couldn't stop. Not now. Not when Jinx was still in danger.

"I won't let you take her...," he muttered, his voice low and filled with defiance. His hand brushed against the last remaining explosive hidden on his belt—a small, self-detonating charge. It wasn't much, but it was enough to create a distraction.

Sevika lunged forward, her arm swinging down with crushing force. Bael threw the explosive at her feet, detonating it in a flash of light and smoke. The shockwave sent her staggering back, giving Bael just enough time to rush toward Jinx.

"Jinx...," he gasped, collapsing beside her. His arms wrapped around her protectively as his body shook uncontrollably. "I... I'm not letting them take us..."

Jinx's eyes fluttered open, her face pale but determined. "Bael..." Her voice was faint, but her grip on his arm tightened. "We're not going anywhere... together... remember?"

Sevika's shadow loomed in the smoke, her voice dripping with venom. "You're both out of tricks. Time to end this."

Bael gritted his teeth, his mind racing as he held Jinx closer. "Not yet..." He whispered to himself, refusing to surrender.

But unfortunately, Bael fell unconscious as he coughed violently, his body finally succumbing to the toxic gas reacting with the Shimmer coursing through him. His breaths grew shallow, his body collapsing limply on the floor. Jinx had already fallen unconscious moments before, her fragile human body unable to withstand the gas for long.

The smoke began to dissipate, revealing Sevika and her remaining subordinates. Their gas masks, streaked with grime, were carefully removed as they assessed the damage. Sevika's cold, calculating gaze swept the lair, taking note of the fallen duo and the array of technology surrounding them.

"Grab the boy," Sevika ordered sharply, her mechanical arm whirring as she pointed at Bael's unconscious form. "And take anything that looks like suspicious tech."

Her subordinates moved quickly, eager to avoid her wrath. One of them approached Pow-Pow Eta, the modified weapon glinting ominously under the dim light of the lair. Its sleek, dangerous design was unlike anything they'd seen before.

"Sevika, this thing looks important," the grunt said, reaching out to grab it.

The moment his gloved hand made contact with the weapon, an otherworldly surge of electricity erupted from it, flowing directly into his body. Blue lightning snaked around him, crackling and sparking as it coursed through his veins. The man screamed in agony, his body convulsing uncontrollably before he was violently thrown backward. He hit the ground with a heavy thud, smoke rising from his charred gloves.

"Shit!" another subordinate exclaimed, stepping back in fear.

Sevika turned her head sharply toward the scene, her expression darkening. "What the hell happened?"

The shocked grunt lay trembling on the floor, gasping for air. "The weapon... it's like it's alive... It—It knew I wasn't one of them!"

Sevika's eyes narrowed as she stepped closer to Pow-Pow Eta, studying the weapon carefully. The faint hum it emitted was almost like a heartbeat, and its glowing blue components pulsed rhythmically, as if warning anyone else to stay away.

"Alive, huh?" she muttered under her breath, her mechanical hand twitching involuntarily. She crouched down, examining the intricate runes etched into its surface, noticing how they seemed to shimmer faintly in response to her presence. "Of course, these two freaks would have something like this... Nasty demons."

One of her subordinates hesitated, speaking up cautiously. "Sevika... should we leave it? It seems too dangerous to move."

Sevika stood up, her jaw tightening in frustration. "No. We're not leaving anything behind. We'll take the whole damn table if we have to." She turned to another subordinate. "Get Singed to figure out how to disarm it. Until then, no one touches it."

As the men moved to cautiously carry the entire workbench on which Pow-Pow Eta rested, Sevika glanced at Bael and Jinx. A smirk spread across her face as she watched their unconscious forms.

"Seems like your toys are as stubborn as you are," she muttered, lighting a cigarette. "But don't worry... We'll figure out how to break you—and your little inventions, too."

The lair fell into eerie silence, save for the faint crackle of Pow-Pow Eta's warning hum, as Sevika's crew methodically dismantled the safe haven Bael and Jinx had built.

Hours later, Bael's eyelids fluttered open, his head pounding as he regained consciousness. The dim, flickering light of the room did little to help his disorientation. His arms felt heavy, restrained, and as he tried to move, the sharp clink of metal against metal confirmed it—he was chained to a chair.

The room reeked of dampness, smoke, and something metallic. The taste of Shimmer still lingered in his mouth, acidic and vile. His stomach churned violently, and before he could compose himself, he lurched forward, vomiting a sickly, iridescent liquid—the remnants of the Shimmer purging from his system.

"Disgusting," came a calm, gravelly voice from the shadows.

Bael looked up, squinting through the haze. His vision cleared just enough to make out a figure seated across from him, surrounded by an oppressive aura. It was Silco. His mismatched eyes glowed faintly in the dim light, one piercing him with calculated malice.

"Ah, you're awake," Silco said, his voice smooth but laced with venom. He leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on the table between them. A cigar smoldered in his fingers, filling the air with its acrid smoke. "You've been causing quite the mess, haven't you, Bael?"

Bael coughed, his throat raw from the gas and Shimmer purge. He glared at Silco, his mind still foggy but sharp enough to realize where he was. "Where... is Jinx?" he rasped, his voice barely audible.

Silco's lips curled into a cruel smile. "Safe," he replied, exhaling a cloud of smoke. "For now."

Bael clenched his fists, testing the restraints. The chains dug into his wrists, and his enhanced strength, weakened by the gas and his withdrawal symptoms, wasn't enough to break free.

"You've made quite the name for yourself," Silco continued, his tone dripping with mock admiration. "Zaun's darling inventor. The boy genius who tamed the wild storm that is Jinx. Together, you've stirred up more chaos than I could've imagined." He paused, leaning back in his chair. "And now, thanks to you, this city is on the brink of tearing itself apart."

Bael's head throbbed as Silco's words sank in. "What... do you want?" he managed to ask, his voice steadier now.

"What I want," Silco said, his smile fading into a cold, calculating stare, "is control. Zaun is mine, Bael. Everything you and Jinx have done has jeopardized that. The factions are at each other's throats, Piltover is circling like vultures, and I'm left to clean up your mess."

Bael gritted his teeth, his anger bubbling despite his weakened state. "Zaun doesn't belong to you. It belongs to its people."

Silco chuckled darkly, shaking his head. "Spoken like a true idealist. But let me make one thing clear—Zaun only thrives under order. My order. And you? You're a threat to that."

He stood up, circling the table as he spoke, his footsteps echoing in the dimly lit room. "You've built weapons that rival anything Piltover could create. You've inspired rebellion, chaos... and worst of all, you've given Jinx something dangerous."

Silco stopped behind Bael, leaning close to his ear. "Hope."

Bael's eyes narrowed, his breathing shallow as Silco's words struck a nerve.

"You see, Bael," Silco continued, walking back to his seat, "hope is a poison. It clouds judgment, breeds defiance, and makes people forget their place. Jinx was mine—unpredictable, dangerous, but controllable. And then you came along." He sat down, his expression darkening. "Now she's loyal to you. And that, boy, is something I cannot allow."

Bael's jaw tightened. Despite his fear, he refused to give Silco the satisfaction of seeing him break. "You'll never control her again," he said firmly.

Silco smirked, tapping ash from his cigar. "Perhaps not. But I don't need to control her to destroy you."

The door behind Silco creaked open, and Sevika entered the room, her massive mechanical arm whirring as she carried a small vial of a glowing, green liquid. She placed it on the table in front of Silco, who regarded it with a cold smile.

"You recognize this, don't you?" Silco asked, pushing the vial toward Bael.

Bael's blood ran cold. It was Shimmer, but not like the one he had refined. This version was raw, unstable, and far more dangerous.

"One dose," Silco said, his voice low and menacing. "That's all it would take to end you. Or worse... turn you into something unrecognizable. Now, I could inject you with this right here and now, but I'm feeling generous."

He leaned forward, his mismatched eyes boring into Bael's. "Tell me where Jinx hid the rest of your weapons. Cooperate, and I might let you both live. Refuse..." He picked up the vial, holding it between his fingers. "And I'll make sure you're the one thing Jinx fears most—a monster."

"...There are... no additional weapons... we only renovated the old ones... tho it's useless... you can take them, but you will never tame Pow-Pow Eta... it's... it's alive..." Bael confessed, having found no utility in lying in this part.

Some guards stormed into the room, dragging Jinx behind them. Her wrists were bound tightly, and though she fought tooth and nail, she couldn't break free. She writhed and kicked, screaming obscenities at the guards as they hauled her closer to Bael. Her desperation was palpable, tears streaming down her face.

"LET ME GO!" she shrieked, her voice breaking. "YOU BASTARDS! GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME!"

Bael's heart sank at the sight of her. Seeing Jinx—his fearless, fiery partner—reduced to tears made his blood boil. He thrashed against his restraints, his anger surging like a storm. "LEAVE HER ALONE!!" he bellowed, his voice echoing in the room.

The Shimmer inside him reacted violently to his emotions. His veins began to glow a vivid purple, snaking across his skin like lightning. His eyes burned with a radiant shimmer, and the chains holding him creaked under the strain of his newfound strength. The guards recoiled, fear flickering across their faces.

"BAEL!" Jinx cried, her voice raw and trembling. "DO SOMETHING! PLEASE!"

Just as Bael felt the power coursing through him, just as he began to push back against his restraints, a shadow stepped into the room. Singed. He held a syringe in his hand, filled with a glowing green liquid.

Without hesitation, Singed moved with clinical precision. Before Bael could react, Singed stabbed the needle into his neck and pushed the plunger.

"NO!" Jinx screamed, her voice breaking into sobs.

The effect was immediate. Bael's glowing veins dimmed, his strength leaving him as quickly as it had come. He doubled over, retching violently as the serum forced the Shimmer out of his system. Purple liquid dripped from his lips as he vomited, his body convulsing.

"Bael!" Jinx shouted, struggling harder against her captors. Her voice was hoarse, her eyes wide with terror.

Bael's head lulled forward, his vision blurring. He could hear Jinx's cries, her desperate pleas, but his body betrayed him. The serum was too strong, and he collapsed into unconsciousness, his last thought filled with guilt for not being able to protect her.

"BAEL!" Jinx screamed, her voice piercing through the room. She thrashed wildly, her sobs choking her as she tried to reach him. "YOU CAN'T TAKE HIM FROM ME! YOU CAN'T!"

The guards held her back, their grips like iron. She cried and shouted his name, her heart breaking as she watched him slump lifelessly in the chair. Her world was falling apart, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.