Interlude: Fear

Jinx lay languidly atop the roof of a mansion, admiring the view such a luxurious spot afforded her. She had seldom taken time to look upon the streets of Piltover; the only times she had ever stopped to admire the city of progress was to witness the results of her own handiwork, an otherwise pitch-black night illuminated by orange plumes of flame and punctuated by loud, earth-shattering explosions. Those days were now nought but memories, as the First Star had seen it fit to grant her life purpose, although Jinx was still ambivalent towards her preordained fate. Much as she had always done, she ran away from her responsibilities, and instead of being at school as she ought to be she was hanging out here, watching the world go by.

Looking down, she could not help but notice a frenzy of activity down below, a congregation of people beginning to gather outside the resplendent mansion directly opposite her vantage point. This was something she could not miss. However, it would be no simple matter getting down to ground level from this precarious height, and she was perfectly settled here with a large cup of soda and a half-eaten bag of sweets from Pennyville situated within arms' reach. This was the perfect time to see what Shiro and Kuro could do.

One of the best things about having two magical fairy companions was not just the bragging rights she had over all the other Star Guardians, who only had one at most, but the discovery that she could manipulate their forms into anything she desired. For this occasion, a pair of binoculars was perfect. Squashing the two sprites together to form said optical device, Jinx zoomed in on the crowd and was unable to hold backs childish squeal of glee upon spotting two familiar faces. Her two favourite police officers were out on patrol. Caitlyn, with her tall purple hat with the weird metal things hanging off it, and the boisterous Vi, with her shocking pink hair and massive gauntlets, were deep in conversation, and Jinx was desperate to find out what the two of them were talking about. Her efforts to eavesdrop required her to quickly disassemble her binoculars and send Shiro closer to ground level to listen in. According to the First Star, people often did not perceive that which they could not comprehend, so it was a safe bet that Shiro would go completely unnoticed. After all, who among the rational-thinking police force would ever believe a little white poofy thing was spying on them?

"That's it, Shiro," Jinx said, maintaining a telepathic link with her pet as he made the descent. Kuro whined in protest, and Jinx responded by grabbing the fuzzy black creature and twisting him into the shape of a telescope. Now, she could see and hear what was unfolding down below. Already, brief snippets of conversation were reaching her brain.

"The hell are we even doing here anyway?" Vi asked, folding her arms and tapping her foot impatiently. "Seems like a pretty open and shut case if you ask me."

"No case is ever as simple as it first appears," Caitlyn replied. "Besides, when the head of Clan Polydact himself comes calling, you can't exactly refuse. He thinks there's evidence of foul play, and that's enough to warrant a thorough investigation." Jinx knew of Clan Polydact. In fact, everyone in Piltover did. They were one of the few families in the city to have amassed their massive wealth through completely legitimate means, and they were all distinguishable by the recurrent trait of having six fingers on each hand, often said to be the result of centuries of inbreeding. However odd the family may be, everyone appreciated their creativity and the second-to-none hextech household appliances they invented. Even Jinx herself was smitten with them, especially their microwave ovens.

"People die in their sleep all the damn time," Vi said. "You sayin' that because this girl just happened to be born into the right family, that makes her case special?"

"Not precisely," Caitlyn said in that rich, upper-class Piltover accent. Jinx often attempted to imitate said accent, rambling about tea and biscuits and other such nonsense, but it was harder than expected and Jinx's efforts were often lacking in timbre. "We may owe the clan a few favours, but for a girl so young to die in her sleep is far to unusual not to investigate regardless. We have every reason to be suspicious." Jinx quickly grew bored of the tiresome exchange about bureaucrats and procedural matters, instead turning her attention to a window.

"Shiro, quick, over here!" she ordered, and just as the First Star said, nobody noticed the little white sprite floating outside the tall bedroom window. The room itself was bigger than any Jinx had ever had the fortune of sleeping in, full of finely-polished ornate furniture, rows upon rows of porcelain dolls and a menagerie of stuffed animals. It was also full of people laying down markers, drawing lines along the white carpet and running their fingers along shelves. At the edge of the crime scene, several more police personnel stood by holding cameras, the sort with the giant flashbulbs on them. Could the police not afford better equipment?

"One… two…" someone counted, and then there was a blinding flash as one of the cameramen took a photograph of the bedroom. So this was what police work was like? How boring, Jinx thought, glad she was lounging up on the rooftop instead of being anywhere near the scene of a suspected crime. While most of the crime scene investigators were working diligently, two of them stood by the window and conversed. One was fairly large, a neat and meticulous man with slicked-back hair, a pencil moustache and a shiny metal hand.

"None of this is adding up, Conrad," he said to his scruffier, bespectacled companion, his words muffled by the thick glass of the window but still intelligible. "Lilian Polydact, fourteen years of age, dead in her own bed. Absolutely no signs of a break-in, no blood, no marks on the body. Nothing. Someone that young doesn't just die in their sleep." The man Jinx presumed was named Conrad reached into his pocket and pulled something out to show his colleague. She could not see exactly what it was due to the angle obstructing her view, but whatever it was, Jinx had to assume it was important and pertinent to the case.

"I agree," Conrad said. "In fact, I've had a bit of a theory for a while. I think…"

"Hey, outta the way, you two, we need to get a good shot of the window!" one of the cameramen yelled, and the duo awkwardly shuffled away to let the photographers do their work. Jinx found it amusing that even now, even when they were staring him right in the face, nobody seemed to notice Shiro. Of course, it would have been funny if they did. The looks of bafflement and confusion would be priceless. However, for her current task of being a covert Star Guardian, it was just as well that Shiro seemed to be invisible to ordinary people. If only yordles weren't so sensitive to magic, she wouldn't have to worry about the ban the school had placed on having pets in the classroom…

Jinx was rudely dragged back to reality as the camera flashed again. Damn, could they not get hold of those more compact digital cameras or something? Jinx was even sure that Clan Polydact themselves had just released a new model under their Polysonic brand. Wasn't the whole point of sucking up to aristocracy to get a bunch of cool freebies? Once several snaps had been take, the two investigators resumed their position beside the window and continued their discussion.

"Look, Conrad, there's no point telling me about whatever wild theories you've got. I know what you're like with this stuff. Go tell the boss if it's really that important," the first investigator, who Jinx spontaneously decided to call Detective Killjoy, said.

"Well, gee, I would but..." Conrad said hesitantly before nervously gulping.

"You still scared of what Vi might say?" Killjoy asked. "Relax, pal, it's not her words you need to worry about."

"I'm not scared," Conrad refuted, shaking his head vigorously.

"Sure you aren't," Killjoy said. "You seem hesitant for someone who isn't scared, though."

"Alright then, I'll go see the sheriff right away!" Conrad said, hurriedly turning away. "We'll see who's right!" He made his leave from the crime scene, trying not to bump into people or ruin any of the carefully placed markers. Jinx would soon want to switch her attention back to her two favourite officers, but first, she took another good long look at that magnificent bedroom. More specifically, the four-poster bed with its curtains pulled back, affording a clear view of the bed's occupant. A fair-skinned brunette with a generically pretty face lay there, her final expression appearing to be one of sheer terror, the wide eyes and agape mouth suggesting her death was far from peaceful. Such a familiar expression, and one that Jinx had once taken great joy in seeing before the day Fishbones died, or rather, the day she realised Fishbones had never lived...

Jinx shook her head, dispelling those unpleasant memories. She could no longer bear to look upon that face, or anything within that room, so she turned her attention to one of the other windows, sending Shiro over to listen in once again. The next window she peered through would do little to improve her mood, as it was evident that an outpouring of grief was taking place. Fat rich people cried in the arms of worried-looking police officers.

"To think, some monster would take the life of our precious daughter," sobbed the head of Clan Polydact, the manatee-esque monstrosity known as Julian Aurelius Polydact.

"Don't worry, sir, we'll catch whoever was responsible," the policeman Mr. Polydact was currently smothering said, awkwardly patting him on the back.

"My only child!" the equally odious lady of the manor wailed. "Oh, by the gods, this is cruel!" Given her greying hair and dreadful dress sense, Jinx sensed this woman was probably past the age where one could safely bear a child, and thus, the death of the direct heir of Clan Polydact's vast fortune was somewhat of an issue. However, in the very likely event of the untimely death of these two walruses, there would be plenty of cousins (twice removed, several times ousted) who would lay claim to the estate and all the riches that came with it.

I could so easily just blow it all to hell, Jinx thought. In fact, it occurred to her how odd it was that she had never got around to blowing up the Polydact mansion. Perhaps it was because it was situated far from the city centre, and thus the chaos would have been less far-reaching in its effects than the many times she had shut down the heart of Piltover. Now, though, her urges of destruction could no longer be sated in the traditional ways. Losing Fishbones had made her realise that the path she had taken was not necessarily one that would bring her happiness and fulfilment, and that as fun as blowing everything up was, if she kept going the consequences would soon catch up with her. Luckily, First Star had looked past all that and decided to give her all the powers anyone could ever hope for. And right now, she was using them to spy on people.

"Ugh, I hate it when things make me think about myself," Jinx grumbled. "C'mon Shiro, let's eavesdrop on someone that isn't totally miserable." By now, that little nerdy-looking fellow had left the mansion and was now handing the sheriff and her chief enforcer what looked like sheets of paper. When Jinx finally got a good look at them, she saw that they were not just boring documents, but a series of striking images. Photographs. Photographs of other crime scenes.

"What am I s'pose to be seeing here, Conrad?" Vi asked. "Tell me this isn't like the time you gave Pontifex Francisco that Overtale thing or whatever the hell it was."

"Alright, if you insist, I'll guide you through it," Conrad said. One by one, he detailed the cases the photographs depicted, pointing to each one as he did so. "Mrs. Jones, Thursday 8th, death by cardiac arrest. Elderly woman dying of heart failure, sounds fairly standard but as you can see in the bottom corner of the image…" He moved his finger down to the precise spot he was talking about, and Vi looked puzzled.

"A jack-in-the-box?" she asked. "Really?"

"Mr. Kruschev, Friday 9th, cause of death also cardiac arrest," Conrad said, ignoring Vi's remarks. "A knife was found on the scene, but no blood and no wounds on the body. Very odd."

"I'll say," Vi scoffed.

"Shush, Vi," Caitlyn said. "I think he may be onto something here."

"Why, thank you, Sheriff, for having some faith in me," Conrad said. "But anyways, where were we? Ah, yes, the curious case of old Dr. Mercedes. Died that Saturday. Cardiac arrest again. But, as you can see..." Conrad drew his finger in a line across the deceased man's chest, and as Jinx zoomed in, she saw a pair of jagged red lines zig-zagging along the doctor's torso. "He was wounded, but this was not what killed him. And finally, we have Ilia of Clan Scorato. Same cause of death as all the others, but his room was covered in black feathers. As far as we could tell, they belong to some sort of crow."

"The same cause of death, and yet all the methods are wildly different," Caitlyn said in a curious manner.

"Precisely!" Conrad said excitedly, giddy as a schoolboy that the head honcho agreed with him. "Nobody else believed me, but I'd bet my house that every single one of these cases is linked! A trickster is loose in Piltover, frightening people to death!"

"I'd be careful makin' bets like that if I were you," Vi warned. "We all know what happened last time…"

"Oh, don't remind me," Conrad squeaked, shaking his head vigorously. "The ink on our marriage certificate wasn't even dry! But this time, I'm absolutely convinced! This is the work of a deranged madman, possibly an escaped inmate from the asylum, or simply a lunatic we haven't encountered yet..."

"Hold it," Vi said, putting up a hand to cease Conrad's babbling. "You don't think… this couldn't be her, could it? I mean, sure, we'd be expectin' some kind of grand entrance if it was, but she's the only one I can think of would pull somethin' like this." Jinx could feel her ears burning. She had not been forgotten. That was good, because it would have been such a shame for Piltover to have moved on and left her in its chequered past. As she watched and listened to this trio going back and forth, an idea formed in Jinx's head, a brilliant one that was so much cleverer than anything else she had ever come up with. It was so good, she was surprised it was even her own idea. It was simple, yet brilliant: she was going to solve this crime before the police could.

Everything about it was amazing. Not only was she doing what the Star Guardians were meant to do by helping keep people safe, but it would also really annoy Caitlyn and Vi. Jinx knew those two would still be smarting from their inability to ever pin her down, and they would be doubly desperate to get to the bottom of a new wave of crimes. It'd be a piece of cake to get the other Star Guardians on board (not that she needed their help, of course), and once they'd solved the case and apprehended the responsible party, the city would have to give them a big victory parade and freedom of the city and all that other good stuff. It had worked for Jayce, after all.

"Alright, little fellas, that's enough slacking off for one morning," Jinx said, telepathically dragging Shiro away from the police force. "Ready for takeoff!" Jinx spread her arms, allowing Shiro and Kuro to circle around her, and jumped, having discovered a few days ago that Star Guardians were capable of flight, just like that one kid who'd never grown up. Jinx didn't want to grow up either. She didn't want to end up turning into Janna, that was for sure. The purple-haired leader of the group was so stuffy and boring. That was one thing Jinx would never become.

Mid-flight, Jinx realised two things. One, she'd left a perfectly good soda and sweets behind on that rooftop and she was going to have to retrieve those. Two, and perhaps more pertinent, was that as fantastic as her new idea was, she had absolutely no idea where to start. How would she go about catching a criminal? Go to one of the poorer areas of the city? Maybe even trek back to Zaun? Or set up a trap to lure him in? This 'thinking' business was hard. After coming up with one big idea, now she had to come up with all these little ideas to build up to the bigger one…

Screw it, she had four other people to bounce ideas off. Or rather, four people who could do all the thinking for her while she stood around looking cool and making things explode. That sounded more like it. That was the plan right there. Solve the crime, get the others to do all the hard work and take all the credit at the end. Perfect.

A.N.: Well, it's been a trial and a half actually getting this one up. I literally had an entire chapter written up, with this part serving as just a lead-in (it was half the length at the time), but then I had the idea of splitting them up properly and expanding this part to serve as the opening to an arc. But I kept procrastinating until it reached the point my hard drive locked up and I literally lost everything.

During that period, I joined the League of Legends Confessions team over on Tumblr, and that was where a lot of my League-related energy went. Recently we hit 5000 followers, and in celebration of that, I decided there was no better time to start this back up. No guarantees on a time-frame for the rest of the arc, but I hope you enjoyed this chapter and are looking forward to more. I've got some plans for the next three chapters, just need to figure out which order to do them in and then actually get round to it.