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

Fwoosh!!

A blinding pillar of light erupted from the rune base. The wave of magic it released sent those nearby sprawling, while even the spectators further away felt their scalps tingle from the chaotic surge of mana. Many found themselves temporarily blinded by the intense glare.

At this moment of crisis, a gentle breeze began to stir within the theater.

Sensing Janna's arrival, Duke shouted, "Shield everyone, Janna!"

"I knew it. Every time you call me, it's bad news," Janna grumbled with clear annoyance.

Still, she obediently cast her protective shield, wrapping the crowd in a bubble of wind and safety.

Duke pushed forward against the turbulent mana, as though wrestling a hurricane. The bitter taste rising in his mouth was almost unbearable, spreading and churning with every breath.

But he didn't care anymore.

The raging mana relentlessly stimulated his half-awakened magical gift.

Pulling out the cutter embedded with Superman's wisdom tooth, Duke hurled it straight at the core, the Hextech crystal.

The cutter disintegrated amid the wild magical currents, but the wisdom tooth remained untouched. It spun through the air, unstoppable.

Duke flipped his hand and drew the Death Knell revolver. Narrowing his eyes, he instantly took in every variable, trajectory, distance, and impact point.

Then, he pulled the trigger.

Bang!!

The muffled gunshot echoed through the chamber. The bullet struck the wisdom tooth dead-on, propelling it forward like a hammer of fate. It smashed directly into the overloaded Hextech crystal.

Gun Kata: Precision Shot!

Crack!

With a crisp, shattering sound, the Hextech crystal splintered into pieces. The mana pillar vanished in an instant, leaving behind only a gaping hole in the theater's domed ceiling.

The hole was wide enough for three men to link arms around its edge. Molten metal dripped from its glowing borders.

In the lavender fields of the Blue Rose Manor, Camille came to a halt. The restless pulsing of her original Hex crystal had calmed, clear proof that the source of the magical chaos had been destroyed.

"I truly miscalculated this time. I never expected such a strong resonance between the artificial Hextech crystal and my primal Hex core," Camille mused, gently touching her chest. "From now on, I'd best steer clear of unstable Hextech prototypes."

Her eyes darkened as she gazed in the direction of the testing arena. In her mind surfaced the image of a black-haired youth with pitch-black eyes.

Was it that young man who stopped it all?

"If so, then he's worth the investment. Talented people deserve rewards. As for Jayce Talis..." Camille turned and walked away. "He still has a long road of refinement ahead."

Inside the Arena.

Heimerdinger crawled out from under a table, ears drooping as he stared at the wreckage. "By my mechanical ancestors… that was absolutely terrifying!"

"Jayce Talis!!"

Councilwoman Mel emerged from cover, fury blazing in her eyes. "Look at this disaster you've caused! I never should have trusted you with another chance!"

"How do you even begin to make up for this mess?"

Jayce lay flat on the ground, staring up at the hole in the ceiling. He opened his mouth, but no words came out.

Meanwhile, Duke holstered his Death Knell revolver and retrieved the Superman wisdom tooth from where it had embedded in the wall. Carefully storing it back into his inventory, he thought to himself, No way I'm losing this thing, it's got insanely high magical and physical resistance.

He had also just unlocked a new use for it.

If I crafted this into bullets... it'd be a lethal trump card!

"No wonder he's the face of DC. That level of resilience and physique is just insane."

Looking at the dazed Jayce, Duke sighed. Poor guy... fell victim to an unknown magical influence and ended up botching his experiment.

Unknown magic source... Duke rubbed his chin, and Camille's image flashed in his mind. Could it have been her?

"I propose we reopen an official investigation into your actions," Mel declared sharply. As one of Jayce's primary political backers, she now felt a chilling dread at what her support might have cost her.

It was only through the Ferros family's backing that she'd risen to her current status. If they were angered by this disaster, the consequences would be dire.

"Councilwoman Mel, may I speak?" Duke interjected at the perfect moment.

Mel turned to him, her expression softening. "Of course, Mr. Duke. If not for you, this could've ended in catastrophe."

"I merely played a small part," Duke said modestly. "It was Janna, the Spirit of the Wind, who truly saved us."

He raised the charm he always carried.

Never miss a chance to promote your allies, especially one like Janna. The more believers she had, the stronger she became. And the stronger she became, the more valuable she'd be working under Duke.

"Janna?!" Heimerdinger exclaimed, memories flooding back. "Wasn't she the guardian spirit of Zaun, centuries ago?"

"Indeed," said Corin, brushing dust off his shoulders. "I'm also one of her followers, and today proves her protection is very real."

"Praise Janna!"

Others quickly followed suit. After all, it didn't cost anything to believe a little.

"Praise Janna!"

Once the prayers concluded, Duke stepped onto the ruined stage and gestured at the shattered rune base.

"This failure was not Jayce's fault alone," he announced. "The experiment was sabotaged by an unknown magical interference on site, causing the mana to spiral out of control."

"And how would you know that?" Mel asked skeptically.

Duke rubbed his nose, uncertain how to answer, but Heimerdinger stepped in.

"Duke, you're a mage, aren't you?"

"What?!"

"He's a mage?!"

"My gods! The man behind wind-up exosuits, a chosen of the Wind Spirit, and now a mage too? Who is this guy?!"

"Let's hear him out!"

Amid the excited chatter, Duke nodded.

"Yes. I haven't fully awakened yet, but my innate sensitivity to mana let me detect the anomaly."

Truthfully, he didn't like Jayce personally. But the potential of Hextech was too valuable to lose. With Jayce around, Duke could reap the rewards of future research without lifting a finger.

And if Jayce eventually managed to stabilize the Hextech crystal? Duke would gain a steady supply of resources.

Now he almost regretted letting Singed leave with Silco. That shimmer serum... it was mysterious even to him. He should've recruited the guy when he had the chance.

Such talents needed to be protected, and someday, they'd be working for Duke.

"Still unawakened... That's unfortunate," Heimerdinger murmured.

"But regardless of outside interference," said Lady Gilamann solemnly, "Jayce Talis is responsible for the damage caused. I propose we shut down this research indefinitely."

"No! Please don't shut it down!" Jayce pleaded, his voice urgent.

"Hextech has the potential to usher in a new era for Piltover, please, just give me one more chance!"

"And if something like this happens again, who's going to give us another chance?" sneered a pale councilman, waving his delicate hand with disdain.

Jayce turned to Mel in desperation. "Councilwoman, you've seen my theories work. The potential is real, we can't let this go!"

Mel nodded. "You're right, I have seen your success... But we never know when the next accident, or tomorrow, will come. I'm sorry, Jayce. This time, my answer is no."

Jayce's face fell. Viktor opened his mouth to speak, but when he saw how the room had turned against Jayce, he stayed silent.

This situation is hopeless...

"I believe he deserves one more chance," Duke offered, unwilling to lose a perfectly good tool.

But Heimerdinger shook his head. "No. Absolutely not."

"Professor!" Jayce looked at him pleadingly. "Please... just one more chance!"

"I'm sorry, Jayce," Heimerdinger said sadly. Turning to Duke, he added, "Though I admire the support young people show one another, magic is not something to be trifled with."

"You have no magical talent, Jayce. You can't sense mana. This time, Duke was here. What about next time?"

"But... Professor... I, "

"I know you're not the type to give up easily," Heimerdinger interrupted. "Even if we reject your proposal, you'll continue your experiments in secret."

"Which is why..."

He took a long breath and declared, "I'll show you firsthand the true dangers of magic."

"You mean... punish us?" Viktor stepped forward, standing beside Jayce in solidarity.

"No, no need to panic," Heimerdinger said with a wave. "I'm simply going to take you both to my homeland."

"Your homeland?"

"That's right!" Heimerdinger puffed out his chest. "The homeland of all Yordles!"

"Bandle City!!"

"Uh... Doesn't that place mess with human biology?" Duke asked weakly, burning with envy inside. I want to go too! I want to see Bandle City! I want to meet Teemo, Tristana, Lulu, Corki, Rumble, and that magical cat Yuumi!

"You're right," Heimerdinger nodded. "Bandle City can be harmful to humans. That's why we'll make the trip short. We'll be in and out within half a day."

He raised his little fist. "That's more than enough time for them to witness the truth."

"And once they do... perhaps then they'll understand the real danger of magic."