marcus’ grip tightened against jericho’s doublet. tugging him closer— he had always been the only one allowed to be that close.
“ have you? jericho. you’ve—”
“i know well what i have done. ”
his response was nothing short of a snarl, vicious and filled with hate. something that marcus had not expected— not from him.
“ had you been in my place, you would have done the same. ”
a long silence fell between them. and jericho took his victory, an admission of defeat. they were proud noxians, perhaps the last of a dying breed. men that would live and die for their land, men who were unforgiving to traitors.
“ you killed them, jericho. all of them. could something like this be called fair? is this what you call justice?”
jericho tore away from marcus’ grip, not once breaking his heated glare.
“ do not speak to me of justice, marcus. do not speak to me of sacrifice when you yourself have done nothing--- ”
his words slipped, each of them filled with nothing but venom. a hatred that lied beneath the stillness of his exterior, simply waiting to be let out.
“ there were your family, jericho! and you murdered them in cold blood! this is not justice— this is crime.”
“so, you too.”
his anger had been extinguished, nothing more than ashes and cinders.
he had known that marcus would not understand. a man as sworn to family as he was would never understand sacrifice. but jericho knew, he knew the weight of burden— and knew what must be done, for the sake of noxus.
he had sacrificed much, he had lost everything— what was another loss to add to it?
his words silenced marcus, if only enough to look upon his face. to try and search for some fragment of the man he once knew— the boy he grew up with.
“ you’ve changed, there’s nothing left of you. ”
he wanted to agree, perhaps some foolish part of him wanted to apologize. if only to keep him there, if only if it meant him staying for a few moments more. for he knew the moment he stepped out, he would never return.
“ leave. ” he whispered. “ and do not come back. ”
