Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

There used to be a good school in Zaun. Or well, they called it Zaun’s Academy, meant for elementary students all the way to high school. It wasn’t the best school and it didn’t exactly offer high quality education but the people of Zaun came to love the school that had stood for over 500 years. So it sparked a lot of controversy when the council of Piltover had the school closed.

The Academy was built directly in the center of the whole city. It was neither Zaun’s territory or Piltover’s, but in the past years, Piltover had been discussing the possibility of expanding the glorious City of Progress and tearing down Zaun’s prized Academy to make room for their buildings. The conflict lasted for years with Zaun refusing to hand over the best Academy that Zaunite’s could go to. The success rate of any Piltover school was no more than 5% at most. Zaunites have tried crossing over and attending prestigious academies in Piltover only to flunk all their classes and drop out in less than a year. Zaun’s Academy was possibly the closest thing they had to a good, affordable and accessible education and now Piltover wanted to tear it down. For what? Another pretty building for neighboring lands to gaze at.

When the announcement came on that day, it had sent all of Zaun into turmoil. Viktor remembered exactly where he was the day the decree was announced; sitting in class, listening to their old teacher drone on about the theories of science. It had been any other day in school and at that time, there hadn’t been much update on Piltover’s plans to close the school. Then they heard thumping, loud shouts from the other room and the sound of someone rushing to their classroom. Mylo, who must’ve ran all the way from across the hallway was now standing by the entrance of their classroom, eyes wide and panicked. “Piltover’s done it. They’re going to shut down the Academy!”

Nobody really knew what to do next. Most rushed out of their seats, cheering. No point in attending classes if they’re going to close your school anyway. Others started asking their teacher for questions. Ms. Aspenhart was an old lady who had taught in the Academy for more than 40 years. As soon as the questions came flooding in, she had raised her hands high above her head in an attempt to pacify the interrogating crowd. And there were those who simply sat in their chairs, Viktor being one of them. Their school was the best one Zaun had to offer. Other schools didn’t have the reputation or proper curriculum that would benefit them in the near future. Sure, they could try for a school in Piltover but even if they were to pass the entrance exam, there was barely any student from Zaun who could afford the pricey tuition of Piltover’s schools.

Vi, who had been sitting rather quietly behind him, tapped him on the shoulder. Usually, she was kicking the back of Viktor’s chair or carving drawings onto the flimsy wooden desk but she had been surprisingly quiet the whole day. “Well, the news is out. What are you gonna do?”

“You knew about this?”

“I may have overheard Vander’s conversation with an enforcer this morning.” Vi replied, leaning against her chair, letting it tilt and sway. “I’m surprised Jinx and Mylo managed to keep it a secret. I thought everyone would know by the time the first period was finished.” Viktor’s hand found its way to his hair, tugging at the brown locks. He did that when he was thinking. And at that moment, he was recalculating his whole life plan in his head.

If the school shut down, chances are his next and only option would be the old school just a few blocks from his home. But it was a small school with a population of less than 50 students all jammed in one classroom. Kids aged 10 to 16 being taught the same thing. It was the most affordable place to go too but they barely scratched the surface of any school's curriculum, teaching the most basic lessons and nothing more. He couldn’t afford any other school, heck, he only got to go to this academy because his guardian taught lab here.

Maybe he could apply for a scholarship somewhere in Piltover. But he would need a patron, or any connection to even be considered for the scholarship. It was too late to build up a reputation or any friendship with someone from Piltover. Viktor was starting to regret not joining those trips to Piltover back when he was younger. He might’ve been able to spark a friendship with someone.

“You could try for Piltover.” Vi spoke. “You’re probably the best student here, you could probably get into the best school over there.”

“As if I could afford that. Heard some schools charge you when you take the exam.”

“Bullshit.”

“It’s Piltover, what did you expect?” Viktor mused, rising out of his seat, his hand unconsciously reaching for the cane propped at the side of his desk. “I doubt Ms. Aspenhart would continue the lecture, want to head home early?”

“Absolutely.”

------

The second announcement came in the middle of the night. Enforcers piling into the undercity with their loud speakers and a roll of parchment in their hands. Viktor was willing to bet it was a proposition of peace that would only benefit Piltover and shut the Undercity up. The City of Progress was only really looking into improving their city and not the city of glass living below them. Who cares if their exhausts released fumes so thick it suffocated the undercity? Who cares if they were going to tear down the best school Zaunites could go to in exchange for another shiny building to look at?

“So much for Progress.” Jinx snorted beside him. She had hauled the boy up the roof of one of the bridge’s tall pillars to get a good view of the growing crowd down below. People, mostly students of the Academy, had made their way to the bridge between Zaun and Piltover to hear whatever the enforcers had to say. From their spot, Viktor could see the shiny blue and gold armor of the enforcers. All of them standing up straight, hands behind their back and feet set apart. They looked like statues. Walls, even, barricading the City of Progress.

“It looks like a riot from up here.” Viktor remarked. Crowds of Zaunites yelling and screaming in protest against Piltovers plan to shut down the school.

“That is a riot.” Jinx scoffed. “Apparently, they won’t just be tearing down the school but all the other buildings in the vicinity. Even that old library that has stood here for a whole millenia!” The blue haired girl raised her hands up for more emphasis. “Nobody’s happy about it, not even Vander.”

Viktor hugged his knee up to his chest. This didn’t look so good for Piltover. They all knew how the last war had ended. Piltover may have had the weaponry but Zaun had the masses. Men, women and even children willing to fight tooth and nail for their city. The last thing the Undercity needed was a Piltover stepping over them. Borders were made for a reason. Piltover’s territory and Zaun’s. The way he saw it, Topside could only solve this by revoking their plans to tear down the school and head back to their gleaming city. And for the sake of both Zaun and Piltover, he hoped that’s what they’d do.

“May I have your attention, please.” The Sheriff of Piltover was standing in front of the crowd of enforcers. No helmet or weapon at her side. Viktor had to admire her for being a lot more peaceful compared to her predecessor. Her voice managed to silence the loud crowd and diminish the shouts to whispers. “This morning, the Council had announced their plans to shut down Zaun’s Academy. Though they have no plans to withdraw said decree, the Council has proposed a solution.”

“What, send some smartasses from Piltover to teach us here?” Jinx muttered under her breath.

“The students from Zaun’s Academy will be allowed to study at Piltover.” Grayson’s words rang through the bridge loud and clear, immediately piquing the Undercity’s interest. “All expenses shall be paid for and there will be no need for the students to apply or take on the entrance exams.”

Now that was a proposition. Zaunites being allowed to study at Piltover? Viktor would’ve never expected them to bend over that low, and allow just anyone from the Undercity to come along and study in their prestigious schools. Did they even know how Zaunite kids acted? Sure, there were those who would actually sit and pay attention at class but there were kids who cut classes, made a mess of the hallways, and picked fights with just anyone. Not to mention the amount of Zaunite kids who have blown something up at school (Exhibit A: Viktor, Exhibit B: Jinx) But of course there was a part of him actually excited about the whole ordeal.

Jinx made a noise of shock beside him. “We’re going to be having class with Pilties?”

“Appears so.”

“...and the students in High School will be attending Valoran High School.” Grayson’s voice caught everyone’s attention by surprise. Valoran High School stood long before Zaun or Piltover. Before there was even a City of Progress. It used to be a University but had been renovated to a High school instead. Of course, Piltover had turned it into an Academy of their own, for either the brightest or the richest child in Piltover. The school’s reputation was so vast, students from foreign countries would travel to Piltover and study at Valoran High. Politicians would pay thousands to have their child sent to the school to ensure a good reputation in academics.

To send Zaunite kids to Valoran High School was risky and there was absolutely no way the Council was serious with their decision. Zaun was never the prettiest or most successful city. Sending them to Valoran High might just tarnish the reputation of the school and turn it just into any other High School. “They can’t be serious!” Jinx exclaimed. She was definitely thinking the same thing. “Valoran High? That’s a school for rich snobs. Topsiders would just hate us even more if they sent us there.”

“We assure you that it is the student’s decision whether or not they shall attend the schools we have offered. If they would like to attend, classes start next week. The uniforms and materials will be distributed at Zaun’s Academy starting tomorrow. That’s all.”

Viktor watched as the enforcers began to disperse. The walls crumbled down in front of him. Anyone could hear the loud shouts and questions down below. Students trying to get more information from the enforcers and others yelling about how this had to be another trick. Piltover has proven time and time again that they weren’t taking Zaun into consideration when making decisions but no matter how hard Viktor thought about it, there didn’t seem to be a catch here. Maybe it was just the Topside repenting for what they did in the past.

Jinx huffed. “Well, that’s fun.” She stood up from her spot, swinging precariously over the edge of the pillar.

“Will you be...attending?”

She scoffed. “Duh, Silco might let me turn the offer down but Vander’ll somehow drag us there if he has to. And if he won’t, Vi will.” The girl put her hands on her hips ready to mimic her older sister. “It’s a good opportunity for you, Pow-pow.” She squawked. “It’s class with fucking Pilties. How good can that be?”

“Plus the academic success rate of 3%” Viktor muttered. He wasn’t sure how many Zaunite kids would get to that 3%. Maybe Ekko. And Jinx, if she puts in a little effort.

Jinx groaned. “Don’t get me started on that. I’m telling you, they chose Valoran High to humiliate us! Maybe you’ll survive but the rest of us? Mylo? Nobody from Zaun’s graduating, I’ll give you that.”

“You don’t know that. Maybe they’ll ease up the curriculum for us.”

“Vikkie, you know Pilties. They expect the Undercity to adjust then don’t do the same. They’re going to tear down the best school we have! It’s just a cheap ploy to humiliate us. Make us seem like stupid idiots who can’t pass a test. Then they’ll have more reason to tear down the Undercity.”

“Will you be attending though?”

“Duh, I need to blow some shit up.”

Chapter Text

It took 2 months in Valoran Academy for Viktor to confirm that Jinx was right. They had no intention of adjusting their harsh curriculum for Zaunites. And while that did sound fair and justifiable to treat all students equally it was also a bit of a disadvantage for the kids from Zaun. They weren’t used to reading pages and pages of theories and equations, knowing every section of Piltover’s 80 page Code by heart, and having 100 question tests every week. Viktor had seen enough of his old classmates throwing their test paper scores in frustration. The promise of a better school didn’t turn out as good as anticipated.

“I can’t get any of this!” Vi exclaimed in frustration, slamming her book shut. “I’ve gone to all of this stupid Professor’s review classes, read all of the extra material and I still can’t get how the equation works.”

“You’ll get it eventually.” Viktor said, completely engrossed in the book he was reading. He was probably one of the few kids who could keep up with Piltover’s overloaded curriculum but even he had his difficulties. It was probably the 10th time that he had reread the same page and he still couldn’t understand it.

“Can you help me with whatever this is?” Vi spoke, shoving her notes over the book he was reading.

Viktor would’ve helped but he was currently trying to figure out what was the correlation between momentum and projection. “Can’t you ask Jinx or Ekko about that? I’m kind of busy right now, Vi.” Sure, they were a year below them but Viktor was sure they could easily advance to a year above if they wanted to. Except Jinx was more interested in the exploding part of chemistry that she didn’t really bother with any other subject. And Ekko was adamant on not giving Topsiders the satisfaction of doing their homework. They’re trying to make us like them, Viktor! Trying to brainwash us to do their bidding! The boy had said.

“Ekko doesn’t know how to dumb things down to a normal person’s level and Jinx can never explain any of it in a way that I can understand. You’re the only one who can help me with this! Come on, our test is tomorrow.”

He slammed his book shut. The words weren’t digesting in his head at the moment so maybe it was a sign to get away from the stupid thing. Maybe it would make sense tonight, at 3am under a low lit lamp. Glancing down at Vi’s notes, he traced his finger over the long equations and figures. It didn’t look like the examples their professor had given to them. “Where did you get this?”

“Some Topside kids were handing out review papers for the quiz tomorrow. I nabbed one and tried figuring it out.” Vi replied. Well that explained why they weren’t like the ones he saw on their blackboard.

He pointed at the question. “It’s asking you for the mass of the chemical when it is in this quantity. You just have to multiply the mass and the amount.”

“Huh, that makes sense.”

“I just don’t understand why you were trying to graph the equation.”

“Isn’t that what we’re learning right now?”

“Not in chemistry, no. I think you’ve mixed up mathematics and science.”

“For fuck’s sake!”

———

The day of the test came a lot quicker than Viktor had thought it would. He remembered walking home after helping Vi study the rest of her notes and the next thing he knew, he was in classes watching the test papers be passed. After writing his name on the top of his paper, he read through the first page, feeling the strangest sense of familiarity as he looked through the questions.

He made it to the third page before he noticed something was off. He flipped back to the first page rereading each question to make sure he had answered them. That was when he realised two things. 1. The test was easier than expected. 2. It was easy because he’s seen these questions before. Every single question looked familiar to him but he couldn’t piece together where he saw them. Had his professor just stolen sample questions from their textbook? Or were they the examples he used during lectures? I

It clicked. Vi’s review notes. Her notes had the exact same examples. He had gone through this with her last night. But she couldn’t have coincidentally used the exact same questions when studying and she couldn’t have known these were the questions. Where did she even get her notes?

Some Topside kids were handing out review papers for the quiz tomorrow. I nabbed one and tried figuring it out.

Her notes were from Topsiders. They made these sample questions. But they couldn’t have managed to predict every single question that would be on the test. Viktor wasn’t big on coincidence but he knew it was nearly impossible for someone to guess all the questions on a 50 question quiz. He glanced over his shoulder at the kid from Piltover seated next to Vi. The boy was smiling, grinning even as he scrawled down the answers. Almost too confidently, not even caring to read each question but simply shading the circles. Viktor glanced at another Topsider sitting at the far back, he seemed just as confident.

Viktor could put two and two together. And he felt tempted to stand up from his seat and slap the test paper on any Topsider’s face. The academic success rate is 3%. Even before Zaunites started flooding in. That’s less than half of Piltover kids actually succeeding. In this class alone only one or two of them would be part of that percentile. If all their quizzes were designed to find that 3% then there should be more Piltover kids struggling than kids being able to answer confidently.

The Topsiders were cheating.

He didn’t hesitate to turn around. They were already cheating anyway “Vi.” He whispered. “The test questions are the same ones from your review notes.”

Vi looked at her test paper then back at him. “Holy shit, you’re right.”

“So you can do it then?”

“No.”

Well he wasn’t expecting that answer. “Why not?! I taught you this last night.” He half-whispered, half-screamed.

“I told you I suck at this.”

“It’s eas—“

Viktor couldn’t finish his sentence when a loud BANG came from in front of them. In his attempt to help Vi, he had forgotten this was a test and he was supposed to be focusing on his own paper. He swiveled around quickly, eyes darting to his paper. It wasn’t the first time he helped Vi cheat. There had been instances in Zaun’s Academy where he would put his paper at the edge of his desk just far enough for Vi to sneak a peek. But this was Piltover. Unlike Zaunite professors who dozed off when given the chance, these professors were alert 24/7. “I said there will be no talking.” His professor boomed.

With all due respect, the whole class is cheating. Viktor could have easily stood up and said those words. Shown Vi’s review paper and explained to the professor how Topsiders were the ones who made them. Get some revenge on the Piltover kids who were getting too comfortable being superior to them. But he didn’t. He wasn’t going to tattle. Not that he thought cheating was right but he could understand their predicament. They wanted to pass. He did too. And so did Vi and any other kid from Zaun trying to keep up with harsh lessons.

He finished the rest of his test quickly then reached for his eraser. This was a stupid idea, his brain told him but he ignored the unease settling in his gut and began to scribble the answers on his pearly white eraser. He didn’t bother to number it, Vi could figure that out herself. As soon as he finished, he glanced up at his teacher who was busy staring out the window. If Viktor got caught, it would definitely get him in trouble.

But he couldn’t take seeing any more Zaunites kids struggle under the Topsiders.

Without turning around, he swiftly placed the eraser on Vi’s desk. His hand retracted as soon as the eraser came into contact with the desk, grabbing his pencil and pretending to be writing something. His professor hadn’t noticed, thankfully.

He heard Vi whisper behind him. “Holy shit, if we get caught, you’re going to be in so much trouble.”

“So don’t let him see the eraser.” He whispered back.

Vi kicked the back of his chair as a thank you. And Viktor settled back into his seat, feeling some odd emotion bubbling inside him. Was he happy? Or ashamed? He would probably be reprimanded if anyone found out about this but as long as they cleared up the evidence, he would be fine.

He made a mental reminder to clean his eraser later.

Chapter Text

Viktor had asked Vi to keep the event a secret. He didn’t want people to think he would help just about anyone cheat. Vi was a different case. They’d known each other since they were kids. Viktor helped her with schoolwork and Vi made sure no one was looking down on Viktor just because he needed a cane. Not that he hadn’t thwacked anyone with his cane yet.

His food had gone cold, left untouched. He had barely taken a bite since he slipped into his usual lunch spot. The cafeteria, as big as it was, could only hold so many students. Both Zaunites and Topsiders would pile into the cafeteria, racing for a seat. It was loud and packed every noon and Viktor would barely make it past the entrance before the room was flooded with students. So he tended to eat his lunch outside of the cafeteria, on the staircase leading to the library. There were benches there and the sunlight would cave in without being too overbearing.

It was quiet by the library, the location far away from the main square. Apparently, it was the oldest area in the school. While other areas had been renovated from brick to polished marble, the library remained cobbled and rusted red. The doorways were also fashioned with old wood rather than the golden embellished doors of their classrooms. Cracks outline the walls and the title on the front door was beginning to fade away.

He was alone today. Usually Jinx would follow him down here, with handfuls of her monkey bombs, tinkering with them as she ranted about how annoying her teachers could be or how the Piltie students were clearly privileged jerks with a stick up their arse. But lately she had learned the concept of “escaping school during lunchtime and heading back before afternoon classes began”. Sometimes she would swing by his class and toss him a couple of treats from the Undercity.

The notebook was propped up on the staircase, a pencil in one hand and another tugging at his hair. Now aside from dealing with the packed curriculum of Valoran Academy, he had to deal with another problem: Singed. Or the man’s clinic to be precise. Or to be more precise, both of their only source of income. He had always known the shop wasn’t the most famous one and Singed’s methods weren’t the most morally correct but it was enough to keep both of them fed for years now. Viktor wished he had tried harder to convince the man to let go of his odd methods and just stick to the books because now, an enforcer had caught Singed in the act of performing a rather unsafe lobotomy procedure and issued a health violation. Now they were being asked to close the clinic or both Singed and Viktor would be arrested.

Viktor remembered arguing with Singed last night about it. “Was it really necessary to perform the procedure in the middle of the clinic where any kid could waltz in and endanger the patient?”

“Well no kid has ever come in yet, so far.”

“No but an enforcer certainly did.”

Now he was busy calculating their current expenses and how much they would need to last the month. Viktor suggested that he would go and find a job instead but Singed seemed adamant on forcing the boy to continue his studies and that he would handle things. That would be fine if Singed was willing to work elsewhere while Viktor finished his last year. Except the man was stubborn and refused to work for another clinic that wasn’t his own. Probably because no other clinic would allow their doctor to perform a dangerous lobotomy by the counter.

But no matter how he divided the money, even if he walked half an hour from Zaun to Piltover, even if Singed stopped purchasing valuable herbs, they would still not have enough to last the month. Maybe he could find a job somewhere, maybe he could secretly work somewhere and somehow convince Singed how they were earning money weekly when they were both supposed to be unemployed.

“There you are!” Vi’s voice snapped him out of his mental calculations. The pink haired girl was bounding over towards him with a dark haired girl slowly following after. He usually elected to stay in the shadows and avoid the crowds but he still had his ears. Caitlyn Kiramman. Only daughter of Councilor Kiramman and one of Valoran’s most prized students. They were usually near each other during assemblies, where the students were divided into Zaun kids and Piltover kids, then lined up by academic ranking. Caitlyn was a few students away from him and usually if he turned around to look for Jinx, Caitlyn would be standing a few feet away, hands behind her back and the usual composed look. “You should’ve gone to the cafeteria, they were selling sweet milk.”

Usually Viktor would have got on his feet and tried his luck at the cafeteria but today he was just too tired and too stressed to care. He had spent last night lying in bed trying to figure out what to do with Singed and he hadn’t stopped thinking about it since. He couldn’t even focus in class, his professor having to call his attention when he got too lost in thought. So he just leaned back against the staircase and shrugged.

If Vi noticed something was up, she didn’t say anything instead she motioned at Caitlyn. “Cait, this is Viktor. Viktor, Cait.” Viktor gave an awkward nod. Cait waved back with the same amount of awkwardness. “Okay….anyway, remember 2 weeks back, Viktor? That time you helped me out with chemistry.”

He could put two and two together. Cheating in Valoran Academy could result in expulsion. They all knew that. Even wearing the uniform wrong could get you expelled. No one knew about Viktor helping Vi with her test and it was supposed to be a secret between the two of them, and Jinx maybe if Vi was in the mood. But here they were, a secret between two becoming a secret between three. And the third was a Councilor’s daughter. Someone who could easily have Viktor and Vi expelled. And at the moment, he didn’t need that on his plate.

“If you wanted to get expelled so badly, Vi, you didn’t have to get me involved.”

“What are you talking about? Caitlyn’s not here to report us. She’s my girlfriend for fuck’s sake.”

So was she just going to lecture them or something?

“Look, I didn’t think I would ever ask something like this but my mother is the worst when it comes to grades. Anything below 90 could have me grounded.” Caitlyn spoke, her voice laced with that thick Piltover accent. “I’ll keep things brief, do you think you could help me out like Vi did?”

Now that he wasn’t expecting. Caitlyn was a smart girl. One of the best students. If anything, he should be asking her for help to pass his tests. But he didn’t think Topsiders would even try cheating on tests until 2 weeks ago so he couldn’t put this behind him. “I can’t exactly help you and Vi at the same time.” Sure Caitlyn was in a good number of his classes but they were arranged by name (it used to be surname but Piltover had to change it when they found out only half of the Zaunites had surnames). Viktor and Vi were in the back of the room but Caitlyn was up front. It would be a little difficult to pass an eraser forward.

Vi raised her hand in suggestion. “I thought maybe you could give me the eraser then I’ll slide it across the floor--”

“People are going to notice Vi.”

“Well, could you think of some other method to share the answers?” Vi persisted. “Write it on your hand maybe?”

The first thought that came to mind was to apologize to Caitlyn and say he couldn’t do it. But the second thought that came to mind was a bit more…controversial, in his book, to be exact. Part of him was screaming about his morals and that stooping down that low was unlike him. But then he looked back down at his notebook, their tally of expenses compared to how much they had left. The words slipped out of his mouth without him thinking.

“I’ll figure something out.” He answered. No turning back now then. “But you’ll have to pay me.”

Vi was quick to protest, immediately jumping in between Viktor and her girlfriend. “Okay, no. I’m not gonna let you mooch off Caitlyn for money. Find some other Topsider to steal money off.”

“Just 1 gold hex and 3 silver cogs.”

“You may as well charge me too if you’re going to do that.”

“Sure.”

Vi opened her mouth to throw an insult at him but Caitlyn stepped forward. “Alright.” Caitlyn blurted. “But I’ll only pay you after you actually help me out.”

Viktor shrugged. That was a fair argument. “I’ll have something before our next test.” He looked at Vi for confirmation. The pink haired girl had her arms crossed, her usual contemplating look etched on her face. She looked at Viktor, brows furrowed and lips pursed together.

He gave her a “Well?” look and she threw back another glare at him. They communicated like this usually. Overexaggerated expression to get that point across. Vander caught them once in a heated expression argument and tried to see how long the two would go at it. 30 minutes, the man remarked, that’s impressive.

Eventually, their telepathic argument came to a close with Vi throwing her hands up in frustration. “Fine, I’ll pay you AFTER the test.”

Chapter Text

Viktor crumpled up another paper of useless methods of cheating. It was either too elaborate for Caitlyn and Vi to follow or too risky that it would get them caught. He considered maybe scratching or tugging his ear to tell the answers but Caitlyn might have difficulty seeing it. Not to mention, he might forget the meaning behind it and accidentally scratch his ear unconsciously, confusing both girls.

He leaned back against his chair and sighed. This wasn’t working. It was way too late at night and it was far too quiet. Usually at this hour, Singed would still be working on some lab experiment downstairs at the clinic, the sounds of a bonesaw or the rickety vinyl music would bounce off the walls in his tiny room. Now it was too quiet and nothing could deafen the overflowing thoughts that piled up in his head.

His fingers tapped on the desk, drumming songs on the wooden table. Maybe he could teach them Morse Code? But if the teachers even had the slightest suspicion, they would be able to catch on pretty quick. And then they would get expelled. He ran a hand through his messy curls and sighed for the nth time this whole night. Exhaustion was already beginning to settle in and his stomach was slightly growling for something to eat. Sleep or eat, he couldn’t do either. He had to come up with something.

You still have until tomorrow, his mind said. He did. He had three more days but he wanted to figure it out now so he could just explain the whole ordeal to Caitlyn and Vi then go on and study for the test.

There was a bang that came from downstairs. The sound was so strong it rattled the walls and shook the pencils on his desk. Maybe it was just one of those loose bookshelves. He could fix that tomorrow. But then there was a second crashing noise, followed by something heavy being dragged across the floor. Now he was a little bit worried.

He reached for his cane by his bedside. Usually he could make his way through the house without it but it would probably be better to approach an intruder with a makeshift weapon than none at all. He peeked out of his room, glancing down the hall for any strange figures. Then he tiptoed his way down the stairs, into the clinic. It was empty, and there was nothing broken or out of place. The shutters were still down and the lights were all off. So where else did the sound come from?

A loud crash reverberated through the tiny room. Viktor’s head whipped around to where the sound was coming from. Their basement door was wide open and it sounded like there was a bit of shuffling down there. What would anyone want from their basement? The most valuable thing there would probably be Singed’s secret stash of porcelain cups.

Viktor slowly approached the entrance to the basement only for his worries to be relieved when he saw Singed at the foot of the stairs, shuffling through the different boxes. He sighed heavily. “What are you doing in the basement?”

“Ah, Viktor, you’re still awake.” Singed remarked, beckoning him to come down. “I was just looking through the antiques.”

“What for?” Viktor asks, taking a look around their basement. Boxes of old papers were pushed to one corner next to an old piano, old antiques and broken equipment covered the entire room. There were also Viktor’s old attempts at inventions. The wooden sled with a crude engine strapped to it. He remembered that; healso remembered sliding down a pile of dirt with the sled and falling face first in a dirty puddle. Then heading home with a bloody mouth and a chipped tooth.

“To sell.” Singed replied, busy scouring the box in front of him. “I heard porcelain and brass sell well in the market. Maybe I could sell it to an unsuspecting Topsider for triple the price.”

Viktor peeked into one of the boxes. There were some valuables that might cost a lot at a pawn shop. “I can try and bring some of these to Piltover tomorrow. Maybe there’s a shop who will take these in for some money.”

“I can do that. You focus on your studies.”

He scoffed. “Can’t exactly focus on studies when I’m worrying about your job.”

“That’s my responsibility. You go and study. Be a kid. Hang out with all your friends. Vander’s kids. That little girl you used to play with. Doesn’t she go to the Academy with you?”

“Sky has other friends.”

“Just be a normal student, Viktor. Don’t worry too much about adult matters.” Singed spoke, taking a box and heading up the stairs. “If you find anything you want to keep, take it to your room.” He said before heading back, leaving Viktor alone in the dusty basement.

Viktor knew Singed was just trying to ease him of his worries but he couldn’t help it. Last time his family was out of money, his father had disappeared and his mother became ill. It never ended well in the Undercity. Money was scarce for everyone but it was better than having nothing. He plopped down on the piano chair, hands tracing over the dusty keys. It wasn’t his. But it wasn’t Singed’s either. It had just always been in their basement since Viktor was little. He used to worry that it was haunted.

His fingers pressed down on the piano key. The sound was weak and it sounded horribly out of tune. But he pressed his finger down again, trying to remember the chords to the song. His mother taught it to him. An old lullaby from where his parents came from. “So what comes after C major?” She used to quiz him on what came next.

Viktor, who was too preoccupied with science and chemistry, saw no use in music so he would be sitting beside her, legs swinging in the air and his hands running patterns on the old keys. “Do they have a note for all the letters of the alphabet?” He asked.

His mother had laughed. “No, just A to G.” She pressed on the keys, playing each chord. “A, B, C, D--” Viktor paused midway through the D chord, his thoughts tearing him away from the memory. He replayed the same four chords again and again, his fingers tapping the piano keys. After a few good rounds, he removed his hand from the piano, raising it up in the air watching the movement of his fingers. A, B, C, D. The same letters as the quiz choices on his tests.

Now that was something the professors might not catch.

“That could work,” Viktor whispered to himself. He sprang out of his seat, and headed up the rickety stairs. “I’m going over to Vi’s.” He announced.

“This late?” Singed remarked. He never instilled a bedtime or curfew for the boy but it was a bit too late for Viktor to be out. “If you’re headed there, you may as well sleep at their place too.”

“I’ll be back soon. I just need to...ask about the homework.” The lie slipped out of his lips easily as he walked out, taking hasty steps down the street.

Vi’s house wasn’t too far away from Viktor’s but it wasn’t just around the corner. The Last Drop was a famous spot in the Undercity located in the busier parts of town, a few blocks away from Viktor’s sleepy district. Whereas the streets were quieter by Viktor’s house, the streets around the Last Drop were loud and full even this late into the night.

He didn’t bother walking in the front entrance, using the hidden door at the back of the bar. The speed in his step made his leg hurt but he kept at his pace anyway, heading down the stairs to Vi and Jinx’s room. Vi was probably not asleep. Or maybe she was. One thing for sure, Jinx wasn’t. He could just ask her to wake her sister up.

His knuckles rapped against the door, two quick beats followed by a long one. He heard a loud thump followed by heavy footsteps to the door. Vi opened the door, bleary eyed with the slightest hint of drool on her chin. She yawned. “Do you have any idea what time it is?”

“Tell Caitlyn to meet us at the usual spot tomorrow.” He ordered. Vi stood up straighter, eyes a little bit more awake now. “And if you know any other Zaunites in our class who want some help, tell them to come too.”

“You thought of something?”

“Yes. I’ve never tried it before but it’s worth a shot.” He nodded. It was risky, cheating was always risky. But now he had a shot at helping kids from Zaun pass Piltover’s exceedingly high standards. He wasn’t going to riot or protest against the Topsiders, but he wasn’t going to let them sit high and mighty up there either. The Undercity deserved to succeed just as much as they did. And maybe, just maybe, this whole plan could also get him some money on the sidelines.

“Also tell the kids to bring 5 silver cogs.”

Chapter Text

There was an abandoned arcade all the way down the Undercity. Nobody really came down there so it became more of a hiding spot for kids who didn’t want to go to school. There were hardly any games, save for the old shooting range, one rickety arcane machine and the punching machine with its big scoreboard. Vi’s name took up 10 spots out of the 12. Claggor’s name took the last two on the board.

They all started piling in right after class. Still dressed in their Academy Uniforms, though many have already started ripping off their ties and unbuttoning their blazers. There were at least 9 of them minus Jinx and Ekko who had just tagged along. Viktor sat on the steps, his hands tapping on the floor beside him. He had been working on the plan all night, trying to make it as foolproof as possible.

“So what do you have planned, Viktor?” Mylo asked. “Study lessons? Good luck with that.”

“I considered tutoring you but then I realised it’ll be easier to teach a baby.” Viktor answered. The brown haired boy didn’t say anything after that, shrinking back into his seat. “Have you ever heard the theory that classical music helps brain development? There’s a scientist turned musician who’s actually trying to prove this theory. Heard he was the Dean's favorite back in the day.”

“You’re gonna give us piano lessons?” One of the kids at the back, Pim asked.

“No. We’re going to use different songs to represent A, B, C, D.” Viktor answered, standing up and walking to the nearest table. He placed his fingers flat on it. “Watch my fingers.” There was a bit of shuffling followed by all of the kids standing up to get a closer look.

He played the first song, tapping his fingers one by one. “That’s A. Remember that A starts with the pinky and ends with the thumb.”

His fingers drummed the table for each letter. “That’s B. 4 3 2 1 3. That’s the finger pattern. And that’s C. Starts with the middle, ends with the ring. Then that’s D. I’ll tap my thumb twice at the end.” He looked up at all the confused faces. “We’ll practice later. Our tests are usually 100 or 50 questions. I’ll give you the answers for the first four then skip one. We’ll follow that pattern through the whole test. So that means you’ll have to answer 5, 10, 15, 20 and all the multiples of five on your own.”

“Why can’t you just give us all of them like what you did with me last time?” Vi asked.

“I’m sure the professors will be a bit suspicious if all of us start getting 100% scores on our test. Also I’ll start giving you the answers 30 minutes after the test starts. So work on the skipped questions while waiting. And when you finish, don’t immediately stand up. Keep the test until there’s 5 to 10 minutes left then start standing up at random. We don’t want anyone catching in on us.”

He turned to look at Jinx and Ekko. “You two can teach this to your other Zaunite classmates. Just remember what I just said and if any Topsider asks you what’s going on, tell them you’re attending piano lessons. That goes for all of you too.” Everyone nods their heads in unison, the grins beginning to form on their faces. Even Caitlyn, who had been quiet and nervous the whole time seemed a little bit more hopeful. “Oh and before I forget, I’m charging you all 5 silver cogs for each test.”

-----

The first test came by soon. Viktor was somehow glad for his seat now. Right in the center of the whole classroom where his hand could easily be seen. He could trust them to not be so suspicious when watching his fingers. Taking a look at Mylo, he could see the boy was busy trying to figure out the skipped questions on his own. Or maybe he was drawing again. No one could really tell.

Viktor eyed the clock at the front of the room. 9:29. He had finished all the questions needed, pressing his palm on the table. Eyes were beginning to land on him. Out of the corner of his view, he could see Caitlyn slowly turning her head at just the right angle to see his fingers. It would work. They all just needed to be as discreet as possible.

9:30.

The first few numbers were slow, Viktor still trying to recall the song for each letter. Eventually, he got used to the pattern, being able to drum his fingers on the wood as soon as he read the letter. Every once in a while he would glance at the professor for good measure and he was glad everyone took the hint and occasionally glanced elsewhere so as to not look too suspicious.

They had practiced this yesterday. And the day before and the day before that. It took them a while to get it right or even catch the pattern. Then when they memorized the songs, Viktor would tap a random set of letters and see if they could get it right. From mixed answers, they eventually got good enough to answer in unison. If they happened to forget or lose track midway through it, that was on them. Either way, he’d still get the 5 silver cogs after. That was the agreement.

When he finished, he tapped his hand twice on the table, their sign that he was done. He heard Vi whisper a quick “thank you” behind his back as he leaned forward to answer the multiples of five that he had put off. 9 kids. That was 45 silver cogs. Convert that to gold and it was 3 gold hexes. It was a start. And he had told them to invite other Zaunite kids for the piano lessons. Plus Jinx and Ekko agreed to give him a bit of what they earned too. He didn’t want to take the 5 silver cogs they would get from their classmates, they were doing his job too but Ekko insisted that it was unfair for him not to get some of it. “It’s your idea. I feel like I’d be stealing from you if I got all the money.” Jinx nodded, albeit reluctantly. So, they agreed that from the 5 cogs they get per person, they’d give 2 silver cogs to him. He couldn’t help but feel a little bit giddy about the idea.

Not even a day later, Mylo was already approaching him to announce that more kids wanted to join his piano lessons. The next day, Claggor was too. Part of him screamed not to and to just keep it small but the other part of him was screaming to do it. Wipe the floor with those privileged Pilties. They were cheating too. Earlier he had caught a Topsider kid trying to get a look at Claggor’s paper. It was only ‘fair’ that Zaunites come up with tricks of their own. So he told Mylo and Claggor to send them over to the arcade on the weekend. That would become their routine. A new kid or kids would show up at the abandoned arcade, be it from Jinx, Ekko or Viktor’s class and then Viktor would explain the whole process to them

Some came reluctantly, asking Viktor constantly if he was sure it would work while others agreed from the get-go. They all agreed to the payment too, handing him the 5 silver cogs after classes. He had kept the whole arrangement a secret from Singed. To his knowledge, Viktor was giving mechanic lessons to Zaunite kids and that’s where the money was coming from. Singed could work with that. Somehow, Viktor was still being a kid and doing normal high school things and that’s what the man wanted.

It would go by smoothly. They’d keep at this routine until the college entrance exams. He had yet to figure out something for that but he’d come up with something for sure. For now, he could just relax a bit. Maybe talk to Sky like Singed had suggested.

Or Jayce Talis.

Chapter Text

Jayce Talis. Or as most Zaunites called him, Golden Boy. He belonged to one of the “lower” classes of Piltover but all Topsiders were rich kids to the Undercity so that didn’t really matter to them. Or well Viktor didn’t count it as a lower class considering the boy’s family contributed a major part to Piltover’s industrial progress back when the city was just starting to develop. They called him Golden Boy because he was a golden boy. Top of the class, good reputation with the professors, charming looks, knows how to entertain an audience, he was the perfect Piltover student. Not to mention, one of the Dean’s favorites. And best friends with Mel Medarda. THE Mel Medarda. A Noxian transfer student who was set to be a Councilor as soon as she graduated from University.

Viktor only managed to get closer to Jayce through the honors class, where Viktor happened to be the only Zaunite in. He tried to keep to himself and sit in the back corner in silence but sometimes he couldn’t hold back his comments. Especially when the Topsiders were spouting the wrong information and acting like know-it-alls.

“That’s wrong.” Viktor had butted in. They were waiting for their professor to come in. Professor Heimerdinger was a busy man and usually came late to class. Sometimes he didn’t come at all and the honors class would just teach themselves the lesson for that day, reading through the textbooks and trying to come to a shared meaning together. That day, they were just conversing with each other about Jayce’s proposed theory on harnessing magic. He had to be honest, he didn’t think a boy like Jayce Talis would be interested in the theory of magic.

“Oh? So even the Zaunites are interested in magic?” Of course there were kids like Calum Swiftweaver. Notorious for picking on Zaunite kids. Then there were kids like Mylo who didn’t like Pilties looking down on them and would not hesitate to challenge Calum back. Then there were kids like Jinx who didn’t think twice to knock Calum back with a hard kick to the shin. “You hardly even talk in class, what do you know about magic?”

“I don’t know much about magic but I think I know enough about explosions.” That’s what he was getting from the conversation. Jayce had created volatile crystals that would blow up if hit with even the slightest amount of force and Jayce wanted to control that. “Have you considered letting it blow up?”

Calum and his group of friends were quick to protest, probably about to throw comments about Viktor being a Zaunite. But Jayce held up a hand to shut them up. “What do you mean let it blow up?” He asked.

“If the crystals won’t stabilize at a low frequency try a high frequency.” Viktor explained. “There’s nowhere to go but up, no? So try--”

“Cranking it.” Jayce finished for him, flashing him that smile all the professors adored. “That actually makes sense. Thanks, Viktor.”

It was supposed to end at that. But after class, Jayce was following him to the cafeteria, releasing all his theories on the boy. Viktor tried his best to keep up, offering advice and trying to propose other solutions. Eventually Jayce got tired of talking and insisted that Viktor talk about his own theories.

Then from there came the budding friendship or whatever it was. Jayce finds him at the end of each class to pester him with something new. Viktor thought it would only last for a while but eventually Jayce started following him almost everywhere, even finding him at lunch and hanging out with him on the library's staircase. They were lab partners too. He talked about his own life too, what it was like in Zaun. To his surprise, Jayce was rather keen on the topic of helping the Undercity, going so far as to insult the Council and their “privileged” methods. “They only think about the success of Piltover.”

Viktor scoffed. “We all know that. We’re basically your landfill.”

“What does that mean?”

“All of Piltover’s waste goes down the sewers. Where do you think the sewers lead?” Infested waters and piles of trash were nothing new in Zaun. Sure the air wasn’t too thick to breathe in anymore but they all knew inhaling that daily took a year off your lifespan. He remembered watching kids swim in the lakes and come home with the slightest tinge of green on their skin.

He didn’t tell Jayce about the cheating methods though. It’s not that he didn’t trust Jayce, he just knew the boy wouldn’t like that. Jayce always stuck to the rule book. One time Viktor had suggested going back to the lab to test out their project without a professor’s permit; Jayce went with it but very reluctantly, constantly glancing at the door and fidgeting in his seat. “What if we get caught, Viktor?”

“Just use the permit from yesterday.” Viktor replied not looking away from the magnifying glass.

“But that was yesterday!”

“Just act normal and flash it at them. If you pretend nothing’s wrong, they won’t question you, Golden Boy.”

Luckily, no professor stopped by and following that incident, Jayce was persistent in always asking for a permit before using the lab. So he kept the cheating a secret. He made sure every Zaunite who knew about it would refer to them as “piano lessons” or “mechanic lessons”. But that didn’t stop Jayce from questioning it.

“Viktor, some other kids want to join your piano lessons!” Mylo exclaimed as he passed by the two in the hallway. He seemed busy, running down the long hall with Claggor following in suit. “They’ll pay you later!”

As soon as they were out of earshot, Jayce turned to Viktor. “Looks like your lessons are going well.” He remarked. “Why do you only invite Zaunites though?”

“What do you mean? Caitlyn’s part.”

“I mean, yeah, she’s Vi’s girlfriend and you and Vi are friends. But why don’t you let other Topsiders join? I know some Topsiders who are struggling with piano.”

“Because you can afford better classes.” It was the truth. Extracurriculars in Piltover often cost more than a Zaunite could afford. They were more for Piltover kids and there was also the matter of “Zaunite parents don’t see the point in teaching their children violin so why bother”.

“Well, if you offered classes like these to everyone, at least us Topsiders could save some money.”

Even if you saved money or spent enormous amounts of it, you’d always have more than enough to put food on the table, Viktor wanted to say but he chose the other option. “That would put tutors out of business, Jayce.”

“Not all, it’s not like you’re going to tutor for everything.”

“Well, tutors in music will lose their jobs.”

“Why are you so persistent on not letting Topsiders join?”

“Why are you so persistent on joining?” Viktor fired back. “It’s not that big of a deal, Jayce. I just want to help kids from the Undercity. If I let kids from Piltover join, I wouldn’t be able to focus on helping Zaunites. It’s as simple as that so let’s leave it at that.”

Jayce never mentioned it again. But he could tell the boy was still curious about his lessons. Especially when they overheard a Zaunite mention “Viktor’s mechanic lessons” when all this time Jayce thought he was teaching the kids piano. He didn’t ask about it but Viktor could tell the boy was starting to get a little suspicious. That’s why following that week, he had made sure people would only refer to it as piano lessons and nothing more.

“What are you thinking about?” Jinx asked him, her head appearing over his. Singed had left town to visit an old friend. Usually Viktor could take care of himself on those days but recently, he had passed out and somehow managed to bump into a couple of glass jars, and let’s just say what was in them is not really the safest chemical to be around. Singed found him lying on the floor with a huge burn on his cheek and decided he could not leave Viktor alone.

“If you can guarantee that you will sleep early and eat at the right hours then I’ll let you stay here alone. But if you’re going to spend every night researching and only eat one meal a day, then I think it would be best you stay with Vander while I’m away.” Singed said, applying some ointment to the fresh burn. It wasn’t Viktor’s fault he had the shoddiest immune system and passed out at random.

In the end, Viktor ended up staying in Vander’s place with the other 4 in a makeshift bed. After a week, he was starting to get a bit irritated with the constant shouting matches between Mylo and Vi and Jinx throwing paint bombs right outside the building. And no one knew how long Singed would be out of town. One time he had left Viktor alone for half a year. The boy was 10 at that time.

Jinx seemed pleased with the new setup but he only really saw her on weekends when she wasn’t with Silco. “Trying to remember what else’ll show up on the test.” Viktor replied.

“The one that the senior’s are taking?”

“Yes.”

“I’m sure you’ll do fine, Vikkie! You’re the smartest guy in Zaun!” Jinx exclaimed, leaning back on the armchair she sat on. “How many kids are you helping out here?”

“All of them.” 36 Zaunite kids relying on him for answers. Though they still had to answer the other parts on their own, they were probably studying less than he was. He had been studying for 2 whole weeks now. It wasn’t that he wasn’t sure. This was the second biggest test for any senior. He couldn’t screw up.

“Wow, good luck with that.”

“Thanks.”

“How are you and Golden Boy?”

Viktor sat up to get a better look at her. He didn’t recall telling Jinx about his friendship with Piltover’s brightest mind. “How do you know about that?”

“Uh, everyone knows there’s something going on between the two of you. You’re like, attached at the hip! It’s crazy!” Jinx exclaimed. “Zaunite’s brightest mind and Piltover’s Golden Boy, the headlines would be scandalous!”

“I can’t really tell what you’re trying to say here.”

“Have you two kissed yet?”

“What?!” Viktor exclaimed, a bit louder than expected. There was a loud grumble from where Vi was trying to sleep. “We aren’t even dating.” He said much softer this time.

“Really? Then why are you two always hiding in the lab?”

“We’re working on our final research project?”

“At the library?”

“Research.”

“Observatory.”

“Still research.”

“Heimerdinkle’s lab?”

“Heimerdinger.” He corrected. “I’m his assistant and Jayce is his favorite student, we just help sort over his books after your class messes them up.”

“So you really aren’t dating? But you work well together!” Jinx exclaimed, leaning over again to whisper something. “Between you and me, you two have more chemistry than my sister and her girlfriend and they’re actually dating.”

“I heard that!” Vi yelled under the covers.

“Good! It’s true!” Jinx yelled back before returning her attention to the brown haired boy. “Vikkie, are you sure you don’t like him at all.”

“Absolutely not. He’s just my lab partner and friend.” Viktor insisted.

Jinx rolled her eyes. “That’s what they all say.”

Viktor heaved a sigh, reaching for his notes. “Go pester your boyfriend with Piltover gossip.”

“Who? Ekko?” Jinx asked, mock disgust laced in her tone. She sat there for a moment before shrugging. “Yeah, alright I’ll annoy him. Bye, Vikkie!”

He gave a hum of acknowledgement, not bothering to look as the girl sprinted up the stairs and bolted out the door. His notes were all piled out on the small table beside him. Thick hardbound books tossed on one end and long papers on the other. At the middle was the tiny aluminum foil robot Jayce had made him. The boy had given it to him at some point, during one of their breaks. It was a ball of crumpled up aluminum foil with rolled up foil as arms and tiny circles as eyes. The whole thing had been painted haphazardly with yellow and blue. It was a shoddy attempt at sculpting but the proud look on Jayce’s face after he handed it over was enough for Viktor to keep the robot close to him. “Called him Blitzcrank!” Jayce exclaimed, a broad grin spread on his face. “I thought of making you one after I saw the drawings in your notebook.”

“Drawings?”

“Yeah. You have like two whole pages of robot drawings.” Viktor had to stop himself from spluttering when the words left Jayce’s mouth. In an attempt to save more money, Viktor tried to avoid purchasing new notebooks for school and started using old, “unused” ones from when he was younger. His latest one was from when he was 9 and obsessed with robots. The idea of mechanisms working without fail. Humanoid mechanisms working at optimum efficiency. The thought enticed him in the past. “You don’t have to be embarrassed, man. I used to draw 30 hammers a day.”

“30 drawings of the same hammer?”

“Nah, 30 different hammers. I drew one that shot lightning bolts, then another that had hidden spikes and another that had…” Viktor stopped functioning after that, too preoccupied staring at Jayce and watching the boy excitedly talk.

He tossed his notes aside, sighing again. This wasn’t going to work. In an attempt to study, he had started daydreaming about Piltover’s Golden Boy. His hands instinctively reached for the foil robot, raising it high above his head so he could shed some light on it. The paint job was messy. In fact, in the light you could see peeks of silver from the tinfoil base and the left eye was starting to fall off but it was still so endearing to him. How many nights has he held the robot like this just to stare at it and smile?

“For fuck’s sake, I can sense you pining from here!” Vi yelled, sitting up on her bed. “Can you just study?”

Chapter Text

The midterm was taken in the gymnasium. 70 tables lined up, evenly spaced out from one another. Seniors lined up in two lines by the entrance to the gymnasium waiting for the clock to strike 10 o’clock. Piltover’s line was full of anxious students, some muttering to themselves in an attempt to recite everything they’ve learned, others gnawing at their nails and fidgeting to no end. Zaun’s line was calmer, some looking bored even. Of course they didn’t have to be that worried when they had their cheat codes.

But the cheat code in question was fighting to stand upright.

It wasn’t often that Viktor woke up feeling sick. He had grown up being the frail sickly kid who could spend two whole weeks out of class because he couldn’t get out of bed. As he got older, the frequent fevers decreased. But with the stress of midterms coming in and the fate of every Zaunite’s academic success resting on his shoulders, his immune system weakened drastically.

He could hardly breathe through his nose, every breath rattled his lungs and his whole body ached but his leg the most. His hands were holding onto his cane so hard, he thought he might just crush the handle. Everyone seemed way too preoccupied in their own world to notice that Viktor was on the verge of collapsing. But he couldn’t just miss the midterm. The Academy knew about his condition and assured him if he ever missed an exam, they would allow him to take it on another day but he couldn’t do that. The Zaunites depended on him.

Maybe he should have just stuck to tutoring them instead? They were too dependent now. Even Vi, who promised she would still study, eventually left him to study on his own while she hung out with the other Undercity kids. But this was the only way the Zaunites could keep up with Piltover. His goal was to give them a chance at increasing the academic success rate and he was getting there but he had no plan for unexpected surprises like these. And what would they do during the final exam?

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jayce staring right at him. Amber eyes laced with concern boring holes right into him. Sometimes Viktor wanted to ask Jayce how he mastered that concerned naive look. But then there was something else. The way Jayce’s lips were pursed tightly together and his brow’s furrowed ever so slightly. Like there was a bit of suspicion mixed with the concern in his eyes. Maybe he was zoning out? But his eyes seemed wide awake rather than spaced out.

He was clutching his wrist, or the bracelet to be exact. Jayce only did that when he was deep in thought. He didn’t stop staring and Viktor maintained eye contact until the stare felt all too overwhelming. It was like Jayce was trying to unravel him, pull him apart. And he didn’t like it. So he looked away.

The bell rang signaling that the students could come in. They entered in two straight lines, taking their seats as practiced, filling in the edges and meeting in the middle. From Viktor’s position, he was right in the center of the Zaunites. Not a single Topsider near him. The arrangement seemed intentional to help him better. He had to thank fate for that.

“You should have three papers on your desk.” The professor announced from the front of the room. “The questionnaire, the answer sheet and an extra piece of paper for your solutions. You will submit all three papers when you finish. I will not entertain any questions unless they are about errors on your paper and you are expected to keep your eyes on your own paper at all times.” He paused for a moment. “You may now begin.”

Viktor turned to his answer sheet, jotting down the required information first. His name, his class, if he was from Zian or Piltover, the student ID number. Then below his ID number was the words SET NUMBER followed by a blank line. He raised his hand. Technically it wasn’t a question about the contents of the test. “What does the set number refer to?”

“There are two midterm questionnaires. The number is at the corner. We implemented it to avoid cheating between seatmates.”

Oh shit. His eyes scanned the rest of his classmates. They looked just as alarmed to hear the news. He looked down at his paper, the bold SET 1 stared back at him from the corner of his questionnaire.

Taking a deep breath, he looked at Mylo sitting beside him and raised one finger. Mylo raised two, the panic in his eyes were evident. Viktor scanned the room watching as Zaunites raised one or two fingers to show which questionnaire they got. 18 with Set 1 and 18 with Set 2. Divided perfectly in half. So that meant he could only help 17 out of the 35. “What do we do?” Mylo whispered.

“Just answer the multiples of five.” He hissed back. That was the protocol anyway. Screw waiting 30 minutes, he pressed his palm down on the table. He would just have to give the answers while answering. Then he’ll have to figure out how to help Set 2.

With each answer, he tapped onto the table. There were some he was unsure of but he just kept going at it. He could feel Mylo and everyone else with Set 2’s stares on him. Even Caitlyn was staring at him from her end of the room.

“Viktor.” Mylo whispered again. “Dude, please help me.”

“Just wait.” He whispered back, harshly. They kept to that routine, his eyes looking at the clock every once in a while. His head was pounding 40 questions in. Every time he blinked, it took a few seconds before he could fully adjust to the light around him. And his leg felt like lead weight dragging him down. But he kept going, scribbling equations, shading circles and tapping fingers.

He could still feel the other Zaunites staring at him, waiting for a solution. To be honest, he couldn’t think of one and he was considering giving them their money back but he couldn’t do that. This whole cheating fiasco started because he wanted to help Zaunites keep up. Letting them down on one of the biggest tests of their lives would send him back to where he started.

Maybe he and Mylo could switch papers? That could work. But he needed a distraction. Something that would keep the professor busy so he could switch them.

Jayce sprang up from his seat on the other side of the room. Of course Golden Boy finished first. He took quick strides to the front, whispering something to the professor before turning around and walking to the exit.

He passed Viktor for a brief moment, whispering something loud enough for the boy to hear. “Mylo’s looking at your test.”

Of course he was. He needed my help. Viktor wanted to say but Jayce was already on his way out. His eyes slowly peeked at the professor in front of him and he felt his heart jump out of his chest when he thought the man was looking at him. But his eyes were trained on the student beside him. Mylo. Jayce must’ve tattled. Of course he did. If anyone committed wholeheartedly to the Code of Ethos, it would be Jayce “Golden Boy and Soon-To-Be Man of Progress” Talis.

When he shaded the final answer, he glanced over his shoulder and mouthed two words. “Go submit.” It didn’t take long for them to process and all the Set 1 kids rose from their seats and handed their papers over.

“Mylo.” Viktor called, holding out his hand to reach for his paper. The boy followed immediately, handing his and taking Viktor’s.

Take two.

He flipped open the questionnaire. It was basically the same questions from the first but with different numbers. One hand gripping the pencil and the other tapping the table. Less than 20 minutes left on the clock and still 18 more students relying on him for answers. Viktor could hear the blood rushing to his ears and it felt like water was pouring into his lungs, his breaths coming out shallow.

The world spun and he almost saw spots but he pinched his thigh in an attempt to stay awake. Mylo sat there, glancing at him almost every second. “What do I do?”

“Sit down and pretend you're answering!” Viktor hissed back, no longer in the mood to be patient. A hollow cough rattled his lungs, pouring out of his throat. His professor gave him a concerned look but didn’t say anything about it.

“10 minutes left.”

Viktor scribbled his equations unkemptly. There was no time to be neat, he still had 23 questions left. His tapping was getting clumsy and he couldn’t hear anything but the heavy breaths coming out through his nose. The last of the Piltover kids were starting to stand up and pass their papers. He coughed again, this one sending him doubling over on his (Mylo’s) paper. Mylo gave him a concerned look. Or well, they all did. Viktor waved it off flimsily before focusing his attention on the test. “5 more minutes.” Dammit.

Mylo spoke again. “Dude—“

“Shut the fuck up.” Viktor seethed through gritted teeth. He could do this. He could best this. 18 more questions.

The minutes passed by quicker then Viktor expected and the faint echo of a school bell rang as he made it to the last five questions. The professor stood up. “Time’s up.” Viktor didn't drop his pencil. Nor did any Zaunite kid. “I said time’s up.” He kept shading and tapping.

The professor stepped forward, marching down the path, taking the papers from the kids up front. Viktor didn’t look up, focused on the test at hand. Last one. He scrawled the messiest equation possible and shaded as he tapped the answer. The moment his pencil lifted from the paper, his professor intercepted the answer sheet, yanking it with so much force as if he was worried Viktor would try and pull it away. “Didn’t study enough?” His professor asked. It was meant to be a joke, a funny quip.

Viktor might’ve entertained him if he wasn’t fighting to stay awake. Instead he gave a soft chuckle and shrugged, leaning back against the wooden chair and tipping his head back in exhaustion. The headache had only gotten worse and he felt like he had just run a marathon, struggling to catch his breath.

“Is our finals going to be two sets again, professor?” Vi asked from her seat.

“No. It’ll just be one test.”

“Good.” Viktor murmured.

———

“Sorry if I pressured you back there, man.” Mylo said, patting Viktor awkwardly on the back. As they were filing out of the gym, Viktor’s legs finally gave way and he fell right into Vi. He couldn’t keep his eyes open for long but he could tell, they were (clumsily) taking him to the school nurse. The nurse said his fever wasn’t high enough to send him off and handed him some bitter medicine and a stick doused in oil. Sniff it and feel better, the nurse said as she shooed him away.

Viktor waved him off. They were sitting by the steps to the library. Vi, Mylo, Claggor and Caitlyn had simply followed Jinx to her lunch spot and were all surprised to find Viktor sitting there looking absolutely exhausted. Considering his sickly state, they assumed the nurse would’ve sent him home. “I would do the same if I were in your position.”

“I can’t believe you managed to do that, Vikkie.” Jinx exclaimed in awe. “Answering 200 fucking questions in an hour? I would’ve just given up.”

“It was hard.” Viktor admitted. “So I’m considering charging them extra for this test. Instead of 5 Silver Cogs, I want 10 Gold Hexes.” It was a joke, partially. At the back of his mind, he was actually considering raising the price. The trio and Caitlyn held alarmed expressions, considering how serious Viktor looked as he spoke. He waved it off. “I’m kidding. You owe me though.”

“Dude, if you ever need anything at all, I will do it for you.” Mylo announced. “You saved my grades.”

“Technically he only saved 60% of it.” Caitlyn corrected. “40% comes from written works and projects which Viktor cannot help you with.”

“So that means Mylo, if you don’t do your homework, all of Viktor’s hard work would go down the drain.” Vi mused.

The group returned to their usual bickering nature, yells of disapproval and loud laughter filled the quiet area. Viktor leaned back on the steps, too tired to join in their conversation. His eyelids drooped and his body was weighing him down. The medicine must’ve taken its toll. Well, he could count on them to wake him up when lunch ended. Maybe a quick nap would do him good.

“Viktor.” The sound of Jayce’s voice pulled him out of his daze as he sat back up to face him. Jayce was standing so close to the steps, his tall figure blocking the sun out of Viktor’s eyes. He looked lost, conflicted, even. “Professor Heimerdinger wants to speak with you.”

Chapter Text

The walk to Professor Heimerdinger’s office was quiet. Or it wasn’t really in Viktor’s head. Multiple thoughts ran circles through his brain of all the possible reasons as to why Professor Heimerdinger wanted to see him at this point. It could just be some announcement or something he wanted to relay to Viktor, since he was the Professor’s part-time assistant. But considering the time and Jayce’s behavior, it might be bad news.

He spoke up, his voice coming out softer than he expected. “Do you know what he wants to talk about?”

Jayce didn’t reply. But Viktor could tell the words were hanging at the tip of his tongue. The boy wanted to say something but he chose to turn his head and keep walking. So it’s bad. Jayce didn’t keep secrets. He was practically an open book. If it was something good, he would’ve easily blurted it out for Viktor to hear but here he was, fists clenched and brows furrowed.

Viktor wanted to pry but before he could open his mouth to ask more, they arrived at Heimerdinger’s office. The Principal, or better yet, the Head of the Council was sitting behind his desk, hands clasped in front of him. As soon as he saw Viktor, he greeted him with the usual enthusiasm. “Ah, Viktor! I’m so sorry to call you in at this time. I heard you were in the nurse’s office less than an hour ago.”

“Just a cold, Professor.” He answered, with the same amount of enthusiasm. It didn’t sound serious. Though the Professor always had a cheery nature, even when discussing the subject of war.

Heimerdinger gestured at the two seats in front of him, a sign for the two boys to sit. “You see, Jayce here claims that you have been doing something, eh, improper and personally, I don’t think you would be one to do such a thing but the boy seems quite insistent on it.”

“Improper, Professor?”

“He claims that you have been helping the students from the Undercity cheat.”

And right there, Viktor thought his whole world was caving in. His heart sped up twice its normal pace, the blood pumping in his ears. He couldn’t face either of them, eyes trained on a spot on the floor. How did Jayce know? How did he catch on? Did he overhear Caitlyn and Vi? Did he bribe a Zaunite? He had done everything to keep it a secret yet of all Topsiders, the goody-two-shoes was the one who found out.

Heimerdinger’s voice drew him out of his thoughts. “I still don’t think you did it, Viktor. But Jayce here insists that you’ve created this cheat code for Zaunites to use. Tell me the truth, Viktor. Are you helping kids from the Undercity cheat?” He doubted Jayce. Viktor could still cover up the secret.

He sat up straighter in his seat. But Jayce was quicker. “Mylo was cheating off his test earlier! He kept glancing at Viktor, in fact, every Zaunite was staring at Viktor. But Viktor didn’t even try to cover his paper or tell anyone. They’re clearly working together here, Professor!”

“With all due respect, Professor,” Viktor protested. Fine, he could play that game. His blood simmered through his veins. Was it anger or was it the shock that his best friend was turning on him without hesitation? “Mylo told me after the test that he had Set 2 and I had Set 1 so even if he did copy some parts, in the end, his answers would be wrong.”

“So you admit that you knew Mylo was looking at your test?” Jayce fired back. “And you let him?”

“Well, it would teach him a lesson not to cheat since he’d fail–”

“This isn’t the time to joke around, Viktor!” Jayce turned to Heimerdinger, pointing his finger. “You see? Viktor knew the Zaunites were trying to cheat and he let them.”

“That’s enough!” Heimerdinger exclaimed, loud enough to shut both of them up. “Viktor, though your intention was to prevent Mylo from cheating again, that’s not your job. If you notice someone trying to cheat, you alert your teacher and let them handle it. If this happens again, I will have to give you a demerit.” So he was walking away with just a warning. That’s fair. “Jayce, I understand that you were just following the rules but pointing fingers blindlessly will do more harm than good. All this time I thought you and Viktor were friends. Yet here you are accusing Viktor of doing something…so…so dishonorable!”

“Believe me, Professor, I’m just as perplexed as you.” The proctor from the test was standing by the doorway holding two pieces of paper. Viktor could see his name scribbled on one and Mylo’s on the other.

“Ah, Professor Salo! What brings you here?” Heimerdinger asked, his voice a little bit more enthusiastic.

“It appears Viktor has a paper filled back to back with equations while Mylo has an empty paper.” Salo said, holding up the two papers for Heimerdinger to see. Viktor shrunk further into his seat. He was so preoccupied in trying to answer that he had only taken Mylo’s questionnaire and answer sheet. How could he explain that? Oh, I just wanted to reanswer all the questions to be safe. “I contacted his guardian already.”

“These are the solutions to Set 1 and Set 2.” Heimerdinger murmured, scanning through the papers. “Viktor, why were you answering Set 2’s questions? Moreover, how did you know the questions?”

“He’s doing it for the money.” Jayce said. Now how did he know that? Viktor felt his heart speed up, beating at his ribcage. “Some kid from the Undercity said he’d give me 5 silver cogs for ‘piano lessons’ earlier. I didn’t know what piano lessons meant but I’m guessing now it’s their code for cheating. They were paying Viktor to help them cheat.” The boy rose from his seat. “You said it yourself, Professor, the Zaunites somehow rose from the bottom to the top of their classes. They were cheating this whole time and Viktor’s their cheat code. They pay him and he gives them the answers. I mean, we should’ve known right?” Heimerdinger raised a hand to stop him but Jayce kept going. “How could kids from the Undercity do better than kids from Piltover? We were raised to study and work hard since we were kids. Zaunites just laze around all day, what do they know about working hard?”

“Really now?” Viktor taunted. Screw Heimerdinger’s words. He could whack the Yordle with his cane if he wanted to. “Did you know that ever since Zaunites came to your Academy, they had to work twice as hard than you ever will? I have friends who stayed up all night trying to study. I have friends memorizing pages of information just to pass. I have friends who are on the verge of tears because they want to understand things but just can’t. Zaunites aren’t lazy. You’ve just got too much air in your head to realize there are other people trying to do their best too.”

“Viktor!” Heimerdinger exclaimed.

“So you decide to help them cheat? For some loose change?”

Loose change. To Jayce, silver cogs were just a couple of coins in his pocket whereas for Viktor it was more than enough to keep him and Singed fed. At the end of the day he and Jayce were coming from two different ends that would never meet. “I hope you know there are some kids from Piltover who are cheating too. Where do you think I got the idea?”

“That doesn’t excuse you helping Zaunites! What, they shed a few tears over a test and you’re handing them the answers? You can’t be that naive, Viktor! If you keep falling for their tricks, they’ll just keep using you for their own benefit. They’re dangerous, Viktor!”

“Have you forgotten that I’m from the Undercity?” His voice was laced with venom, fists clenched. He expected these words from Calum or any other privileged Topsider but never from Jayce. Do you think I’m using you for my own benefit then? His mind wondered.

“Sit down! Both of you!” Heimerdinger slammed his fist on the desk, his patience wearing thin. “Jayce, we’ll discuss your behavior towards Zaunites later. Go back to class.” The boy didn’t need to be told twice, marching out of Heimerdinger’s office without a second glance. “And Viktor…let’s just wait for your guardian before we discuss what to do with you.”

“He’s out of town.” Viktor answered curtly. Even he didn’t know where Singed was, what more his own school? “Haven’t heard from him in a month or so.”

“I contacted the other one.” Professor Salo murmured. “Vander, was it?”

Oh now he was really screwed.

–-----

If the tension in the air was thick earlier, it got even more suffocating now.

Vander had slipped into the seat where Jayce sat. He didn’t say anything to Viktor or maybe he did but Viktor was lost in his own thoughts. It only dawned on him what getting caught meant. Cheating could lead to detention, suspension or just expulsion if it happened many times. In his case, he had been helping Zaunites since the start of the semester. Maybe he could still lie and say it was a one time thing and that Jayce’s accusations of him helping Zaunites wasn’t true.

It all really depended on who Heimerdinger believed more. His Zaunite assistant or his best student from Piltover. Though he did doubt Jayce’s accusations at first, there was clear evidence that Viktor helped a kid cheat. He gripped his cane tighter, leaning his head against the handle.

“I’ll keep things brief as you seem to be a busy man.” Heimerdinger spoke, breaking the silence. “It appears Viktor has been caught helping students, students from the Undercity specifically, cheat.” He felt Vander’s eyes land on him but he didn’t look up. “I don’t know how exactly nor do I know how many students are a part of this but a student here said Viktor has been doing it for money. Did you know anything about this?”

“I knew that Viktor was earning money somehow but he told us that it was from teaching the kids some, uh, engineering lessons.” Vander replied. It was true. When he was asked about where the money was coming from, he told Singed it was from teaching the kids how to build some toy robots. The man didn’t question further, completely fine with Viktor hanging out with kids his age. “I didn’t suspect anything. Viktor’s a good kid. He’s the last person I’d expect to be called over here.”

“Well, at least, we agree on that part.” Heimerdinger sighed. “Aside from this, Viktor has no other demerits to his name. He’s a brilliant student with a bright future ahead of him. The standard protocol for something like this would be expulsion, however as a fellow scientist, I believe it would be wrong to let go of great potential so I’m willing to come to an agreement.” Was he going to let him off this easily? “If you tell me the names of those who partook in this, er, event, I’ll consider a lighter punishment for you.”

Viktor felt like he was at a fork path, unsure of where to go next. He could tell the names, list down every Zaunite and Caitlyn, then get away scot-free. Or he could deny it and take the expulsion. Their record or his. Either way, it was a taint to his reputation, be it with the school or his own friends. Vi would understand. She would forgive him eventually but the others? It would be selfish to give them up but he was no martyr either. “What will you do to them?”

“Well, depending on their record, it can range from detention to expulsion. Those with clean records like yours might leave with just detention but those without could be expelled.” Heimerdinger answered. “My boy, cheating is a major offense in this school. I hope you understand that.”

Topsiders are cheating too. He wanted to scream. Expell everyone in this fucking school because we’re ALL cheating. It made no sense for Heimerdinger to ask him this. He didn’t need to ask him to list down their names, Jayce already told him. All the Zaunites. Had Viktor helped the Topsiders instead, would Heimerdinger even be asking him to make this choice? He probably would’ve already been expelled if Piltover kids were involved. Even now, the Undercity wasn’t welcome. They were never welcome here. Heimerdinger was just waiting for his chance to ask them to leave. From refusing to go easy on Zaunites to asking for their names so they could be expelled, Piltover never wanted them here. Viktor had been so caught up hanging out with Jayce to realise that even he wasn’t welcome.

“Why do you need their names?” Viktor asked, looking up from his cane. “I’m the one who suggested they cheat off me. I’m the one you caught so why do you need to expel someone else? Why let me off and not them?

“I am giving you this option because you have potential, my boy. You could be the future of this City and I don’t want to see that go down the drain over one broken rule.”

“So if I wasn’t a brilliant student with a bright future like you say, would you have still given me this choice? Or would you have expelled me from the start?”

“Viktor, please understand, these kids. They’re from the Undercity–”

“I’m from the Undercity. I’m Zaunite. Stop forgetting that just because I know more about science than they do and I dress more like a Piltie than they do. I am from the Undercity, born and raised in Zaun. And if you call them dangerous, horrible, cruel or any other derogatory adjective you can think of, you’re calling me that too.” His blood was boiling, one hand gripped his cane and the other clenched its fist. He couldn’t care less about how many demerits he could get from this. It was tiring to watch his people be cast aside and treated like dangerous creatures. If anything, Zaunites were a lot better folk than Pilties. Sure, they weren’t the best people around, but it was all in the name of survival. What else could you do when you were Piltover’s wasteland, forced to eat the scraps of what was left? They were just scared and angry people who learned that if they wanted to survive, they couldn’t just sit and wait for a savior.

He didn’t regret what he did. And he wasn’t going to hide behind the walls like a coward, pointing fingers to avoid the blame.

“If you would like to have it that way, fine, you’re expelled.”

Chapter Text

Jayce Talis wasn’t born yesterday. He knew there was something off about Viktor’s piano lessons.

He didn’t want to put stereotypes but it didn’t seem believable that people like Mylo would willingly attend piano lessons that weren’t free. The “lessons” were Viktor’s way of earning money, he knew that and it did seem a bit odd that Sevika was going to Viktor and handing him 5 silver cogs weekly or any rough-tough teen from the Undercity for that matter.

There were also the odd glances during the test. The way every Zaunite in class seemed to gravitate towards Viktor as if he was pulling them in. He had caught a lot of them staring at the boy but when Jayce waited for Viktor to do something, slide his paper to the side for people to see or even pass a secret note, he didn’t do anything. Jayce’s suspicions cleared up at some point when he noticed that Caitlyn was also glancing at Viktor’s direction. After that, he just assumed Viktor’s spot was a good place for people to direct their focus to.

But his suspicions arose when a kid from the Undercity, Deckard came running up to him on the day of their midterms. The Zaunite had never actually spoken to him but there he was hopping on one foot from another, glancing behind him as if he was worried he’d get caught. “You’re takin the midterms, right?”

“Every senior has to–”

“Ok, shut up for a second.” Deckard interrupted. He took a deep breath then leaned in closer to whisper. “You’re friends with Viktor right? Good friends?” Jayce nodded. “So you know then?”

“Know what?”

Deckard glances over his shoulder again before gesturing vaguely. “You know, his piano lessons.”

“Oh yeah.” Jayce nodded. “Do you need me to relay a message?”

“What? No. If I wanted to send the guy a message, I’d go to Vi. They’ve been close friends since they were kids.” He didn’t know that. Viktor always seemed like the shy, quiet type, not one to hang out with people like Vi. Then again, he didn’t look like anyone from the Undercity, he acted more like someone from Piltover. Sometimes Jayce forgot he was a Zaunite. “I’m asking if you’ll help.”

“For what? Piano?”

Deckard rolled his eyes. “The midterm, dumbass.” He answered. “Heard it was long and Viktor looked nervous about it. So I’m looking for a plan B.”

“What does piano have to do with the midterm?”

The Zaunite’s face turned sour, then his brows furrowed. “What are you acting all oblivious for? What, you’re waiting for me to strike an offer? Fine. I’ll give ya 10 Silver cogs to help me out.”

“What?! No!” Jayce exclaimed, loud enough for anyone nearby to hear. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Leave me alone, please.”

Deckard grumbled then muttered something about “Privileged Pilties” then backed away down the corner. Jayce sighed to himself. He didn’t even know how to play piano. Why did Deckard think he knew and why did he seem so insistent on Jayce teaching him? He kept replaying the event over and over, as he made his way to the entrance to the gym. Did Viktor tell his friends that Jayce knew piano? Why would he? The whole conversation didn’t make any sense at all.

His eyes landed on Viktor, staring at him a little bit too intently. He looked sick today, paler than usual with dark circles prominently resting under his eyes. His body slumped and his brown hair was far from neat. Viktor looked at him for a while too before eventually, facing the floor again.

Viktor was always a closed book. No matter how much Jayce pried, it always felt like there was another secret hiding behind another set of walls. He didn’t speak much about his own life, only revealing parts of it when Jayce insisted. While Jayce was ready to tell him everything, it felt like Viktor was holding himself back. He wanted to know more about him. They were friends, weren’t they? Or did Viktor just consider him a lab partner?

Jayce couldn’t focus during the test. His mind was filled with thousands of thoughts piling one on top of the other. He ran a hand through his hair, gripping the pencil tighter. Everytime, he shaded a circle, his mind questioned him.

He looked up, his eyes immediately searching for the brown haired boy that wouldn’t leave his mind. Viktor seemed a lot calmer than him. One hand resting on the table and the other shading circles with ease. Of course he was fine. No matter how hard Jayce tried, he wasn’t sure he could reach Viktor’s level. His project would be a pile of ashes if it weren’t for Viktor’s help.

His eyes landed on the boy beside Viktor. Mylo. He was a fidgeting mess, hands in his hair and knees bouncing up and down. Usually the Zaunite was calm and collected during tests, confident in his ability but now he kept moving in his seat, gnawing the tip of his pencil. And he kept glancing at Viktor, or Viktor’s paper to be exact.

It wasn’t the first time Jayce encountered a cheater. There were many before. His own classmates. Calum Swiftweaver, for instance, was notorious for copying off of Caitlyn Kiramman who sat beside him. When Jayce warned Caitlyn to cover her paper more thoroughly, the girl shrugged and told him it wasn’t a “big deal”.

Of course it was a big deal. Cheating was a major offense. It was unfair and it led to people passing tests with flying colors that they didn’t deserve. He could never approve of such a thing. But everyone else seemed to shrug it off. Even Mel, who prided herself on abiding by the laws of Piltover.

“In life, nobody cares if you made it to the top fair and square.” Mel said. “Maybe it isn’t the right way but when you need to survive, it doesn’t matter how you get there.”

Mylo kept glancing at Viktor’s paper. His eyes stared longer at the other boy’s paper than his own. Jayce wanted to raise his hand and tattle to the professor, but his hand never came up. Maybe he could give Mylo a chance. It was hard for the Undercity anyway. Their education wasn’t like that of Topsiders.

He went back to answering his paper but every once in a while, he glanced back at Mylo. The boy didn’t stop; he would’ve thought him being caught was warning enough but Mylo was persistent. At some point, he saw him whisper something to Viktor only for the latter to snap back, his hand moving around with something akin to anger. So Viktor wasn’t helping him.

When Jayce finished his test, he didn’t hold onto it any longer. The gym felt suffocating and he wanted to get out. He made his way to the front of the room, handing in his paper to Professor Salo but not without whispering a few words to the man. “Mylo is trying to cheat. He keeps looking at Viktor.”

Professor Salo nodded. “I’ll keep an eye on him. Thank you Jayce.”

That was his cue to leave. Why didn’t Salo do anything? Why didn’t he call Mylo out on the spot? Perhaps he doubted Jayce. Unsatisfied with his professor’s reaction, he turned heel and left, passing by Viktor to warn him too. “Mylo’s looking at your test.”

He didn’t wait for Viktor’s reaction, making his way out of the gymnasium. But before he stepped foot out of the door, he took one last glance at the Zaunite’s section. What was he waiting for? Evidence that they were cheating? Maybe to snatch Mylo’s test out of his hands and tell him to stop. It was wrong but nobody seemed to care.

It’s not a big deal, Jayce. Caitlyn’s voice echoed in his head.

When you need to survive, it doesn’t matter how you get there. Mel’s voice added.

I just want to help kids from the Undercity. Viktor’s voice was the loudest and the clearest. He was a smart kid, he would’ve known Mylo was trying to cheat given how suspicious the latter was. And he could’ve told the professor too, instead of just telling Mylo off. His eyes glanced at Viktor then at the kids surrounding him. Like every other test, they all seemed to gravitate towards him. Their eyes all somehow directed at Viktor.

He looked at Viktor again, trying to find anything suspicious in the boy. His position, his feet, his test, his hands. His hands. The one laying flat on the table was tapping. It looked like just regular old tapping but everytime he tapped on the table, the Zaunites started scribbling. Tap. Scribble. Tap. Scribble. The pattern went on too many times for it to be a coincidence.

Jayce exited the gym, his feet carrying him to the one person who might take him seriously. Professor Heimerdinger.

–------

Fast hands grabbed him and shoved him against the nearest wall. Jayce opened his mouth to yell at the attacker only for the words to falter. He knew the Undercity was a scary place to be in. And he knew that kids from the Undercity were all troublemakers, who could throw a punch or two.

Vi stood right in front of him, Mylo and Claggor pinning his shoulders to the wall. She looked mad, furious even. They all did. Even the Underclassmen hiding behind Vi’s shoulders. “What does Heimerdinger want with Viktor? And why’d he call Vander here?”

He glanced left and right, hoping that a professor would come down the hallway and catch them in the act. Even if he tried to squirm free, the boys had a terrifyingly strong grip on him. Last time any of them talked was when Caitlyn brought them over to her house to hang out. They were loud, rowdy and Jayce caught Mylo trying to steal one of Mrs. Kiramman’s prized antiques. But Caitlyn seemed to enjoy their company. Maybe because it irked her mother.

No professor came and none of the Zaunites seemed intent on letting him go without an explanation. Why was he scared of them anyway? He was in the right here. Viktor was doing something against the rules and he told Heimerdinger. If anything, Mylo should be in that office too. “I know that you Undercity folk have been cheating. And you’ve been using Viktor.”

“So you rat him off just for that?” Vi snapped. “Where do you think we got the idea to cheat, asshole? Topsiders were cheating first but now that Zaunites are doing it, it’s a problem? And we haven’t been using Viktor, the guy agreed to it and we never forced him to help us.”

“That doesn’t make it right.” Jayce fought back, through gritted teeth. “Cheating is against the rules. It violates the Code of Ethos. Viktor knew that and still helped you Zaunites cheat. He deserves what’s coming to him.”

The words sounded wrong on his tongue. Is that really what I think? Does Viktor deserve this? It was wrong but he never got to ask Viktor exactly why he did it. A closed book made of thousands of mechanical parts. Too complex to be understood with just one look. He never considered that there might’ve been more to Viktor and he wasn’t just a Zaunite looking to break the rules.

“You’re right.” The blue haired girl spoke, catching his attention. She peeked over Vi’s shoulder, an eerie look in her eye. “It is against the rules. But you are the last person any of us expected to do this.”

“You and Viktor are friends, aren’t you?” The white haired boy behind Vi’s other shoulder asked. “You could’ve talked to him first before the Principal, you know. He would’ve heard ya out.”

Jayce didn’t answer anymore. He felt the grip on his shoulders release eventually and he sank back down to the floor. There was the sound of footsteps backing away and eventually faded into silence. He couldn’t stop thinking about what he said. ‘He deserves what’s coming to him’. No he didn’t. Viktor was a good kid and anyone could tell he would bring progress to the City. If anything happened to him today, he would lose all chances of going to a good University, finding a job in the Science District and achieving his goal of helping the Undercity.

Viktor just wanted to help the Undercity. In the future and even at this very moment. And because of Jayce, he might not be able to.

But you were right. His mind whispered.

“In what way?” Jayce muttered, rubbing his eyes with the heel of his palms. For a moment, it was silent but then he heard footsteps. Soft footsteps growing louder and louder. And that unmistakable sound of a cane hitting the marble floor. “Viktor–”

Viktor’s eyes were always warm. Amber eyes liked honey in the morning. There was never any malice or viciousness in the boy’s eyes. But as Viktor passed him, their eyes met and Jayce felt a chill go down his spine. Warm honey eyes turned into sharp and cold lightning, devoid of any warmth that they had. It hardly felt like looking into another human’s eyes. It felt more like staring into the eyes of a machine.

He didn’t speak. Nor did Viktor. The boy passed him and kept walking, his guardian following behind him. When he walked, it looked rigid and sharp. Perhaps his leg was hurting again? Jayce didn’t want to ask. Too afraid of looking into the boy’s eyes again.

“Ah Jayce!” Heimerdinger trotted up to him pleasantly. “Shouldn’t you be heading back to class? We can discuss your…behavior another time. I’m sure you must be tired from the exam.”

“What’s going to happen to Viktor?” Jayce asked. His heart was racing and he could feel his hands shaking in his pockets. He didn’t want to think that the boy was expelled. That would mean this was the last time they’d see each other. One mad and one guilty. It was the worst possible way to last see a friend. “Professor, I never meant to–”

“I know you didn’t.” Heimerdinger said calmly. Jayce couldn’t tell if they were thinking the same thing. “I know you didn’t mean to say those things about the Undercity.” I didn’t mean to hurt Viktor. Jayce wanted to correct him but he just nodded. “Viktor’s suspended for a week; he’s not expelled.” Jayce wanted to fall to his knees and pray to whatever god was watching him. He could still make amends. There was still a second chance.

“Jayce.” The Professor called, catching his attention. “There is nothing wrong with following the rules and reporting those who do not. But you must realize that there is a price to what you just did. Those things you said at my office…do you think they will not affect you and Viktor’s relationship?”

“What are you trying to say, Professor?”

“I’m trying to say that don’t expect Viktor to forgive you.”

Chapter Text

The walk back to the Undercity was quiet. It was the early afternoon, most people were still working at that time so the roads were pretty much empty. It was a cool day, the wind breezing and fluttering through Viktor’s hair. Sunlight encased the whole city, or encased Piltover to be exact. It wasn’t all too bright back at Zaun.

He didn’t know what to think. What to say. Or what to do. Was he just supposed to march to his room and lock himself up there? Well isolation wouldn’t last long since the others would be getting dismissed in two hours. Viktor was always a good kid with a good reputation. The only reason he would be sent home with Singed was for health reasons, never because he broke a rule in the rulebook.

The Last Drop was surprisingly empty. Usually there would be around 3 or 4 people just lurking and snoring on the tables. He cleared his throat to try and clear up the silence. “Did you close the place for me? That’s sweet.” A dry attempt at humor but Vander didn’t laugh. Instead he made his way to his usual spot behind the bar and motioned at one of the seats for Viktor. What, was he going to offer him a drink to wash away his stress. That could work. Though Viktor despised the bitter taste of any drink.

Vander heaved a sigh. “What were you thinking, kid?” Of course he was going to get a lecture. What did he expect, to get away with helping every Zaunite cheat? He rested his elbows on the bar and shrugged. It was a lazy answer. “I expected this from Jinx or Ekko but you? And for what, a couple of Silver Cogs–”

“It sounds desperate, I know.” Viktor sighed.

“Why did you do it, Viktor?”

“I wanted to help the kids from the Undercity. Do you even know what the academic success rate in Piltover is? 3% Three. Fucking. Percent.”

“But cheating? You’re smarter than that.”

“The Topsiders were cheating too! I don’t know how but they always have the exact questions of the test the day before. I only started cheating because they did! I’m just leveling the playing field. If they can cheat. So can we! Why does everybody brush over the fact the Topsiders are just as bad as us?”

“Viktor.” Vander repeated, his voice was loud and clear but it wasn’t like shouting or yelling. It was just firm and disciplinary. “I don’t care about what the Topsiders are doing. You’re risking everyone’s reputation here. And for what? Money? There were many ways you could’ve gone around this. You could’ve asked us for help–”

“I’m 16 years old. I don’t need to depend on anyone. I can get money on my own. And I don’t need help.” Viktor seethed. He didn’t know where that came from. It didn’t sound like him. Maybe it was the pent up rage of constantly being coddled and given extra care over one bad leg. The way everyone was giving exceptions to him because ‘he was a little bit weaker’. How the kids in honors class were cautious with him, acting like he was fragile to touch and how Zaunite kids always put up a nicer front because ‘he’s Viktor’.

Jayce treated him like an equal. Didn’t care if he had a bad leg. Didn’t care if he sometimes took long naps in the library because he felt a little under the weather. Maybe that’s why hearing those words from him was like an arrow to the heart.

“I’m sorry.” Viktor murmured after a while, looking down at the table. His brain was only starting to process what just happened to him in a span of one day. He got caught cheating, got his first demerit, his first suspension, was revoked of his assistant position and lost a scholarship before he even got it.

–------

“I suppose we can settle with a one week suspension.” Heimerdinger announced, after Vander had given his big speech on how ‘Viktor was just a kid who screwed up because all kids do’ and how expulsion wasn’t fair. “I will revoke you of your position as my Assistant as well. So access to private library records and archives will also be revoked. And then there’s the scholarship.”

“Scholarship?” Viktor had asked. He didn’t have one, as far as he checked.

“Piltover University usually handpicks one student from our Academy to receive a scholarship. After seeing your potential, I had recommended you to them and suggested that you be the scholarship recipient of this year. They accepted and I was going to tell you after your midterm.” He had a scholarship. To the best University this city had to offer. And he lost it. “However, at that time you had no demerits. Now you have one. The requirements for a scholarship includes no demerits to their high school record. I’m afraid that this will be taken from you too, my boy. Though you are still allowed to apply like any other student…”

Viktor wasn’t listening after that. His mind filled with guilt, regret and the simmering rage he didn’t have before. In an attempt to clear his thoughts, his brain came up with the easiest answer. A short solution that would just soothe him for the time being. It was all Jayce’s fault. He was the one who snitched anyway.

That was why he glared at the boy on the way out. And he kept glaring for a while but the short solution faded away eventually and he was reduced to just slouching his shoulders in defeat. The rage was gone, now he was just left with regret and confusion.

-------

“Are you going to tell Singed about this?” Viktor whispered through his hands. He couldn’t look up at Vander. There was a lump forming in his throat and a burning sensation at the back of his eyes. If Vander’s disappointment wasn’t enough, he was bound to get it from Singed too. “Can you not tell him about this? Please?”

Vander sighed again, placing a heavy hand on the boy’s back. “I won’t tell him if that’s what you want. But it can’t be a secret forever, kid.”

“‘M sorry.” Viktor murmured again.

“Did the Topsider kid rat you out? Saw him leaving as I came in.” Vander asked. Viktor could hear shuffling and the sound of cups being set aside. There was a soft clink beside him followed by some liquid being poured into a cup. Of course Vander was pouring him a drink.

He moved his hands away from his face, reaching for the metal cup. The liquid was murky orange. A kid’s drink. The same thing Jinx always drank. “Yeah. He did.” The drink was sweet. He liked sweet things.

“Yeah, he does look like a tattler.” Vander nodded. “Did you know him?”

Viktor set the cup down and shrugged. “Just a lab partner.” But his mind whispered something else: He’s my friend. “It wasn’t the snitching that annoyed me. It was…he said some things about the Undercity. Stuff that would've gotten him punched if Vi heard.”

“Well that’s the Topside for you. There are some good people–”

“Vi’s girlfriend?”

“Vi’s girlfriend. The Sheriff. Your Principal. Some of them are assholes but there are some good people there, Viktor. You just had an encounter with a bad one.” I wished he wasn’t bad. Viktor thought. I wished he was one of the good ones. I wished he never said those things. What do they know about working hard? Jayce had said. Everything, Viktor should’ve said. Piltovers had the idea that the Undercity was made of slum rats who leeched of the Topsider’s success. They never saw the lengths Zaunites went just to survive.

They pick fights, throw fists and never back down. Piltover would say. Because we have to. Zaunites would answer back. If they didn’t learn to fight and to never shy away from one, they wouldn’t last a day in the Undercity. Piltover grew up with a silver spoon and Zaun had to craft their own out of scraps.

Viktor’s plan looked wrong and disgraceful to a Topsider who never needed to find other means of survival. But to anyone from the Undercity, it was just a kid trying to help in any way he could. They probably wondered where he went. He knew that he’d have to shut down this whole plan and tell them that they couldn’t do it anymore. They would ask him for another solution and his tongue would run dry because he had nothing anymore. Even if he came up with another cheating method, Heimerdinger would probably tell their Professors to keep a much closer eye on the Zaunites.

He got caught. And they lov7ist. Piltover vs Zaun. 1 to 0.

-------

“So that’s it?” Deckard exclaimed, rising from his seat. After class, all the Undercity kids made their way to the arcade to hear what happened to Viktor. All the chairs were taken and some had to sit on the floor. They looked mad, confused. Viktor heard someone yell out how they’d knock Jayce’s teeth out if they saw him. “We’re done? We’re only halfway through the year, Viktor!”

“Well if you hadn’t approached the Piltie, we wouldn’t be here, asshole!” Mylo fired back. Viktor also mentioned how Jayce arrived at his conclusion. He didn’t mention a name but Deckard admitted to it immediately.

“How the fuck was I supposed to know he wasn’t in on it? Vi’s girlfriend knows so I figured Viktor’s boyfriend knows too!”

“He’s not dating Jayce, asshole!” Vi yelled, through the crowd of protests. Some were pointing fingers while others were trying to ask Viktor questions. Though he couldn’t hear any of them through the yelling.

“How was I supposed to know that?! They’re always together!”

“Viktor would never date a Topsider like THAT!” Mylo pointed

“Does that mean we’ll have to start studying again?” Another kid asked.

“What about Jinx and Ekko’s classmates?” Another voice.

“Are you sure you have no other options?”

The voices only grew and Viktor could barely keep up with the conversation. He saw Jinx at the corner of his eye mutter something under her breath before throwing whatever bomb prototype she was working on up in the air. The monkey bomb rattled before expoloding with a semi-loud BOOM. Pink smoke erupted and little flecks of powder rained down on the tables. The explosion was enough to silence everyone.

“Can we PLEASE let Viktor talk?!” She yelled before slumping back in her seat. After a moment, she beckoned Viktor to speak. “Go on, Vikkie.”

He nodded, taking a deep breath before he spoke. “Although, none of you have been caught on the act, except for, uh, Mylo, I don’t think it’s safe to keep cheating for now. Heimerdinger knows so he’ll probably ask the Professors to keep a closer eye on us. Me, specifically. I’m already on thin ice, as is, so yes, we’re done here. I don’t think Jinx and Ekko should keep doing this either but it’s up to them what they’ll do with their classmates.” He was met with silence. The angry expressions morphed into concern and anxiousness. They were only doing well because of Viktor. Some of them were on the verge of being held back if it wasn’t for him. “I’ll still…If you still want help with schoolwork or to study, you can always come to me. Free of charge. But I can’t help you anymore on the test itself. I’m sorry.”

Nobody said anything after that. Most rose from their seats, trudging away with disappointment etched on their faces. Some kicked the walls as they left while others grumbled curse words. Only Jinx and Ekko stayed behind.

Viktor plopped down on his seat, resting his head on the handle of his cane. “What are the chances I get mugged by one of them on the way home?”

“They wouldn’t dare. You’re friends with Vi. Nobody would mess with you.” Ekko answered, slipping into the seat beside him, Jinx hopping onto the table. “And they look mad right now but after a couple of drinks and brawls tonight, they’ll forget about it.”

“Yeah, and Vi’s not mad at you, Vikkie. She just needs to bring her girlfriend home. Claggor and Mylo aren’t either. They’re just hungry.” Jinx said, sprawling out on the wooden table. “You’re really going to leave them on their own? Classes are only gonna get harder, like, We-would-probably-burst-into-tears hard.”

“And there’s the University Admissions Test coming soon.” Ekko added.

“Pssh, nobody from Zaun’s gonna take that.” Jinx waved off. “Maybe Viktor. But the others? Probably not. It’s not like we’ll get accepted to any University in Piltie Wonderland and you don’t need a degree to get a job here.”

Ekko chuckled. “Well I’m going to. Or I plan to.”

“Go to University?” Viktor asked.

“Yeah. It sounds fun. We might even get to show off our skills at competitions. Plus, I might make my parents proud.”

Jinx sat up. “As if you’ll get in. The test is hard as fuck.”

“What’s your source?” Viktor asked.

“Uh, Silco?”

“That’s not a reliable source.” Viktor and Ekko said in unison. Jinx stood up on the table, towering over both boys, pointing her fingers at them. Ekko yelled back, playfully, hopping on the table as well. They were shouting but the smiles and laughs were evident.

Viktor leaned back on his seat and watched them with amusement. His mind wandered back to what Jinx said. Of course the test would be hard. Piltover High School was hard already, imagine University. Or the Admission’s Test even. Considering they had no more help, Zaunites would probably be discouraged and just choose not to bother anymore.

But Ekko could. If he wanted to. Jinx too, if she tried. But could Vi? Mylo? Deckard? Maybe they could last through the rest of this year but he wasn’t sure if they would pass the University Admission’s Test. More than 100 questions about Mathematics, English and Science. Difficulty raised to the extreme. Thinking about it made him feel exhausted. “You should try for University Ekko.” He said, the two teens turning around to face him. “I think you could make it, then all the headlines will be about you. ‘First Zaunite accepted into a University in Piltover’. Has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?”

Ekko shook his head. “Nah, man. That’s gonna be you.”

“Not with a demerit like this on my record.” They did look at your performance in High School, academic and behavior wise. He didn’t tell anyone about the scholarship. But everyone knew the reputation you had to uphold to even get into University.

“Well, look on the bright side!” Jinx exclaimed. “A story like this would make a pretty cool college essay, if I do say so myself. If I applied for a University, I would probably write about how I made a bomb at the ripe age of 7 years old. Catches the people’s attention and lets them know who you are, it’s a one way trip to University!”

Ekko scoffed. “Yeah if they don’t arrest you first.”

“Fair enough.”

Chapter Text

Heimerdinger was right. Of course Viktor wouldn’t forgive him.

As soon as Viktor came back to school, Jayce tried to approach him. To apologize. He didn’t know for what reason. ‘Sorry for tattling on you’ but was he really in the wrong there? It was against the rules. He had every right to snitch on the boy.

You idiot, apologize for saying those things. His mind ordered. He knew it was wrong. Heimerdinger had already told him off for it. During Viktor’s one-week suspension, the Professor had called Jayce to his office to speak with him.

“I think you know why I’ve called you up here.” The Yordle said. He was standing by the large window, gazing at the view of the city. His back was turned to Jayce, hands clasped behind his back. He didn’t look at Jayce, not even once. Too busy staring out the window and whatever it was he was looking at. Perhaps the Yordle enjoyed gazing at marble towers? “Do you know that there have been many students from the Undercity who have tried to study in Piltover? There aren’t many that completed their studies, yes, but even before the shutting down of Zaun Academy, Zaunites have tried time and time again to study in this City.”

“You don’t hear a lot of them because there aren’t many that ultimately succeed in what they came to do but they all share the same goal. They all came to study here because they want to learn something that they can use to help the Undercity.” Heimerdinger continued. “If you ask any Zaunite what they want to do, many say ‘I want to help the people of the Undercity’. They don’t have the equipment or the resources necessary to help themselves like Piltover does so they make do with what they have. Crime is high and a lot of them aren’t good people who follow the rules, but they do what they do to survive. To help one another. Because they aren’t as lucky as we are.”

“Viktor’s methods were wrong, yes, and his punishment is fair but to say those things about the Undercity…my boy, Zaun is no paradise. There are people struggling every single day. I will admit that perhaps Piltover’s shortcomings is what led to their failure but we cannot do anything about that now. All we can do is try and understand the Undercity. Understand the reasons as to why they do these things. They’re not dangerous, cruel beings. They’re just humans.”

The Professor didn’t wait for Jayce’s response. Instead he waved him off and dismissed him without another word. If the guilt he felt before was weighing him down, this one was the icing on the cake. He felt like shackles were tied to ankles, preventing him from walking properly. His footsteps felt heavy, everything felt heavy, pulling him down. At some point he just wanted to fall on his face and just lay there.

“Are you still beating yourself up on that?” Mel asked him as they walked down the hallways to class.

“You said it yourself. Cheating isn’t that big of a deal. And I made it a big deal.”

“It’s not that big of a deal but it still is wrong. You did the right thing by telling Heimerdinger.”

“I ruined our friendship.”

“If he’s mad at you for doing the right thing, he was never your friend, Jayce.”

I’m not exactly a Saint either. Jayce wanted to say. He couldn’t tell what was more wrong. To cheat or to tell on the cheater. You know that’s not your only mistake. His mind said again. Even his own brain was scolding him. How could he even apologize for that. ‘I’m sorry for calling Zaunites dangerous.’ Sounded too forced and awkward.

“Well, speak of the devil.” Mel remarked. Viktor had slipped out of one of the classrooms, carrying a book in his hand and his cane in the other. He looked better than the last time Jayce saw him. The cold stare in his eyes was gone and for someone who was nearly expelled, he seemed very happy. He was laughing at something, someone to be more specific. Following in suit was a Zaunite girl. Curly black hair and glasses resting on the bridge of her nose.

Jayce didn’t know what came over him. He took a step forward, then another. The heaviness weighing him down was gone, now he felt like he was walking on clouds. His feet were light and there was a small sliver of hope rising in his chest. He could still fix this. There was still a chance. “Viktor.” He called, half-running to the boy.

Viktor’s eyes immediately shot up. For a brief moment, Jayce saw a flash of some emotion in Viktor’s eyes that he couldn’t interpret but it was gone so fast he thought he must’ve imagined it. He didn’t smile when Jayce came, instead he nodded in the girl’s direction. “You go on ahead, Sky.” She nodded, giving Jayce a dark look before walking away. It was probably safe to assume he was on every Zaunite's bad side.

As soon as Sky was out of earshot, Jayce spoke. “Look, Viktor, I’m sorry about what I–”

“Okay.” Jayce blinked, taken aback by Viktor's sudden words. He looked at Viktor, for any sign of anger but the boy seemed as impassive as ever. “It’s okay, Jayce. I don’t really care.” He wanted to accept those words. To think all was forgiven and that he and Viktor could go back to being friends. But it didn’t sound like forgiveness. It didn’t feel like forgiveness. If anything, it felt like he and Viktor were further apart than before. Even when he was standing right in front of him, there was a distinct rift between them.

“So…wanna help me out with my project later?”

“I’m busy.” Oh.

Viktor never turned down an invite to help with Jayce’s research. He wanted to say something else but Viktor was already turning around and leaving, clearly trying to widen the gap between the two.

Jayce could only muster an “Okay.” before he turned away too.

————

“What were you looking for again?” Viktor asked, standing a clear distance away from Jayce’s room. They were working in the lab when the latter realised he had forgotten his notebook filled with the basic equations needed to start their project. Viktor volunteered to help but after seeing the mess of Jayce’s room, he had chosen to stand in the corner awkwardly.

“My notes!” Jayce exclaimed, as he sank to his knees looking under his bed. There were old books and some weird board game stuffed under his bed but no notes. “Without them, we can’t replicate the crystals. Can you help?”

After hearing the urgency in Jayce’s voice, Viktor shuffled over to the nearest bookshelf, scanning the books to see if Jayce maybe wedged the papers in between the pages. “Well maybe this will teach you to organize your things.”

“I’m usually an organized person—“

“Jayce, I’ve seen your locker. You’re far from organized.”

“Neither are you.” Jayce had caught a glimpse of Viktor’s locker and he was shocked to see the books piled up haphazardly beside some old project from the beginning of the year. A dark metal canister filled with some gooey liquid. If that was their first science project, the product was supposed to be fluid like water, not slimy.

“Yes, but at least I make sure my notes are all in one place.” The brown haired boy argued, slamming the book he was holding shut. “For all we know, you accidentally threw it away with all that takeout. Why don’t you just live with your mom if you can’t cook? Your house isn’t that far away.”

Jayce fished through his chest of forgotten research before yanking his hand back with so much force it made a loud clanging noise. “I live in a dorm because if I did these experiments at home and something went wrong,” He didn’t finish his sentence. The thought of it formed a lump in his throat. He almost lost her in the past, it was terrifying to think of it.

“That’s fair.” Viktor hummed. Jayce glanced at him, he seemed busy reading the book in his hands instead of searching for the lost notes. He didn’t seem fazed by the talk of losing one’s parents. Did Viktor even have parents? He never talked about them. “My father was a miner. He died because of an explosion caused by, well, a scientist.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“I don’t tell people about him. Not even kids from the Undercity.” Viktor shrugged, still preoccupied by whatever he was reading.

“So why do you want to become a scientist?” Jayce asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. “I don’t mean to pry but if a scientist was the one who killed your father, why would you want to be one?”

“That’s one way to think about it.” Viktor murmured, turning around to finally look at him. “‘A scientist killed my father so why be one?’ But you could also look at it as ‘A scientist killed my father due to a miscalculation in his experiment. So I’ll become a scientist so I can figure out what he did wrong and make sure it never happens again.’” He reached out to hand Jayce the book he was reading. It was the notebook he’d been looking for. It had the same leather texture as most of his books so he must’ve put it there by accident.

“So that’s why you want to be a scientist?” Jayce asked. “To help people like your father?”

“Not just people like my father. I want to help the Undercity. All Zaunites do. And well, I can’t exactly fight like most, so I make do with what I can.” He tapped the notebook. “And I think, this idea of yours can help them.”

They were standing way too close now. Jayce was only starting to realize how impeccably small this room was. That two teenagers were practically cramped up together. Or maybe it was the mess that made the room smaller. Maybe he should clean it up.

“Shall we go back?” Viktor asked, breaking the silence. His amber eyes were staring right at Jayce. He never realized how intimidating the boy’s stare could be. Or maybe it was just that every kid from the Undercity had a scary stare. Even the peaceful ones like Viktor.

“Yeah. Yeah we should.” Jayce muttered but neither of the two boys made an effort to move. Well, if you put together two scientists who hardly know social cues and how to interact with other humans…

It wasn’t the first time they looked at each other. Nor was it the first time they ever got this close. But there was some force of energy surrounding them that made the whole situation awkward and unbearable. Yet as awkward as it felt, neither of the two boys made any attempt to move away from it. Because with that awkward energy came an invisible pull that made Jayce want to move in just a bit closer. Take in all the details of Viktor. The brown curls, the amber eyes like gold, the tiniest scar just below his left eye. Thin lines and sharp bones.

Maybe. Just maybe he could lean in. Just a little bit. Make the gap between them smaller. The corner of his lip twitched and his feet were on the verge of taking two steps forward but he forced himself not too. He tried to see if Viktor was also having the same dilemma but the boy was just staring blankly. Though his eyes darted from time to time, to the side, above Jayce’s head then a quick glance down just below Jayce’s eyes.

“We, uh, left the lab unlocked. We can’t stay out here for too long.” Viktor said, clearing his throat to try and break the tension.

“Huh?”

“We have to go back. The lab is open and we might get in trouble for leaving our things unsupervised.”

"Oh right. Yeah. Let's head back." Jayce wanted to punch himself for suggesting that they work in the school lab. Had he invited Viktor to his dorm, they wouldn’t be pressed for time. Viktor didn’t seem to notice how much of a mess Jayce was, immediately backing away and slipping through the doorway. The sound of his footsteps and the clink of his cane slowly fading away.

He ran a hand through his hair, rubbing his eyes a couple of times. Was he dreaming? He had to be. Since when did he become a nervous wreck around Viktor?

———

“Mr. Talis!” Jayce sat up straighter in his seat, pulled away from his daydreams. Professor Bolok was looking right at him from where he stood. So was the whole class really. “Daydreaming again? Is my lesson that boring for you?”

“No sir!” Jayce exclaimed, a little bit too loudly. He heard someone snicker from the Zaunite’s side. His cheeks grew warm and he wanted to slap himself for spacing out in class. And what did he space out about? Viktor. The guy who hated him at the moment.

“Don’t let it happen again.” Professor Bolok said before returning to his lecture on the history of Piltover.

Jayce rubbed his face and sighed. He could still feel someone’s gaze on him. Probably Mel. She’s been worried about him for a while. Or one of Viktor’s friends who wanted to punch him in the face.

He looked up, trying to see who was staring at him. Mel was busy writing down notes, Caitlyn had her back turned on him and the Zaunites were all way too bored to be glaring at him. He could see some of them zoning out or asleep even. There was also Vi and Claggor at the back, busy stacking pens on top of each other. They had no use for this class. They didn’t grow up in Piltover nor did they have any intention to work here. So what reason would they have to learn the history of the city?

His eyes darted to the front and in the corner of his eye, he caught the person looking at him. Viktor was staring right at him. Not with the cold glare or with the empty look but just a soft gaze as if he was staring at the cartons of sweetmilk in the cafeteria. The professors asked that he move to the front of the class and while most Topsiders didn’t know the reason, Jayce knew it was so that they could keep a closer eye on him during tests.

Was he trying to glare at him? Was he going to mouth vulgarities at him? The boy just stared. Jayce maintained eye contact. An apology resting at the tip of his tongue. Maybe he was trying to forgive Jayce? That had to be it. Maybe things were going to get better. Maybe they could still be friends.

He waited for a sign. Anything. But Viktor simply looked away without a word. Hands crossed over his chest and legs outstretched under the desk. His head was tilted back to rest on his chair and the notebook on his table was left untouched. He looked just as bored as every kid from the Undercity. Maybe Jayce was overthinking things. Viktor was probably just staring off at random stuff in the classroom to entertain himself.

Jayce rested his head in his hands, groaning internally. His mind kept replaying the memory. Viktor. Viktor. Viktor. It chanted. I mean he hates you but Viktor. Viktor. Viktor. Viktor. Viktor.

Oh he's fucked up for sure.

Chapter Text

Viktor wasn’t sure if he wanted to punch Jayce or hug him. Maybe both. Thwack him with his cane then hug him after.

After his one-week suspension, Viktor decided to steer clear from Jayce. It wasn’t hate that was keeping him away. It was the fear that he’d let the guy back in after what he did. But after all he did, Viktor couldn’t find it in himself to hate the boy.

He couldn’t tell if it was just his incapability to move on that put him in that position. Or maybe it was that strange feeling in his stomach whenever Jayce smiled, whenever Jayce laughed, whenever Jayce did anything. Viktor kept sparing the boy glances during class, trying to figure out what was so special about Jayce Talis. Maybe he was a human magnet that pulled everyone in. Maybe it was the Piltover charm that radiated off of him. Maybe it was–

“Earth to Viktor!” Jinx exclaimed, pulling him out of his daze. She was sitting beside him on the building’s rooftop. It was the perfect spot that overlooked all of the Undercity leading to Piltover. Small cramped buildings slowly rose to tall marble towers that loomed over them. Viktor used to think it looked like Piltover was trying to step on them. Like a giant enforcer staring down an ant. Perhaps that was true. “Jeez, why are you so out of it lately?”

“Sorry, I’m just tired.” Viktor murmured, hugging his knees closer to his chest.

Jinx scoffed, her hands fiddling with her latest invention. “Now that is a lie. You’re not tired. You’re practically vibrating with energy here!” She paused, giving him an evil grin. “Oh, is that what it is?”

“What?”

“Oh don’t act dumb here, Vikkie! You’re thinking about someone.”

“What?” Viktor exclaimed. Him? As if he had time to date anyone. Apart from his constant exhaustion, he was also always in the lab or somewhere conducting an experiment. If not, he was reading books or writing equations on how to improve said experiment. There was no time in his schedule to date or even think about anyone. “No. I don’t have time for…girls.”

“But you have time for boys?”

“I have time for neither.” Viktor shut her down immediately, snatching the toy bomb from her hands, trying to pull apart the tight screw that Jinx couldn’t do. “Who would I even date?”

“Sky. The cute girl who’s been tailing you.”

“Sky doesn’t like me.”

“Are you that oblivious?” Viktor shook his head but his mind doubted him. Sure, he and Sky were hanging out more frequently lately specifically because he wasn’t cooped up with Jayce 24/7 but that didn’t mean anything. They were childhood friends who are still on good terms. Though Sky was getting really close to him lately. Sure, she was pretty and smart and funny. Just like Jayce. Yet he never felt that weird sensation in his stomach around her. Or Jinx. Or Ekko. Or anyone else he encountered.

Just around Jayce fucking Talis.

“She’s definitely into you.”

He tossed the bomb back along with the now removed screw. “No she isn’t.”

———

“We’re going to get caught!” Jayce whispered, harshly.

“If you keep lagging behind, we’re bound to.” Viktor whispered back. “Besides it’s 2 hours after dismissal, most Professors will probably be in their offices or heading home. It’ll be fine, Jayce. Relax.”

“You’re clearly abusing your power as Heimerdinger’s assistant!”

Viktor scoffed, giving Jayce a ‘really now?’ look before continuing his way up the stairs. There was an old observatory right above the top floor of the Academy though Viktor’s never seen anyone go up there. He asked Jayce about it and the boy said it was no longer in use but also mentioned how it was usually unlocked. The information sparked an idea in Viktor’s brain to maybe try and head up there. There was always a little daredevil in him anyway.

Just as Viktor expected, the top floor hallways were empty. He tiptoed his way to the large brown doors leading to the Observatory, twisting the doorknob to see if it was locked. “Good, it’s unlocked.”

“If it was locked, would you go back down?” Jayce huffed, constantly glancing at the staircase in case anyone shows up.

“Nonsense, I would’ve picked the lock.”

“Wha—“

Viktor pushed open the heavy door just a little bit, peeking his head between the crack to see if anyone was inside. The observatory was empty. Even the books had been removed leaving the shelves bare. It was a large room completely barren.

A large circular room covered by a huge glass dome. After years of zero maintenance, the room was covered in dust and the dome was laced with grime. Chairs tossed aside and the desks tipped over. The pale floor had different markings. Names. Drawings. Students of the past leaving something behind. Even new ones. Viktor could see Calum’s name and Jinx’s graffiti. So the observatory has been discovered by others. He pointed them to Jayce. “You worried for nothing. Other people have been here already.”

“That doesn’t make it right.” Jayce insisted. “Can we go back now?”

Viktor shut the door. “What do you mean? We can just hang out here for a couple of minutes.” He looked at the big telescope at the center of the room. “I wanna see if it works.”

The night sky was beginning to cover the city. Bright stars illuminating the cold night. In the Undercity, the smog made it almost impossible to see a star. When he was younger, Viktor would try to lug up Singed’s broken telescope to the roof of his house to try and see some stars. He only succeeded in seeing the bright moon on some nights.

He peeked into the eyepiece, twisting the knobs to get a clearer view of the night sky. The image didn’t clear up perfectly but Viktor could catch glimpses of the stars. They were so bright in Piltover.

Excitement got the better of him. He twisted the knobs again to try and see the other stars. “Jayce, I can see the moon from over here!”

He heard Jayce take quick strides towards the telescope. Finally giving in and leaving his spot by the door. “The moon’s on the other side, Viktor.”

“But there’s another—“

“I think that might be Mercury. Or Mars. I didn’t really listen to Astronomy class.”

“Neither did I.” Viktor said admittedly. He wanted to help people through medicine, biology, machinery even. But he didn’t know how to fit Astronomy into the picture. So he never really took the old Astronomy lessons into account. “But the stars are beautiful.”

“They sure are.” Jayce’s voice sounded louder this time. He looked up from the eyepiece slowly. Jayce was looking up through the dome, brown eyes wide open in wonder. Completely and utterly distracted by the bright lights to notice Viktor staring at him. “Everyone just falls for them, huh?”

It was rare to find a human who did not love the stars. Who did not see the dazzling beauty in them. How they lit up the night sky. Bright, wondrous beings that shone in the dark. Resilient, burning stars that never gave up. Kind of like the brilliant student who was persistent in meeting his dream. Like the student who was that sliver of hope for the City of Progress. Like the student standing right beside Viktor.

You’re beautiful.

———

“But do you like anyone?” Jinx asked him.

He shook his head. His mind begged to disagree but he couldn’t bring himself to admit it. To admit he was undoubtedly falling for the one boy he shouldn’t fall for. “No.” The words slipped out of his mouth with a bitter aftertaste.

No, you can’t like him. You can’t.

-------

He remembered Jayce finally pulling him away from the telescope whispering about how the night guard might start his shift and catch them. It was one thing to be caught by a Professor but another to be caught by an Enforcer. Jayce was the first one out, immediately running to the door. Viktor took small steps, wanting to look into the telescope one more time.

His eyes landed on the floor. There was still a small spot that was left untouched. Right below some older students' drawings. Maybe they should leave their mark here too. For some students to find in the future. He grabbed the dusty marker by the floor, crouching down to write something. Something that he could be remembered by. Something he AND Jayce could be remembered by. He pressed the tip of the marker to the floor and began to write.

“Viktor, let’s go!” Jayce called from outside.

“I’ll be there in a second!” Viktor replied, standing up and placing the marker on a random desk. He looked at his writing. Well, they did plan to continue this project further so it did make sense to say–

“Viktor!”

“You don’t have to be so hasty, Jayce!” Viktor yelled. He headed to the door, but not without taking a last glance at what he wrote. In thick black marker, bold enough for anyone to read.

VIKTOR & JAYCE TALIS - HEXTECH PARTNERS.

Maybe someday in the not-so-distant future, some students will find their names in the abandoned Observatory on the top of Valoran Academy. Their names scribbled on the old floor.

-------

Viktor let his head hang low as he sighed. Well now he’d have to erase those words, wouldn’t he?

Chapter Text

"I need your help"

Vi burst into the Last Drop, immediately grabbing Viktor by the wrist and dragging him through the Lanes with much haste. She didn’t stop when Viktor asked and even if he tried breaking free, it would be no use. The girl was undeniably strong. Any tighter and she might break his wrist. So he followed her, trying to keep the pace and not fall over.

They kept walking forward and Viktor thought she might be taking them to Piltover when she violently turned into the nearest alleyway finally releasing him from her grasp. He nearly toppled over but he managed to catch his balance by leaning awkwardly against the wall. “Is it that secret that you had to drag me this far away from the Lanes?” The girl was pacing back and forth, hands clenched while muttering something under her breath. Vi was never like this. Sure she was hotheaded and brash sometimes but she was never panicking and confused like this. “Vi?”

“It’s Caitlyn.”

Her girlfriend? Was she ever in a frenzied state when talking about her girlfriend? He’s seen her daydreaming about her but never shaking and pacing because of her. Did they fight? But they seemed to be going pretty well. “Did you two…break up?”

“What?” Vi exclaimed, pausing in her tracks to look at him. “No. It’s her mom.”

Mrs. Kiramman was a woman of poise and character. As a member of the Council, she was one of the more sophisticated women of Piltover. Viktor always knew that she and Vi had some sort of rift between each other. If anything, the Councilor probably wanted someone more…refined for her daughter. Not the toughest girl on the Lanes. But Vi never let that get between her or Caitlyn so this must be bad.

“She wants Caitlyn to go to Piltover University. That’s fine by me. I know Cait can get in but now, she wants ME to go to the University too. She said that she’d want her daughter’s girlfriend to be just as academically successful as her. And it might help Caitlyn focus better if I’m with her. Viktor, I’m failing math for fuck’s sake! I can’t get into any University up there, let alone the one with the lowest success rate!”

Now that felt a little bit too demanding even for Viktor. Sure, Vander maybe had some money saved up for the kids if they wanted to go to college but Piltover University? He didn’t think anyone in Zaun could afford that. “She can’t expect you to have that much money saved up to go there.”

“That’s what I said!” Vi exclaimed. “And she goes and says that if money is my only problem, she’ll handle it. She’s going to pay for my tuition and all other expenses.”

“So you don’t have a problem then?” Viktor asked. “Did you just drag me here to brag because I lost my scholarship?” That would probably make more sense though it didn’t explain why Vi was a nervous wreck.

“The Admissions Test, Viktor. I need to take it. All this time, the plan was to graduate from high school and not go to college so I haven’t been studying for it. And I was going to tell Caitlyn’s mom that but then she tells me if I don’t go to Uni, she won’t let me pursue her daughter! The test is three months away and I need to cram all my high school information into my brain –”

He knew what she was going to ask him to do. Of course she was. Vi was his first client after all. The idea started with her and Caitlyn. “You want me to help you cheat again.” The girl pursed her lips together. She didn’t answer but Viktor could tell that’s what she wanted. “Vi, I’ve risked a lot for you already. You can’t just ask me to do this.” A major demerit to his name, his position as Assistant revoked, and a scholarship lost. If he tried doing it again, what else could he lose?

But what more could you lose? His mind asked.

“You know that if I had any other option I wouldn’t have asked.” Vi shoved her hands in her pockets. “I’m not forcing you to go through with this Viktor. I know it’s a lot to ask. Just…consider it.” She forced a laugh. “I won’t punch you if you say no, don't worry.”

Viktor smiled but it was short lived. He leaned against the brick wall behind him, crossing his arms together. They couldn’t use the old method from before. People are catching on and the Professors will be keeping an eye on him if he ever chooses to take the test. Though he didn’t know how exactly the Admission’s Test will be taken. From what he heard all seniors in Piltover, not just from Valoran Academy take it on the same day to avoid cheating or sharing of answers.

“We should head back.” Vi murmured. “It’s late and Vander’s probably wondering why we left like that.”

The boy reached for his cane that he left leaning on the wall in front of him. “What do I say if he asks? You and Caitlyn had a fight and you needed a wingman?”

“Just say I needed your help to fix the Punching Machine again cause I broke off the arm. I actually did, for your information, but I popped it back in.”

“Really?”

“Yep.”

“Impressive.”

-------

“May I see a raise of hands of those who will be taking the University Admissions Test this year?” Professor Shoola called. Hands immediately shot up, all of them from Piltover’s side. Of course they would take the Test. Topsiders prided themselves on graduating from prestigious Universities. If their status as a citizen of Piltover wasn’t enough, their degree from the University was just icing on the cake. “What about those from the Undercity? Do any of you plan on taking the test?”

There was a short moment of silence. Zaunites looking around for anyone to raise their hand. “We don’t even know how this test is gonna work.” Mylo scoffed. He was at the back of the room, feet on the table and hands behind his head.

“Simple, it’s like your standard test. You’ll be given a questionnaire, an answer sheet and about an hour and a half to complete both tests. It’s only one test technically but divided into two parts since there’s a lot of information covered.”

“But where will we take it?” Vi asked. “Do we just come to class on the weekend?”

“You’ll be asked to meet at the University Courtyard before being brought to the test room. The call time depends on your student ranking.”

“Student ranking?” Viktor asked. He had been busy staring at a spot on the ceiling, not really listening to the conversation at hand. Why bother, he knew he was going to take it, he didn’t need to know the other details. Though the mention of student rankings intrigued him. Were the top students going to be given a harder test?

“Obviously, you’re all not going to fit in one test room. The top 40 of Piltover will be the first to take the test. Followed by the top 50-90 and so on. You’ll all be taking the same test of course, the grouping is just so that we can fit you into the room. That’s also why we have two days dedicated to the Admissions test. The first half of students take it on the first day and the second half take it on the other day.”

“How will we know our academic ranking?” A student from Piltover asked. At the mention of ranks, everyone sat up a little bit straighter, wishing to hear where they stood at the moment.

“Well, that’s my second announcement.” Professor Shoola smiled. “At the end of the hallway, there is actually a board that has been posted with all the seniors’ academic rankings–”

Their Professor wasn’t able to finish her sentence as all of the students in the room shot right out of their seats, squeezing out the door all together. Loud shouts of excitement and excuses filled the floor. Viktor remained in his seat, watching the chaos unfold. He could hear the kids from the other sections also burst out of their room to see their rankings.

He looked at Vi, who was sitting in her seat, unbothered about the student rankings. But he knew that she was thinking about the test. How she’d have to take it AND get a score that would allow her to attend Piltover University. He wondered what HIS ranking would be; he didn’t want to brag but he was probably in the top 60 at most. Demerits didn’t affect your academic ranking and he was doing pretty well test-wise so maybe he was at a good spot.

The top 40 will be the first to take the test. Professor Shoola mentioned. It felt stupid to divide them by rank instead of letting them take it all at the same time. It’s like Piltover was asking someone to cheat. For someone from the first batch to save the answers and share them with the next batches.

That could work.

Viktor shook his head. He couldn’t believe he was being enticed by the idea of cheating again. From being against cheating to coming up with methods on the spot, he berated himself for such development. But it was another shot at helping Zaunites. As long as he didn’t get caught again.

If he happened to be in the top 40, he could help Vi as long as she was in another batch. He could, hypothetically, get the answers and take it with him. Then maybe slip it to Vi before her test started. Maybe he could write them on his eraser again. But that was over 100 questions for 2 tests. And Vi could get mixed up with the answers if he just scribbled them on his eraser.

He could memorize the answers. But he’d have to save them somewhere immediately. Or he’ll just end up forgetting and getting mixed up.

It was loud outside, yelling and bustling in the small hall. Viktor could hear Professor Salo shouting at the students but nobody listened to him, too busy reading their rankings. He could hear cries of victory and frustration. Zaunites were also pushing their way to see what result they had even though most claimed they didn’t care for their scores. There was a loud whoop from Deckard before he yelled “I’m in the top 2000, losers!”

“Piss off, Deckard!” Some other kid yelled back.

There was more bustling and stomping off feet then Mylo burst into the room, very out of breath. “Viktor! Dude, you’re rank #12! You’re the only Zaunite in the top 50!”

“No way!” Vi exclaimed, shooting out of her seat and clapping Viktor on the back. “You’re a fucking genius!”

Viktor smiled, bowing his head in an awkward attempt to thank them while they jumped up and down around his seat. At that moment, he didn’t know what to do. To jump for joy too because a rank like that was impressive or to consider cheating again. He was always like that. As soon as his mind was set on something, he would pursue it. No matter what happened and how he got caught last time, he still wanted to help the kids from the Undercity. And he hasn’t exactly stopped helping them per se. There have been the occasional occurrences when he would let the kids copy his homework or when he would place his test paper a bit closer to the edge so the Zaunite behind him could copy.

And his brain was right. What more could he lose this time? As long as they were careful, they wouldn’t get caught over one test. He could still figure something out. There was still a chance.

Behind Mylo, the door swung open again and Jayce Talis slipped into the room silently. His eyes caught Viktor’s for a brief moment and he froze in his tracks. He looked like he wanted to say something. Maybe another meaningless apology. As much as Viktor wanted to ignore him, a part of him couldn’t help but want to hear what the boy had to say. Maybe he’d mean it this time.

“Congratulations.” He said, hollowly. The first time he’d spoken to Viktor in a long time. “For getting into the top 15.”

Before Viktor could respond, Mylo swept in first, putting himself between Jayce and Viktor. Almost like he was shielding Viktor. “What did YOU get, Golden Boy?”

“Rank #18.” Jayce replied. “What about you, Mylo?”

Mylo puffed his chest, crossing his arms over her chest. “Rank #1312. Laugh at me all you want, asshole. At least I don’t rat out my friends.”

“That is still pretty good.” Viktor shrugged. “There’s more than 7500 students in senior year in Piltover. You’re still in a pretty good position.”

“Yeah. If it makes you feel any better, I heard Calum got rank #1320.”Jayce murmured, casually.

That piqued Mylo’s interest, his eyes going wide and an evil grin forming on his face. He immediately made his way past Jayce, into the hallway while yelling. “Hey Calum! Guess who’s smarter than you, dickwad!”

“Did Mylo actually get higher than Calum?” Viktor whispered as soon as the boy was out of earshot.

“I mean considering he had some help, it sounds more plausible.” Jayce replied, not even sparing the boy a glance as he returned to his seat. The words came out of nowhere, hitting Viktor right on the spot. His attempt at forgiveness was rejected, harshly. Maybe Jayce didn’t want his forgiveness anymore. That was fine with him too.

Was it?

Vi, who had been distracted with some piece of paper on Viktor’s desk, sprang into action. “How about you stop poking your nose into other people’s business?” She barked, immediately marching up to Jayce, fists clenched. Viktor scanned the room for any teacher. Professor Shoola was gone, must’ve gone outside as well while Viktor was busy in his thoughts.

“If you’re still pissed about me ratting you out, get over it.” Jayce snapped. “It’s wrong and you know it. You Zaunites just can’t accept the fact that you can’t get away with everything.”

“Clearly Calum hasn’t been glancing at your test paper lately.” Viktor murmured, too quiet for Jayce to hear clearly but loud enough for him to pick up. “Topsiders are cheating just as much as we are.”

“Stop bringing Piltover into this.”

“Then stop bringing Zaun into this as well.” Viktor spat, venom dripping with every word. He stood up from his seat. “You think that there always has to be a right side and a wrong side. ‘Zaun bad, Piltover good.’ You’ve never stopped to think we’re all on the same boat here. That we all want to graduate.”

“But cheating to graduate? It’s not right!”

“It isn’t right to discriminate people from the Undercity either yet here you stand.” Viktor snapped, standing face to face with Jayce now. He didn’t know where this came from. Maybe it was from the months of feeling this odd way around Jayce. Of hating him yet wishing that they were still friends. The conflicting emotions that he’s kept inside for so long.

The sound of the lunchbell rang out clear and loud in the room, signaling classes were over. Viktor could hear people down the hall. Chattering and laughing amongst one another. Vi must’ve noticed too, grabbing Viktor by the arm. “Let’s just get out of here.” She whispered.

He was going to leave. He really was. The plan would be to head to the cafeteria, nab a carton of sweetmilk and something to satisfy his appetite then forget about this whole argument with Jayce. It was stupid, immature and a waste of time. Maybe he was just looking to fight something and Jayce just happened to be in the way. But then Jayce had to say something. Mutter something under his breath. One sentence that was meant to be just for him but Viktor had good ears.

“Zaunites don’t belong here anyway.”

Not all Fissurefolk were fighters. Some don’t engage in street brawls and exchange fists, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t throw a punch or two. And let’s just say Viktor wasn’t the nicest kid before. Especially when he was always carrying a cane that could act as a nasty weapon.

He swung his fist, hard and fast. It collided with Jayce’s nose with a swift crack and the boy toppled over on the desks. If that wasn’t enough, Viktor pressed the tip of his cane to Jayce’s chest, keeping him on the ground. Jayce looked shocked, angry even. He glared darkly at Viktor with a bloody nose. “I’ll tell Heimerdinger--"

“Go and tell your mother too while you’re at it, since all you do is hide behind others.” Viktor taunted. He could hear Vi whistle behind him, impressed by his sudden actions. “Then I’ll have a reason to knock your teeth out.” He removed his cane from Jayce’s chest. The tiniest hint of satisfaction settling in. It did feel nice to throw a punch. Like a way of releasing some of the pent-up frustration in him. Though guilt would always come after.

He tried to act strong. Act as if it was satisfactory to hit Jayce and that the boy deserved it but guilt kept picking at him, crawling through him. He didn't mean it. Some part of him wanted to turn around and run back to Jayce, apologize. But he kept walking, down the hall. Ignoring the sensation at the back of his eyes and the weight dragging him down. Why can't I just forget about him? He thought. Why can't I just let the asshole go? Hate him, ignore him, forget him. So many things he wished he could do but the thought of losing Jayce was unthinkable to him. Stupid Topsider boy sending his heart down a dwindling spiral of emotions.

"I hate you." Viktor whispered. Though the words felt empty on his tongue.

Chapter Text

“I have an idea.” Viktor announced. He, Vi and Caitlyn were hiding out in the arcade again. After the little scuffle with Jayce, Viktor started thinking of any possible way to cheat on the Admission’s Test. Aside from his desire to help the kids of the Undercity, there was also the burning rage directed to Jayce that was motivating him to cheat this time. Hate, rage, spite, he couldn’t tell what it was but it was targeted to Jayce. Some inner part of him wished to get a reaction from Jayce Talis. Grab the boy’s attention. “I’m currently in the first 40 who will take the test. Meaning I will see the test before all of you so I can get the answers and share them. We’ll follow the same pattern. I’ll skip the multiples of five so you answer those on your own.”

“I understand that part but how exactly are you going to bring the answers out?” Caitlyn asked. “You can’t write them on a piece of paper and give them to us manually. If a Professor catches that, it’s game over.”

“I’ll memorize them.”

Vi burst out in laughter, her girlfriend slapping her on the arm to shut her up. “There’s no way you can memorize over 200 answers. You’re the smartest guy I know but you’re no superhero.”

“I’m still figuring that part out. We have time anyway.” He tapped the map in front of them. “This is a map of the communication systems in Piltover and Zaun. There are pneumatic tubes that can be sent from Piltover to the Undercity, one of which is the old cannery by the dock. That's where I'll send them.”

“So you’re going to send us the answers through mail?” Caitlyn asked. “Don’t the enforcers check all deliveries to ensure nothing dangerous or suspicious gets sent?"

“That’s why I chose the cannery.”

Vi’s eyes went wide, the realization settling in. She grimaced. “Oh, you bastard.”

Viktor pinched the bridge of his nose. “Can’t you ask him for this one favor? I’m sure he won’t mind since you’re Jinx’s sister.”

“He hates my guts!”

“I’m not following.” Caitlyn spoke.

“Silco uses the cannery as his workshop.” Viktor explained. “And he also happens to be friends with an enforcer. One with a high position.”

Vi grumbled, running a hand through her hair. While Jinx was practically his kid, Vi and Silco did not get along at all. He visited the Last Drop once to discuss something with Vander and ended up having a glaring competition with Vi. And Vi’s fight-or-fight response was always triggered around Sevika, who also hung out with Silco often. “What do you want me to say?” She groaned. “‘We’re going to cheat on the Admission’s Test. Can you make sure we don’t get caught?’”

“Ask him if enforcers check the tube leading to the cannery. It’s old and it’s possible Silco made a deal with the enforcer that they don’t check his shipments.” That made a lot of sense considering the weird businesses Silco engaged in. Viktor was wary of him too but only tolerated the man because Jinx seemed to see him as some sort of parent.

“How would you know?”

“It sounds like something he’d do.”

“Fair enough.” Vi muttered. “So you have a way to get the answers to us. How will we bring them back into the test room?”

“Pencils.” He held out one for an example. “Use the barcode. The thickest line is A, the second thickest is B, third is C then the thinnest is D. I talked to Ekko earlier and he said he can get us the metal stamp to add the barcode. There’s a 15 minute break between tests so I can write down the answers for the first test during the break, then do the same thing after the second test. There’s an hour and a half between the end of the first batch’s time and the start of the second batch so I can send the answers via the nearest pneumatic tube and you two can encode them onto the pencils during that time.”

Vi and Caitlyn sat there for a few moments, taking in everything the boy just said. It sounded possible. And quite smart. The Professor would never think to check the barcode on a student’s pencil. “5 Silver Cogs, correct?” Vi asked.

“I’m raising the price. 2 Gold Hexes. Since the money will be split between us and an extra member” He answered. “Your job is to find clients.”

Caitlyn nodded. “Who’s the fourth? You, me, Vi and…?”

“That’s only the plan for now if I can’t memorize the answers. So far I can only do half of the answers so the solution would be to have another person memorize the other half. But with practice I could memorize all on my own so we can forgo the extra member.”

“You do realize you can only choose a Topsider as the fourth man?” Vi said. “You’re the only Zaunite in the top 50.”

He forgot about that part. His first bet was Sky but now he’d have to shelf the idea. There were only 5 other kids from Valoran who made it to the top 50. The rest were from other high schools. He didn’t know 3 of them well enough. And Mel and Jayce would definitely not help him with this. “It’s just a precaution anyway. I could do all of it on my own. It’s difficult but not impossible.”

“Yeah and when your brain short circuits midway through it, you’ll probably collapse and die.”

“That’s very comforting to hear.” He remarked, leaning back on his chair. “Invite any Zaunite. Whether they study in Piltover or in the Undercity. The Admission’s Test is for everyone anyway.” Vi and Caitlyn nodded but they didn’t move. “Now.”

“You want us to start now?” Vi asked.

“The earlier we get a final number of clients, the more time I have to fortify the plan and make sure it’s foolproof.”

“What are you gonna do?”

Viktor reached for his book bag taking out a messy folder of items. He had rushed to the library and borrowed the review pamphlets the school offered along with some sample tests that he could practice on. “I need to practice.”

-------

The timer rang, alerting Viktor that time was up. He crumpled up the paper in frustration. 3 attempts and the same result for all of them. He could only memorize half of the answers. You still have a lot of time, he reassured himself but it felt like everyday was going by too fast. He’d blink and it would already be Test Day.

Vi and Caitlyn came back about an hour ago with an unfinished list of names. The usual clients and some new kids from the Undercity. “We’ll keep looking for more tomorrow.” Vi had said.

He rested his elbows on the table, rubbing his face. Maybe they needed a fourth member. But who could he ask? Mel could, if he asked her on a good day. But there was a bigger chance of her telling Heimerdinger than her joining their plan. Or she’ll tell Jayce then Jayce will do the honors of blabbing about it to the Principal.

Jayce could do it. If he wasn’t so compliant to every rule in the damn schoolbook. The boy was smart, and had an impressive memory. Viktor could let a small detail about his life slip through his teeth and Jayce would remember it. Like the time he managed to remember Viktor’s grandparents.

“Almost like your grandfather, huh?” Jayce whispered during history class. They were all squished in the tiny auditorium, watching a projector flash stories about the tales of Runeterra. How a few scientists with a shared dream created the city of Piltover. Jayce and Viktor sat at the back of the room, chairs squished together, tinkering with torn pieces of metal they found on the floor.

“What about him?” Viktor whispered back, too busy trying to fold a thin sheet of metal to wrap around the little stick man he just created. He just wanted to make an army of tin men while Jayce tried making…a hammer?

“He had a dream. A dream so big he’d traverse mountains for it. Like the founders of Piltover.”

Viktor dropped the tin man he was making. “Are you comparing my grandfather’s 10 year voyage to 3 days of walking?” His voice sounded accusing and mean but Jayce knew it was just Viktor’s attempt at sarcasm. “Well, in terms of the lengths they went to succeed, I suppose they are quite similar. My grandfather just had a longer journey, physically speaking.”

“He sounds cool.”

“I’m surprised you remembered that I mentioned him.”

“Of course I would!” Jayce exclaimed, a little bit too loudly. It earned him a loud hush from the Professor up front and a warning look. He bowed his head as some form of apology. “Your family sounds interesting.”

“They do.” Viktor murmured, lining up the tin men. “My parents were artisans. They wanted to invent things that would advance humanity. Though my father gave up his passion in exchange for mining coal to take care of me and my mother. And my mother gave up hers for, well, me.”

“Well maybe their sacrifice was worth something.” Jayce flashed the item he was attempting to make. It wasn’t a hammer. It was more like a staff. Or some attempt at it. Viktor couldn’t tell what the chunk of metal was at the top of the stick. He watched as Jayce slowly attached it to one of the metal men. Wrapping their thin hand around the stick. “Maybe they sacrificed their dream so that you could live on yours. And theirs. And your grandfather’s. And great-great grandfathers.” He held up the figure for Viktor to see. “Maybe your passion for seeking discoveries is just a byproduct of all their dreams combined.”

“Is that supposed to be me?” Viktor asked. He pointed at the stick. “And is that a metaphor for the family torch?”

“Yeah, pretty much.”

“Did you choose that figure because it’s the skinniest one?” Viktor teased.

“Wha–the size doesn’t matter!”

Viktor shrugged, a devious grin forming on his face. “It does.”

Jayce looked like he wanted to jump up and yell in disgust but instead he turned his face and sulked. The tip of his ears burned bright red. Viktor had to hold in the urge to laugh. “You look like an idiot.”

“Well I’m YOUR idiot.”

Now it was Viktor’s turn to go bright red. He swallowed his saliva too fast, feeling the cough growing in his throat. If he didn’t open his mouth, he would probably choke to death. Jayce must’ve realised what he just said, turning around to correct himself. “Your idiot lab partner! Lab partner. Not just your idiot. I mean to say I was your idiot lab partner because we’re lab partners and technically I’m the idiot here compared to you. So I’m the idiot lab partner. Not your idiot. Though technically I am YOUR lab partner so it does make sense to say–”

“Damn, you look even paler than usual.” Ekko remarked.

Viktor almost jumped out of his seat. He knew Jinx was notorious for sneaking up on people and being so silent no one could hear her coming. But he did not expect it from Ekko. Especially with his hoverboard whirring in the distance. He must’ve been that lost in a daze to not have heard it.

Ekko chuckled, raising his hands up in surrender. “Jeez, you look like you saw a ghost. Anyway I came to tell you that I got your pencil stamp thing. Just tell me where you need it and I’ll drop it off after class tomorrow.”

“Ah, right.” Viktor stood up, collecting his papers. He glanced at the pocket watch hanging around Ekko’s neck. It was late. Really late. And he promised Vander he wouldn’t stay out too long for the sake of his health. “The cannery. Silco’s workshop.”

Ekko scowled. If anyone listened to Vi, it was Ekko. He didn’t just listen to her. He respected her immensely. If Vi doesn’t like this person, Ekko doesn’t like them either. You can guess what he feels about Silco. “How sure are you that he won't tell anyone about this plan of yours?”

“He hates Piltover. He’d love any plan that involves annoying Piltover. Or doing better than Piltover. And if this goes by smoothly, we’ll not only be pissing Topsiders off, we’ll be ranking higher than them academically.”

“You’re that confident in your skill?”

“Well I am the 12th smartest person in Piltover.”

Ekko whistled. "Damn."

Chapter Text

“The fourth member will be Jayce Talis.”

Vi spit out her drink. They were by the library again, Viktor with his sweetmilk and Vi with some carbonated drink that looked pleasing to her. He waited for her to curse, to argue. It was expected. Even he hated to say those words but after a week of unsuccessful attempts to memorize over 100 answers in an hour and a half, he realized they needed a fourth member to go through with a plan. And after an hour of thinking it through and considering all the risks and grit, he decided within himself that they needed Jayce Talis.

“I’m sorry. Are we thinking about the same Jayce Talis here? I’m thinking about Jayce Talis, the fucking snitch, who told you, US, that we didn’t belong in Piltover.”

“I can’t memorize all the answers on my own, Vi.”

“So call someone else! Caitlyn knows people, Topsiders, who won’t give a shit about what we plan to do. I can ask her to–”

“It needs to be Jayce.” Viktor insisted. He was the second smartest person around. They were the highest ranks of Valoran Academy. Unfortunately, Jayce was their best bet. “I hate him but he’s the only one who can help us here.”

“He’s not going to say yes.”

“Because he doesn’t have a reason to.” Golden Boy. Man of Progress. Nicknames Jayce already had under his title. Viktor always thought the reason he didn’t approve of cheating was because he was just a by-the-rules kind of guy. But then he realised that Jayce was…privileged. He saw cheating as bad because he never needed to find other means of survival. Smart, good character, top tier social skills and Topsider charm. They gave him everything on a silver spoon. “He has his whole life planned out. That’s why he never needed to play dirty. If we give him a reason, he’ll cave in.”

“What reason do you have in mind?”

Viktor shrugged. “Well, he needs me to complete Hextech so if I stop working with him, he might have to give up his research.”

“You’re gonna use yourself as ransom?” Vi asked. “What are you going to say, that if he doesn’t help you, you won’t help him?”

“Pretty much.”

“You’re a Zaunite, Viktor.” Vi argued. “To Piltover, we’re basically expendable. Someday, a Topsider is going to waltz into his life and replace the role that you had. Jayce might not fold. It’s not foolproof enough.”

It touched a spot to hear that he was replaceable in Jayce’s life but he waved off the hurt. “I don’t have any other choice, Vi. If you want to get into Piltover University, you’re going to need Jayce’s help. And if that doesn’t work…I have another choice.”

“And that is?”

Viktor rose from his spot, straightening his tie. “Expand our horizons.”

------

“I need to talk to you.” Viktor said, slipping into the seat beside Jayce. He found Jayce exactly where he thought the boy would be: tinkering away in the lab during study period. It looked like the contraption he had been working on, a key part of his Hextech project. It was bigger this time, last time it looked smaller than a jewelry box.

Jayce didn’t answer, focused on the machine at hand. It wasn’t that he didn’t hear Viktor, he was ignoring him. Of course he would, Viktor did punch him. You snitched on me and called me dangerous, you pretentious asshole. He wanted to say but he needed to be the civil one here. So he sat up straighter and spoke again. “I’m going to do it again.”

“What does that have to do with me?” Jayce asked, grabbing the wrench in front of Viktor.

He had to scoff at that. “Well, you did rat me out to Heimerdinger last time so, me cheating again would have a lot to do with you.”

“Do whatever you want, Viktor. Just don’t drag innocent people into this.” So he wasn’t going to snitch on Viktor? He wasn’t even going to threaten to snitch on him? Did Viktor knock some sense into him last time? He couldn’t hide the shock on his face when Jayce looked at him. “I know I was acting like a suck up when I did that. I still don’t think it’s right but I’m not going to tell Heimerdinger about it this time.”

This was going in a way different direction than Viktor intended. He thought Jayce would fight, throw his “Privileged Piltie” explanation at Viktor. But he seemed honest about his words and he looked like he’d keep his word. Maybe he could forgive the boy.

You have a bargain to strike. His brain interrupted.

“I need your help, Jayce.” He spoke, his heart beating a little bit faster. Why did this feel a little nerve-wracking? “The Admission’s Test has over 100 questions. I can’t–”

“I just told you I don’t think it’s right and now you’re asking me to help you with it?”

“I don’t think it’s right either but there are people out there who need your help.” Viktor insisted. “I have a plan. If it goes by smoothly, neither of us will get caught.”

“Viktor–”

“We’ll help kids from Piltover too. Not just those from the Undercity.”

“Didn’t I just say don’t drag innocent people into this?”

“You just have to help me memorize the—”

“I said no!” Jayce exclaimed, banging his fist on the metal table. “You can offer me 50 Gold Hexes and I still won’t say yes. I know I said I won’t tell on you but asking me to help with this? You can’t be that desperate.”

Viktor’s hand shot out, reaching for the notebook laid out flat on the table. There were at least 4 notebooks required to fill in all the research Jayce had but there was one particular notebook with the most important information. The basic parts of it. And the equation needed to perfect Hextech. The one Viktor wrote down for Jayce. The one Viktor made for Jayce.

He immediately flipped to the page, recognizing his messy handwriting among Jayce’s neat script. Jayce must’ve realized what he planned to do but he reacted too slow. Viktor ripped out all the pages with his handwriting, clumping them all in one fist. He shot up from his chair, backing away from Jayce. The notes held far away from Jayce’s reach. “You need this, don’t you? To complete Hextech?”

He felt a bit guilty for doing this. There was no denying Jayce’s work would help a lot of people and without Viktor’s notes, it would be a major setback. He was slowing down progress and for what? So that Jayce could help him cheat. It could wind them both up in jail but Jayce could easily avoid that. He could just point a finger, say Viktor manipulated him, garner some sympathy and get away scot free. He had less of a risk so why was he so adamant about not joining? And he could replicate the equation. In time. At least Viktor didn’t take away his machinery. Or break his gear. Or destroy the hex crystals. Now that would be a lot harder to replicate.

Viktor ripped the notes, two swift swipes and dropped them into the abandoned cup of water Jayce left at the end of his lab table. Jayce watched in horror as the papers dissolved into nothing, the ink floating away. Then his glare darkened and his fists clenched. Was he going to hit Viktor? “You’re willing to destroy your work just to get me to help you cheat?”

“I can easily rewrite that information for you after the Admission’s Test. And I have copies of it at home. But, like you said, the Undercity is dangerous and people use you for your own benefit. You wouldn’t go in there just for a couple of papers, would you?” Viktor taunted.

“For your information, I can copy exactly what you wrote.” Jayce argued. “And even if I agreed to help you on the Admissions Test, I don’t need to take it. Heimerdinger offered me a scholarship. Said he recommended me to the top University here. It would be suspicious of me to take the exam.”

He could put two and two together. Jayce didn’t have a scholarship before Viktor got caught; he told the boy himself. And his story sounded a bit too similar to what Heimerdinger told him that day. Of course his revoked scholarship went to Jayce. Of course Jayce Talis would get HIS scholarship. It stung a little bit. A lot. He didn’t know whether to be angry or disappointed. And whether to point it at Jayce or himself.

“Forget it.” Viktor murmured, his eyes shooting down. He couldn’t face Jayce in the eye. This whole conversation was pointless in the end. All he did was threaten Jayce and take away an integral part of his research. And what did he get from it? A bigger rift between them than before. Maybe they weren’t meant to be friends. That no matter what, the friendship between them would blow over one day and they’d forget about each other.

Now he just felt stupid for hoping that things would be better between them.

-------

Vi sat at the head of the table. Her usual position. As the leader of the 4 of them. Her, Jinx, Mylo and Claggor. They usually planned these things back at the Last Drop but they didn’t want Viktor to hear what they planned to do. He hated Jayce (they assume) but he would never do what they were planning.

“Are you sure Ekko’s right about this?” Claggor asked.

“Who cares?” Jinx exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air. “It sounds fun to me either way.”

“Same here.” Mylo nodded. He had that cocky grin on his face. The one he wore whenever something ‘cool’ was about to happen.

“Well, since Viktor’s attempt was a no-go, we gotta take matters in our own hands.” Vi said, leaning forward. They weren’t new to this sort of thing but there was always something bad that happened. Last time, an enforcer chased them all the way back to the Last Drop. Then they got a long lecture from Vander. Another time, Mylo fell off a rooftop and onto the hands of an unsuspecting Topsider. Jinx couldn’t stop laughing at him for weeks. This one had to go right. Or they could risk getting in trouble with a LOT of people. “Not a word about this to Viktor.”

“Obviously.” Mylo snorted.

Chapter Text

The immediate reaction was to blame Viktor. It had to be him. They argued hours before the event and Viktor ripped up his notes right in front of Jayce’s eyes, so robbing Jayce’s home and taking all of his research material would make sense.

He came home, tired and angry with himself, and Viktor. The whole ‘snitching to Heimerdinger’ was his fault but whatever this was, was definitely Viktor’s fault. He didn’t know why Viktor was so insistent on Jayce helping him cheat. There had to be another Zaunite who could help him do it. He couldn’t be that desperate.

But the anger was short lived when he came home to multiple Enforcers and a few worried citizens surrounding his apartment building. He only needed to look up to see the huge crater where his balcony door used to be. His whole room was ransacked and emptied of any valuable items. The mechanisms he needed to control the hex crystals, some notebooks, and even the crystals had been stolen. Not to mention the fucking hole in his apartment.

And to make matters worse, the enforcers seemed less focused on arresting a robber. They wanted to arrest him, claiming his work was dangerous and some of his items were illegal and needed a permit from a Professor before they could be used. “Aren’t you going to catch the people who stole my things first?”

“We have a search party already looking for suspicious persons in the area. They couldn’t have gone far considering the time of the explosion.” The enforcer responded, holding out the brass handcuffs. “Me and my men are here to arrest…erm…you.”

And that’s how he spent the rest of the night in a jail cell. His mother visited an hour ago, obviously worried for her son. He would’ve been afraid too, if he didn’t have a clue on what was going on. It had to be Viktor. He was the only one with an incentive at the moment and he couldn’t really put it past the guy. Lately, Viktor was surprising him with the amount of things the boy could do. Punch him, threaten him, ruin his notes, now Jayce could add “stealing” to the list.

“I’m telling you it’s Viktor.” Jayce insisted.

Professor Heimerdinger sat on the stone bench shaking his head. “I know you two haven’t been on the best terms lately but accusing the boy–”

“He came to my lab earlier and ripped up some of my notes!” He blurted, watching the shocked expression on the Yordle’s face grow. Don’t tell him what else Viktor said. His mind warned him. “We-We got into an argument when I tried to apologize. I said something…insulting and he ripped up my notes.” He wouldn’t tell Heimerdinger this time. Maybe it was an attempt at an apology.

“Well I suppose that’s a fair incentive.” Heimerdinger murmured. “But it still doesn’t sound like Viktor." The Yordle paused for a moment. "Well, he has been a bit closed off since the incident and he’s hanging out with more…troubled folks lately.”

You mean Zaunites. Jayce wanted to correct him but he kept his mouth shut. It wasn’t his position to police someone on how to treat Zaunites. He was just as bad as most Topsiders. “He’s always been a rule-breaker, Professor. It’s not just his friends’ influence on him.”

“Yes, yes, of course.” Heimerdinger replied but he seemed busy in his thoughts. “It does seem possible that Viktor would know something about this considering your last interaction. I will contact his guardian immediately. Thank you, Jayce. Now, about your little project…”

Hextech was an independent research. Something Jayce worked on, away from his Professor’s wandering eyes. It’s not that what he was doing was wrong. Some traditional professors might just call it…unethical or a breakthrough that goes against everything Piltover worked for. Magic wasn’t exactly a taboo subject but it was highly dangerous and definitely not something a high schooler should tamper with.

He knew to be discreet when it came to working on Hextech but in doing so, it became a very lonely task. Something he wished to talk about so badly but for the sake of his own reputation, he would keep his mouth shut. He mentioned it to his friends, sure. But he always added that it was a hypothetical research or a research he intended to work on someday, not something he worked on everyday after class. Until Viktor walked in and then, Hextech didn’t seem like such a lonely task anymore. For once, he had someone he could pour theory after theory to. Someone who would ask him questions about his research, and he would answer every question with much enthusiasm.

Viktor didn’t see Hextech as dangerous, or something they shouldn’t venture into. In fact, he encouraged it. Pushed Jayce to go further with this experiment. It came as a surprise to him that between the two of them, Viktor was the bigger risk-taker, the one willing to break a couple of rules for the sake of something great. It was amazing to watch. To watch Viktor’s eyes light up when he saw the advancements in their work, to watch the boy talk for hours on end about what Hextech could do for the Undercity. Jayce loved it all.

His end goal was always to help the Undercity. In time, Jayce understood that the whole cheating fiasco was his attempt to help the Undercity. It was wrong and unfair, but his intention was right. Jayce could never imagine doing such a thing. Breaking rules, playing dirty, for good reasons. He always saw it as “bad method, bad reason.” Viktor made him see that sometimes there could be a good reason behind a bad method. But Jayce couldn’t imagine himself in that position. He just couldn’t.

Unfortunately for Jayce, Viktor had an alibi. And his guardian could confirm. “I was at the Last Drop.” He had said, casually. Apparently he looked like he had been dragged out of bed so that made his claim more believable. “And yes, I ripped Jayce’s notes but technically, they were my writings and not his. So, wouldn’t it be better to say I ripped MY notes?”

Jayce had to punch the cell wall when he heard it.

The Council Meeting was quick. Mainly because Jayce made it go downhill with one sentence. All they had to hear was “I wanted to make magic.” and they decided to revoke him of his Assistant position, suspend him and take away his scholarship. Had Heimerdinger not intervened, he could have been expelled, or exiled from Piltover.

“I didn’t know playing with a little magic was THAT illegal.” He groaned.

Mel gave him an awkward pat on the back. They were leaning over the bridge, watching the ships travel down the harbor. “Well if you were listening to History class, you would know they don’t like people tampering with the Arcane.”

“It’s not like I plan on blowing up the City with my work.” Jayce huffed. “I want to use Hextech to advance the City. Bring Progress back.”

“And I see that but you know how old and traditional the Council is. You should’ve seen your punishment coming.”

“Well, I didn’t think I’d get caught.”

“That’s your problem. You never look past today. I can’t believe you’re the one they call Herald of Tomorrow. When have you ever actually planned for the future?”

“I have a plan for the future.”

“HAD a plan.” Mel corrected. She was right. His plan was to get a scholarship, the one-way ticket to the best University in Piltover since he couldn’t exactly afford the tuition. And then the rest would play out from there. Except he just lost the scholarship. “Are you going to be alright without it? I know your House isn’t the most…well-off.”

Jayce gave a weak shrug. He saw the look on his mother’s face when they exited the Council Room. As glad as she was that he wasn’t exiled, she must’ve also been concerned for his future. This was a demerit to his name. A taint in his shiny reputation. He hadn’t even spoken to Mrs. Kiramman since the meeting. She was his patron but he highly doubted she would still help him after this. Her family’s reputation came before anyone else’s. Having Jayce around would just tarnish it.

Mel opened her mouth to speak. “I could ask my–”

“You don’t have to. I’ll…I’ll figure something out.”

He did not figure anything out.

Jayce found his way back to his ruined apartment. His feet dragged him there where he sat and stared at the huge crater that used to be his balcony. He had thought things through a thousand times in his head but there was no solution to it. They confiscated the rest of his things, telling him that most of it will be disposed of by tomorrow. His whole life, all his research, burned with the rest of Piltover’s trash. If anything, they might just toss it into the river so some kid from Zaun could come across it and continue his work. Maybe Viktor would find it. He hoped Viktor would. If anything ever happened to him, he’d want Viktor to keep Hextech. At least his work would be in good hands.

It had to be Viktor. But he had an alibi. Maybe he hired someone to do it? Did Viktor even have connections? Well, he was friends with a lot of Undercity kids, it wouldn’t be a surprise that they knew how to plan out a robbery. It was revenge, Viktor getting back at him. He took everything from the boy and now Viktor was doing it to him.

“Well, I’d say the giant hole is an improvement.” Jayce almost jumped up when he heard Viktor’s voice. Speak of the devil, the boy was standing right behind him. “Am I interrupting?”

“What the hell are you doing here?” Jayce snapped. He had no time for jokes and teasing. But there was a playful glint in Viktor’s eye. He must be here to berate the boy.

“I wanted to check on the house.” Viktor replied, sarcasm in his tone. “I was looking for you. I heard you got your scholarship taken away, your position as Assistant revoked and you got suspended." Viktor recited, listing them down with his fingers. "I guess I'm here because...I wanted to offer you some comfort.”

“Oh wow, really?” He couldn’t believe the boy who had punched his nose and ripped up his notes was now trying to give him a pat on the back. “As if you know how this feels.”

“Jayce, where do you think your scholarship came from?” Oh. Well, he should’ve known. Viktor was ahead of him in terms of Academic ranking, a Zaunite surpassing a Topsider. Nobody’s ever heard of it. Of course a University would've accepted Viktor, offered him a scholarship. He didn’t even question it when Heimerdinger handed him the scholarship shortly after Viktor’s suspension. Didn’t even question it when the University Professors were shocked to see him, as if they expected someone else. “I had the same punishment as yours. Though, the gravity of our mistakes are a bit different, don’t you think?”

“You’re still going on about that?”

“I’m joking, Jayce.” Viktor answered, approaching the boy. “Will you still try for Piltover University, though?”

“I have to.” Viktor hummed, sitting down on the heap of boxes next to Jayce. Almost like they weren’t arguing yesterday. It felt like forgiveness. Or was it just sympathy for the moment? “Do you really not know what happened here?”

The boy glanced around the room and shrugged. “It looks like an explosion–”

“No I mean, you don’t know who did this?”

Viktor scoffed. “Just because your Zaunite classmates are all close to one another doesn’t mean we know everyone from the Undercity.”

“Could it be Silco?”

“No offense, but you’re just a high schooler blowing stuff up. He doesn’t have a reason to ambush your workplace.”

“How much are you getting this time?”

“What?”

“How much are they paying you to cheat?” Viktor’s eyes went wide, obviously not expecting Jayce’s sudden question. He thought it out in his head. Last time Viktor went and helped kids cheat, he charged them money for it. There was probably some money involved this time. “You are going to pay me if I help you, right?”

“I-yes.” Viktor spluttered. “I’m charging each person 2 Gold Hexes. The list isn’t final but there’s around 250 kids from the Undercity who said they’ll take it. Plus the 35 studying in Valoran that’s…”

“285 kids.” 560 Gold Hexes. Not enough to pay a University tuition but it was a start.

“Divided evenly between you, me, Caitlyn and Vi.”

“Caitlyn? Caitlyn Kiramman?” He couldn’t believe she was involved. Sure, her girlfriend was part of this but he didn’t think she would be too. “Wait, you’ve been helping her cheat?! I thought this was an Undercity-only thing.”

“Well it was, but Vi asked me to help Caitlyn before I even started helping Zaunites so…” Viktor gestured vaguely to explain the rest of his point. Well that would explain why she stopped coming to Jayce for help. “So are you in?”

It would’ve been so easy. To jump out of his seat and run to Heimerdinger. Tell him that Viktor’s going to cheat again and that he’s trying to rope Jayce into it. Maybe it could salvage something out of his fractured future. Maybe they’d hail him as a hero. Or he would just get a mere pat on the back and a broken nose from Viktor.

He was desperate and guilt was gnawing at the back of his brain but he wanted to go to University. He needed to go there. Joining Viktor was a risk at the expense of his reputation but what more could he lose at this point? His mind was already thinking of the money he’d gain from helping Viktor. “On 3 conditions.” Jayce spoke. “1. You offer help to Topsiders too. Caitlyn can find you clients from Piltover.”

“Done.”

“2. You figure out where my stuff is.”

“I told you I don’t–”

“I know you don’t know who did it but you must have a clue on where it is. Just give me a tip and I’ll retrieve it myself.”

“Don’t underestimate a Zaunite thief. They hide their loot pretty well.” Viktor muttered under his breath. “Fine, what’s the 3rd condition?”

“Help me get the other stuff back from Heimerdinger.”

The boy considered it for a moment before nodding. “Okay.” He replied, curtly before turning around and heading to the door.

“Where are you going?”

“To get your stuff from Heimerdinger.”

“What?! Now?”

“I made duplicates of the keys I had as an assistant. Just in case.” Viktor replied, nonchalantly. Of course he did. “Also we could just pick the lock, Jayce.”

Jayce sighed, heavily as the boy made his way out of the broken apartment. He couldn’t stop the small smile that began to form on his face. Hope churned in his stomach. Just like old times, he thought. Maybe they could turn out alright in the end.

“Are you coming?” Viktor yelled from the hall.

“Of course I am.” Jayce mumbled in annoyance, but he was smiling.

Chapter Text

“You want me to memorize the answers?” Jayce blurted. “Didn’t you have this code where you tap the table?”

“Yeah but you ratted us out so we had to scrap that idea.” Vi muttered, under her breath.

“This is the 12th time that you mentioned that.” Jayce sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. They were hiding out in the cannery this time. Viktor wanted to see if the pneumatic tubes could work and how fast it would take to send a message. So far, it took about 3 to 5 minutes to get from their chosen post in Piltover all the way to the cannery. That was enough time from Caitlyn and Vi to toss the pencils into the stamper and hand them out to the students.

“Well we can’t exactly tap the table to send the message if none of our clients are in the room.” Viktor added. “Only the two of us will be inside out of all the clients so you’ll have to memorize them manually.”

“Yeah, Golden Boy.” Jinx taunted, hopping onto the chair beside him, grinning. “Good luck memorizing like, 67 letters. That’s basically the alphabet times 3!”

“Why is she here?” Jayce groaned. “She’s not even part of the plan.”

“Because Silco won’t let us borrow this place without supervision.” Vi answered, flicking away a bug.

“So she’s supposed to be watching us?”

“Yes.” Viktor, Jinx and Vi replied in unison. Jayce mumbled something under his breath.

“As I was saying,” Viktor called, pointing at the board behind him. “You and I will enter the test room with our pencils, erasers and two small slips of paper hidden wherever you want to stuff them. I’ll attach them to my cane, you can just hide them behind your arm band thing.” He pointed at the brown cloth always wrapped around Jayce’s wrist. The blue crystal shining in the light. “Answer the test, memorize your half of the answers and then head to the bathroom afterwards to write them down.”

“And what about the tubes?” Jayce asked.

“We’ll have to hide them outside of the Courtyard’s premises. Somewhere near our delivery point.”

“And where is that?”

“There’s one near the bridge. You and I can go and deliver our tubes through it.”

“How sure are you that the enforcers won’t check it before it gets delivered?”

“Silco.” Viktor answered, shortly. He didn’t have to explain it to Jayce, the boy could connect the dots on his own. “Also, Caitlyn gave me an updated list of students. It seems there’s a lot of students from Piltover. Should’ve offered them help sooner.”

“How much are we getting?” Jayce asked, expectantly.

“3000 Gold Hexes. Each.” Vi whistled and Jayce nearly doubled over in shock. Viktor was surprised too. He almost collapsed when Caitlyn told him how many students were willing to pay for the answers. 6000 students. From both Zaun and Piltover. “The plan’s set. Now all me and Jayce have to do is practice.”

“Practice?” Jayce asked.

“You’re going to be memorizing 67 letters. You’ll need to practice.” Viktor replied, tossing him a sample test sheet. “Unless you don’t want to get paid?”

-------

The alarm blared signaling the end of the test time. Jayce groaned, resting his head against the desk. Viktor stared at the boy, amused. It was nice not to be practicing on his own. “I can only go until 50.” He grumbled, banging his head once on the desk.

“Will you stop doing that already?” Silco hissed from above. For the most part, he had left the kids to work in peace but occasionally he would pop in to remind them of the workshop rules. “Don’t touch anything that looks suspicious. Don’t leave your trash anywhere. And do not disturb anyone.” He had said to them. His personal grudge against Piltover made him a lot stricter towards Jayce, snapping at the boy whenever he made a noise. “That table is old and on the verge of breaking and if your huge forehead leaves a dent, I will–”

“Bash my head in to fix it. You’ve told me already.” Jayce fired back. The dark haired man gave him a dirty look before storming away, muttering something about Topsiders. “Why’s he so mean to me?”

Viktor scoffed. “Take a guess.” He flipped through the answer sheets. They had gone through 3 attempts and Jayce could only reach around 50 numbers before forgetting the rest.

Jayce slumped forward, resting his chin on the palm of his hand. “What happens if I give them the wrong answers?”

“They’re given the liberty to answer the question on their own if they doubt our answer. That’s why we still get very different results even though I gave them majority of the answers.”

“I can’t believe they just…fully trust you to give them all the answers.”

“Not to brag but I am top 12 in all of Piltover.” He teased, reaching for Jayce’s discarded scratch papers. “Beat that, #18.”

Jayce rolled his eyes, grinning. “Okay, you’re pretty smart, we get it.”

“Don’t forget who helped you with your research..” He answered, a soft laugh escaping his lips. “I managed to solve the problem you’ve been mucking over for weeks in one day.”

At the mention of research, Jayce’s attention shifted to their next issue, the missing items. “Have you figured out where my stuff is?” Viktor shook his head. He was able to help Jayce get back the confiscated items with ease, telling Heimerdinger that the equipment ‘could be reused or recycled for safer projects’. The Yordle believed him. Or maybe he was just distracted by the fact Jayce and Viktor were talking again that he made a decision on the whim.

When looking for the rest of Jayce’s equipment, Viktor had no leads. It seemed that no one really knew what happened to the hex crystals. He asked for Vi’s help but even the girl couldn’t find any clues as to where Jayce’s stuff went.

“If you’re worried it fell into the wrong hands and would be used for something illegal, I doubt it.” Viktor said, leaning against his chair. “It’s been this long and we can’t find any clues to where it went. For all we know, they’ve been sold to some pawn shop.”

“But the crystals are dangerous.” The hex crystals, as incredible as they were, often resulted in volatile explosions. Whoever stole Jayce’s things was too cautious considering they haven’t heard of any suspicious explosions lately.

“Have you asked the enforcers for help?”

Jayce scoffed. “I did. But they’re hardly taking it seriously. To them, I’m just some student who lost a couple of ‘valuables’.” He pushed his chair backwards, getting up on his feet. He stretched his arms high above his head and Viktor had to resist the urge to stare. “I think we should call it a day. I’m exhausted.”

Viktor gave a short nod. “See you tomorrow.” They had enough time anyway and Jayce was doing surprisingly well for a beginner. He had to admit, he wasn’t used to them being on good terms. He didn’t even know how to apologize for punching Jayce the other day. Though Jayce looked like he’d forgotten about it already.

It was wrong to put his full trust in Jayce again after what happened but he couldn’t stop himself. Even when his mind warned him to be careful, he couldn’t help but just open himself to Jayce all over again. He was tired of being mad at him. He was tired of forcing himself to hate Jayce when there was always that temptation to forgive him.

“Are you sure you can trust that boy?” Silco asked, appearing beside Viktor, hands behind his back. He knew what the students were planning. They had to explain it to him or he wouldn’t let them borrow the cannery. It’s not that he was against it, he just didn’t trust the Topsiders enough to involve them. “Jinx told me he’s the reason you got in trouble last time.”

“He’s changed.” Viktor answered back while stacking the papers together. “I punched him in the nose the other day. I think it might’ve rewired his brain.”

Silco nodded, visibly amused by what Viktor said. “I assume the robbery had something to do with it as well?”

Viktor froze for a moment. When he was rounding up the possible suspects behind the robbery, he never considered Silco. Perhaps it was because Silco was a dangerous kingpin who, Viktor assumed, wouldn’t bother himself with a high school student. But Jayce’s experiment was intriguing. Like a beacon for dangerous people. If it fell into the wrong hands, it was a catalyst for disaster and as much as Silco acted neutral to Piltover, there was no denying the man had a certain distaste for Topsiders.

“Would you have any idea who stole his research?” Viktor asked, slowly. “He asked me to find any possible leads but all I’ve gotten are dead ends. I thought, knowing your reputation and connections—”

“That I might know who the culprit is?” Viktor nodded reluctantly, watching the man nod his head, brows furrowing as if he was deep in thought. “It might come across as a surprise to you, but I haven’t heard much about this…robbery. In fact, if Jinx hadn’t told me, I might not have known about it all. No offense to you scientists, but I don’t care about precious stones.”

Silco looked honest. And his response sounded believable. Sure, majority of the Undercity knew about it, but only because enforcers came marching in their city and questioning just about everyone regarding the explosion. Silco, being Silco, was probably hiding out during the interrogations which would explain his lack of knowledge on the event.

But there was something off about Silco’s answer. Like Viktor was missing something. “Suspect me all you want, Viktor.” The man said, as if he read Viktor’s mind. “I know my reputation precedes me but I will stand by my answer: I don’t know who stole that boy’s research.” He stared at Viktor, his eyes as bored as ever. “But don’t worry, if I do hear something, you’ll be the first to know.”

Viktor rose from his seat, giving the man a curt nod of understanding. There was no point in interrogating Silco at this moment. It looked like he wasn’t going to get any other answer besides “I don’t know. I don’t care.” so he played along with the man.

“Have you heard anything about Singed then?” The man went on many trips out of town for long periods of time but this had to be the longest. It was like Viktor spent his whole high school year without the man. There were the occasional letters telling Viktor he needed to stay away longer but other than that, Viktor had no idea what the man was up to. “Is he alright?”

Silco gave him a loose shrug. “You tell me, boy. You’re practically his son, aren’t you? I haven’t heard from the doctor in months.”

"I thought you two were friends."

"We're business partners."

"That's just a fancy term for friends."

"We're acquaintances."

"Still a fancy word for friends."

"Go home, Viktor."

"Or what, you'll tell Vander?"

Chapter Text

Jayce staggered down the steps of the University Courtyard, the papers folded neatly under the brown bracelet he wore on his wrist. He took too long writing down the answers to the second test. The bridge was at least a 10 minute walk away from the Courtyard and he didn’t want to run. It might make him suspicious. So he made do with a brisk speed walk down the streets of Piltover.

His heart was racing his chest and he was panting midway through the walk. There were odd glances directed at him. Some whispered to one another as he passed. Almost like they knew what he was doing. They didn’t. But anxiety was creeping into Jayce as he walked. What if they could tell he was hiding something? Next thing he knew, there would be enforcers following him out of the city.

When the bridge came to view, Jayce felt his feet pick up the pace. He ran the rest of the way, not caring whether or not someone would see. Viktor said he hid the tubes in the streetlight by the bridge. There was a small hole where someone could easily hide a vial to deliver a message.

With shaky hands, he twisted the cap open and slid the folded papers inside before running to the pneumatic tubes. The second one to the right, Silco had said. He popped the vial in and watched it get sucked into the metal tube, the faint hiss was a sign that the message was sent.

He heard the timer click followed by the sharp taps of Viktor’s cane. “Well, it’s better than your first attempt.”

Jayce huffed, shooting the boy a dirty look. If this was just practice, what more the real thing? When he had to actually answer a test and not just memorize a sample answer sheet Viktor gave him. “I’ve done this 3 times in a row. How much faster do I need to be?”

Viktor approached him. “For comparison’s sake, it took me 12 minutes and it took you 20. It’s not the distance or how fast you walk, you take too long to leave the Courtyard. How slow do you write down the answers?”

“It’s pressuring, alright?” Jayce snapped. It was way too nerve wracking to actually go through the plan. To answer a test knowing that you need to get your part right or 6000 kids are going to fail, then having to memorize the answers and send them out without getting caught. There was no alibi or excuse for if they got caught. Because they can’t get caught. It had to go according to plan.

He expected Viktor to argue, or to tell him to suck it up. But the boy just sighed and stuffed the watch back in his pocket. He looked tired. Jayce wasn’t oblivious. He saw the dark circles under Viktor’s eyes and how his leg would slow him down. They were both exhausted. “I’m sorry.” Viktor murmured. “I know I’ve been asking a lot of you lately and…well, I haven’t been the best partner.”

“I could say the same about myself.” Jayce shrugged. They both knew what he meant. He didn’t have to tell them. “I guess it’s just pressuring to take an Admissions Test.”

Viktor laughed. Like music to Jayce’s ears. “Don’t forget we’re getting paid to pass the Admissions Test.”

“Of course.” They started walking together, side by side towards the Undercity. “Are there new people who signed up?”

“Around 200 more.” An extra 100 Gold Hexes. The thought of the money excited Jayce. It was like getting closer to his dream. “At this point almost everyone’s counting on us for answers.”

“It won’t be suspicious if they all pass, right?”

“No but it will be suspicious if they all fail.” Viktor said, pausing to look at Jayce. They were still on the bridge, staring at each other. Jayce felt the warm sensation in his stomach grow. And the tip of his ears grew warm. Was he blushing? Hopefully not. Viktor wouldn’t let him hear the end of it.

If he was, Viktor didn’t say anything about it. Instead, he stepped in closer, sending Jayce’s mind haywire. He was way too close. Whenever he got close, Jayce always felt all jittery inside. But it wasn’t nervousness or anxiety. It was just weird nerves all over the place. Something he only felt around Viktor. He wasn’t sure if he liked it or hated it.

Viktor poked Jayce on the chest playfully. “So don’t fail, Jayce.” He finished, giving the boy his usual cheeky grin. Jayce’s heart thumped in his chest, almost like it just did a somersault. Lucky for him, Viktor didn’t seem to notice his panicked state, walking away like he didn’t just send Jayce’s brain haywire.

“Keep it together.” Jayce muttered to himself. He could handle this.

--------

“They came right on time!” Vi exclaimed as the two boys walked into the cannery. She held up the metal vials with a broad grin on her face. “Exactly like you said, Viktor.”

Jayce breathed out a sigh of relief. Even if he was a bit slow when it came to sending the message, it came on time nonetheless. It'll be fine on the day itself. They’ll be fine. No one was going to catch them.

“All that’s left is to study.” Caitlyn appeared next to her girlfriend.

“For them.” Mylo corrected. He and Claggor tagged along that day to see how the plan would unfold. “Why bother studying when they’re giving us the answers?”

“Did you forget you still have to answer some parts on your own?” Viktor asked, making his way up the staircase.

“Where are you going?” Jayce called, already on his way to follow Viktor up the stairs.

Viktor waved him off. “I just need to ask Silco something.”

“About the test?”

“About Singed.” Viktor told him about the doctor once. How his ‘guardian’ had gone out of town and hasn’t come back since. Jayce wanted to tell Viktor that technically, Singed wasn’t supposed to leave a child on his own for that long but Viktor shrugged him off, saying that he was used to it and he was staying with Vander for the time being.

The boy patted his arm. “Go talk with the others. They don’t bite.”

Jayce snorted. “Pretty sure Mylo does.”

“Vi’s there to hold him off.” Viktor whispered, grinning. Jayce didn’t move from his spot, watching Viktor climb up the stairs and disappear into the hallway. He only left as soon as the boy was out of sight, slowly making his way to where the others were seated.

“There’s no way you’re going to get into Piltover University, Vi.” Mylo said. They were all huddled in the corner, packed together like a tight knit group. Even Caitlyn seemed comfortable with them, sitting between Vi and Ekko. Jayce awkwardly shuffled in beside Claggor, trying not to interrupt their conversation. “We both suck at science, so what makes you different from me?”

“Well, unlike you, Mylo. I’m actually in the top 100 of Piltover.” Vi boasted. “I think they’re going to accept me before they accept you, #1313”

“#1312.”

“Same thing.”

“Well who cares about our grades?” Mylo exclaimed, gesturing at Jayce. Now all eyes were on him. “We’re all going to pass the exam anyway so that’ll save our asses.”

“Don’t forget your college portfolio and your essay.” Jayce added. “And they do check your past grades, Mylo. It’s not the most important part but it adds to your reputation.”

“Yeah, Mylo.” Jinx taunted, poking the boy on the cheek. “Is your reputation squeaky-clean?”

“I’ve got a couple of demerits.” Mylo said, holding his head up high. He sure did exude plenty of confidence in himself. “But who gives a fuck about that? If Jayce has a shot at getting into a good University, so do I!”

“No offense but Jayce has only one demerit.” Caitlyn said. “And you have…quite a lot.”

“You’re telling me they’ll let Jayce in, knowing he was playing with illegal shit like the hex crystal stabilizer thingy and not let me in for vandalizing a wall?”

What did he say?

Jayce froze, his ears ringing so he could no longer hear the rest of the conversation. Everyone’s voices went silent, their mouths moving but no sound came out. All Jayce could hear was his blood pounding and his ragged breathing. Mylo’s words echoed in his brain. No. No. No. It couldn’t be. His eyes scanned each person, watching their faces. Jinx. Ekko. Mylo. Claggor. Vi. Caitlyn. They couldn’t have. It’s not possible.

Why not? His mind asked. They’re from the Undercity. They could have done it. His vision went white and the world went silent. Hot blinding rage overtook him. He could feel his feet move and his fists clench. But he couldn’t see what he was doing. He heard someone stumble, followed by the sound of chairs scraping and people yelling. Hands wrapped around him, pulling him out of his trance.

Mylo was on the floor, clutching his cheek. He looked mad, teeth gritted and fists clenched. Vi was at his side while Claggor stuck to Jayce, hands wrapped around him in an attempt to hold him back.

He just punched Mylo. Why?

You know exactly why. His mind whispered.

“What the hell, man?” Mylo yelled, his voice ringing loud and clear in Jayce’s head. The boy shot up to his feet, squaring his shoulders like he was preparing to fight. “Why would you do that?”

“How did you know?” Jayce asked, breaking free from Claggor’s grasp and grabbing Mylo by the collar. “How did you fucking know?!”

Mylo fought back, wrapping his hands around Jayce’s wrist. “Know what, asshole?”

“I never told anyone what was stolen that day.” Jayce cried out, pushing Mylo with all his might. “How did you know the stabilizer was stolen?”

Jayce didn’t need to hear Mylo’s answer. He already knew why.

Mylo scoffed. “What do you mean? I’m pretty sure you told Viktor about it.” He sounded calm but Jayce could tell he was lying through his teeth.

“Don’t bullshit me.” Jayce snarled. “You know what was stolen because you fucking took it. You all knew didn’t you?”

Mylo didn’t speak. Nor did anyone else in the room. Jayce looked around at each of their reactions. They all looked guilty. Caught in the act. He should’ve known. He should’ve had his suspicions. Viktor probably knew too. They planned this. Clearly they planned it out. Viktor approached him a day after his things were stolen. He lured him in, knowing that he was at an all time low that day.

“This was your plan, wasn’t it?” Jayce seethed, his fists clenched in rage. “To steal my research and get me in trouble with the Council. And for what? So I would help you guys cheat?” They were all silent, heads hanging low. “Or is this payback for what happened to Viktor? You ruined my fucking life just because I–”

“Don’t bring Viktor into this.” Vi snapped. “Viktor has nothing to do with this. He doesn’t even know we fucking did it. We only stole your shit after you said no the first time.”

“So you admit you did it just to get me to help you?” He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Why do you have to make this so hard?”

“Make what so hard?”

“Whenever I try to be nice to you, to ‘understand’ you Zaunites, you screw me up! I tried to be nice, didn’t I?”

“I heard what you said to Viktor that day.” Vi snapped. “Don’t act like you’re innocent. You’re just a piece of shit.”

“I’m the bad guy here?” Jayce asked in disbelief. “You’re the one who stole my shit and blew up my apartment! Let me guess, you used my hex crystals for that.”

“Nope, that was just a monkey bomb.” Jinx mused. She reached for something in her pocket, holding out the blue crystal for Jayce to see. “We might not be the best science experts but you could at least trust me with this. The rest of your shit, however….good luck fishing it out of the river.”

Jayce wasn’t sure to be mad that they weren’t taking this seriously or be relieved that some part of his research was still salvaged. He could replicate the stabilizer. But the crystals took time. He held out his hand. “Give it back.” A weak attempt at ordering them around.

Jinx smirked, stuffing the hex crystal back into her pocket. “You’ll get it after you help us out.”

“I don’t think you’re in the position to strike a deal.”

“And you’re in no position to order us around.” Vi snapped. “Don’t try to fight with us here, Jayce. You don’t stand a chance.”

He turned to Caitlyn. The girl had been surprisingly quiet this whole time. She should be siding with him here. But there she was, standing next to Vi, looking as guilty as the rest. She probably helped them steal his stuff too. If not Viktor, who else knew where he lived? “You told them where I lived, didn’t you?”

Caitlyn shook her head. “I didn’t help them steal your things, Jayce.”

“But you knew.” The girl didn’t respond. “You knew and you sided with them.”

“Jayce–”

Vi stepped in between them. “Just drop it, Jayce.”

“Just drop it?” He couldn’t believe what they were asking of him. To just forgive and forget as if they didn’t just ruin his life. “Because of you, I have to do something against the rules just to pay for the scholarship you took from me.”

“Do you think we want to cheat?” Caitlyn asked. “Of course we know it's wrong and of course we didn’t want it to be this way. But we want to graduate just as much as you do, Jayce. We aren’t as intelligent as you so we have to make do with what we have. Vi, Mylo, Claggor, Viktor and every other kid who’s part of this, is just doing what it takes to get by. Why can’t you understand that?”

Because it’s wrong. Jayce wanted to say. The same hollow answer. Don’t cheat because it’s wrong. It felt like a decent answer in the past but now it felt like Jayce was just clinging onto it because it was the only stable answer. The only answer that he felt sure of. But was he really sure of the answer or did he like it because it felt like the safest way out. That if he stuck to the rulebook, everything would be under control. But he tried that already. Even when he stuck to the rules, his life was still falling apart.

He didn’t say anything after that. Nor did he say anything when he left. Jayce simply shook his head and walked away. He couldn’t even look up at them when he walked out. Couldn’t tell if it was shame or pride that made him do that. Maybe a mix of both.

He let his feet carry him back. Too lost in his own thoughts to care where he was going.

-------

It didn’t take long for Viktor to find him. Walking in the empty parts, between Piltover and Zaun. Fancy buildings yet they were all boarded up and abandoned. At night, it looked like a ghost town. Not a single light, except for the moon’s glow.

“What happened?” Viktor asked him, approaching him slowly. He looked clueless, his eyes glazed with concern. “They aren’t talking to me. Said it’s not that big of a deal.”

“It’s nothing.” Jayce answered, hollowly.

“Jayce, Mylo has a black eye.” He forgot about that, glancing at his knuckles. They were bruised. He was so caught up in his thoughts, he didn’t notice his injury. Didn’t even feel it. “Did you two fight?”

“What do you think, Viktor?” Screw being patient. Everything was crumbling down on him. “You think acting all innocent is going to work on me now?”

Viktor blinked. And Jayce wanted to shake his shoulders and scream at him to drop the act already.“What do you mean?”

“I should’ve known.”

“Jayce, I’m not following.”

“You knew who stole my research.” He watched Viktor tense up, freezing in place. “But obviously you couldn’t rat them out because they’re your friends. ‘Zaunites stick together’. Is that it? Is that why you never told me?”

“I don’t know who stole your research, Jayce.”

“They did!” Jayce cried, throwing his hands up in the air. “Your friends stole my shit. Vi, Mylo, Claggor, Jinx, they stole my research and threw it into the river. My whole life tossed away and for what? So I'd say yes to you!”

Viktor’s eyes went wide. He didn’t move. Did he really not know? Jayce wasn’t sure whether to feel guilty for overstepping or to stand his ground. “Jayce, I-I’m sorry that happened but I assure you I had no idea.” The boy said, taking short steps towards him. “I’ll talk to them, maybe they know where the–”

“Didn’t you hear me? I said they threw it in the river! By now it’s floating in the ocean somewhere and I’ll never get it back.” He pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to calm himself down. It felt like he was falling. Down a deep chasm, with everything crumbling in on him. He didn’t know where to start. What to do. What to say. Part of him wanted to fight back. To storm back into the cannery and teach them a lesson. Another part of him wanted to just sit down and breathe. He was tired. But he couldn’t tell from what. “I have to go.”

“Go where?”

“To the enforcers.” That was the first step right? Tell them he found out who stole his research and report them. They were just kids but something like this could land them in Stillwater Prison. Enforcers didn’t make a fuss over a child stealing a couple of things but they blew up a building. No one was going to let them off easily. They would be expelled and arrested. All of them.

Do I want that? Do I really want this?

Viktor spoke first. “I can’t let you do that.” Of course he could count on Viktor to defend his ‘Zaunite buddies’. Wasn’t he always? Just blindly protecting them, helping them cheat, risking everything just so they can succeed.

“They deserve what’s coming.”

“They’re kids, Jayce!”

He couldn’t take this anymore. His hands reached for Viktor, shaking him by the shoulders. “They’re criminals, Viktor! They stole my things and blew up my apartment. Is that not dangerous to you?”

Neither spoke for a moment, Jayce too busy trying to collect himself and Viktor too busy glaring at Jayce. They were closer now. Jayce must’ve dragged the boy in when he grabbed him. His eyes met Viktor’s and there it was. The same cold eyes from that day. Devoid of emotion. Like a flash of lightning. Like staring into the eyes of a machine.

“Stop calling us dangerous.” He hissed through gritted teeth. His rage was greater this time, sending a shiver down Jayce’s spine. He let go of him, afraid that he might just throw a punch at the boy. And Viktor looked far more ready to strike him. They were both angry. For different reasons. They couldn’t settle things like this. It might make it worse.

“Did it mean anything to you?” Viktor murmured.

Jayce blinked. “What?”

“Us.” Viktor whispered. His anger dissolved right in front of Jayce, replaced by something else. Something Jayce couldn’t interpret. “Did I mean anything to you?”

Chapter Text

Viktor heard yelling. Lots of it. Followed by the sound of a door being slammed and a chair being kicked over. When he looked to Silco for an answer, the man simply shrugged. “Not my business, Viktor.”

Nobody gave him an answer, instead they just handed him looks of pity and disappointment. Vi shook her head and Mylo muttered something about Pilties being dickheads. Did Jayce do something again? The boy was gone. And no one wanted to tell him where he went.

He couldn’t have gone far, he thought as he walked through the empty streets. It was late at night; the Lanes were probably buzzing with excitement but abandoned districts like these were empty. Especially since this was Silco’s territory. No one was going to march in at night out of fear of seeing the man.

Jayce would probably be walking towards Piltover so Viktor followed the usual path they took from school to the cannery. It was the quieter roads of Zaun, the midpoint between the two cities. Fairly nice buildings boarded up and abandoned. They were supposed to be painted in bright colors but after years, the paint had begun to chip away and fade into dull shades. Nobody bothered picking fights here. It was too close to Piltover, they’d say. Don’t wanna risk getting seen by an enforcer.

He wasn’t sure if Jayce was walking too slow or he was walking too fast when he finally caught the boy trudging through the empty street. His shoulders slumped and his whole body radiating of something miserable. “Jayce.” He called, signaling the boy to stop. “What happened? They aren’t talking to me. They said it’s not that big of a deal.”

“It’s nothing.” The boy answered. He sounded…defeated. Like all the energy had been sucked out of him.

It can’t be nothing. If it was nothing, the others wouldn’t have been acting so strangely. Even Jinx was quiet. And the girl was always fidgeting and talking. “Jayce, Mylo has a black eye. Did you two fight?” That felt wrong to ask. It was kind of obvious when you think about it.

“What do you think, Viktor?” Jayce snapped. He never talked like that. “You think acting all innocent is going to work on me now?”

What did he mean by that? He hated being so clueless. “What do you mean?”

“I should’ve known.”

Anxiety creeped in him. Why was Jayce acting so weird? Why were they all acting so weird? He hated being out of the bubble. Not having a clue what was going on around him. Come on, you must have an idea. His mind teased. “Jayce, I’m not following–”

“You knew who stole my research?” No. Viktor wanted to say. No, I didn’t. He felt an unease rise in him. He didn’t know who stole it. No matter who he asked, he couldn’t find a single lead. Yet at the back of his brain, he always had a feeling. A gut feeling on who could’ve taken it. But he never gave it a second thought. Perhaps because he was afraid. Afraid of being right. Jayce was saying something. But his brain couldn’t register it. Probably accusing him of something. So he opened his mouth to deny it. “I don’t know who stole your research, Jayce.”

“They did!”

Oh. His gut was right. He knew. He knew all this time and he didn’t tell Jayce. All around him, it felt like things were falling apart. Like the walls he held up for so long were tumbling down. He didn’t tell Jayce. He promised to tell. You should’ve said something, he berated himself. You should’ve said something. Now Jayce is going to be angry. Because you knew and you didn’t say anything.

Traitor. His mind hissed, coyly.

I’m not. He said back. He wasn’t. Viktor didn’t betray Jayce. He didn’t know.

But you had a feeling, didn’t you? Why didn’t you say anything?

It was just a feeling.

You knew. You knew it all along.

He looked up at Jayce. The boy was yelling something. Maybe he was getting mad at Viktor. Asking him why he didn’t say anything. “Jayce, I-I’m sorry that happened but I assure you I had no idea.” His voice faltered as he spoke. Fear was creeping in. The fear of losing Jayce one more time. “I’ll talk to them, maybe they know where the–”

“Didn’t you hear me? I said they threw it in the river! By now it’s floating in the ocean somewhere and I’ll never get it back.” Jayce looked mad. Very mad. His hands flailed everywhere as he paced back and forth. Viktor wanted to reach out. Try to soothe the boy but he stood his ground. He probably won’t want you near him, his mind teased. “I have to go.” Jayce said, his voice firm.

He’s going to leave me. “Go where?”

“To the enforcers.”

Oh. He was going to turn them in. All of them. Part of him expected this. That Jayce “by-the-book” Talis would report them for stealing. Yet part of him still felt betrayed. The part of him that believed they’d gone past this. “I-I can’t let you do that.” He sounded different. Did Jayce notice?

“They deserve what’s coming.”

“They’re kids, Jayce!” His words sounded hollow. Like a weak attempt at reasoning with the boy. Even he didn’t believe his words anymore.

Jayce approached him. And Viktor was certain that the boy was going to shove him. But instead, Jayce grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him so violently, Viktor felt his head spin. “They’re criminals, Viktor! They stole my things and blew up my apartment. Is that not dangerous to you?”

You make this so hard.

Viktor felt his worries turn to anger. It felt like the short burst of anger he had the day he was caught. That urge to shout, to scream, to hit something. Yet he knew he shouldn’t since it’ll just hurt them both more than it should. “Stop calling us dangerous.” He whispered.

This was it. This was the last straw. The breaking point of Jayce and Viktor’s friendship. He knew Jayce was going to say something. Hurt him more. Pour salt into the wound. Then Viktor would fight back and they would end up on opposite sides again. It was tiring. The constant change of tides. How one second they were friends, then the next they were fighting.

Vi’s words resurfaced in his memory “You’re a Zaunite, Viktor. To Piltover, we’re basically expendable. Someday, a Topsider is going to waltz into his life and replace the role that you had.”

Was this the moment? Was this the time Jayce finally caves in and leaves Viktor? Would he realize that Viktor was replaceable and leave him for a Topsider? You’re too much work. Jayce was probably thinking that.

But Viktor didn’t want it to end. He didn’t want them to stop being friends. Sure, Jayce made him angry at times, broke his heart at some point but Jayce also made him laugh, made him smile, made him feel like the happiest kid in the world. To Viktor it meant something. He didn’t know if he could say the same for Jayce.

“Did it mean anything to you?” He asked, softly.

“What?”

“Us.” He looked up at Jayce, hoping to maybe see something in his eyes. But they were empty. “Did I mean anything to you?” He told himself not to expect anything. But still he silently prayed that Jayce would feel the same. That whatever they had, it meant something to him.

Jayce dropped his hands, his head hung low. Viktor wanted to reach out and hold him. He always did. But out of fear that Jayce didn’t think the same, he kept it in. His stomach churned with so many things. Anxiety, fear, anger, hope. All those things bubbling inside him.

It felt like forever, just standing there and watching Jayce, waiting for an answer. It was suffocating. It was terrifying. He wanted to just back away, curl up somewhere and forget this all happened but he knew it would just make matters worse. So he stood. And waited. When finally Jayce spoke.

“Nothing. It meant nothing to me.”

His hands felt clammy and his throat hurt from the lump forming in it. He didn’t know what to think, what to say, what to do. He couldn’t breathe, eyes burning and tears welling. He blinked them away, forcing himself to stay calm, pretending it never hurt him. But there was too much. Too much for him to handle, to keep under wraps. It was like he was drowning, being sucked into a whirlpool and struggling to come up to the surface.

He wished Jayce would look the same. He wished Jayce was feeling the same thing he felt at that moment. But when he looked, Jayce was standing there, completely unperturbed, blank. Like it didn’t hurt at all.

Jayce heaved a sigh, backing away from Viktor. Two steps back and he was walking away. Turning his back on Viktor. As if he hadn’t hurt Viktor. Oh, did he want to scream. To run at Jayce and punch him like he said he would. Knock his front teeth out. Then he wouldn’t be able to use his Topsider charm anymore.

I wish you would burn. He thought. I wish you would feel what I felt ten times over.

I wish you would take it back.

His words came before he could think.

“So when you kissed me that day,”

Jayce froze.

“Did that mean nothing too?” He finished, watching as the boy faltered on the spot.

Good, burn with me.

Chapter Text

“Jayce.”

“Shut up, Viktor.”

“Jayce, it’s not that big of a deal.”

Jayce stopped walking, turning to look at Viktor dead in the eye. He was fuming. “You didn’t tell me Heimerdinger was behind me!”

“I’m sure he isn’t offended by you calling him ‘Professor Furball.” They were having their usual conversations in Heimerdinger’s office. Viktor being his assistant and Jayce being one of his favored students made them two of his constant companions during school hours. Especially after classes, when he’d ask them to help fix the room. Heimerdinger’s lab acted as 3 things: his office, his work station and occasionally, a place for classes. The Principal prided himself on being able to still teach the students and offer them any bit of knowledge. The students, however, were more interested in plucking random books and machineries from the shelves to toss around and play with.

Viktor usually assisted Heimerdinger with fixing his things after these classes. Eventually Jayce began tagging along too. That day was like any other, the two boys busy returning the books to their proper shelves while discussing a rather serious matter. Or well, a serious matter to two teenage boys.

Why did Yordles live so long?

“They come from the Spirit Realm, don’t they?” Viktor asked, walking in front of Jayce and the cart of books. “Isn’t that the only reason why they age differently from us?”

“I like to think there’s more factors to it.” Jayce said, lazily pushing the bookcart forward. “Them being spirits is already a given but do you think it also has something to do with their biology?”

“Like what, they age in dog years?” That sounded plausible. Their aging factor was probably different from a human. “Shouldn’t you know this? Don’t they teach you animal biology in elementary?”

“Shouldn’t you?” Jayce asked, handing Viktor another book to return to the shelf. “I know there are given factors but what if there’s factors that even Heimerdinger doesn’t know about?”

“Maybe it has something to do with their height.” Jayce spluttered, holding back the laugh that almost escaped his lips. “The shorter you are, the longer you live. And Yordles being so small–”

“How would you even theorize that?”

“Their body doesn’t have to produce that much energy to go around since they’re so tiny so they can store a lot of excess energy to live longer.”

Jayce blinked. “Are you serious?”

“It’s a theory.” Viktor mused, returning another book to its proper place. “I dare you to ask Heimerdinger.”

“I am NOT asking him.”

“Why not? Scared to find out that I’m right?”

“No, I’m scared he’s going to expel me for asking.” Jayce huffed, leaning on the book cart. “But honestly, how long is that guy going to live for? I can’t even tell if he’s growing white hairs cause he’s always had orange and white hair. Even in old photos. Do Yordles even grow white hair? Or are they just born with it?” Viktor continued to return the books to their proper spots, occasionally nodding his head at Jayce to show he was listening. Something moving behind Jayce caught his attention and when he looked down, he had to resist the urge to laugh.

Heimerdinger was right behind the boy. Hands behind his back and one furry brow raised. He was listening to every word that came out of Jayce’s mouth, intrigued and entertained. Viktor wanted to warn Jayce but at the same time, he was curious how long it would take for the boy to realize his Professor was right behind him.

“And how good are their memories? Because Professor Furball can remember a TON of stuff. Like I understand the very memorable stuff but remembering all of our birthdays? That’s a bit too good. Unless of course, he has a planner.” Jayce droned out. “Not to mention, he seems to know everything and anything science related like…what is he, the God of Science?”

Viktor was glad that the Professor was a jolly man and not one to take things to heart because if he was, Jayce was definitely getting expelled after this. “Do you think he knows a lot of people? Imagine having to memorize that many names AND remember them for years. Do you think he’d remember us after we’re gone?”

Heimerdinger finally spoke. “Well, Jayce, I would probably remember the two of you for quite some time considering the contributions you would offer to our city.” Viktor had to laugh when he saw Jayce jump out of his spot, eyes wide and jaw hanging. “And I will certainly remember this day every time someone asks how I managed to live for so long.”

Jayce’s head darted back and forth, between Himerdinger and Viktor. “P-Professor!” He stammered. “I didn’t know you were there.” He looked like a lost puppy, trying to explain himself. “I can explain–”

Heimerdinger chuckled, shaking his head. “No need, my boy. I take no offense to comments about my age and my height. I figured that if I am going to live for a long time, I may as well live lightly, without taking offense to lighthearted comments.” He beamed. “And though I cannot answer Viktor’s theory on the relationship between height and longevity I can answer your question about my fur. Simply put, I was born with this color.”

Viktor laughed a bit harder and Jayce turned a deep red color “You heard that, Professor?”

“I have big ears, Jayce.” Viktor brought a hand to his mouth, in an attempt to hold back more laughter. He couldn’t pinpoint what made the situation so funny but it was a tie between Jayce’s reaction and Heimerdinger’s responses. “I suppose it’s to compensate for a Yordle's lack of height.”

After about 10 apologies from Jayce, Heimerdinger eventually scurried off saying he had a Council Meeting to attend, reminding the two to lock up when they finish. Viktor managed to calm himself down and was now standing next to an embarrassed and fuming Jayce. While Viktor found it entertaining, Jayce looked like he would just curl into a ball of shame on the spot.

Viktor patted him awkwardly on the back. “Heimerdinger said it himself, he doesn’t mind what you were saying, Jayce. It’s fine.”

“What if he tells the school faculty?”

“What are they going to do? Point and laugh?” Jayce shrugged. “Besides, I’m sure everyone’s wanted to ask the same questions.” He knew some Zaunites did. Jinx, Mylo, Deckard. Even Sky once asked about Yordles and their memory.

“How are you not embarrassed?”

“If it makes you feel better, I once said something…rude to Professor Salo in my mother’s tongue. Turns out he knew what I said.”

“Did you call him an idiot?”

“No. I called him a self-absorbed prick.” He remembered that day. Muttering the string of curses under his breath thinking his professor won’t be able to hear it. Unfortunately for him, not only did Salo hear him, he also knew exactly what Viktor said.

“Let’s leave the profanities outside the campus, shall we?” His professor had said.

They went back to their usual routine after that. Viktor returning the books to their proper places while Jayce pushed around the cart for him. It didn’t take long for them to finish, finally making it to the end of the large office. Usually they would head home right after or to Jayce’s lab but today was different. Jayce wanted to skim through one of Heimerdinger’s books that might help them with Hextech. He told Viktor that the boy could leave but the latter didn’t mind staying. Better than lurking around the Last Drop.

“Besides, we need to lock up after and you don’t have the keys.” Viktor said. “I wanted to read something in here too anyway.”

They separated ways. Jayce immediately went to the shelf carrying the book he wanted. He had seen it earlier and it had piqued his interest. There were no copies of it in the school library or any other public library in Piltover. At some point, he considered asking Viktor for help. Maybe some old library in the Undercity had a few imported and highly classified books hidden somewhere. But of course, THE Heimerdinger would have a copy. He probably had the other copies burned or tossed into the river.

It was a book about magic. Or the theory of magic. A highly controversial novel written by a scientist from Piltover. The scientist was long gone but Jayce kind of wished that they could’ve met. Talk to someone who was on the same page as him.

There wasn’t much in the novel. It was thinner than most books, as big as one of Jayce’s notebooks. He heard that the writer had so little evidence to prove their theory since most were confiscated by the Council. That’s why he kept his study a secret from most people, hidden in his apartment so no one would see.

Except Viktor.

He scribbled as much information as possible on his notebooks. Random bits of information and data that might help him in the future. There wasn’t much to read from. The scientist who wrote the book seemed more…unhinged compared to Jayce. They saw magic as a weapon that could be utilized against other countries. Not as something to advance the city. Barely even talked about the healing properties magic had.

Jayce slammed the book shut, returning it back to its place on the shelf. It was nice to read something about magic that didn’t just consider it a myth or an old tale but as something very real that could help Piltover at present. He considered slipping the book into his bag and maybe borrowing it for the weekend. Though Heimerdinger might notice that the controversial (and probably illegal) book on his shelf was missing.

He made his way through the office, trying to look for Viktor. The boy was usually very quiet and Jayce was convinced he had some secret ability to turn himself invisible. Sometimes Viktor would just…disappear. Or you’d think he wasn’t there until you look hard enough and see him hidden behind a pillar or a tall chair.

Viktor was sitting on the makeshift desk Heimerdinger had by the window, back hunched and head in his arms. The Professor had it there in case any student wished to read from his abundant library. It was positioned directly by the window for a perfect view of the city outside and of the sunset late after class.

Jayce knelt beside the table to look at Viktor. The boy was asleep, the side of his face pressed against the table and whatever book he was reading had been pushed aside. It was wide open on a page about water filtration. Of course. Viktor had told him about his idea of implementing a water filtration system in Zaun. Something he planned to do after he graduated. “I know a perfect spot to add the purification system.” Viktor told him. “It’ll be like a dam but it also filters through the water to clean it.”

He looked peaceful, basking in the sun’s glow. It reminded Jayce of a cat. Sometimes when walking to school, he would see a stray cat by his window where the sun would hit perfectly, illuminating the cat in its light. Kind of like sunbathing, Jayce would think.

Viktor looked beautiful, the sun painting him in gold. He always preferred to stand in the dark, lurking in the shadows or in the corners of the room. Jayce loved it when he was in the light. Where his dark brown hair turned to cinnamon and you could see the barest hint of freckles on his nose. And his eyes, his amber eyes. They rivaled the sun. As grateful as he was that Viktor was getting some sleep, a part of him wanted to nudge the boy awake, just to get a glimpse of his eyes in the light.

His stomach churned and he felt his heart leap as he stared at Viktor. When did that happen? He knew it was better to just look away and give Viktor a few minutes to sleep, knowing the boy’s sleep schedule, but he couldn’t bring himself to. It felt like Viktor was pulling him in, keeping him in orbit. Like the sun, Jayce thought amusedly.

He knew there was something different about Viktor. How he felt around him. Sure his heart would thump a bit faster when he saw someone quite attractive but with Viktor it was different. His heart would race and his breath would catch. Butterflies in his stomach and his words would stop at the tip of his tongue. The world could be burning all around them and he would be looking at Viktor. Thinking about the boy. How he laughed. How he smiled. How he looked at Jayce with a little glint in his eye.

Jayce inched forward, getting closer to Viktor. He looked tired as usual but he seemed content where he slept. His face pressed up against the table, Jayce was certain there would be a mark when he sat up. Without any thought or warning, his eyes slowly scanned Viktor’s face. The furrow between his brows, his long eyelashes, the moles on his cheeks and his slightly parted lips. He wondered what it would be like to kiss—

He shook his head. No. No. That’s not right. What was he thinking? They were friends. Just friends. And friends weren’t supposed to look at each other’s lips and imagine kissing them.

Viktor is different, is he not? His mind asked. He knew it was right. Viktor was different. Jayce didn’t think about his other friends and how they laughed. He didn’t stare at them when he slept. And he certainly didn’t think about kissing them.

You don’t even know if Viktor feels the same. He thought to himself.

“Did you find what you were looking for?“ Jayce backed away as soon as he heard Viktor’s voice.

The boy slowly pushed himself off the table, rubbing his eyes. Just like Jayce expected, there were faint sleep marks on Viktor’s face, indents and lines that ran through the left side of his face. He looked half asleep, bleary eyed and head swaying.

Still beautiful.

“Yeah, I got everything.” He answered, breathless. “What about you? You read enough about water filtration?”

Viktor blinked, he was clearly fighting to keep his eyes awake. “It’s boring.”

Jayce couldn’t hold back the slight chuckle that escaped his lips. It was kind of cute to see Viktor all over the place for once. Usually the guy was pretty put together (for an aspiring scientist that is). It was cute, if Jayce had to be honest.

His eyes were locked on Viktor. Even in his sleep-dazed state, the boy managed to send Jayce’s heart racing. His eyes landed on Viktor’s lips again. They were still close. Close enough for Jayce to just—

“Go on.” Viktor’s voice was soft. Pulling him in like a magnet.

Was that it? Was Viktor’s words telling him to do it? Beckoning him to come closer and turn his imagination into a reality? He looked up at Viktor’s eyes, trying to find any sign. A sign telling him he was wrong. But Viktor, still bleary eyed, showed no signs of rejection. He just stared, patiently. Waiting for Jayce to just move in closer.

That he did.

Jayce leaned in, pressing his lips against Viktor’s. It was short. Barely lasted more than two seconds. A fleeting thing but it sent sparks down Jayce’s body, made him feel like jumping with joy. Like a kid seeing the first snow or opening a present on Christmas Day. Every system in his body must’ve done a somersault and he was sure that he just might too. Was this what it was like to kiss someone?

It felt like a dream.

He looked at Viktor, expecting to see the boy just as happy and giddy as he was. Only to see that Viktor’s eyes were still closed. Like he was asleep. His head tilted a bit to the side, visibly dozing off.

Oh.

Was he asleep?

He could’ve sworn the boy was awake. Though Viktor had been staring at him through a half-lidded gaze. There had been instances where Viktor had fallen asleep on him and mumbled things in his sleep. Was this just another version of that?

Was Viktor just dreaming?

His cheeks flushed red with embarrassment. Now he just felt like an idiot for doing that. For even thinking the boy felt the same. His first kiss, given to some boy who was just sleep talking to him. And he couldn’t even be mad at Viktor for it.

He stood up, quickly scribbling a note on a torn piece of paper. Writing down lies. A cheap excuse to burn off his shame.

I forgot I had something important to do so I left ahead. Lock up - Jayce

He stuck it under Viktor’s book and rushed out of Heimerdinger’s lab. It felt like he was burning from embarrassment. The sensation of hope replaced by shame and disappointment. Of course Viktor didn’t feel the same. How stupid could he be to believe that the boy was just as lovestruck as him.

When he saw Viktor the next day, the boy didn’t mention anything about the kiss. Didn’t even mention Jayce leaving so abruptly the other day. Jayce didn’t know if he should feel relieved or sad about it. He meant to ask him another day but their midterms came sooner and after that things just fell apart.

All this time Jayce had pushed aside that memory. Telling himself to forget about it since Viktor didn’t seem to remember. He had pushed it to the back of his mind, praying it’ll fade. And it almost did. He was almost able to set aside those feelings. Call them nothing. Let them be nothing.

Until he stood face-to-face with Viktor, watching the silent tears roll down Viktor’s face. He looked angry, his brows furrowed and his lips twisted into a scowl but his eyes. Those golden eyes. They were sad. Hurt. How Jayce wished to step forward and hold the boy. Whisper to him apologies and sweet nothings.

“So it meant nothing?” Viktor repeated. All this time he knew. He knew. Why didn’t he say anything? Why didn’t he ask Jayce about it?

Remember what got you into this mess. His mind hissed.

I don’t give a shit anymore. He thought.

“I’m sorry.” Jayce whispered.

And Jayce Talis ran.

Chapter Text

They didn’t speak to each other after that. Didn’t even spare each other a glance when passing the other in the hallway. Vi and Caitlyn tried to pry some information out of them but all they could get was “I don’t want to talk to him right now.”

Viktor buried his head in his arms, watching Professor Bolok write down something on the board. He had tried taking down notes earlier but they came out meaningless, random words scrawled together to form incomprehensible sentences. So he doodled instead, drawing tiny robots, trees, buildings. Anything but the lesson at hand. When he got bored of that, he slumped over on his desk.

How many days has it been since then? A week or so perhaps. He didn’t want to think about it. He wished it were a dream. That this whole thing was just a horrible dream and he’d wake up back at his old school. No Professor Heimerdinger. No Topsiders. No Jayce Talis.

He scrunched his eyes shut, feeling the burning sensation in his eyes, the lump in his throat. No, I'm not going to cry. He told himself over a hundred times. After Jayce had run off on him, Viktor wiped the tears away. Swallowed hard and tightened his chest. Telling himself that Jayce wasn’t worth his time and it would be better to just forget about it.

But that wasn’t enough. Nothing seemed to stop the heavy emotions resting in his heart. Thinking about it left a bitter taste in his mouth. Not thinking about it made him feel hollow and empty.

There was the sound of shifting behind him, followed by a light tap on his shoulder. He turned to face the boy behind him. Maze, a boy from the Undercity, held out a folded piece of paper between his fingers. “From Vi.” He whispered.

Viktor glanced at the pink haired girl sitting a few seats away. She stared back. They had done their best to comfort him. To try and console him after what happened. They didn’t know what Jayce had said but they knew well enough that whatever he said, wasn’t pretty.

What are we going to do?

He was at a loss for words. He could feel Vi’s eyes, Mylo’s and Claggor’s staring at him, boring into the back of his skull. Viktor didn’t need to ask to know what they meant.

They couldn’t find anyone else. It was established from the beginning that Jayce Talis was the right guy and the only guy for the job. Viktor couldn’t do it alone. But he couldn’t bring himself to speak to Jayce either.

Maybe I should’ve just tutored them. He thought, scoffing to himself.

I don’t know. Viktor scribbled back, handing the paper to Maze without turning around.

-------

Vander wasn’t the best parent. Everybody knew that. He tried his best and he certainly loved his kids but like any father, he had his flaws.

But if there was any part of parenting that Vander was good at, it was being able to tell when a kid is feeling down.

Viktor was slumped on the armchair, his bad leg propped up on the table in front of him and a book rested on his lap. He was reading, or trying to read. None of the words seemed to stick to his brain but he flipped through the book anyway, as if he was comprehending any of it. Vi and the others had gone out. Said they were going to Caitlyn’s. Viktor declined, worried that he might just see a familiar boy at the Kiramman’s house.

He rubbed circles on his temple and sighed. There was so much work to be done. Projects, last minute essays, studying for the Admissions Test. He hadn’t even thought about the people who signed up. The people who were paying him gold for a couple of answers. How was he supposed to explain that the deal was off and they would have to study everything in a matter of weeks?

“Good read?” Viktor didn’t look up when Vander entered the room. Instead, he lifted the book up higher so he wouldn’t have to face Vander in the eye. He knew what Vander was here for. He saw Vi whisper something to him the other day, both of them sparing Viktor concerned glances. It was hard enough to face Vi in the eye when she asked him about it. What more Vander?

“Hardly.” Viktor answered, trying to sound as enthusiastic as possible. He heard Vander sit down in front of him but he kept the book up, trying to focus on the words. “There’s nothing interesting about the history of a city that hates you.”

Vander sighed. He knew the man well enough to know what that meant. Please don’t ask me what’s wrong. Viktor prayed silently. Please don’t say anything. Just leave me alone. Don’t you dare ask me what happened.

“What happened, Viktor?”

Damn it. He swallowed hard, forced down the lump that made its way to his throat. He could do this. Just sound believable and he’ll leave you.

He settled for a loose shrug, still not putting the book down. “I’m just tired. University applications are coming soon. Every senior’s exhausted.”

“Vi doesn’t look that tired.” Vander hummed. “Heard she’s applying for the best University over there. I would expect her to be sulking like you.”

“I’m not sulking.”

“Will you put the book down then?”

“Why? It’s an amazing find.” Viktor replied, putting in as much fake enthusiasm as he could.

Vander sighed again. And Viktor wanted to just slam the book down and tell the man to shut up. He didn’t want to talk. But he could feel Vander’s stare boring through the book and right at him. And he knew that Vander won’t leave until he gets an answer.

After a few moments of silence, Vander reached over for the book. Viktor didn’t have it in him to fight back, letting the man talk the book out of his hands and set it down on the couch beside him. If Vander’s concerned tone wasn’t enough to make Viktor burst, the look on his face would be icing on the cake.

If he thought about it, Vander was just as much his father as Singed was.

“What happened, Viktor?”

He blinked, feeling the tears pile up and the lump in his throat form. If he uttered a single word, he might just burst into tears right then and there. But Vander wasn’t going to leave without an answer. So he swallowed hard again and shrugged. “My friend and I got into a fight.”

“Which friend?”

Don’t make me say it. “Just some boy from Piltover.”

“The one who ratted you out?”

“How did you know?”

“Jinx told me. Said you two made up and that all is well.” Viktor scoffed at his words. “Though I guess she was wrong about that.”

“I thought we were good too.” Viktor murmured, running a hand through his hair. He thought back to the last time he spoke to Jayce. They argued about many things that day. But he could only think about one particular topic.

So when you kissed me that day, did that mean nothing too?

He thought about that kiss a lot. Looked back at it a hundred times. He wanted to ask Jayce about it but then the midterms came first and he was so preoccupied those weeks that he almost forgot about it. But every once in a while he thought about it. That day in Professor Bolok’s class, when Jayce got called out for daydreaming, he thought about it. Thought about it for a good while when he looked at Jayce. Wondered if Jayce remembered the kiss. Or if the kiss meant anything to the boy.

There were many times that he wanted to ask about the kiss. Ask if Jayce really meant it. When they were on the bridge that day, hours before their argument, Viktor wished Jayce had kissed him. When he leaned in. Prove that it meant something. That he meant something to the boy.

“You wanna know a story?” Viktor asked, looking up at Vander. He didn’t wait for an answer. “There were two stars once. Friends. One was a silver star and the other was a golden star. They were very good friends. And the silver star, he never met anyone as bright and as beautiful as the golden star.”

He sat up straighter, looking down at the table instead of Vander. If he wanted to tell this story without breaking into tears, he had to avoid eye contact at any cost. “The silver star loved the golden star. So much. He was amazed by everything the golden star did. He hoped and prayed that the golden star felt the same.” He paused, taking in a deep breath. “But it seemed the golden star didn’t feel the same. Didn’t marvel at the silver star’s brightness or its beauty. Never spared a glance.”

“One day, the silver star was met with a chance. The smallest chance, a small possibility that the golden star felt the same way. If only he had taken that chance that day. So the silver star waited for the right time to tell the golden star how he felt. In hopes that the golden star would understand him and see things the way he did. But before he could tell him, the golden star hurt him. Burned him in an unkindly manner. And the silver star ran away. He hid for a long time but even then, did he still love the golden star.”

He looked up once at Vander, searching for any shock or anger but the man’s face remained the same. Concerned and sad. “The golden star found him eventually and the two became friends again. And things were turning for the better.” His vision blurred and he felt the tears piling up. But he blinked them away, holding onto the chair to keep him tethered. “The silver star went to the golden star one more time. Thinking that maybe this time, this time things will be better. But then he realized something. The hard truth about stars. Silver stars do not fit in with golden stars. Gold to gold. Silver to silver. Never silver and gold. Especially not this golden star.Because he is gold through thick and thin. And no star could ever change that fact.”

Viktor paused. The truth came out so easily. Slipped out easier than a lie. Yet it was a painful truth. One that struck at his heart for so long. The thought that echoed in the back of his mind. He leaned back against the chair, inhaling sharply. “The end.” Vander didn’t say anything for a while. Simply sat there and watched Viktor. Hands clasped in front of him and gray eyes scanned every inch of his face. As if the man was waiting for him to break. But Viktor got good at keeping the tears at bay, pursing his lips together. “Would you like another story? The one about the Princess and the Glass Slipper perhaps?”

“How does the silver star know?”

“Know what?”

“That the golden star won’t change the way he sees things.”

“Because that’s how it is.”

“Is it?” Vander asked. “Have you heard about the other two stars then? Silver and golden too. The silver star, she tried her luck at opening the golden star’s eyes and she did it. Who’s to say this silver star can’t try it too?”

“Vi’s different from me.”

“How so?”

Viktor huffed. “You know how so.”

“I want to hear it from you.”

He shot Vander an irritated look but the man only raised his brow, as if asking Viktor to go on. Viktor shrugged again. He was gaining a habit of doing that. “Because Vi’s a fighter. She always has been. She fought for her sister, for you, for Mylo, Claggor. Someday she might even fight for this city. Everybody knew she would fight for Caitlyn. Fight for Mrs. Kiramman’s approval. Because that’s who she is. And I’m not Vi.”

“You sure about that?” Vander mused. “Aren’t you the kid who risked everything to help other Zaunites make it out there? That stood his ground when he got caught? That stood up to that Furball of a Principal? Sure you don’t get into street brawls here and there but you’re just as much of a fighter as any kid from the Undercity.” He grabbed Viktor’s hand, holding it out in front of him. “You don’t need this to open his eyes, kid. You just need a little fire in you.”

“I punched him once though.” Viktor murmured, watching the small grin spread on Vander’s face.

“Did you win?”

I got his nose to bleed.”

Vander stood up, chuckling. “You need a drink.”

“I don’t like alcohol.”

“We have sweetmilk.”

“I’ll have a glass."

Chapter Text

Mel Medarda knew Jayce like the back of her hand. He was unpredictable but also so easy to read. Maybe it was the combination of being a brilliant mind and a naive soul at the same time.

He disappeared after the third period. The desk next to her sat empty. Last period he had slumped into his chair and buried his head in his arms. She wanted to approach him, ask him what happened but she knew the boy would just give her a lousy lie and avoid the question for the rest of the day. So she settled for giving him the benefit of the doubt and kept her mouth shut.

But when he didn’t show up to the fourth period or the fifth, now she was worried. It wasn’t like Jayce to skip class. Sure he slept on the occasion but he never deliberately missed a class. As soon as the lunch bell rang, she rushed to the entrance of the school. There was a guard stationed at the entrance, to make sure no kids skipped classes. It was the second day of the week so Harold would be there. The old, sleepy guard who was especially nice to her.

“Harold!” She greeted him, smiling broadly at him. The practiced smile she rehearsed in front of the mirror. The type of smile adults loved because it made you look ‘proper’.

“Ah! Miss Medarda.” Harold greeted, tipping his hat respectfully. “What brings you here? Isn’t it your lunch break?”

“I just wanted to ask you something. Did…Jayce Talis leave school early? I haven’t seen him since the third period.”

“Talis? You mean the boy who’s apartment blew up?”

She grimaced. She knew how much Jayce hated that incident. How it tarnished his reputation. Made him look like some reckless boy playing with fire. “Yes. Him. Do you know where he went?”

Harold shook his head. “Haven’t seen him since this morning when he came in, Miss Medarda. Should I alert the Principal?”

Mel shook her head. So he hasn’t left the school. Well that narrowed it down for her. “No need. Thank you, Harold.”

If Jayce was in the school, there were only a few places he could be. He wasn’t the best at hiding. Especially since he didn’t like going into places that were supposedly “off limits”.

She found him behind the library, huddled against the brick. Back to the faded wall, knees hugged up to his chest. He didn’t look up at her when she approached him. Nor did he say anything when she sat down next to him. Just leaned against her, like they were in middle school again. Jayce knew it was her without having to look. Of course Mel of all people would come looking for him. “You missed three classes.” She remarked. “That’s a new record for you.”

He scoffed, feeling the small smile form on his face. “I didn’t feel like going.”

“If you just didn’t feel like going, you would’ve gone anyway and slept or drawn or annoyed me with your hammer fantasies.” Mel answered. She shifted a bit, crossing her legs together. “There’s something else going on here. What is it?”

He had kept Mel in the dark about everything. It felt wrong to keep it a secret but he didn’t know how she’d react if she found out what he’d been doing. The most she knew was that he and Viktor fought, Viktor punched him, they fought some more and then somehow, got back together again. She didn’t have to know why they got back together. To Mel’s knowledge, they were trying to replicate what Jayce had lost that day.

Jayce slumped further against the wall. He tried to forget about it all. Just push it to the back of his mind and never remember it. But they kept coming back, sticking to his brain and replaying over and over. The kiss. Their first fight. Their second. Getting back together and falling apart all over again. He lost count of how many times it repeated in his head.

Viktor was like marble. Not as fragile as glass but not as strong as granite. He told Jayce once what his childhood was like and what it was like to grow up in the undercity. He told him how most kids learned to climb rooftops and scale buildings just to get through the city and the times he would nearly miss a step. The boy was strong. Stronger than most would’ve imagined. It took guts to do the things Viktor did. He was quiet, yes, and he didn’t like mingling with crowds but he also had a sharp tongue and didn’t back away from a challenge. He didn’t let anyone underestimate him and he stood up to kids twice his size. Viktor was tough.

But Jayce saw him that day. The way Viktor seemed to shrink in on himself, tears running down his cheeks but his face was blank. He reminded Jayce of a statue under the rain. An expressionless face with wet tracks running down the polished face.

His father used to take him to the forge when he was young. Show him the ropes and teach him the basic skills of craftsmanship. He used to show Jayce the different hammers you could forge and what materials they could break. They had an inside joke. A saying of sorts. "Nothing a stubborn hammer couldn't break." How all they needed to crack the stone was a hammer that didn't kept going.

What can break marble? His father would say.

A stubborn hammer! Jayce would exclaim, excitedly.

Well they were about that. A stubborn hammer breaking marble.

He hugged his knees tighter to his chest. “Viktor and I got into a fight.”

Mel hummed. “You two have been getting into a lot of fights recently.”

“It’s my fault–”

“Is it really just your fault?” Mel asked. “Maybe you made your mistakes but we can’t say Viktor’s completely innocent here. He did punch you in the nose.”

“Because I told him Zaunites didn’t belong here!”

“Okay you deserved that.” Jayce sighed, tilting his head back against the wall. “But I know there’s some things you haven’t told me about. Things that happened between you and Viktor. You don’t have to tell me about them but…maybe Viktor made a mistake along the way. Said something he shouldn’t have?”

There were a lot of things Viktor did wrong. Jayce had to admit. Cheating for money. Ripping up his notes for no reason at all. And defending the people who blew up Jayce’s apartment.

“So maybe he did some bad things.” Jayce said. “That doesn’t make me the good guy.”

“And that is why you could never be a Councilor.” Mel sighed, fishing out a sandwich from her bag. “Jayce, there is no good and bad. It’s never ‘fully-good’ and ‘fully-bad’ unless, of course, you’re living in a fairytale which you aren’t. There’s just one human and another human, both trying to live their lives. They’re both doing what they think is right but that doesn’t mean they can do no wrong.”

“How does that correlate with me and Viktor?”

Mel took a bite of her sandwich. “You both did something right. But you two also fucked up along the way — excuse my language. You’re two high school boys who have different backgrounds, values and interests. Of course, you’re going to screw up at some point and so is he.”

“What do you want me to do?” He couldn’t just go back to Viktor and expect everything to be alright. “I can’t even look the guy in the eye. And I’m pretty sure if I get too close to him, he’ll punch me again.”

Mel gave him a pointed look. She stared at him for a few minutes, before sighing again. “How do you feel about Viktor, Jayce?” Her voice was slow, enunciating every syllable.

“What does that–”

“How do you feel about Viktor?” She repeated, olive green eyes boring holes right through him.

He paused, letting his thoughts get the better of him. Viktor was many things. Tired golden eyes that always held a sense of wonder and admiration in them. Like he looked at the world through the lens of wonder. Messy brown hair that he would tug on when he was deep in thought, twirling it and pulling it. Hands that could build amazing machinery from nothing. He could take one look at a few parts and turn it into something ingenious.

He liked to think Viktor was the moon. The guiding light that would always find you in the dark. They learned about the moon in science. How it kept the planet from wobbling too far. If he was the earth, Viktor was the moon. Keeping him tethered, making sure he didn’t fall over.

“He pisses me off.” Jayce laughed hollowly. “The guy…I can never think around him. It’s like all my systems shut down when he’s near and all I can think of is him. I get mad at him. I argue with him but I could never hate him. He’s…he’s Viktor.” He felt a lot of things around the boy. Sometimes he was angry, other times he was confused. But there was always that feeling in his stomach when he was around Viktor. When his heart would race and his breath would catch.

Mel didn’t break eye contact with him, her eyes clouded and unreadable. She leaned back against the wall, nodding. “You should go to him.” She murmured.

He knew he should. And he wanted to desperately. But he was afraid. Afraid that Viktor would turn him away. Or that he would back out again and lose his shot. But really, what more was there to lose?

Mel held out the other half of her sandwich. “Would you like some? Elora made it for me and it’s really good.”

“I think she’d rather you have it all than offer some to me.”

“Your loss.”

--------

Caitlyn stomped through the halls, back straight and feet marching at a rhythmic pace. Her mother taught her that if you must walk quickly, at least make yourself look proper.

Vi chased after her, panting heavily. “This isn’t a good idea, cupcake.” She heaved. “First off, he might not even do it anymore. And secondly, I don’t think he would chicken out. He’s tougher than that.”

“You don’t know him like I do. We have to be sure.” Caitlyn replied, swiftly. “You were the one who told me to be prepared for every possible outcome no matter the chances.”

“But asking her? Why her of all people?”

“Because if I know anything about Mel Medarda, it’s that she’ll protect her assets.” Caitlyn stopped at the classroom door. It was dismissal and most students had already left but she knew the girl’s schedule. Mel usually stayed behind to fix the classrooms. As assistant to Professor Hoskel, she also had her duties like the other assistants.

She swung the door open and just as expected, Mel was wiping away the writings on the blackboard. “Did your mother leave something for you to do as well?” Mel asked, still erasing the chalk on the board. She spared one glance at their direction, spotting Vi hiding behind Caitlyn. “Find another classroom for your date, Caitlyn.”

Caitlyn groaned. “I wanted to ask you something actually. A favor.” She felt Vi tugged on her sleeve. As if telling her to back out.

She always had second thoughts about inviting Jayce. Sure he seemed confident and they practiced multiple times for this but if he messed up, where would that leave them?

Mel set the eraser down, eyeing Caitlyn down from head to toe. The two of them were civil with each other, sure, but they were far from friends.

“What do you want?”

Chapter Text

They would meet at the bridge. That was the arrangement. Then they’d walk to the University Courtyard together and everything would go according to plan.

Viktor fastened his tie in front of the cracked mirror. His face looked pale, tired. The dark circles under his eyes had only grown these past weeks and his hair was beginning to grow out. He would have to cut it soon.

They were told to wear their uniforms. The blazer, tie and all. Keep their hair neat and look presentable as possible. You want to make a good first impression if you happen to spot any University Professor. Heimerdinger told them the day before the exam. Do not bring any books or notes with you, just two pencils and an eraser.

Viktor reached for the blank pieces of paper. He twisted the handle of his cane, revealing the small hiding spot inside. Singed made it for him to hide a pocket knife or a weapon to defend himself when he was younger. Now, he folded the pieces of paper neatly, slipping it inside and twisting the handle closed.

The others were still asleep. Mylo and Claggor were having their exam tomorrow and Vi still had some time to doze off. He tiptoed his way out of their shared room, taking slow steps up the stairs. Vander waved at him as he left the Last Drop, wishing him good luck.

It was quiet outside. The sun had barely risen and it was possibly the quietest hours in the Undercity. The partygoers who stayed up all night, blaring rock music, headed home an hour ago and were now fast asleep somewhere. If you walked through the city at this hour, you’d think it was a ghost town.

Would Jayce be there? They hadn’t talked in so long nor had they practiced; Viktor just hoped and prayed that Jayce would wash off his pride and meet him at the bridge.

He counted his steps as he walked. Trying to ignore the doubt that flooded his brain. What if Jayce didn’t show up? What if he ratted me out to Heimerdinger? What if he told the enforcers and now Vi and the others are going to get arrested?

But what if he didn’t mean what he said that day?

Viktor shook his head. Have some pride. He told himself, gritting his teeth. Being hopeful at this time won’t get you anywhere. It might even hurt you a bit more.

“I’ve gotten used to it.” He huffed to no one at all.

The rest of the walk was silent. With the sun barely risen, the lightest hint of fog filled the empty paths of Zaun. He liked it. The cool, quiet morning where the smell of dew managed to overpower the smell of smoke.

He inhaled the cool scent, clearing his brain of any doubts and worries. If Jayce didn’t show up, he could manage.

He had too.

–------

Jayce bounced on the balls of his feet, shaking his hands and taking in deep breaths. He could still taste the warm toast and milk on his tongue. His mother stopped by at his apartment to make him breakfast, patting him on the back encouragingly. Telling him that he could do it and things would turn out alright.

He had all the time in the world to go to the University Courtyard. Be the first one there and make an impression on the Professors who would be watching them. But on his way to the Courtyard, he thought of Viktor. How the boy would have to finish the job on his own. He imagined it. Viktor sitting in the test room, eyes squeezed shut trying to memorize all the answers.

Would they still pay him? Probably not. They’d just divide the money in three instead of four and pay their tuition in full. He thought about his mom. Though she might have something saved just for him, he doubted it would be enough to send him to any prestigious University. He needed the money.

And he wanted to make amends.

He turned on his heel and ran. Down the streets of Piltover. It was empty at this hour. Most workers started heading for work an hour later. His footsteps echoed down the large streets and he could hear himself panting through his mouth. Strands of hair fell on his face. All that gel and combing for nothing.

They were supposed to meet at the bridge. And head to the Courtyard together. That was the plan. But when Jayce made it to the bridge, there was no sign of Viktor. The bridge was completely empty, the sun’s rays turning the pavement golden.

Did Viktor already leave? Or was he still on his way? He should’ve seen him then on his way to the bridge. Jayce leaned against one of the cables, fixing his hair. They still had time. He could wait.

Minutes passed and still no Viktor. Jayce paced back and forth, taking quick glances at where Viktor should show up. People were starting to cross the bridge as well and the sun was rising higher and higher. The test began in less than an hour and Viktor still didn’t show up.

He fidgeted, scratched his hair, tapped his fingers, wondering where Viktor could be? Maybe he slept in? As if. The boy stayed up more than he slept in. Maybe some guys from the Undercity attacked him? Why would they? He was saving their asses by doing this. What if he got sick again? “Screw it.” Jayce muttered, breaking into another sprint into the Undercity. He knew Viktor stayed at the Last Drop so he should see him on his way there.

The streets were surprisingly empty. Jayce couldn’t imagine a time where Zaun was quiet yet here he was. Hardly a citizen in sight. He was starting to think there was no one around at all. Maybe all Zaunites magically disappeared last night?

He turned around the corner, stopping in his tracks. Viktor stood at the opposite end, his eyes wide as he took in the sight of Jayce Talis. His hair had been swept back and combed through neatly. He wore the standard uniform, blazer and all; Jayce would’ve mistaken him for a citizen of Piltover.

“What are you doing here?” Viktor asked. God, he missed hearing his voice.

Jayce shrugged, trying to catch his breath. “I was looking for you.”

For a brief moment, he saw the shock on Viktor’s face but it was gone in a moment. So fast that Jayce thought he must’ve imagined it. “It’s not that late.” He remarked, taking quick strides forward. “I woke up early since I knew the walk would be quite long.”

He didn’t look at Jayce, eyes straight ahead. Didn’t even stop in front of Jayce, just walked past him as if he was an obstacle in his path. Jayce felt the pang in his chest when Viktor passed. How many times has he asked Viktor for his forgiveness? And how many times has Viktor given it? The boy will get tired. His mind taunted. Soon he’ll forget about you.

Jayce spun around. “Don’t we have a job to do?” He called out, following Viktor.

“You tell me.” Viktor scoffed, his back still turned. He kept walking, clearly not in the mood for Jayce’s games. “Forgive me for assuming the worst of Topsiders but I figured you already ratted me out.”

“So it’s still my fault?” Jayce asked. “You aren’t an angel either.”

Viktor turned around, a scowl forming on his face. “I never said I was the good guy here, Jayce.” He hissed. “I never said you were the villain and I was the hero. I just said I had my reasons for doing what I did.”

“And I understand that.” Jayce protested. He had never seen Viktor like this. So hostile. His walls held up as he viewed Jayce as someone dangerous. “I understand you, Viktor and I’m trying to help you. Why won’t you let me?”

“You broke my trust, what did you expect?”

“And I’m sorry for that! I swear it won’t happen again.”

“I’m sick of your promises!” His voice came out loud, almost like a shout. Jayce didn’t say anything, letting the words settle in. It was like they were back at the cannery, fighting. Except this time Viktor was the one who was mad. But his eyes weren’t cold. Not like before. They were round and sad. Almost like it hurt him to say those words.

He seemed different. It wasn’t anger fuelling him right now. Jayce has seen Viktor’s anger. The silent rage that burned deep. This was a lot of things. Rage and pain and confusion, all things mixed together. But it felt a lot deadlier than the past. Like he’s pushed Viktor over the edge and now he was facing the consequence.

He expected Viktor to say something. To fight back. Release whatever was going on inside him. Instead, Viktor’s shoulders slumped forward and he sighed. Defeated.“I don’t want to fight right now. Let’s settle this later.” His voice came out soft.

“But what about the job?” Jayce asked, expectantly.

“We’ll go through with it.” Viktor answered, turning his back again. Jayce felt the slightest surge of hope bubbling inside him. So he was A semi-scowl etched on his face. “If you want my trust again, don’t give me promises, give me proof.”

Chapter Text

The University Courtyard was located right in the center of Piltover. Of course a city that prided itself on their prestigious education would have a University right in the center of their city. The heart of Piltover, a scholar might say. Zaunites, though, would call it pretentious.

Viktor and Jayce walked the rest of the way in silence, the tension growing between them. Jayce, in an attempt to keep himself entertained started drumming his pencil on anything he could find while Viktor made sure to thump his cane against the floor as hard as he could. Every tap of the cane made Jayce clench his jaw and every beat of the pencil made Viktor grip his cane tighter.

How many times have they fought? Viktor was beginning to lose count. It felt like every moment he spent with Jayce would just end in an argument. A shouting match, a bloody nose, notes torn to pieces, how many more fights did Viktor have in him?

Focus. He told himself. We have a bigger problem at hand.

When they made it to the Courtyard, students were starting to file in as well. The top 40 of Piltover. 39 Topsiders and 1 Zaunite. Viktor took a long look at all of them. Fixed hair and neatly pressed clothes. Polished shoes and that thick Topsider accent filled the air. If this was how it would be when Viktor goes to college, he wasn’t so sure if he wanted to go anymore.

They huddled close together, chattering and laughing like they were close friends. Caitlyn told him that many of them were only friends because their parents made them. Rich families that only wanted their children interacting with other rich families. Keeping their circle small, Vander would say.

Jayce, surprisingly, didn’t join in. He lurked beside Viktor, looking anywhere but at him. Up at the ceiling, down on the polished floor, at the pillar standing next to them. Was he nervous? Probably. His eyes darted up and he froze. Viktor looked up, wondering what caught Jayce’s attention and he felt his heart drop.

Enforcers stood on the second floor. Hands gripped to their rifles, looking down at the students. Caitlyn didn’t tell him about the enforcers being here.

“They only added them this year.” Mel’s voice came out clear and calm. She took quick strides toward them, looking up as well. “Last year, a kid assaulted the Proctor when he wasn’t able to finish the test on time. It’s just a precaution.”

“I think the rifles are a bit too much.” Jayce quipped.

“They're probably empty” Mel hummed. “It's just a show of strength to intimidate us.”

Viktor scoffed. “Well, it’s working.” He’s had his fair share of enforcers. How they acted tough to scare you to submission. It wasn’t him he was worried about. It was Jayce.

He glanced at the boy and just as expected, he looked nervous, his eyes darting between Mel and the enforcers. Viktor could tell what he was thinking. What if they get caught? Would the enforcers catch them in the act? Would they get arrested?

Mel must’ve noticed the boy’s nervousness too, nodding her head at Viktor. “As long as you don’t do anything stupid, they’ll leave you alone.” She spoke in a hushed tone. Her eyes met Viktor’s. “And don’t make a scene.” What did she mean by that? Did she expect Viktor to dramatically faint? Viktor looked at the girl, searching her face for any possible clue. But she looked as impassive as ever. Her words were supposed to be for Jayce but it felt like a part of it was directed at Viktor too.

She stared at him, for a long time, as if she wanted to say something. But when she opened her mouth to speak, the bell rang loud and clear, signaling the start of the first test. “All students, please proceed to Room 3.” The speakers blared at least 5 times.

“Good luck.” Mel whispered, nodding in Viktor’s direction again. He returned the nod and watched the girl walk away. She was going to tell him something. But what?

The students made their way through the halls, chattering amongst one another.
Viktor and Jayce stayed at the back of the crowd. The latter nudged him as they walked down the hall. He looked pale, his hands instinctively reaching for his bracelet. “You didn’t say there were going to be enforcers!” He hissed. “What if they catch us?”

“They won’t.” Viktor hissed back. “But if you keep staring like a fish, they might.”

“What if they get suspicious?”

Most Undercity kids were taught 3 rules when engaging with enforcers. 3 steps that would keep them safe while they didn't know how to fight or fake a story on the spot.

1. Don’t be suspicious
2. Don’t look at them.
3. Don’t run away.

They grow out of those rules eventually. When they're older and a bit wiser. But Viktor figured Jayce could use the lesson.

“Don’t be suspicious.” Viktor whispered, looking Jayce in the eye. He looked like a scared puppy. “Don’t look at them. And don’t run away. You’ll be fine.”

Jayce bobbed his head, looking straight ahead. No matter how many times they practiced this, Jayce would never be fully prepared for it. Viktor could only hope and pray that he would suck in his fear and memorize his half of the test.

The room was big, with enough space between the chairs to prevent cheating. Their names were written on top of the table they were assigned to. Viktor slipped into his seat while Jayce plopped down beside him. The Sheriff of Piltover stood at the front of the room and Viktor had to curse under his breath. Of course she was their proctor. They may as well put an enforcer beside each student. Though that might just send Jayce into a nervous breakdown.

“Good morning.” Sheriff Grayson spoke as soon as everyone was in their seats. “I’m sure you know why you’re here today so I won’t get into that.” She held out the stack of papers, handing some to each student at the front of the room. “You will find the answer sheet and scratch paper inside the test booklet.”

Viktor kept his eyes directed at the paper in front of him. The words ADMISSIONS TEST were printed on the front of the questionnaire in big bold letters. Nervousness creeped into his stomach. Did he study enough for this?

“You may begin.” The Sheriff spoke and the sound of 40 papers being flipped open echoed through the room. Viktor held up his pencil to the answer sheet. Here goes nothing.

It was eerily quiet in the test room, save for the occasional flipping of papers. Sheriff Grayson didn’t move from her spot at the front of the room. Viktor had to commend her for that. Her eyes must be that good if she could keep an eye on all of them.

Viktor continued scribbling down his answers. He had time. Plenty of it. The test was easier than he imagined. Basic stock knowledge. Vi could probably do this without me. He thought bemusedly.

He didn’t bother looking at Jayce. They practiced this. Jayce could at least suck up his fear for now and answer. He shaded the circles on the answer sheet quickly, his pencil moving at an amazing speed.

Finally, he reached the end of the test, shading the final circle. He looked up at the clock. 15 minutes. That was enough time to memorize. He saw Jayce look up as well, setting his pencil down. Good, they both finished with enough time to spare.

He jotted down his half of the test on his scratch paper, making a mental reminder to erase them later. Softly, he mouthed the letters listed down, letting his brain absorb it properly.

A. C. D. B. B. A. D. C. C…..

Jayce did the same, squeezing his eyes shut. His head was tilted down, so it would look like he was just dozing off.

Viktor repeated the letters over and over until the pattern stuck to his brain. 67 answers. 67 letters for 3100 Gold Hexes. He wondered what Singed would say when he tells him about it. Though he’d have to explain the whole cheating fiasco too when he shows up with that much money.

“Time’s up.” Viktor erased the answers on his scratch paper, clearing it of any evidence. Jayce did the same. “Leave your papers on your desk and vacate the room. You have a 15 minute break.”

As soon as Grayson finished her announcement, Viktor and Jayce were already shooting out of their seats and scurrying out of the test room. The answers were still fresh in their minds but not for long.

The plan was to leave the Courtyard and hide in the nearest alleyway to write down the answers. As soon as they turned down the corner, Jayce was unclasping his bracelet and Viktor was twisting the handle on his cane. They jotted down their answers in silence, both of them too afraid to get distracted.

Viktor finished first, folding the paper and stuffing it back in his cane. He watched Jayce fumble with his paper, taking sudden stops when he couldn’t remember the next letter. “For someone’s first time cheating, you’re doing alright.” Maybe a little encouragement would help rewire his brain.

“Thanks.” Jayce huffed, scribbling the last few letters and folding his paper. “I feel like Grayson’s suspicious. I saw her staring at me earlier.”

“She was staring at everyone.” They exited the alleyway, side by side, heading back to the Courtyard.

“She looked right at me, Viktor.”

“Probably enamored by your devilish looks.”

“She was staring.”

“She couldn’t have seen you.”

“What if she noticed me memorizing the answers?”

“She didn’t.” Viktor answered sharply. He barely had any patience left to deal with Jayce’s antics. He was hungry and tired and wanted to go home. “Like I said, just don’t be weird. It’ll only raise suspicion.”

Jayce didn’t answer him any more. But he could tell the boy was nervous. His tense figure, the way he fidgeted with his bracelet, everything about him screamed nervousness. No matter what Viktor did, Jayce was clearly out of it. He wouldn’t be surprised if the boy messed up when answering the test.

Everyone else lurked outside the Courtyard, sitting by the stairs, munching on the small snacks they hid in their pockets. Viktor felt his stomach growl a bit. He had skipped breakfast out of fear of being late. He wondered if Jayce had something in his pockets. Something worth sharing.

“Viktor.” Mel was running towards him. A hasty look on her face. “I need to talk to you.” She looped her arm with his dragging him away from Jayce. Viktor barely had time to register what just happened, Mel tugging him far away from everyone, not too far to be suspicious but far enough where no one could hear them.

“What did you want to tell me?” Viktor asked, straightening his shirt.

Mel took a quick glance at the chattering crowd of students before facing him. “How’s Jayce?”

“What do you mean ‘How’s Jayce?’ Why can’t you ask him yourself.”

“Because he looks like a fish out of water.” Mel answered. “Caitlyn told me he’s never done this before and he might freak out and I assumed the girl was just thinking lowly of him but clearly he’s not in the right—”

Viktor gulped. He could mess with Topsiders but not a Noxian. They prided themselves on honor and cheating was absolutely dishonorable. She would tell Heimerdinger. And all this time he was worried about Jayce. “What did she tell you?”

“That you and Jayce are going to send 6200 students the answers to this Test. For money.” His heart dropped. Perfect. She knew the gist of it.

“I can explain.”

“Don’t bother, we don't have time.” Mel said, glancing over her shoulder again. Her eyes met his and she scoffed. “I’m not a snitch, Viktor. I would never cheat but I understand what you’re doing here.”

“Sorry, it’s a habit of mine to assume the worst of people.”

“I can tell.” Mel huffed. “Look, Caitlyn told me about this because she wanted me to keep an eye on you two. Jayce, mostly. She didn’t think he could handle it. I didn’t believe her at first but seeing him this morning—”

“He got through the first part, just fine.” They practiced this. Many times. It was expected that Jayce would get ‘first-time-jitters’ but he could best this. Things would go by smoothly. As planned. As long as Jayce followed the 3 steps Viktor gave him. “He can do this, Mel.”

“Can he?” Mel asked, she was looking past him. At something behind him. “I don’t think he’ll be taking the second test.”

No.

Viktor turned around. They had left Jayce right in the middle, where anyone could see him. In his rush to follow after Mel, he didn’t notice the enforcers standing closely behind the students, monitoring them. They were mostly talking to one another, probably didn’t suspect the kids talking and jostling around.

But they would suspect Jayce, who stood a few feet away from everyone alone. Jayce, who looked nervous, suspicious. Who was recently interrogated by the council. Who was considered ‘dangerous’ by default. Who was breaking every single rule, Viktor had told him.

1. Don’t be suspicious.

Already done that.

2. Don’t look at them.

While he and Mel had been conversing, Jayce must’ve been looking around, trying to act cool and casual. Unfortunately, at some point, he locked eyes with one of the enforcers and maintained eye contact for a prolonged period of time, raising the enforcer’s suspicion.

The enforcer was taking slow steps towards Jayce, head tilted in curiosity. Jayce stared back at him, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape. Viktor knew he couldn’t get in the way. If he did that would only make him a suspect too. He had to let Jayce deal with it on his own. Just don’t try to escape please. He prayed

3. Don’t run away.

When the enforcer got a bit closer, Jayce took a step back. And another and another. No. Viktor thought. Stop. You’re only going to make it worse.

Jayce turned his head, catching Viktor’s eye. His eyes wide and fearful. He looked ready to bolt. Don’t run. Viktor prayed. Please don’t run. He shook his head frantically, hoping the boy would get the message.

He didn’t. Jayce made a run for it.

Chapter Text

Jayce didn’t run that far. You have to remember he’s a kid from Piltover.

He skidded to a halt at a dead end. His heart was racing and he could feel his breakfast churning in his stomach. It was wrong to run, he knew that. But his feet seemed to have a mind of their own.

The enforcer’s footsteps grew louder, boots stomping against the hard ground. “Hey!” He yelled, jogging towards Jayce. This was it. He was going to get caught cheating, Viktor too and all the other guys. Then they’d get arrested, or exiled. And forever be known as the kids who tried cheating on the University Test.

He felt the enforcer yank him by the sleeve, slamming his back against the wall. Jayce recognized this guy. Marcus. The Kiramman’s liked him. Said he was a good enforcer and would take on Grayson’s position when she retires. Jayce thought that was bullshit. The guy was nothing like Grayson.

“What are you hiding, kid?” Marcus barked, holding him by the collar. He stared Jayce down like he was eyeing a criminal. Jayce couldn’t answer, the words dying at the tip of his tongue. What should he do? Lie? Tell the truth? Either way he was dead meat. “Spit it out!”

“Nothing!” Jayce spluttered, raising his hands up to feign innocence. “I don’t know what you’re talking about–”

“Bullshit.” Marcus scowled. “Why’d you run then, huh?”

Why did he? Viktor had warned him not to do anything stupid and here he was blubbering like an idiot in front of an enforcer. If they weren’t suspicious enough, he just handed them more reason to be. He wondered what Viktor would do. Would he have made up a lie on the spot? Well, Viktor wouldn’t have gotten caught in the first place. He was way too talented for that.

“What’s going on here?” At the sound of Grayson’s voice, Marcus released Jayce and only then did the boy release the enforcer had him pinned against the wall and held up so his feet wouldn’t touch the ground. “What are you doing to that boy?”

“He’s been acting weird since he got here!” Marcus responded. “Then when I get near him, he’s fleeing for the hills.”

“Well, if you’re going to approach him like that, of course he’s going to get stiff.” Grayson said, sternly. She was walking towards Jayce. It was like that time his apartment got blown up. She had been there to interrogate him. “Relax, kid. We aren’t going to bite your head off.”

“I didn’t do anything.” Jayce blurted.

Grayson raised a brow. “Well, I never said that you did anything. But now…why exactly are you so nervous here, Jayce?”

Shit. This was bad. He was cornered in by two of Piltover's top Enforcers. One of them already suspicious of him and the other one starting to grow suspicious. He could lie. Fake an excuse. Though he wasn’t sure lying to THE Sheriff of Piltover would be easy. He wasn’t Mel with her smooth talk or Viktor with his ingenuity. He was just Jayce Talis. The supposed Golden Boy of Piltover who couldn’t even explain himself.

“I–”

“He was covering for me.”

Jayce peeked over Grayson’s shoulder after hearing that familiar voice. Viktor was standing a few feet away from them, panting slightly. He looked like he had run after Jayce too. Knowing Viktor, he must’ve had a plan to get Jayce away from Marcus. Had he gotten there sooner, would he have helped Jayce climb over the dead end? Maybe yank off the sewer lid and show him the secret tunnels of the Undercity.

“You’re…that new kid living with Vander.” Grayson remarked. She gestured towards Jayce. “What do you mean he’s covering for you?”

Viktor looked at the Sheriff then at Jayce, as if he was contemplating his next words. He hesitated for a moment before speaking. “I looked at his test paper.”

What? Jayce looked at Viktor in disbelief. The two enforcers seemed to have forgotten about him, now more focused on the brown haired boy. Cheating on a quiz was one thing but this was the University Admission’s Test. Viktor saying he cheated could be the end of his future. He would lose every opportunity to go to a University in Piltover, find a job or help the people of the Undercity.

Why would he do this?

“Jayce saw a-and I told him to keep it a secret.” Viktor finished. “It’s my fault. Not his.”

No. No it wasn’t. Jayce wanted to say. Viktor’s done nothing but help the Undercity. I got in the way. He had so many things he wanted to say but his mouth remained shut. Instead, he ducked his head low and looked away from the boy.

“I’m not sure how it is in the Undercity but cheating is a major offense in Piltover.” Grayson spoke. “I’m sorry but I can’t let you take the second test. It’s standard protocol. The Council will decide what to do with you.”

“What about me?” Jayce asked. He wasn’t sure where that came from. That sudden burst of courage. How many times has he let Viktor down? Hurt him and betray him? He wasn’t sure how long it would take to earn his forgiveness, let alone his trust. If you want my trust, don’t give me promises, give me proof. This was the best Jayce could do. “I was going to lie for him. Shouldn’t I be removed too?”

We’ll go down together.

Viktor’s eyes widened. He looked like he was going to protest but Grayson spoke first. “You didn’t exactly do anything wrong here, kid.” She answered. What did she mean? He was going to lie for Viktor. Cover up what he did. Isn’t that an offense too?

You know why she won’t arrest you. His brain whispered.

“But Jayce is at fault too.” Mel peeked out of the corner. Her hands clasped in front of her, figure poised and graceful. Like she was speaking to the Council. “Perhaps he did not make the same mistake but had Viktor not intervened, Jayce probably would’ve covered up what Viktor did.”

“But it’s not that big of an offense compared to Viktor’s, Miss Medarda.”

“Yes but he would have been an accomplice.” Mel’s voice was impeccably calm. But Jayce could see the slight fear in her eyes. She was risking something here too. “Why are you only taking the perpetrator and not his accomplice? How sure are you that the accomplice won’t become the perpetrator next time?”

“What are you saying here?” Marcus barked, clearly not in the mood for her games.

“I’m saying that you must be prepared for any possibilities.” Mel answered, meeting Jayce’s eyes. She gave him the smallest nod possible. As if telling him that she was here to help. “And that you should be fair to all citizens. Whether they come from Piltover or Zaun.” Viktor’s lips curled upwards ever so slightly. Did they plan this?

Grayson seemed intrigued, nodding her head in approval. “Well, future Councilor, what would you suggest we do with them?”

“Let them finish the test then take them to the Council.” Jayce made a mental reminder to thank the girl later. “As students of Valoran Academy and of the City of Progress, they have the right to complete this test. If you want to prevent cheating, you can have them switch seats with other students. Put them at the front of the room if you would like. Either choice works.”

Marcus shook his head. “This is stupid. Just take them to the Council and get this over with.”

Grayson eyed the three students very carefully. It almost looked like she was analyzing them from head to toe. Unraveling their secrets and whatever games they were playing. Eventually she sighed, beckoning Jayce to move with a tilt of her head. “Go back to the Courtyard. We’ll discuss what to do with the both of you after the test.”

Jayce breathed a sigh of relief, ignoring the clamoring protests from Marcus. He scurried past Grayson, walking between Mel and Viktor. They didn’t speak, perhaps out of fear that the Sheriff was still watching them. That one wrong move and she would have them sent straight to the Council.

Once they were pretty far ahead, Mel spoke first. “I said don’t make a scene and you decided to make the most flamboyant scene Piltover’s ever seen.”

“Why do you think they call him Golden Boy?” Viktor scoffed.

“You can’t be mad at me for being nervous!” Jayce exclaimed, stepping in front of them. They just couldn’t understand the creeping anxiety at the back of his head. The thought of screwing up and getting caught. He couldn’t even imagine what the Council Meeting would look like later. Who would vouch for him?

Viktor scowled. “You’re right. I can’t be mad at you for being nervous.” He stepped forward, jabbing his finger at Jayce’s chest. “But I can be mad at you blowing our fucking cover!”

“Gentlemen,” Mel called. “I’ll skip past the fact neither of you should be cheating for money—”

“Since when did she know?” Jayce exclaimed, still looking at Viktor.

“And discuss with you my plan for later.” Mel finished, enunciating her words with fervor. She glared at both of them. The Medardas had no time for boys who couldn’t get a simple job done. “As you know, the Council allows me to sit-in meetings and observe. Lately, they’ve allowed me to participate in some meetings and they do take my words into consideration.”

“So you’ll lie for us?”

“I’ll vouch for you.” Mel corrected. “Making up a brand new story on the spot would be difficult. So tell half of the truth instead. Heimerdinger’s on the Council anyway. I’m sure he’ll be nicer to his prized students.”

“We should be fine.” Viktor nodded. “As long as Jayce doesn’t screw up again.”

“What do I say then?” Jayce asked. “What’s half the truth of cheating?”

Viktor started walking again, one hand in his pocket. His jaw was clenched and his hair was a mess. He almost looked like a mad scientist. “You won’t have to say anything.” He murmured, glancing at Jayce. Golden eyes calculating invisible equations. “You’ll just have to run fast.”

Chapter Text

Jayce chewed on his pencil. He had a bad habit of doing that as a kid. When he got older, the habit disappeared. But with all the worries flooding his brain, he returned to the old habit as a source of comfort.

He gnawed on his pencil, glancing at the front of the room. Grayson decided to put Viktor up front where she could easily see him. She spared him some glances too here and there making sure he didn’t ‘copy the perpetrator’.

How were they supposed to get the answers out now? Grayson was probably going to collect them right after the test. Have them sent to the Council with Enforcers flanking them on all sides. To make sure they don’t run off.

He looked down at his answer sheet. He had completed the test minutes ago. The next step would be to memorize them. Except there was no use for that, was there? How would they deliver the message in time? The Council Meeting would take hours and stamping the pencils would take awhile as well. He wondered what Vi and Caitlyn were doing at this time. Probably waiting for the vial to come.

His eyes landed on Viktor, as if he would find any answer. Something to ease his mind. But Viktor had his back hunched over his paper, hand holding the pencil but he didn’t write. No. He was memorizing.

Why? What point was there to still memorize the answer? Would Mel send the vials? She would be at their Council Meeting. It’s not like they could outrun the enforcers. Maybe Viktor could swing through the rooftops to escape. If Grayson didn’t have such a keen eye on him.

He glanced down at the shaded circles. Viktor was memorizing them for a reason. Jayce didn’t know what it could mean or why he was still trying but he had to trust the guy. Prove to Viktor that he could earn his trust back. So he scanned through his answer sheet, reading every letter until it stuck to his brain.

D. C. C. A. B. B. C. A. A. D. B. B…

“5 more minutes.” Crap. He started too late. He squeezed his eyes shut, mouthing the letters to try and memorize them better. Everything seemed to grow a little bit louder. The flipping of pages, the tapping of one’s pencil, the ticking of the clock. He could even hear his heart pounding in his ears. As if the world was trying to drown out the letters in his brain.

Stay focused. He thought to himself. They practiced this for weeks. He could do it. He’ll be fine. Just don’t panic this time.

He looked up at Viktor again. Partially hoping that the boy would look at him again. But he was looking at Mel instead. They were both looking at each other. As if they were speaking telepathically. Then Viktor nodded, so did Mel and they went back to their test papers.

Jayce had a lot of questions for them. He’d been their friend long enough to know Mel and Viktor have never actually talked to each other that much. They only had History together on the first day of the week and they didn't even talk to each other then. So since when did they get so close to have telepathic conversations like that? He had to admit, he thought they’d hate each other.

“Time is up.” Shit. He looked back down on his paper, trying to absorb as much as he could. The clients had the liberty to not follow his answers anyway. If some were wrong, he wouldn’t be held accountable for it. “You know the drill. Leave your papers on your desk and exit the room.” She wasn’t going to make Viktor and Jayce stay? He half expected her to ask them to stay. “Congratulations. Have a nice day ahead.”

Mel and Viktor shot out of their seats, so did Jayce. Maybe there was still a chance. He didn’t know how they were gonna run out of the Courtyard without looking suspicious but clearly Viktor had a plan. He just had to trust the guy here.

Viktor tugged his sleeve as soon as they were out of the Courtyard. He looked panicked. So did Mel. They were both glancing over their shoulders as if an enforcer was going to come by.

“You’re going to have to send the answers on your own.” Viktor whispered. He was looking down. Only then did Jayce realize he was writing his answers down as they spoke. “You can do your part when you get there but you have to be quick.”

“Wait, what?” He couldn’t do this alone. What if he panicked and messed up. “No, I can’t do this, Vik. You know how I screwed up earlier—”

“Forget about that.” Mel huffed, reaching into her pocket for something. “You messed up earlier so redeem yourself and run. We’ll buy you some time.”

“How?”

She held up a small detonator. So small Jayce thought it was a marker. “Jinx rigged an old building with explosives. It should distract the enforcers long enough for you to get away.”

“What? That’s illegal!” Mel gave him a look of disbelief but didn’t say anything. Instead she nodded in Viktor’s direction and headed back inside the Courtyard. “Where’s she going?”

“Buying us time.” Viktor answered, still jotting down his answers on the paper.

He couldn’t believe this. It was one thing to cheat but to blow up a building? All for a couple of answers. They were just testing his limits at this point. “Viktor, I can’t—”

“Yes you can.” Viktor hissed. “Just run, you’ll be fine.”

“I can’t do this without you.” He blurted, feeling the embarrassment creep in. So what if he needed help? Jayce wasn’t Viktor. He wasn’t Vi. Or Mel. Or Caitlyn. Who’s to say he won’t freeze up and get caught? Viktor should finish the job. Not him. “What if I mess up?”

“You won’t.” Viktor spoke much softer this time. He grabbed Jayce’s hand, unfurling it and handing him the papers. “You want my trust, right? Do this for me. That’s proof enough.” Jayce thought he would just let go of his hand but to his surprise, Viktor turned his fist over, pressing the softest kiss to Jayce’s knuckles. So light he barely felt it. His cheeks grew warm and he felt his heart leap. If there wasn’t the issue of the enforcers looming over them, he might’ve hugged Viktor right then and there.

Get it together!

“Just run. Don’t worry about me.” Viktor murmured. “I’ll be alright.”

And he ran. With a plan this time. He didn’t look back, jogging down the streets of the Courtyard. Eventually the enforcers would go looking and Viktor wouldn’t be able to cover for him. He stuffed Viktor’s papers in his pocket and reached for the other slip of paper and his pencil.

His penmanship was far from neat but Caitlyn would be able to read it. His rough speed made it hard for him to focus and write down his answers. Every once in a while, he would lose his footing, forgetting what letter came next. But he racked his brain to remember. Reciting the pattern like a chant. Forcing himself to forget about everything around him and just think about those 67 letters.

BOOM!

Jayce nearly stumbled over at the sound of the explosion behind him. That didn’t sound small. He glanced over his shoulder, spotting the small trail of smoke growing larger. Clearly Jinx didn’t hold back with her demolitions.

The alarms blared all over Piltover, the deep trumpet noise echoing everywhere. Meant to alert the Enforcers of disasters. That should be enough to distract them and give Jayce some more time.

“Hey! Get back here!”

Or maybe not.

Marcus was chasing after him. Along with 2 other enforcers flanking his sides. The head start was enough to keep Jayce far away but it wouldn’t be long until they caught up. At least back up seemed highly improbable considering the blown up building in the opposite direction Jayce was going.

The alarms kept going, probably waking up all of Piltover and Zaun alike. Some citizens started peeking out of their homes to see what had happened. Crowds of people flooded the streets in panic. Jayce squeezed through them, hoping the enforcers would get stuck somewhere or lose him in the crowd.

“Move!” He heard Marcus yell. He sounded farther away this time. Or maybe his voice was just drowned out by the clamors of panic from the people. Jayce didn’t bother looking back, forcing his feet to move faster.

The bridge was just in sight. He slowed down a bit to reach for the hidden vials by the lamppost. Twisting the lid open, he stuffed the papers inside. 1. 2. 3. 4. And squeezed it shut. He could still hear the enforcers chasing after him. If he stopped at the pneumatic tube, he would be caught. If he kept running all the way into Zaun, he might get Vi and Caitlyn roped into this. They were too close. He needed another distraction. Another explosion perhaps.

There was a flash of green in the corner of his eye, followed by the sound of something rattling behind him. Something metal, blue and pink smoke billowing out of it.

He spent enough time with Jinx to know what that was.

POOF.

It was a smoke bomb. Fumes color pink and blue erupted behind him, surrounding the Enforcers in thick fog. He heard Marcus curse and the footsteps stopped. They couldn’t see him.

“What are ya waiting for?!” Jinx yelled above him. She and Ekko were standing on his hoverboard, teetering rather dangerously on it. Ekko did mention they were only good for one person. “The smoke won’t last forever!”

Jayce ran for it. He’s never ran like this before. Sprinting through the streets like his life depended on it. His arms swinging like it would push him faster. He skidded to a halt by the pneumatic tube, selecting the right one and sliding the vial in.

He watched as it whizzed down the tube, the sound of hissing followed by silence.

Yes!

“Hey!” Marcus yelled and Jayce ran again. There was no proper direction this time. He just needed them to catch him away from the tubes. So they wouldn’t catch on what he just did.

“Goodluck Chuck!” Jinx cackled and Ekko waved at him grinning. Jayce watched as the two zoomed off towards the Undercity, wobbling slightly on the tiny hoverboard. He wondered if them coming was Caitlyn’s doing too.

He ran a bit more, eventually giving up by one of the docks. Make it look like they cornered him to a dead end. He doubled over, his lungs rattled and he could feel his breakfast churning in his stomach. Do not throw up.

Marcus yanked him by the arm. “You really don’t know when to stop huh?” He barked. But there was a little tiredness in his voice. Jayce could see one of the enforcers hunched over behind him. At least he did a number on them somehow. “Why’d you run, kid?” He asked. And it didn’t sound like an Enforcer interrogating him. It just sounded like pure curiosity. So he answered a bit playfully.

“Old habits die hard.” Jayce panted, the smallest smile forming on his lips. He felt good inside. All giddy and glad. Even if he was about to be interrogated by the Council. Again.

At least he wouldn’t be alone this time.

Chapter Text

Viktor had never seen the Council in person before. The round table with seven members. He recognized Mrs. Kiramman and Heimerdinger but everyone else was an unfamiliar face. Someday Mel would be sitting there with them. Maybe Jayce if he ever wished to be one. The City would love him.

Grayson presented their case. In the heat of the moment, Mel had become part of this as well. She had been caught trying to avoid Grayson when she detonated the bomb. It was enough for the Sheriff to rule her as an accomplice and send all three of them to the Council.

The plan went from just him, to him and Jayce, to him, Jayce and Mel in a matter of weeks. He wondered how he would’ve reacted before to the thought of helping Topsiders.

“If I’m correct, Viktor has already been caught cheating once.” The white haired woman next to Heimerdinger, spoke. Camille Ferros, if Viktor recalled correctly. She was said to be a cold woman and now that Viktor was standing in front of her, he could say the stories were true. “Why was he not expelled the first time?”

“As you know, some students from the Undercity were relocated to Piltover following the closing of their school.” Heimerdinger explained. “Viktor was one of them. Let’s just say, we had a bit of a negotiation.” Viktor scoffed slightly, thinking about the things he had said the time he was first caught. It was far from a negotiation.

“I would’ve expelled him.” Camille hummed. “You know how Zaunites are. They never learn.”

Don’t say anything. She isn’t called the Steel Lady for no reason.

“With all due respect, Councillor,” Mel spoke. Of course she would have the guts to speak up in front of THE Council. “Viktor is a good student. A brilliant mind as well. He could be the future of this City. Councillor Heimerdinger knew this, which is why he let Viktor stay.”

“Well, Councilor Heimerdinger made a mistake then. The boy admitted it himself. He looked at Mr Talis’s paper.”

Heimerdinger looked at him. And Viktor couldn’t read his expression. It did look like something akin to disappointment. Of course he was. He gave Viktor a chance to redeem himself and he turned back to cheating. Vander would probably give him that same look when he gets home.

“He just looked though.” Jayce muttered. He had been looking down since they retrieved him from his little escape, squeezed between Viktor and Mel. They agreed that Jayce would be silent and they would do the talking. He wasn’t supposed to say anything.

Heimerdinger raised a brow. “What do you mean by that, my boy?”

“Viktor looked at my paper.” Jayce looked up, his brown eyes clouded. But he stood tall. Like a Councilor, Viktor thought amusedly. “But he never said that he copied from it. He just took a glance but who’s to say he actually copied what I wrote down? Our answers could be different.”

Oh.

-------

“Just shade randomly.”

They were at the cannery. Just him and Jayce. Practicing, reviewing over and over. Jayce struggled to do it. To complete all the questions then memorize his half in the time given. Maybe it was nervousness or maybe Viktor just had a better memory. “When you reach my half of the questions, just shade random circles so you have more time to memorize your part.” He had suggested. “Better wrong than empty.”

“Piltover University only accepts a score of 70% or higher” Jayce pointed out. “If we shade half of the test blindly, the chances of passing are low.”

“There’s retests.” Viktor protested. “They give retests for those who want to try again. Then they just get the average of your two tests. You said so yourself. Just take the next test seriously and you could walk away with a score higher than 70%.”

-------

“And how can you prove that Viktor just looked?” Mrs. Kiramman asked.

“Compare our answer sheets.” Viktor answered. “See how many similar answers we have. If more than half of them are the same, then you can expel me.”

Jayce and Mel both turned to him after hearing his words. He didn’t meet their gaze. Maybe because if he did, the fear that bubbling inside of him would slip out. The chances of them shading the same circles weren’t so high but he wouldn’t say it wasn’t impossible. It was a leap. A big one. He settled with looking at Heimerdinger, not breaking his gaze. Trying to show he wasn’t afraid.

Always look your opponent in the eye. Vander told him once. The moment you look away, they’ll consider it as fear.

Heimerdinger nodded grimly. “I suppose that’s a fair wager.” He murmured. “I’ll be the one to check their test papers and if less than half are similar, we’ll consider letting you off with a warning.”

It was silent the rest of the time. Waiting for Grayson to retrieve their answer sheets and for Heimerdinger to check them. Viktor tapped his fingers on the handle of his cane, Jayce fidgeted with his bracelet and even Mel was biting at her nails. There was no time to discuss the rest of the plan. Or what to do if half of their answers were similar. Viktor wanted to ask if Jinx gave Mel a spare grenade.

Grayson returned shortly, carrying the two papers. She handed them to Heimerdinger and the Yordle was quick to scan through them. Holding the two of them side by side. His brows furrowed and his head low. Viktor held his breath. Please don’t be the same. He prayed silently. Please.

He tried to keep his calm. Look as confident as ever. But his breathing was sharp and his whole body was tense, frozen in place. It wasn’t like him to be nervous. Especially when he always had a backup plan for every situation. But he didn’t have one for now. Didn’t have a plan B or a lie to cover up his tracks. If he was wrong, he’d have nothing to catch his fall.

Jayce shifted beside him, his hand tapping lightly on Viktor’s fingers. The softest press of skin to skin made Viktor’s stomach churn, as if he’s never touched anyone’s hand before. He thought Jayce would leave it at that, the back of their hands pressed together. But Jayce’s hand shifted again, slipping into Viktor’s, slowly and softly. Their fingers intertwined together and Jayce gave his hand a soft squeeze. He wasn’t sure what it meant. Be it an apology, reassurance or just Jayce being Jayce. But he took it anyway, squeezing Jayce’s hand back.

After a few moments of heavy silence, Heimerdinger set the papers down. He clasped his hands together and nodded. “I would say there are some shared answers but not enough to say that Viktor did cheat.” Viktor released the breath he had been holding. If Jayce wasn’t holding his hand, his knees might’ve given way. “However, there is still something that doesn’t make sense to me.”

“Shit.” Jayce muttered, soft enough for only Mel and Viktor to hear.

Didn’t know Golden Boys were allowed to curse, Viktor thought amusedly.

“Why did you run then, Jayce?” Heimerdinger asked. “If you knew Viktor hadn’t copied anything, why did you run away?”

Mel stepped forward first. “He didn’t—”

Mrs. Kiramman raised a hand to silence the girl. “I think we’d all like to hear from Jayce.” She spoke pleasantly, like a woman greeting her neighbor. But she was staring the three of them down intimidatingly. Trying to get a reaction from them. Maybe she was trying to see who would break first.

Jayce released Viktor’s hand slowly. Gently. Like he was afraid it would break. He stepped forward, like how he would during a class presentation. Shoulders squared and hands at his sides. His back was turned towards Mel and Viktor. What was he doing?

“I ran because he was an enforcer.” He spoke, casually. Calm. The calmest he’s been this whole day. “I’ve grown up following all the rules, sticking to the rulebook like my life depended on it. I’ve never been suspected by an enforcer, been chased by one or reprimanded by one. So seeing one staring me down, like I did something wrong, it scared me. That’s why I ran.”

“And I didn’t want to tell on Viktor when we got caught again because I knew what would happen if I wasn’t here with him.” Jayce continued. “You hold Zaunites to a different standard, I didn’t notice it back then but I do now. A Topsider could cheat, give the same explanation as we did and you’d let him off scot-free. But when it’s someone from the Undercity, you would have him exiled without question. If Mel wasn’t here, if I wasn’t here, would you have allowed Viktor to explain himself?”

Viktor watched the Council. None of them spoke. Some of them looked away, avoiding his gaze. Only Heimerdinger nodded in agreement. He felt a flush of hope grow in him. His heart was beating just a bit faster. It felt nice. Having someone there to help explain himself. That feeling that he wasn’t alone.

How does the silver star know?

Know what?

That the golden star won’t change the way he sees things.

He thought the golden star wouldn’t change. That he’d stay the same. Insist on what he believed in. Turns out Vander was right. They could change. Jayce could change.

“I guess you can say I ran so that Viktor wouldn’t have to face you alone.” Jayce finished with a casual shrug of his shoulders.

To everyone’s surprise, Heimerdinger chuckled. “I suppose that’s a fair argument for a high school boy.” He hummed. “However, I don’t think the explanation appeases some of our Council members, so I would like to make a proposal. Jayce and Viktor will take the retests to show that they aren’t cheating and to ensure this…situation doesn’t happen again, they will take it at separate times. Would this be alright with you boys?”

“Yes.” The two replied in unison. They intended to take the retests anyway.

“All in favor?” The Yordle asked, raising his hand.

Jayce stepped back and as soon as he was in reach, Viktor interlocked their hands together. Jayce’s hand was warm, calloused from his childhood. But it seemed to fit perfectly with Viktor’s. Cold hands but just as calloused from the tinkering he used to do.

He felt a wave of relief wash over him. The pent up anxiety and worries he had kept inside finally having some closure. Hands were raised from the Council. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Just enough to count as the majority.

“Well then.” Heimerdinger smiled warmly at them. He looked glad. Probably relieved he didn’t have to expel his own students. “I’ll see you three at school.”

Chapter Text

They walked home separately. Jayce’s mother was there to pick him up. Probably terrified out of her wits after hearing that her son was escorted to the Council for the second time. He promised Viktor they’d see each other at school. “I’ll meet you at the library.” Jayce said, squeezing Viktor’s hand before letting him go.

Mel left next. Like Viktor, she didn’t have parents to pick her up and walk her home but her friend Elora was waiting for her by the steps. She nodded at Viktor. “I think you and I make a good team. When we see eye-to-eye.”

“Unfortunately that doesn’t happen very often.” Viktor added, dryly.

They both smiled. The unspoken agreement hanging in the air. They didn’t need to explain it. “I’ll see you at school, Viktor.” Mel said, softly.

He walked down the streets in silence. The University Courtyard was just a few blocks away. Vi, Caitlyn and whoever was in the second batch were probably inside already. He wondered if they were able to stamp all the pencils. And if they got to the Courtyard on time. He’d have to ask them later.

“Viktor!”

Singed was walking briskly towards him. He looked thinner and paler. Bandages wrapped around his arms but still Singed nonetheless. How long had the man been gone? It felt like years had passed since he last saw him. If you think about it, Viktor spent his whole senior year in Vander’s care.

“When did you get back?”

“Just this morning.” Singed replied, patting the boy’s shoulders. “I went to Vander to ask how you’ve been and he tells me that you’re taking the Admission’s Test! Oh, that’s great news, Viktor. You could surely get into a University here.”

“What about you?” He couldn’t hold back his curiosity. Singed went on many trips for weeks but this lasted months. Months of no contact. No knowledge on where the scientist had gone or what he had been doing. At some point, Viktor even considered the possibility that Singed was dead and he would never have any confirmation of it. “Where have you been all this time?”

Singed smiled. He didn’t smile often. “I know that my methods as a doctor are rather…unethical. And if I kept at it, you and I would lose our home. So I met a friend of mine. Up North. He and I studied together, you see, before I turned to…my form of medicine.” Viktor laughed at that. “I asked him to teach me, so that I could come back here and work again without enforcers trying to shut me down.” Singed chuckled. “Or I could take a page out of your book. Try to find work in Piltover. Though that Councilor Heimerdinger and I don’t really see eye to eye.”

Viktor stared at the man. He didn’t speak. Or laugh. Singed was a stubborn man. It would take years and years of persuasion to change the man’s mind on something. And when it came to his line of work, Singed was defiant. Didn’t let anyone try to tell him what to do or suggest something else. “I didn’t think anyone could make you change your methods.”

“I just didn’t want to see you so worried about me.” Singed replied. “No matter what I told you, you’d still be worrying yourself over money. I’m not the kindest or warmest man around, but it did break my heart to see you so exhausted.”

He listened to Viktor. When he refuted everyone’s opinion, he would listen intently to Viktor’s. Let the boy recommend the next step to his experiment or let him change a part of his theory. Since he was young and even until now Singed cared what Viktor thought.

Viktor should’ve known. He should’ve known Singed would figure something out. Go so far as to better himself, to change his methods that he so adored for the boy’s sake.

He never had to cheat. Never had to charge a sum of money from every person. Never had to invent a code for each letter. Never had to fight Jayce. Never had to risk everything for some money.

The things money does to you. He thought bitterly. All the things he did. All the people he hurt. For money. Was it worth it? He might’ve said yes before. But looking at Singed now did he realise how stupid it sounded.

He was a kid. Too old to be playing around but too young to be worrying about these things. He wondered what things would be like if he had turned down Vi that day. If he had told Vi and Caitlyn that he couldn’t help them.

And Jayce. Gods help him, he had been horrible to Jayce. Throwing away a friendship, hiding his feelings because of money, all this time he told himself that Jayce was in the wrong. All the things they could’ve been if Viktor wasn’t caught up on something else. “What’s the matter?” Singed asked, his eyes laced with concern.

Viktor didn't even realize that the tears he had held in for so long were finally coming out. Streaming down his cheeks. It felt stupid. Crying like a child. But it did feel nice. “Did you not do well on your test?” Singed murmured. “It’s alright, there’s always next time, right? You can try again next year. It’s alright.”

The doctor continued his reassurances. Viktor shook his head, too overwhelmed to speak. He didn’t even want the money anymore. Didn’t care about it at all.

His body moved first, instinctively moving forward and resting his forehead on Singed’s shoulder. The tears didn’t stop and he was pretty sure he was full on sobbing at this point, eyes screwed shut. He didn’t want to see Singed’s concern. It would just make his tears flow harder.

Singed’s arms wrapped around him almost instantaneously, pulling him closer. “I’m sure you did just fine, Viktor. You’re a good kid, you know how to make the right choices.”

He shook his head, his body heaving with every sob. Was he? Was he a good kid? Lately, it felt like every choice he made was so wrong. Like he was walking into danger absolutely clueless. “I did a lot of wrong things while you were away.” He murmured, his head still leaning on Singed. It felt like the doctor was the only thing keeping him upright at this point. “Stuff that got me and other people in trouble.”

“Why?”

“What do you mean why?”

“Why did you do those things?” Singed asked. “That’s the thing about humanity. There’s always a reason behind everything we do. You couldn’t have just done wrong without a reason.”

There was no reason to lie about it. And if he wanted to start over, he may as well come clean about this first. “I did it for money.” He whispered. Soft enough for only Singed to hear.

“And?”

Viktor shifted, lifting up his head to look at Singed. The man didn’t seem mad, or disappointed. He just looked…curious. Waiting patiently for Viktor’s answer. “There’s nothing else.”

“I’ve taken care of you for many years now, Viktor.” Singed mused. “There is more to you than a single reason.”

There was no other reason. None that he could recall. It was all for money. He didn’t remember why he became so invested in getting money. How easy it was to lure him back in when he first got caught. How easy it was to get Jayce’s attention too. He did remember where it all started. Caitlyn and Vi. Before Caitlyn, it was just Vi. Jotting the answers on an eraser.

Then it clicked.

“I wanted to help the Undercity.” Singed smiled at his answer. “It was stupid but what’s even more stupid is the school having a success rate less than 5%. I knew we wouldn’t make it with just hard work so I helped them. Thought I could prove something to Piltover. That Zaunites could make it out there too. But I didn’t…I didn’t do anything.” Viktor rubbed his eyes. He was tired. “I just think the Undercity deserves more than what we get.”

“That we do, indeed.” Singed chuckled. He looked at Viktor, not a sign of disappointment in his eyes. “Cheating is wrong, Viktor. It’s…it’s a major offense here in Piltover. You’re lucky they didn’t expel you. But, I understand why you did it. Why you agreed to it. I understand, Viktor.”

That’s all he wanted to hear. He knew well enough that cheating was bad. He wanted someone to tell him off. But he also wanted someone to hear him out. Understand where he was coming from. Singed did just that

So did Jayce.

“Well, I think you and I deserve some rest.” Singed remarked, patting him on the shoulder. “I took the morning transport here. Way before the sun had even risen. And you took one of the hardest exams you’ll ever take.”

Viktor snorted. “It was actually quite easy.”

“Oh?”

“Stock knowledge, mostly.”

“Ah, I see.” Singed nodded, wrapping his arm around Viktor as they walked. “Vander tells me you’ve met someone.”

“Of course he did.”

“Is the boy handsome?”

“I suppose.”

“Is that a yes?”

"Of course it is."

Chapter Text

About 4000 Zaunites took the entrance exam.

From about 10 to 15 kids from the Undercity applying for a University, it shot up to 4000 that year. Even kids who didn’t come from Valoran, kids who lazed around all day and cut classes more than they attended, took the Admissions Test.

The gossip lasted weeks. Topsiders wondering how and why that many kids came to Piltover to take an exam. Some said it was a cheap attempt at getting Piltover to rebuild them a new high school, others said it was the first step of Zaun’s rebellion.

But 6000 students, 6200 to be exact, knew the truth. Knew that it wasn’t just a stroke of luck or a trick of fate.

That there was someone behind it all.

Vi burst into the classroom, catching Viktor’s attention immediately. Vander had tried his best to comb through her pink hair and Caitlyn threw in some makeup to the mix. Her uniform was worn properly for once and somehow Caitlyn convinced her to wear the school tie. “I need your help.”

“Absolutely not.” Viktor combed through his hair. Singed gave him a haircut the other day. Nothing too major. But Viktor felt a bit weird without the stray curls tickling the back of his neck. “Why can’t you just ask someone else?” They had gone through this a thousand times. He was tired of helping her with this but Vi was a relentless one.

“C’mon, Viktor.”

“I’d really rather not, Vi.”

“It’s gonna be fun!”

“Watching you woo Caitlyn Kiramman’s mother with a song after our graduation?” Viktor adjusted his tie one more time. No matter how many times he fixed it, it always ended up a bit crooked or loose. How on earth did Jayce keep his intact all day long? He stared at the tiny mirror hung up by the window. Someone had propped it up there during their class photo to make sure their hair was neat and nobody bothered to take it off. Viktor supposed it would just stay there until the next class came in after summer. “I hate to admit this, but I have a slight fear of Mrs. Kiramman.”

“I do too! But having you with me eases my nerves.”

He ran a hand through his hair. “And listening to you sing your heart out to a Councilor does not, in any way, ease my nerves.” He’s had enough of Councilors for a bit.

Vi locked arms with him. “If Jinx asked you, would you say yes?”

“Jinx would never woo Mrs. Kiramman. Not after she nearly blew up her villa.”

Vi laughed, prying Viktor away from the mirror. “How much longer are you going to fix yourself?”

“Until my tie cooperates.”

“Oh, you’ll be in there forever then.” Caitlyn peeked through the door, wearing the same pristine uniform as them. Though there was something about how she carried herself that made her look…more refined. Compared to Viktor, who’s tie didn’t sit right and Vi, who’s sleeves were rolled up to her elbows, she looked more like she was attending a graduation than either of them combined. “Vi, I really don’t think singing to my mom is going to amuse her.”

“Why not?” Vi boasted. “She loves me.”

“Maybe she does, but your singing skills…not so much.” Caitlyn mumbled but she was grinning as they walked down the hall. “Ready for graduation, Viktor?”

“Not exactly.” After the Admissions Test, things went by far too quickly for Viktor’s liking. Final exams (no cheating involved), final projects, college interviews and the looming application results. Heimerdinger said the letters would come out after graduation, over the summer break. “After graduation comes the University letters.” He sighed.

Vi shrugged as they walked. “I think we did alright on the Test.”

“The test is the least of our worries.” Caitlyn mused. “For this batch of seniors, it pretty much lies in our portfolio and how our interview went.”

Viktor’s interview went…fairly well. Just the usual questions, most about his upbringing and his supposed ‘future’.

Is it true you grew up in the Fissures? Yes.

What are your parents’ occupations? My guardian is a doctor.

A professional doctor? I guess.

Do you want to be a doctor too? I’d rather be a scientist.

Why? I wish to discover new things.

Do you think your background will affect how far you pursue your career? I hope not.

In the end, Viktor had answered them as honestly and as transparently as he could. Maybe it wasn’t what they wanted to hear but it was Viktor’s genuine words. And lucky for him, Heimerdinger put in some good word about him to the Deans of some Universities. He hoped it would help him a bit.

“How did you not know?” Caitlyn’s voice dragged him away from his thoughts. She was laughing. Hiding her smile behind her hands.

Vi groaned, slapping her hand to her face. “That Mylo asked someone out? He brags about his flair all the time but he always gets rejected. I didn’t think someone would actually cave in.”

“Mylo’s seeing someone?” Viktor asked.

“Some girl from another High School.” Vi answered. “Apparently they met during the Admissions Test.”

“She actually agreed to it?”

“I guess so.”

“Lucky Mylo.”

Vi chuckled. “Lucky him indeed.”

Graduation would be outside in the large field of the Academy. Bleachers for parents were somehow dragged into the fields and chairs propped up at the center for students. A tall stage at the front and the familiar flags waving behind it. Piltover’s banner, the Academy’s banner and the latest addition, a makeshift banner from the Undercity. It was rushed, no doubt, but it was enough to have Zaunites gleaming with pride. He wondered if Silco would attend. The man would probably get emotional over a flag.

Seniors were said to meet at the gymnasium. To line up in two straight lines. Zaun and Piltover. As soon as Viktor stepped in, he was met with loud chatter from the crowd. All of them dressed in their cleanest uniforms, smiling and laughing with each other. They didn’t have big events for graduations in the Undercity. Just a few words from the Principal and some medals handed but there weren't any big prestigious celebrations like in Piltover.

There were some younger students, juniors, freshmen and sophomores alike. Wishing the seniors luck, congratulating them. Viktor could see a junior tearing up midway through his speech to Sevika. Something about how he always admired her. Sevika rolled her eyes but she was grinning. Flattered.

“Where’s your sister?” Caitlyn asked. Viktor peered through the crowd, searching for the blue haired girl. Jinx was nowhere to be seen.

Vi shrugged. “Probably making sure Silco won’t make a run for it.” By a stroke of luck, Vander managed to convince Silco to attend the graduation. He relented but there was certainly a high chance he would bolt midway through it. “He hates events like these.”

“But he’s seen the banner, hasn’t he?” Viktor asked. “I think that’ll be enough to send him to tears.”

Vi whistled. “I’d pay all my money to see that.”

Viktor scanned the sea of students, head tilted upwards. If Vi and Caitlyn weren’t flanking his sides, he might’ve gone and searched through the crowd instead. His eyes looked for one student in particular. The only person he really wanted to see before they graduated.

Jayce Talis was right in the middle of the crowd. Brown eyes wide with enthusiasm as he talked to the person in front of him. It felt like the whole crowd was gravitating to him, a good majority of them looking keenly at Jayce, listening to what he was saying. He always adored Jayce’s bright nature. How he seemed to pull people in so easily.

And Viktor had been the luckiest person in the world to be welcomed in by Jayce.

Their eyes met for a brief moment but that was enough for Jayce to pause mid conversation, quickly uttering some random excuse to the person in front of him and making his way to Viktor. The latter could’ve sworn he felt his heart leap. Like it always does when Jayce is coming towards him.

Caitlyn must’ve noticed because she is quick to nudge Vi. “C’mon, let’s get lined up.”

Vi blinks. “What about Viktor?”

The dark haired girl can only laugh as she grabs Vi by the arm, sending Viktor a wave of good luck. And just like that, they’re eaten up by the crowd as well.

“Hi.” Jayce was standing in front of him, grinning from ear to ear.

As he promised, the week after the Admission’s Test, they met in the library. They talked. A lot. About anything. What University they wanted to go to. If they preferred classes in the morning or in the afternoon. Their favorite snack from the cafeteria. But they both knew they were avoiding one particular topic. Though neither brought it up for some time.

Viktor eventually gave in to his curiosity first. “What are we, then?” He had asked, while they walked down the steps of the library. Class was starting soon and Jayce suggested they head back. But he couldn’t get the question out of his brain. He wanted to know what Jayce thought.

“We’re lab partners, of course.” Jayce replied. Leave it to Jayce Talis to avoid the question.

“You know what I’m talking about, Jayce.”

The silence that hung between them was thick. Almost suffocating. Viktor considered changing the topic and never bringing it up again but deep down he yearned to hear from Jayce. To know what the boy wanted. To know what the boy saw.

Jayce ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t want to ruin this.”

“This what?”

“This, thing we have, Viktor. We’re friends, I don’t want that to change. What if we rush into something a-and it turns out we’re wrong?”

“It won’t change, Jayce.” Viktor spoke, calmly. But even he could feel his heart racing. “I could never hate you. Even if we’re wrong.” That was something he learned throughout high school. That he could feel so many things about Jayce Talis. But hate was something he couldn’t imagine. “But I understand what you’re saying.” He continued, smiling. Jayce smiled back. “We can wait.”

They were friends the rest of the year. Going back to how things were and sticking to it. All the inside jokes, long stories, even some friendly banter, Viktor couldn’t help but love it all. Wishing to the stars at night that things would never change between them.

“Your tie’s crooked.” Jayce pointed.

Viktor grimaced, reaching for the tie once more. How many times had they gone through this? “I swear the thing has a mind of its own. It won’t sit properly.”

“Here,” He had no time to protest. Jayce was already stepping forward, his hands reaching for Viktor’s tie. “My mom taught me this trick before. To keep your tie straight.”

“Uh-huh.” He knew better to listen to what Jayce was saying but it felt like his brain had just gone haywire as soon as he realized how close Jayce was to him. If he wanted, he could lean in and press a kiss to the boy’s forehead but Jayce wanted to wait. And for that boy, Viktor would wait a thousand years.

Jayce stepped back eventually, inspecting his work. His brows furrowed and his lips pursed together. He looked like he was observing a hex crystal or one of their prototypes, not some tie he just fixed. “It doesn’t suit you.”

“I’m sorry?”

“A straight tie. You never have your tie straight.”

“It’s straight on other days.”

“Is that what you think?”

Viktor stared at Jayce, confused. He’s seen himself in the mirror. He knows his ties are usually straight. “I’m a little lost. Is my tie not usually straight?”

“Well, on most days it’s loose.” Jayce answered. “On other days, it’s a little crooked. Sometimes you show up without one. I have to be honest, I don’t think you ever had your tie straight this whole year.”

“And all of you just let me walk around with a not straight tie?” He’s talked to plenty of people. His friends. Professors. Other students from Piltover. None of them mentioned his tie at any given point.

Jayce shrugged. “The Professors didn’t complain. And plenty of kids have crooked ties too so I didn’t see the problem with it. Some don’t show up with ties at all.” He stared at Viktor for a few minutes before he smiled. “Honestly, Viktor, nobody really cares. I, for one, thought it was cute.”

Viktor felt his cheeks grow warm. “You think a crooked tie is cute?”

“It sounds a lot weirder saying it out loud.” Jayce laughed.

Out of nowhere, he stepped forward, tugging Viktor’s tie. Not too harshly. Just enough to get it back to its crooked state. Viktor scowled, reaching down to fix it. “Now why would you–”

“Don’t fix it.” His eyes shot up at Jayce, wondering what the boy meant. He didn’t say anything, just reached for his own tie, tugging it into a crooked position.

“So your grand idea is to have a crooked tie with me?”

“It makes us unique, doesn’t it?” Jayce nudged him on the shoulder. “High school lab partners with matching crooked ties.”

“I’ll have you know I intend to be your partner even after we leave high school.” Viktor interjected, watching the shock form on Jayce’s face.

“We don’t even know if we’ll attend the same University.”

Viktor shrugged. “I’ll find you after.” He said it like it was the easiest thing in the world.

Because it was to Viktor. Finding Jayce.

Jayce stared at him for a moment. Brown eyes observing his face, clearly searching for something. Viktor just couldn’t pinpoint what. “You’ll find me after we graduate from University?”

“If you want me to.” Viktor said slowly. Watching Jayce’s expression soften. “Or you could always find me, I suppose. I’m usually at Vander’s anyway–” He couldn’t finish his sentence because Jayce was already pulling him into a hug. If Jayce Talis was great at anything, it was engulfing people in the warmest hugs known to man. Viktor could vouch for that.

Jayce wrapped his arms tightly around Viktor, burying his head in Viktor’s shoulder. “So you’ll stick around then? Help me finish Hextech?”

“Of course I will.” Viktor chuckled, wrapping his arms around Jayce’s frame shlyly. “I have to make sure you don’t blow yourself up alone.”

He heard Jayce laugh against his shoulder. “Thank you, Viktor.”

Viktor wanted to stay there forever. Wrapped in Jayce’s embrace, forgetting all else. But they had to pull away eventually when the loudspeakers in the gym called their attention. “All students line up in two lines immediately.” They blared. “All students line up immediately.”

“That’s our cue.” Jayce remarked. He cast Viktor one more glance, grinning. His usual boyish grin. The one that made Viktor’s heart spin. “Find me after, yeah?”

He wondered when he first started feeling this way about Jayce. His heart raced every time Jayce looked at him. Like it was the first time over and over and over. He had no idea what would happen after. When they receive their diplomas. When the letters appear in their mail. When they head off to college. When they become scientists.

But if Viktor knew anything, it was that he always came around. So did Jayce. Both of them bumping shoulders in the hall, casting glances from one end of the room to the other. They always ended up side by side. Even after Viktor punched him in the nose.

Heimerdinger asked them once if they had a time machine, would they have gone back and stopped Piltover from tearing down their school? Would they have fought back when enforcers came to break down their beloved Academy. Some agreed. Some said they weren’t sure. Viktor said no.

Vi thought he’d say yes. Because if their school was never closed down in the first place, Viktor would’ve never done the things he did for the Undercity. He didn’t tell anyone why he said no. But in the back of his brain, the answer rang loud and clear.

If I never came here, I wouldn’t have found Jayce.

He smiled at Jayce. And for the first time in a long time, he didn’t worry about anything else.

“Of course I will.”