Chapter Text
Jayce's mind raced with a mix of anticipation and unease as he made his decision to journey into the undercity once again. For many years, he had avoided going back there, but the items he needed were too hazardous and unconventional for the shops and dealers in Piltover to provide. At some point he had even considered the option of importing the items from distant places like Ionia or Noxus, but ultimately dismissed the idea, reasoning that it would be quicker and more straightforward to just go to the less savory parts of his own city.
“Jayce, I know you want to go down there but it has changed since you were there last, I’d know.” Viktor had warned him
Hefting his backpack over his shoulders, Jayce adjusted his cloak to conceal his identity. A cloak, as it were, would never cover his face entirely but he had to take the chance and just keep his head down. His heart thumped in his chest like a battering ram, beating against the walls of his chest. He was nervous, to say the least, but as he always did, he pushed his doubts aside. He knew he should have listened to the warnings of his closest friend, Viktor, but the prospect of acquiring the necessary supplies outweighed the risks in his mind.
Jayce went in headfirst, like he always did, no plan or anything. He had a habit of being reckless like that, Viktor had ridiculed him for it many a time before.
All he knew was that one shop he had visited prior, in his earlier years, the big guy that worked there with his little assistant with puffy white hair. He was pretty sure he was scammed last time but that didn’t matter, he got his supplies and got out, good enough for an established Piltover scientist, he couldn’t afford to taint his image back then and he won’t now. The man of progress getting his supplies from the retched undercity? What a joke.
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Here he was, the entrance to the place he’d sworn he’d help, the past home of his amazing partner. It was a weird feeling, Jayce swore he could already feel the pollution seeping into his pristine clean lungs, wearing a gasmask would just make him stand out so he opted without, although he’s not doing too well fitting in anyway. Just one look at his clear, scarless face and slick and clean hair was a dead giveaway. Viktor had tried to tell him but once again he insisted that he’d be all good.
Nothing could stop him once he had his mind on something.
The thick air seems to rest on his face as he makes his way through the upper streets, strangers giving him glances, as if ready to strike. Hand hovering over their weapons, barely hidden. Jayce shivered, he knew the risks, and this wasn’t even the worst of it. Slowly he maneuverer his way down the streets and alleys, attempting to keep his confident look as to deter any attackers or muggers. He was a big guy, he’d be fine.
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Gazing at the decrepit shop in front of him, Jayce mumbles to himself, "I could’ve sworn..." The once familiar storefront now looked desolate, the door hanging off its hinges and cobwebs covering every corner and crevice in sight.
He lets out a deep sigh, defeated. Jayce is clueless about how to navigate the unfamiliar undercity, especially with all the recent changes and the mass production of shimmer junkies, he never knew it was this bad. Without much choice, he reluctantly turns away and heads in the direction further into the lanes, hoping to find something useful in the bustling markets in this chaotic part of the city.
Jayce pushes through the throngs of people, the scents and sounds of the markets stinging his senses. The vendors bark out their wares, beckoning passersby to come take a look, but their voices fade into background noise as Jayce scans the surroundings for anything he was looking for.
He walks past stalls selling everything from food and clothing to more illicit goods. Strange creatures he’s never seen in cages, people in alleyways huffing shimmer like their life depended on it. The people here are a mix of desperate and cunning, their faces drawn with hardship and a determination to survive. No one pays much attention to him, caught up in their own business. He continues.
He knows he should leave; he should go back to the lab in defeat and tell Viktor he was right. But he just keeps going, until he finds himself in an unfamiliar place, so empty it was putting him on edge, he had zoned out and absentmindedly removed himself from the heavily populated market streets to a narrow desolate alley. Fuck.
He was vulnerable, alone and unaware what he just walked into. He glances, in the calmest demeaner he could muster, for exits and spots one but it’s quickly blocked by a figure, a figure holding a gun.
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“Now what do we have here? The boy of progress sauntering around the dirty undercity… that’s a first.” Ekko huffed, he had caught a man suspiciously walking around what used to be benzos old shop and with closer observation it was easy to figure out who he was.
Intrigued, he decided to follow him, from afar of course, keeping to the high ground on his board. Just what was he doing here? Visiting the brothels? He had seen some high class piltys come down he for the local cuisine, so it wasn’t much of a surprise, yet Jayce passed the brothels, even the good-looking ones. He seemed to just be wandering, looking for something he didn’t even know what it was, he seemed lost. Absentmindedly shifting his way through the crowds, not even taking much notice at the strange sites as time went on, as if lost in thought.
Then, to Ekko’s surprise the big guy walks right into a shimmer junkie infested alley. Fuck. What’s he doing in there, he’s going to get mugged and killed, especially with that rich looking shit he’s got on, he’s a prime target for those lowlifes. Ekko pondered.
He should just go now, what happened to him wasn’t his concern. He should just leave it.
But he couldn’t, the man didn’t seem deliberately cruel for a topsider, although he might be being fooled. He was just… curious, he wasn’t even going to convene if something happened, or at least that’s what he told himself.
But then something happened, something bad. Jayce was shot.
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The alley was dimly lit and empty, a shimmer junkie, likely under a drug-induced haze, fired their gun Jayce’s way without any apparent reason. The shot hit his shoulder, sending him crashing against the hard brick wall, slumping to the ground. He screamed out, shouting profanities as he clutched his shoulder. The pain was immeasurable, he felt his vision going blurry as his heart pounded louder than it ever has. The commotion attracted a few passing eyes, and the junkie began to run, bailing on what even she was planning on doing with the now shot man.
It all went so fast; Ekko couldn’t even react. He should help him, even though he’s a filthy topsider he didn’t deserve to die in an alley. Quickly, Ekko shot down on his board, landing in front of the injured man. Jayce’s head was now slumped down, but he was still conscious, his facial features contorting into an intense grimace as he mutters more profanity and a name he just can’t make out.
Blood dripped from Jayce's shoulder, staining his shirt and pooling onto the ground. He tried to raise his head, but the pain was too intense. As Ekko knelt in front of him, Jayce's groans of pain filled the air.
"Damn it," he muttered, trying to stay conscious. The wound was deep, and the shimmer addict's bullet had torn through muscle and skin. “Viktor… I’m… I’m so sorry.” he whispers too quiet for the younger man to hear. “I should have listened…”
Tears stain his cheeks.
“Hey hey stay with me” Ekko says seeing the state of him. “I’m here to help.”
Ekko's heart raced as he quickly wrapped his scarf around Jayce's bleeding shoulder to try and stem the flow of blood. He felt a pang of sympathy for the man, despite their different upbringings. Seeing Jayce's pained expression just… he couldn’t just leave him. Ekko spoke up, "Just hold steady. This should help."
Jayce gritted his teeth as he puts his hand to do as he said, "That's what I'm trying to do, jackass."
He somehow manages to lift the much larger man up, holding onto his good arm for his support
“Are you ok to walk?” he questioned
“Not for long, I need to get to a hospital.”
“u won’t find many of those around these parts” he tried to chuckle off, but Jayce wasn’t having it.
“Just. I got to get this bullet out and get proper treatment. Isn’t there anywhere around here where I can get treatment?” He huffs out, now panting as if frantically trying to catch the air, as polluted as it was. Her eyes were drooping more and more by the moment, he didn’t have long until he would pass out.
Ekko hesitated, going quiet for a second, if he brought him back to the firelight hideout there was a big risk he would tell others. But he couldn’t just leave him on the bridge to possibly bleed out and for him to risk being caught by enforcers. He had to.
Ekko sighs.
“I know a place”