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Jayce was 12 when the first Kaiju rose up from the depths of the ocean.
They didn’t have names for them just yet- they were more preoccupied by the destruction that it caused to Piltover, destroying the bridge between cities, smashing ports. It had taken the best of their weaponry to pierce its hide, and still it was a war waged for a full 10 hours. Jayce had been a student at Piltover Academy when it rose from the depths, plastered to the window with his classmates as they watched it bellow its war cry.
They thought that was the only one- some freak of nature born from the chemical runoff of Zaun and Piltover’s industries.
6 months later, the next one came. Again. And again. Repeating its cycle of attack, rebuilding, normalcy, and rinse. Very quickly the two cities knew they had to pull together- if not for peace, then at least for their survival.
At 18, Jayce had tried out for being a Jaeger pilot- so did many men his age, vying for revenge, for glory, for money- for any reason a young man in their homeland would be willing to give their bodies to people much richer than they are. Out of hundreds of candidates, various tests and training, Jayce and a handful of students had passed.
Not that he had lasted long. Jayce had noticed a calibration issue in one of the Jaegers, and in his eagerness to improve it resulted in an explosion that set the Jaeger back 21 months. He was lucky he hadn’t been exiled, and he considered it a small miracle that Dr. Heimerdinger had seen his tinkering for what it truly was- a hidden talent, a mind itching to expand and explore.
Jayce had qualified for their research team, as well as a handful of other students- he saw it for what it was, however. Putting him out of the way where he couldn’t mess with more Jaegers. That was where he met Viktor- paired only because they had scored the highest in their respective tests. Biology and alien genetics hadn’t been the major they were going for, but they adapted quickly.
Viktor was wickedly clever- his upbringing in Zaun had crippled him, but it also gave him a tolerance to certain Kaiju fumes that the other Piltovian students couldn’t stomach. Where others shied away from the more poisonous aspects of the Kaiju’s anatomy, Viktor was already putting it in test tubes and beakers to break down the chemical makeup.
Jayce wanted to work on the Jaegers. That kind of power and engineering called to him, but instead he was behind the front line trying to wrangle his stomach long enough to carefully cut into a slab of Kaiju soft palate to expose an acid sack. His journals were filled with designs- propulsion systems, which alloys he thought would be best, ways to heighten mobility and sensitivity to the user’s movements.
Weeks turned to months turned to years, and with it came a sense of normalcy. Military personnel and fortified bases took up the coastline, and Jayce and Viktor’s research produced multiple patents for acid resistant alloys, canons suited with a coating that ate at the rough skin of the Kaiju- they had found their niche together.
Their work didn’t go unnoticed for long. They had been requested to meet Marshal Mel Medarda.
“I’m offering you both a chance to make real, visible changes in how we tackle the Kaiju problem. I am aware of both of your… histories, but you both have managed to make powerful strides in our success and research that cannot be ignored. I want the both of you leading the research team I have put together. I will be able to give you access to fresh Kaiju, fund your experiments for different tech advancements and be renowned as the faces of progress into a Kaiju-free era. A worthy investment, don’t you agree?” She asked pleasantly. It was hard not to get swept into the grandeur of the idea- God knows Jayce was. His eyes sparkled with the idea of being able to be on the front lines, at the headquarters where things really happened.
“Come on, Jayce.” Viktor had prompted, the decision already made in their minds. “You might even like it.”
Viktor knew how Piltover operated. Grand promises to sway the public into funding their research, promises they can’t possibly keep without great sacrifice. But Viktor couldn’t deny the funding. They wouldn’t be in harm's way, and perhaps when they finally eradicate the beasts the technological bounds they’ve made could be turned to helping those with physical disabilities, technology to help people the world has never even dreamed of.
They couldn’t refuse.
Four years going strong, however, and they still argued like freshmen from time to time.
“Eugh, Viktor, I am 98% sure I told you this was the human food fridge!”
“Yes, but fridge four is on the fritz- I cannot keep the level one fire Kaiju’s lungs in the freezer just because you are fine with throwing away a perfectly preserved organ.”
“I did it one time! I’m not the one who added ladder to a perfectly prepped batch of PCR gel last week-” Jayce punctuated his sentence by shutting the door to their shared food fridge, which had a floating mass of purple and veiny red sealed inside a jar of alcohol.
Viktor let out a snort, not turning to look at him from where his arms were buried in a slice of Kaiju chest cavity. His goggles gave him the impression of some scavenging insect as his black-gloved hands carefully sliced bits of cartilage away.
“See, I did that when I was on 2 hours of sleep in three days- I believe the lung incident was eh, early afternoon after a good night's sleep?” Viktor asked with a faux levity.
Jayce’s retort was bitten off as the door to their label opened. Upon seeing Marshall Medarda in her full glory, the two of them quickly stood up from their respective tables and stood at attention.
“Marshall- to what do we owe the pleasure?” Viktor asked, his voice aloof to a point of near sarcasm. (It was a line he toed like a master gymnast on a tightrope.) Jayce had to struggle not to throw him a look as he stripped the gloves off his hands.
“I just wanted to see how the two of you were progressing. Your assistants have been helping streamline your work significantly.” She walked further into the lab, the tap of her shoes on the stone floor seemed to echo.
“Yes! It’s been so nice being able to delegate certain data entry tasks to them. You picked very capable students. I’m assuming they’re also from the Academy- careful, you don’t want to show favorites.” Jayce chuckled warmly.
“With all due respect, was there a reason for your visit? We’re currently studying some fresh tissue before we have to put it in static cold storage.” Viktor prodded. At Viktor’s prompting, Mel took a moment to compose her response.
“We need you to consider piloting a Jaeger.” Mel finally answered.
Jayce’s jaw dropped, his eyes instinctively finding Viktor’s where he had sported a matching expression of shock.
“Absolutely not! Marshall, we are scientists, not soldiers! Jayce is an integral component in our research- the last thing we need is him getting blown up or eaten in a Jaeger.” Viktor protested, rising to his feet and making his way over.
“I understand, Doctor, but Caitlyn and Violet are out of commission, and Ekko and Jinx are still in their training phase. Jayce has experience in the field and we have multiple candidates lined up who would be very drift compatible.” Mel finished firmly. Jayce could see Viktor’s hand gripping his crutch, his knuckles white with the force as an angry flush began to take over his face.
“...I’ll do it-” Jayce started, raising a hand when Viktor rounded on him to argue. “- on one condition.” Jayce paused, gathering the courage to make his demand.
“I’ll only do it if Viktor can be my co-pilot.” Mel’s eyes widened in shock. “If there’s going to be someone in my head, seeing my memories… I want it to be my partner.” He insisted, placing a hand on Viktor’s shoulder. Mel looked at Viktor, taking in his crutch in a way that made Viktor straighten as much as he could with his back brace.
“...Jayce, we would have to modify one of the Jaeger’s to accommodate him- not to mention the lack of training that Viktor has-”
“-you’re telling me that we can build giant robots but we can make them accessible? I’ve given you my answer. If you want me, then you’ll need Viktor too.” Mel looked between the two of them and sighed.
“We’ll see what we can do. Doctor, you’ll need to undergo some emergency training at the very least.” She informed them smoothly, before excusing herself from the lab.
The tension that coiled in Jayce’s shoulders relaxed, letting out a breath and looking at his lab partner. What he didn’t expect was the familiar smack of a crutch against his calf. Jayce yelped and dropped his hand from Viktor’s shoulder to clutch his stinging leg.
“What were you thinking? Volunteering for the front line? Do you have a fucking death wish?” Viktor hissed, steadying himself and taking a few steps back to observe him.
“Viktor-”
“No, no- do not look at me with those fucking puppy eyes and try to convince me this will end in anything other than us dying! You didn’t even give me a chance to speak before you shove the both of us towards the Kaiju!” Viktor interrupted, turning his back to Jayce and making his way back to his desk to collapse onto one of the rolling stools.
Jayce stared at the hunched plain of his back, rolling the pen in his hand back and fourth between his fingers.
“Viktor… I can’t do this without you.”
“Sure you can. The Marshall said so herself, she has plenty of drift compatible candidates for you-”
“-and none of them know me as well as you do! We’ve been working together since we were in college, we’ve worked together for a decade! If I’m to do this I need you by my side, not some wannabe jock who wants to blend the Kaiju up into a pulp! Think about it- if we're piloting the Jaeger, we get to choose how to kill it. We could get better samples of organ tissue or brain matter!” Jayce wheedled, stepping closer until he was leaning against the metal table.
The lab was quiet save for the soft thrum of the sample fridges and freezers keeping the tissue from decay. From where Jayce was sitting, he could study the strong lines that made up the profile of Viktor’s face. His long, spindly hands idly fidgetted with a puzzle box that Jayce had gotten him when they both graduated (he’s solved it dozens of times, but that didn’t stop him from resetting it and doing it again.)
Jayce swallowed thickly before continuing.
“I don’t trust them like I trust you.” Jayce said, with all the softness that cut into Viktor’s resolve like a scalpel. Viktor tilted his face away slightly, silently willing his stomach to quit fluttering at the earnest Jayce took on.
Viktor placed the puzzle on the table with a long, drawn out sigh.
“It is your funeral. I knew I was going to die young.” Viktor grumbled, tilting his head away from Jayce even though he could see the red tips of Viktor’s ears.
………..
Getting to be back in the hanger bay after so many years made Jayce giddy. He felt like a kid in a candy store getting to walk by all of the Jaegers- pointing out the giant robots to Viktor and letting out a torrent of babble about the drivers and each Jaeger's special ability.
“We went off of one of your old designs, actually- tinkered it, tweaked a few things, but your idea for using magnets to add a little extra punch was brilliant.” The Marshall explained, walking them to the hanger bay. Jayce’s eyes widened. “Wait, you don’t mean-” he started, but whatever he was going to say was lost in the sound of the massive doors grinding open.
The design was one that Jayce made in the height of Jaeger propaganda- inspired by the papers encouraging enlisting to be a pilot and Shiny metal robots. Jayce blamed that for the mech that currently sat in front of him. “Gentleman, meet your Jaeger; Hammer Time.”
It was an impressive beast, don't get him wrong. It was built to be a tank of a machine- the hands were three thick prongs instead of individual fingers, that when curled formed a brutal looking first that reminded Jayce of a boxing glove. On the chest, covering the massive energy chamber, was a massive emblem of a hammer.
Viktor snorted, hiding the noise in his fist as they made their way to the entrance of the head.
Jayce shot him a look as Mel listed off the abilities, listening to the tap of Viktor’s cane as he fell in step next to him.
“A hammer on the chest?”
“Viktor-”
“A little egotistical, don’t you think?” Viktor murmured, a shit-eating grin taking over his face. Jayce elbowed him in the side, earning himself a smack on the arm that Jayce would have returned if Mel hadn’t turned around to address them.
“Right- Viktor, on your side there is an extra clamp to hook your suit into that will provide some stabilization and relieve pressure on your leg. In the case of an emergency and you need to evacuate, pull the red tab and it will release your leg.” Mel explained. Viktor nodded and handed her his cane, swatting away the arm that Jayce offered him and making their way inside the head of the mechanism. Each piece of the armor slid into place with a neat click- perfectly tailored to lock into the Jaeger, to become one with a gargantuan machine.
Adrenaline tasted salty in Jayce’s mouth, his heart thudding in his chest as the electronic display flickered to life. The liquid in his mask slowly drained, cooling his suit and making Jayce shiver at the sensation of it coursing through the fabric.
“Ready?” Jayce asked, looking over at Viktor. Viktor nodded, bracing himself as a robotic voice initiated the drift.
To explain the feeling of being flooded with someone’s entire life experience is one that Jayce failed to be able to properly put in his journal when they got back to their lab. To have the sensation of freezing Zaun streets, memories of a hunger that seemed to gnaw at his bones, of his lungs seizing from a phantom chemical. Each fleeting glance of disgust or pity from Piltovian society, waking up in the morning with his body screaming in pain, and… himself. Smiling, laughing at a joke, patting him on the shoulder and feeling the warmth of it through the academy uniform.
He couldn't stop- running a hand through his own hair after a night in town celebrating their first patent, seeing his own face gaze up at him with a pout, across a lab chatting with other students. Moment after moment of himself through Viktor’s eyes. He was shocked at how many of his memories he was in. He let them flow- not letting them reach him too deeply, focusing on them moving past him.
He was thrown back into his body with a choked gasp, fighting the vertigo he hasn’t felt since his first days of piloting. As he returned to his senses he heard Viktor wretch, coughing where he was bent over in his suit. The same robotic voice announced that both hemispheres were aligned.
“That was fucking unpleasant.” Viktor rasped, straightening himself to stand up fully, blinking and taking inventory of his limbs. Jayce winced as his leg twinged in pain.
“How are you feeling, Vik?” Jayce asked, and in synchronization they turned to look at each other.
“I’m alright…god, you really liked wizards as a kid. I do not think that you can make fun of me anymore for ranting about science fiction inaccuracies.” Viktor replied, dazed. Jayce winced as Viktor snickered, rolling his eyes as they began to be led to the drop zone. “We drift, we get to experience a scientific miracle and you’re using it for blackmail material.” Jayce deadpanned, drawing out a bark of laughter from his partner. “Samozřejmě, že jsem! What is this, amateur hour?”
“Boys, focus. You’ll be dropping in T-Minus 10…9…8..” Below them the floor dropped open, and vaguely Viktor yelped as they began the descent to the robot. Despite everything, Jayce was… excited. Thrilled to be connected to such a feat of technology. To actually do something beyond his lab.
The level 2 Kaiju was found closer to the tip of Ionia, making its way past Noxus. Instead of waiting for it to attack Piltover, they wanted Hammertime to meet it halfway- to attack on the barren, rocky coasts where there wouldn't be minimal if any casualties. Jayce couldn't help the excited babble as he watched his dream come to life, cutting through the water with more efficiency than any cruise ship or military sub. Perhaps it was the effect of the drift, but his excitement seemed infectious.
Soon, however, they were reminded why they were here.
“Look alive- the radar’s detecting a massive shape under the water, coming at you from 2 o’clock.”
Feeling the icy trickle of dread and not knowing who it was coming from was an odd feeling. The both of their expressions melted into that of grim determination.
Ahead of them, the water was a stormy gray- it was an overcast day. Jayce was just thankful they didn’t have the reflection of the sun making it harder for them to see. They were eyelevel with flocks of seabirds; seagulls and what Viktor thought to be an albatross. Through the thick filters they couldn’t smell anything, but the sea air buffed against their legs and threw the seawater back in a white spray.
Their thoughts and emotions flowed and overlapped each other like a- well. Like a stream of consciousness. Soft thoughts and worries murmured to each other as they took in the world around them- the apprehension, Jayce's excitement, Viktor’s worries, their shared adrenaline.
You could be convinced it was peaceful.
Soon, the two of them caught sight of it. A dark, oblong shape in the water, smoothly gliding towards them. It was massive- most likely as long as they were tall, if they had to guess.
“Brace for impact!” Mel demanded.
“Jo, žádné sakra-” Viktor yelled as the shadow rapidly sped towards them.
They brought their arms up to cross in front of the massive metal chest, watching the beast finally propel itself out of the water.
It was one thing to see the corpses of a Kaiju, or watch its trail of blazing destruction on the news than it was to see the thing right in front of you
The beast reared back, and with a bone-rattling roar a shot of white burst from its maw and plastered itself to the visor of the mech. Viktor’s cry mirrored Jayce’s as the head rocked back with a sickening lurch, and for a wild moment Viktor waited for something- webbing, maybe, or some kind of acid component that would crack open their metal container like the shell of a crustacean. But instead they leaned forward heavily as frost creeped along the reinforced panels.
Ice. Fascinating- but what was a creature with ice based powers doing swimming into warmer waters?
“Marshal, we’re blind out here!” Jayce roared, bringing up the hand of the Jaeger to claw at the ice that threatened to unbalance them. A censor popped up on the holographic screens next to them, showing a radar sweeping the area around them.
“It’s gearing up for another attack, it’s on your left!” Mel announced. They had to shoot blind- what other choice did they have?
The strain on their bodies was immense- the two of them cried out as they swung their arms to swing at their attacker, only knowing they hit from the recoil from the pressure-triggered pistons. It had been Jayce’s design- when it made contact, the fist would rapidly retract and propel forward in a blur of movement to deal a double attack.
A wretched death rattle vibrated through the machine as their balance was thrown back and fourth. After a moment, the movement stopped.
The air was deathly still save for the whirring and hissing of pistons, as well as the alarm that their vision and balance was impaired.
“It’s dead- we have a drone at your position and it’s floating dead in the water. We’ll get a clean up crew to take the corpse back-”
Viktor blinked as Mel’s voice began to fade into the background, replaced by a high pitched ringing.
“Jayce?” Viktor asked, looking over at his partner.
Jayce’s face was stone still, his eyes tracking the plume of breath that came from him. Frost had begun to creep along the walls, and without realizing, flooding the space with frigid air.
“Jayce!” He called again, startling as a cold kiss on his cheek made him peer around the control room.
Viktor blinked as the snow fell around him. The Jaegers were all air locked- they hadn’t taken any damage to the head, so where was this coming from? Could the ice around them cause this? He took a step forward unconsciously, waiting for the twinge of pain to shoot up his bad leg, but it never came. ‘A memory, then.’ Viktor noted.
A child’s cry echoed some ways away, and Viktor turned towards it.
In this black void of the drift, the terrain gave way to the pure white of snow. The wind came in a rush, howling and whipping the snow around them with a biting chill that made Viktor suck in a breath. But still he persisted.
It was a blizzard- miles and miles of pure white only just barely discerned by the slight grey tone of the sky. Ahead of him were two figures- one curled on the ground, the other much smaller and crouched over them. The child’s cries were nearly swallowed by the gusts of wind, panicked and scared. Viktor pushed through the building snow, sucking in a breath between his teeth as the cold cut into him.
“Mama, Mama, please, get up!” The child sobbed, shaking his mother’s arm vigorously.
“Jayce? Jayce!” Viktor yelled, finally coming within range of him. It was like he was behind a wall of glass- barely an acknowledgement of his voice as Jayce heaved and gasped for air and clutched at his mother, unconscious in the snow. Her fingers were black and gnarled with frostbite, and Viktor’s stomach lurched at the sight.
“Jayce, this is a memory. You have to let it go, let it move by you.” Viktor knelt down next to Jayce, his heart squeezing at the sight of Jayce so young and experiencing so much fear.
“It’s- it’s so c-c-cold.” He wailed, his tiny body shivering violently.
“Listen to me. If we move, we will get warm again. But we have to let this move past us. Come back to me, Jayce.” Viktor soothed. Slowly, the space faded back to the void of the drift, the wind quieting, until the person before him was the partner he had fallen in love with. He gasped a few more times before taking a deep breath, trembling as he exhaled and finally looked at him.
“Ok. I can move.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m good. Sorry.” Jayce shook his head slightly like a wet dog, shaking off the dredges of the memory from his mind. “Lets head home now, yeah? Don’t forget to grab the Kaiju.”
………………
The forge was a flurry of movement and sound- music blaring loudly as the room glowed with molten metal and fire. Jayce had discarded his jacket in favor of a white tanktop and his black pants, and Viktor found himself staring at the way the light pooled in the dips of his defined arms and shoulders. He looked like a creature from Greek myth, Hephestus bathed in the fire of his own creations. He went over to the radio and turned the music down, watching him put down the hammer and the scrap metal he had been hammering out.
“I thought I would find you down here.” Viktor mused, watching Jayce put his hammer off to the side and reach for the towel on his shoulder.
“Yeah, um.. I just needed to be warm.” Jayce replied, his back still turned to him. Viktor nodded. For once he was glad he walked with his crutch- giving Jayce a sound to track as he came closer, coming up to his side. He was working out a piece of scrap metal- too thin to be anything useful. Just something to exhaust himself with.
“I’m sorry you had to do that.” Jayce blurted out, his eyes still fixed on the metal on his anvil. “I’ve piloted a Jauger before, I know how to let the drift happen. I don’t know what happened there, I just…” Jayce trailed off, searching for an explanation for the way his mind snagged on that memory.
“Mm, it’s understandable. You were put in a situation that triggered unpleasant memories. Flashbacks are hard enough without being inside someone else’s mind.”
“Yeah, hah… I’m sorry you had to go through that. As a child. The, uh, hunger. I didn’t even know it was possible to feel that hungry.” Jayce rambled- he couldn’t stop now, the words tumbling out of him before he could catch them.
“I pray that you never will have to.” Viktor replied simply. How do you talk about something normal after having seen the inner workings of someone else’s mind? Did Jayce know about the way he used to catch bugs and crawfish from the polluted rivers of Zaun to eat? Did he know about choking back bile as he saw corpses slumped against the stone walls of the lanes as a young boy? He wonders vaguely if this is how the biopsied creatures on his lab table felt, scrutinized and poked at his vulnerable, fleshy bits.
There was a heaviness in the air. Both of them had seen the lingering glances, the stares from across the room when the other is preoccupied- hell, Jayce had written Viktor’s name with his own last name multiple times. (In font, in cursive, and in a horribly romantic swooping scrawl like a wedding invitation.)
Neither of them were the type to shy away from things that needed to be tackled, but suddenly this task was much more daunting than simply handing a Kauji’s acid sack, or deadlines breathing down the back of their neck.
“You know…it would be easier for the paperwork.” Viktor started, wincing at the rough scrape of his voice against his bone-dry throat. He swallowed- the noise clicked in his throat loudly.
Jayce tilted his head in confusion as he pulled his jacket back on, buttoning up the front carefully.
“What would?” He asked lightly- back to their normal work jargon, moving on from topics that made them jump like they had been electrocuted.
“Taking your last name.”
That made Jayce freeze, his fingers slipping deftly from their buttons as he stared at Viktor.
Viktor couldn’t meet his bright, golden gaze glowing with the dwindling forgelight. He shifted off his leg, relieving some of the pressure carefully onto his cane. It seemed Jayce had a similar problem as he cleared his throat.
“In- as in?”
“Jayce, you saw the insides of my mind- can we please dodge the tedious questions-” Viktor stuttered as Jayce walked towards him, his confident strides contrary to his pinched eyebrows. He stopped abruptly in front of Viktor, only inches away. He almost balked from Jayce, but stood his ground as Jayce’s eyes scanned his face.
“But you feel the same way. Right? That’s what you mean?” Jayce asked, his voice bordering on desperate. His face came closer, Jayce’s eyes darting down to Viktor’s mouth before he raised a hand to Jayce’s chest to stop him.
“If we are to… to be together, in this way- I want you off the Jaegers. As my friend I would mourn your death, but as your- as your partner-” Viktor tried, his traitorous voice still floundering as he tried to get his point across before succumbing to the thrum of heat in his face and chest. Jayce’s breathing hitched at the word, at the metamorphosis of a term used for their comradery loaded with a sweeter, headier meaning.
“Anything- anything, V, I-” Jayce whispered.
That was all he needed. Viktor gripped the lapel and pulled Jayce in.
The kiss would have been mediocre if they weren’t the people they were. Too much teeth as Jayce couldn’t keep from smiling like a fool, and Viktor’s neck cricked as he craned it to meet Jayce’s stooped head. But it was Jayce- he could still smell the iron and soot and sweat from the forge on his skin, he could feel Jayce’s heavy hand on his hip keeping him steady. That alone made his chest threaten to crack open from the emotions swelling somewhere under his lungs and ribs.
When they parted, Jayce was panting. His cheeks were stained with a ruddy red that Viktor was sure he mirrored.
“Since Freshman year?” He gaped, and the sparks between them turned from something hot and heavy to something so affectionate it made VIktor’s head turn away.
“Oh můj bože kurva, you’re like a dog with a bone-” Viktor grumbled, but he couldnt escape with Jayce’s arms around him. The giggle that spilled from Jayce didn’t help. Viktor pushed Jayce away with a hand on his chest.
“Go, shower. You taste like fucking coal.” Viktor scolded, but there wasn’t any heat in the words and Jayce knew it. The walk back to their lab, the couldn’t stop meeting each other’s eye and starting another round of childish teasing and barely contained laughter.
It wasn’t going to get easier just yet. They hadn’t found a way to stop the Kaiju. But, having Jayce safe and close, being able to support each other in ways previously not allowed… it couldn’t hurt.
They might even like it.