Chapter Text
Jayce lets the child take his hand and guide him into the gardens, past the homes and the central cathedral-looking building. He saw the... people, if they were even considered people, eyeing him curiously.
They walked into the greenhouse, the bright green and vibrant colours of life nearly blinding his eyes that had seen nothing but death and starved lands for months. The path was short, and this place was quiet except for the soft rustling of the plant life. In any other circumstance, he would have thought it peaceful. The child pointed at a figure on the other side, and then quickly ran off.
He looked at where the child had gripped his hand. Nearly every part of his body was scarred, and he looked like right shit. There was dirt caked into his nails and skin, and remnants of dried blood on his arms and legs. His body constantly ached, and he knew parts of him were broken –whether figuratively or literally– and he felt as though he were moments away from collapsing. The brace on his leg did little to ease the pain, and all it did was remind Jayce of him.
It was eerily beautiful here. But he did not let it blind him. He was here to end it. End everything. Their goals were a mistake, such a mistake. They were so blinded, he was so blinded by the thirst for knowledge and glory. Everything in his mind was a burning hum now, a raging silence that was only plagued by how he must not fail. He must destroy the Herald.
He walked closer to the figure in the foilage, dragging his hammer behind him as it ran through the coarse dirt and stones. He was nearly a foot away from him now, and he could see the thin slender hands of the graceful figure gently running through some leaves.
Viktor. The Herald. He felt such a burning rage mixed with pure unfiltered relief that the flood of emotion nearly caused him to black out.
He looked different. His hair was now grown out to his shoulders, with pale white streaks. His… ‘body’ was the same as it was from when Jayce saved him, a dark purple mechanical colour with streaks of gold, following the contour of his old body. The blanket he had given him was now wrapped around him akin to a robe, with gold embellishments. His skin was no longer the sickly colour Jayce had grown so used to. He now looked almost ethereal in nature.
He had a different cane now. Not the one Jayce gave him.
He adjusted his grip on his hammer. He must do this now.
Time seemed to freeze. Viktor’s gentle touch on the leaves. The dirt scattering as he lifted the giant weapon off of the ground. His fingers manoeuvered the weapon in a grip bordering on painful. The silence of the garden seemed to echo in his mind. He had imagined this day countless times, an eternity's worth of planning for this moment. He would save them all. He brought his hammer several more inches off the ground, preparing to drive it right into this monster's chest-
“Jayce.” His voice was soft, softer than he’d ever heard it. A voice so familiar that it hurt.
There was a loud thud that echoed across the air as Jayce’s grip on the hammer suddenly faltered, and it fell to the ground.
Shit. This was a moment of weakness, it wasn’t going according to plan. He needed to act quickly before Viktor could get an advantage, before he let him take control. He hurriedly reinstated and tightened his grip on the hammer, then met his old partner's eyes.
“Viktor.” He says, the cold disgust in his voice palpable.
“I have been expecting you,” Viktor says, in an odd tone.
It’s not worried or unkind, but there is a hint of coldness to it. The light shines off his hair and gold adornments almost tauntingly, as if mocking him. Viktor was never one for glory or extravagance, and the robe he was wearing didn’t suit the man he knew. Jayce braces himself to tear right through it.
“Have you?” Jayce says, his eyes narrowing.
“Of course. I could feel it when you returned. The Arcane… it was not very kind to you, was it?” He says, meeting his eyes.
The awkward but genius scientist he used to know was all but gone, or at least concealed behind his new demeanour. His voice was wise but quiet, his gaze calculating but eerily comforting. He talked as if he knew everything and Jayce knew nothing. It infuriated him.
Jayce wanted to scream at him, to punch him, to hit him; but he was exhausted. It’s a miracle he’s still standing upright, at this point.
"You could feel it?” He shakes his head in disbelief, scoffing. He looks back up at him, his gaze harsh. “They call you some kind of god." He says, through gritted teeth.
“They call me many things.”
“This isn’t noble. You’re destroying everything just because you think you know what’s right!” He says, his voice rising in volume. All he can see in his mind are flashes of a world ruined. Everything he knew and loved destroyed. Death everywhere. Death, death, death.
“What have I done to anger you so much, Jayce?”
“I’ve seen things, Viktor. Horrid things. That you did. You must understand.” He says, his voice cutting.
“Then kill me.” He says, his voice soft again. Jayce almost mistakes it for sincerity.
“What-” Jayce falters. He didn’t expect him to say it. Honestly, he didn’t know what he expected, but he thought this would be easier. Kill the false god, and save the world, right? Be the hero? But hearing Viktor say it out loud makes it sound impossible.
He shakes that thought away.
No. He has to do this.
“I know that was what you came here to do, Jayce.” He says, almost kindly.
He walks closer to him. Jayce tries not to flinch. Viktor is now only a few inches away from him. It’s been so long since he’s been this close to someone else. So close to another person's warmth.
“I had hoped otherwise, but your intentions are clear.” He doesn’t sound angry, it’s as if he’s talking about some old equation back in their lab. Jayce wishes he was angry. It would be so much easier if they could fight.
Viktor takes a step closer.
“What happened to you?” Jayce says, resigned, looking at him. He’ll kill him. He will. He swears to it. But he wants to talk to him first. He missed him so much that it hurt as much as nearly starving to death.
“Nothing you didn’t do when you saved me.”
“No. You did this. You become this… this Herald, this false god. I only wanted to save your life.” Jayce says, bitterly; he didn’t ask for any of this. He just wanted his Viktor back.
“Clearly, things do not always go according to plan,” Viktor says, dryly.
“So what, you’re just some sort of deity now? Some all-powerful god?” The disdain in his voice is clear.
“No, my power is limited. Finite. I suppose mortality is one of the few things I still have.” Viktor says, idly looking off to the side.
“Mortality, huh? What about humanity? Have any of that?” He says, his eyes narrowing. He knows he’s being irrational. He knows Viktor isn’t inherently evil. But he’s terrified of the destruction the Hexcore can do. He knows it will ruin everything. And he knows Viktor will be the one to start that cascade.
“You were the last of my humanity, Jayce,” Viktor says, his tone cold but eyes filled with unreadable emotion as he meets Jayce's gaze.
At that, Jayce does flinch. Damn it, that cut deeper than he would have liked. He wanted to bite back with something cutting, but he knew that would be cruel. But he’s just so, so tired. And so angry.
“Ironic, considering I was the one who took it away from you.” He says, bitterness in his tone.
Viktor brings his hand up to the side of Jayce’s face. Jayce winces at the human contact, the feel of Viktor’s fingers gently touching the calloused skin of his cheek. It feels so surreal, almost like it’s a dream. The soft and careful touch is such a stark contrast to the brutality he's been faced the past weeks, that it's jarring. But neither pull away.
“You are just as beautiful as I remembered,” Viktor says quietly, so quietly, that Jayce doesn’t think he’s meant to hear it. Jayce’s eyes widen, and he wonders for a brief moment if he imagined it. But before he can fully process, Viktor continues.
“What did it do to you, Jayce?” His voice is soft, but not comforting. He’s clearly referring to the Arcane.
“I-... We were wrong. So damn wrong.” Jayce says, his voice coming out pained despite himself.
“Then let us fix it.” His thumb brushes against his cheek again, his hand not leaving the side of Jayce’s face. The sincerity in Viktor’s voice nearly makes Jayce falter.
“I don’t know if we can,” Jayce says, pleadingly. Jayce’s hand still has a vice grip on his hammer. It would be easy, so easy to just kill him. Get rid of any chance of the world falling apart. To quite literally save humanity.
Why is he hesitating so much?
Fuck, what was wrong with him?
“Of course we can,” Viktor says, with a soft confidence. Jayce looks down at him, and Viktor is so gorgeous that it aches. He tries to avert his eyes. Thinking like that will only make this more difficult for him.
“You don’t know that-”
“I don’t. But I know you.” The pure sincerity in his voice makes Jayce feel like shit for what he’s about to do.
“I’m sorry for this, Viktor.” He says, his tone dark as he tries to hide the emotion from his voice as much as possible. He tightens his grip on his hammer for the umpteenth time and quickly begins to raise it higher. Viktor steps backwards as he realises what’s happening and Jayce brings up the hammer with both hands and holds the sharp edge against Viktor's neck, panting slightly.
“I have to do this,” Jayce says, his voice breaking slightly, the attempts at hiding his emotion clearly futile. He meets Viktor’s eyes, and Viktor doesn’t even try to fight back. He doesn’t even resist. Viktor just looks at him, with an understanding in his eyes that Jayce knows he will never deserve.
“I know,” Viktor says, quietly. “It’s okay.” Viktor’s voice is so soft, so gentle, and it has years' worth of unspoken feelings bleeding out of it. Jayce instantly crumbles. He can’t do this. In what world did he think he would even be able to?
He throws the hammer aside, the weight of it pulling it into the dense foliage and letting it skid to a halt in the dirt. Viktor’s eyes widen slightly, with a flash of surprise crossing his face, but Jayce doesn’t give him time to react. He closes the distance between them, as his hand moves to cup Viktor’s face to tilt it up, and he kisses him.
“Jayce-” Viktor quickly pulls back, shock showing on his usually calm and reserved features.
Jayce cuts him off.
“You said we could fix it. Let’s fix it.”
The flash of understanding in Viktor’s eyes is quick but so profound. He then takes his hand and pulls on Jayce’s tattered shirt, kissing him again fiercely.
Jayce wasn’t going to kill Viktor today. Maybe he would later, maybe never. Because he’s selfish. So selfish, that he will risk the world just to have this.
Just to have him.