(( @summoner-renzus I did not have a muse for Lux replying, but I did have another muse answer so just for you you get a very old friend, referencing a very old plot.))
They’re standing on a balcony overlooking Piltover as he says it, his words the only thing moving in the still warmth of the air. Alexandra turns to him then, her emerald gaze doing a slow sweep from his feet to his head which, interestingly enough, is unhooded for once. Then again, he’s usually left it so in her presence. A mark of respect, trust, or friendship? Perhaps a combination of the three. She reaches his grey eyes last, sees the resolute steel in his conviction.
“You saved me.” She finally turns to face him fully, noting with some irony the black of his own cloak to her lighter robe. “You then allowed me not only time and safety for my recovery, but also the opportunity to see my ordeal through, to some sort of closure. You may say it was to use my knowledge, but we both know it was more than that.”
Her gaze goes from searching his gaze to meeting it, and it is with both eyes and words that she conveys every ounce of her own conviction. “Black may be traditionally assigned the stigmas and stereotypes of darkness and evil, but that doesn’t mean you are.”
“You’re not a bad person, Renzus,” she says when he remains mute. She reaches out to place a hand on his upper arm, well aware that she was one of few that he gave the privilege of that trust to. “You’re just one of those people who has to do questionable things to protect the good in this world.”
She cannot tell what he thinks - but then she never can. Undeterred, she continues on. “Someone has to, and that you do while retaining your conscience is a mark of just how good you are.”
“You may not have faith in that, but I have faith in you.”
((As you may have guessed, that last fic wrapped up The Raven Plot. I'm just taking the time now for a thank you message to both readers and participants. I'm putting this under a Read More because it's HUGE
This started out as a very simple "What if Alexandra lost her memory?" and became so much more. I had planned only as far as her abduction, and had no real idea of why she'd been taken or who had done so - except that there had to be Ravens because I always wanted to make a competitor for the Crows because Idk I just did okay and maybe I did this primarily to piss of Night because he's a butt
I was only about a week into my "why the fuck is this happening and what do" mood when I remembered "Hey, Night's a Crow" and I knew that, if anything odd and conspiracy-like had happened, the Crows would learn of it...and that brought Renzus into it, in the form of me going "I'll just leave this drabble in your inbox and you do whatever you want"
Now, let's go back several months, when a prompt sent me off into a different tangent involving something that I never got going. I realised that Renzus' involvement made this the perfect opening to combine what was essentially Amnesia!Alexandra and this League of Conflict AU that eventually became canon in Rito's great lore wipe but that's a different story into oen big event that I could use as a great plot for my character.
And so, first and foremost, I owe my thanks to summoner-nightcipher for being a willing participant and also giving me a great deal of detail and emotion and angst to respond and work with. To have a great partner for an OTP was essential in this, and without him I honestly would not have felt that I could see this plot through. I admit right now that I went through several sessions of "Fuck me I have nothing to write after this, that's all I've got and this is the big finale after that Alexandra's gone forever I have nothing more QQ panic" and Night was the person who sat me down and was like "you have so much more of her life that you haven't done and so much more to give to this place etcetc" and he kept me company through most if not all of my writing meltdowns.
I owe thanks also to summoner-tybresa. I would've very much liked her to be a part of this, and I think she would've liked to beat up whoever harmed one of her former Summoner chicks too, but unfortunately circumstances meant that Tybby was currently occupied. Nevertheless, our discussions on Kiersta Mandrake are something that I've been quite appreciative and thankful for - though I'm pretty sure that my version of Kiersta has come out quite different to yours! Nevertheless, I've very much loved the discussions we've had and I'm looking forward to any interactions in the near future cough Bastion cough
To summoner-renzus, who quite graciously accepted the very first drabble I left him, which therefore started off this whole Raven shenanigans. Your responses and drabbles showed not only so much detail and insight into Crow life, but also into Renzus as a character. The ideas that I was able to bounce off you, and the suggestions I received, made me able to build the Ravens into much more than some shadowy adversary. Thanks to you, I gave them a physical Nest at a real location. It was Renzus that made me think "well if this is League-related, maybe the leader could be Kiersta". Thanks to Renzus the Ravens evolved from a foggy outline into a physical being. I'm not much of an intrigue writer - as you can see, I tend to favour fluff, because backstories for intrigue are so important and they're things I'm not as strong in. Renzus has been a great deal of help in this regard, and I've appreciated your work every step of the way.
I've always considered random add-ons as a compliment to my work - after all, having someone decide "Hey, this is cool, I'm tagging along" is a pretty neat thing, right? Therefore, I am eternally grateful to analyst-and-advocate for doing just that: Spotting something that they thought was fun, and just sticking their nose in. Much thanks, for not only does it make me feel validated as a writer, but it also allows this to lend itself to Zaun in many ways and bring about ramifications that probably I haven't thought about yet. In other words, it makes my plot more...well, real.
To frostbitten-seeker, for your participation and cuddles but mostly cuddles heh ilu. Eeeeeee I've wanted to involve you for so long in this plot but I. Didn't. Know. How. Ugghhhhhhhhhhhhh. Writing is so hard fml. Anyway, thank you for seizing the opportunity to show me and everyone else just what Kathe was capable of. I'm very excited about your character and just what she can do. More people should ask about her omfg she is so awesome Also you are one of three Crows with an actual blog involved, the other two being senior-ish sorts, so to have a Crow from a different standing is an exciting look into anything. And when I tipped off the edge into a pool of insanity and meltdowns you jumped in with me and gave me the assistance needed to float. Thank you very much. I will hug you forever.
And, last but not least, too all my readers! I'm aware that I have several who have been watching this plot unfold for a long time. I'll admit to you that, in the early stages, I had as much idea of what was going on as you, but I am very glad that you stayed around because I didn't have the faith that you did in me. I have never felt so alive as Alexandra in recent times as I have when writing this plot. It's certainly taught me a great deal about myself both as a writer and perhaps even as a person. In any case, I'm glad you enjoyed it. I'll confess my selfishness right now in saying that I wrote this for me, purely to try and retain that enjoyment I found in writing - but the fact that people also loved reading it is a great bonus and sense of worth for me. Thank you again and again.
That, obviously (as I said before) ties up Alexandra's role in The Raven Plot. There are many things that can be done with the aftermath - but I'll leave that to whoever else wants to bash it however they want. After all, The Ravens may be wiped, but there are many future ramifications - how did they get here, are there others in other city-states, are there similar organisations...the possibilities are endless. However, I'll leave that to people who are interested. Right now, Alexandra's part is done, and her future more stable - and I think, for now, she wants to put her feet up and lie down and cuddle Night a lot
So thank you again for everything. I'm very sorry - mournful even - to see this plot go. I don't know where I'm going from here. I have no idea of my destination, and less of all my journey. However, I know that with you all by my side, it will at least be a stupidly fun path to travel!))
She clings to his hand with a surprising sort of strength as they make their way up the steps to the front door. She doesn't seem to want to advance any further, so Night does it for her, reaching forward with the key. The lock clicks neatly as he turns his wrist, his other hand on the doorknob, and the door swings open silently under his touch.
"Come on."
It's only then that she realises that he's speaking to her, his form relaxed in the doorway, his hands extended towards her. Her respnse to step towards him is almost automatic - it hadn't been long at all before she'd equated Night with safety. His hands wrap around hers and he gently draws her across the threshold until she takes her first steps back into the home she once knew.
"That wasn't so bad, was it?" he asks her quietly, a hand looping around her waist.
She doesn't lean towards him, though - Alexandra pulls away, walking from the front to the back, scanning the place in an almost methodical fashion. Night trails behind her, somewhat bemused, and if Alexandra had turned around at any point she would've seen the emotions that were plain on his face as he stared at her back: A strange grief for the person he'd lost, a quiet nostalgia for the memories built in this very home...but also a deep, pure love for the woman she'd become that he was now following.
It's only when she halts that he stops too. She's before the doorway into the lounge, her gaze fixed upwards on the frame, the oddest expression on her face. Night dares to step forward and catch her attention, his hands rising to grasp hers. "Is something wrong?" he asks, his voice quiet so as to not disturb the mood she's in.
And she turns to him, a strange light in her eyes - are those tears? - her face shining with something that makes the breath catch in his throat, and replies with, "...I liked Christmas."
And though she's only said three words, Night knows exactly what she's remembered right then - and he can't help but lean in, his hands sweeping up to catch her face as he kisses her with a bright tenderness born of love. And when he finally pulls away, he only leans in again, and just before Alexandra shuts her eyes, she sees him rests his forehead against hers, his own eyes brilliant with unshed tears.
"...I love you," he whispers.
And so she wraps her arms around him, leaning into him in response, and replies in turn: "I love you too."
The tunnel before the Raven Nest entrance widened out into some sort of small cavern, complete with naturally-formed pillars and the like. It was here that Alexandra faced down Aleera with Night and Kathe by her side. An ordinary person might think this an unfair fight, but the trio knew just how powerful the Raven before them was - and one knew personally. Alexandra remembered the exact sensation of the Raven brutally invading and mangling her mind to prevent her ever revealing anything - yet, of course, Renzus had ensured she'd not only survived, but he'd given her the chance to fight back.
As Alexandra began to conjure offensive spells, it occurred to her that she'd vastly changed from the gentle soul that her file had described.
The Ravens had made her that way.
The death of who she once was was just another loss to add to the pile - and she was about to present Aleera with her bill.
A bolt arced towards the trio, shattering on the bright green shield Alexandra conjured up around her, Night, and Kathe. One of Aleera's wingmates had joined the fray.
This fight had just gotten a bit more complicated.
War raged on the stain that was the Adventus building, birds of two kinds spending feather and claw in excess in an attempt to eradicate one another.
Upon the background of the fighting, the wolves now proceeded, taking advantage of the chaos and bloodshed. Where they could not aid in raw power or military skill, they assisted behind the scenes, unseen and deadly with ranged and melee expertise - All the better to destroy them with.
Nightwatch operatives were the force that followed the rage of the First Crow, disarming traps, locating anyone who would seek to ambush or approach from behind. They fought alongside the Crows yet broke into the building rather than the Nest below. Where they could, they took papers. Files. Anything containing useful data was stolen. Nightwatch was a business, after all, and the two Major Operatives managed it with precision and skill.
With help of the Crows the casualties of both the Crows and Nightwatch could be minimised, even as the two factions raided the last corners of the building. With the task nearly finished, Millsey and Chase broke off from each other at an intersection, each with four minor field operatives, a slew of equipment at their belts and a job to swiftly complete.
Felix himself, however, followed Renzus. Unearthly magic rendered him all but invisible; amongst the great powers in the Nest - Renzus and the other mages - a weak magical signature left Felix almost unnoticeable, if a little strange to detect. The background noise of magic elsewhere was a near-perfect cover.
As the training hall doors blasted off, Felix halted and backed up from the event, ducking without thought to avoid something incoming from behind. The Soulstealer could do nothing here; the mages wouldn’t have trouble killing off the assassin. And his own primary objective remained to find out as much as he could. Renzus would gain more from him this way.
So, he waited a few moments, before he chose an opportunity, stealing past the training hall entirely, heading towards the offices. He had some investigative work to do, and it was most likely going to be a lot quieter there. Probably. He trusted Renzus to win his fight, and if there had been any way to help him with it without putting his own life into needless risk, he would have done so.
The Crows were worthy opponents, Renzus had to give them that. Rather than bunker down and attempt to hold off the massed assault by the Crows and their forces, the flock had instead opted for a bold counterattack, an audacious move considering the numerical superiority of their enemy. Not a wrong choice, but a risky one, and the First Crow fully intended to make them suffer the consequences for it.
He felt the empathic pain-cry the moment their shield was breached, and Calefax was thrown to the ground, his life force flickering in and out of existence. Forcing himself to delay his grief, he threw his own mental focus forward at the Raven known as Aleera, tearing apart her barriers and wards in less than a second, before gripping her in a telekinetic vise tight enough to snap bone. Hearing her scream as her arms and ribcage fractured was just the beginning, as the First slammed her twice against the cold, unyielding stone with crushing force, leaving her a broken, bloodied mess, still alive, but far beyond consciousness, and that was a mercy considering the extent of her wounds.
Two other Ravens died immediately after her, one to a gunshot to the forehead from Deliverance, the other skewered through the heart with an incandescent crimson force blade. They weren't the only Ravens there, but Renzus knew that his team could bring them down on their own. His attention would be focused on the one who sat at the far end of the corridor, behind the triple-warded and shielded door.
"Any Raven that surrenders, stun and secure them. If they resist, put them down." Renzus barked loud enough for his team to hear, striding ahead purposefully while incoming shots and arcane bolts collided with his barrier, sparking uselessly against the nigh-inviolable shield of force. "The inner circle has a kill-on-sight order. As for the Flock Mother...leave her to me."
As they forced their way past the now-haphazard defense, exchanging hextech gunfire and bolts of arcane energies, Renzus' eyes glowed a hateful red, an outline of livid crimson beginning to form on his silhouette. The energy signatures would feel alien, almost abhorrent to the others in the squad, but only Alexandra would truly recognize it as the buildup of primordial fury tensing within Renzus' blood, flesh and spirit. This time, however, it felt contained, albeit barely, as if Renzus was deliberately holding it back until the right time to unleash the baleful wrath of corrupted creation.
When he broke through the Ravens in his past, their minds instinctively recoiling from the horror of his magical signature, he extended a hand, reaching out using the knowledge of the magic that girded the door to the Nest, given to him by Alexandra herself. To any other, the entrance was an indomitable affair, layer upon layer of reinforced rare alloys, enchanted with multiple staggered barrier charms and glyphs of arcane warding. Impervious to conventional methods, and near impervious to all but the most destructive of magics.
When the ghostly tendrils of primordial rage touched it, the First Crow cast down the vaunted gate with a single gesture.
Wrenched off its hinges as if gripped by the invisible hand of a furious deity, the might door was hurled down the corridor of the Nest as a mangled mass of twisted, abused metal, the thunder of its violent dismissal echoing down the hallways just as it dragged huge gashes through the stone. Without breaking stride, Renzus broke out into a full sprint, effortlessly clearing the shattered gate with a single bound before continuing his vengeful advance towards the office of the Flock Mother. One of the inner circle moved to stop him, but Renzus passed him by with all the grace of a living shadow, his hand reaching out to grasp his face. As he continued on, there was a horrific scream as the First Crow tore his victim's soul from his body, snuffing out its life essence and leaving nothing but an empty mortal husk and faint flickers of dying ectoplasm behind.
Inside, Renzus' heart and mind burned with the strain of keeping the parasitic, living energies under control, but as much as it hurt him to contain the storm within, his soul raged all the harder. He would reach the Flock Mother's door unimpeded, and there was no force on all Runeterra that could stop him now.
Two days of bloodshed, espionage and ruthless combat, and the lives of thirteen Crows had finally led to the discovery of the Ravens' hideout. Sequestered deep within the Zaunite industrial warehouse region, it was a perfect place to shelter their hidden operations, as nobody frequented the many abandoned buildings there for fear of either superstition or mugging by lowlifes. That gave them relative freedom to come and go as they wished, although all that ended when the First Crow ordered the warehouse besieged.
When the order was given, it took less than fifteen minutes for a stranglehold to be closed around the Ravens' Nest. Crow-affiliated mercenaries of all kinds took up positions along the roads leading to the warehouse, combat engineers setting up roadblocks and gun emplacements while mercenary riflemen dug in and watched for any signs of movement. Crow snipers set up overwatch in adjacent warehouses, long-barreled rifles scanning for targets, while at their side the more arcane-inclined among them prepared volatile spells to launch at the slightest provocation.
Even with the initial barricade set up, more were coming. Additional Crows were en route, escorting those among AEGIS and the Nightwatch who also wanted to play a part in the destruction of the Ravens. But despite all the bustle above ground, there was no sign of the First Crow himself.
Deeper beneath the concrete surface of Zaun, Renzus was leading a squad of his hand-picked Crows, those he considered his inner circle, almost all of them former Summoners of tremendous skill, through a series of seemingly unconnected tunnels that would lead to the secret underground entrance to the Ravens' lair. Torn from the minds of the Ravens that had been captured were the exact location of this hidden entrance, as well as the exact combination of mechanical and magical input required to unseal it. Pausing just around the bend, Renzus signaled for his team to halt, mentally counting down the seconds until it was time to strike.
The air was thick with anticipation by now, and none were more anxious for this to be over than Renzus himself. Retribution was at hand, and nothing would stay him from this moment.
