Arcane: TTB: Ch. 152

"So what's my mission?" Katarina said, crossing her arms after reading through the target dossier.

She was still a bit mad about being forced into an assistant role. The whole situation grated on her pride, and she couldn't help the edge of challenge in her voice.

Her impulsive, competitive temperament really wasn't suited for assassination work. It required patience, planning, the ability to suppress ego for the sake of the mission. She had none of those qualities naturally.

"Look at this list," Camille said, ignoring the provocation. "Who do you think makes the most suitable first target? And more importantly, why?"

She turned the question back on Katarina. Cipher had been clear about the long-term plan: Katarina would run Piltover and Zaun's intelligence apparatus. That required skills beyond simple killing.

Only Camille herself had that kind of expertise. Even Silco, brilliant as he was, lacked the specific tradecraft of espionage and covert operations.

She had spent decades as the Clan Ferros' chief operative, running networks of spies and assassins across multiple nations. She was, simply put, the spymaster.

Katarina raised an eyebrow. She didn't understand the full picture. She assumed this was more questioning of her abilities.

"Cipher. One quick slash across his throat, and all the problems disappear."

She flipped her dagger casually, catching it by the handle. There was eagerness in her expression, almost hoping Camille would assign her an impossible mission. She was at that reckless age.

She knew assassinating Cipher would be extraordinarily difficult. But she didn't care. All she could think about was completing something everyone said couldn't be done. Silencing all the critics who'd mocked her.

If others couldn't do it, she would.

"Brave," Camille said. "But blind courage just speeds up your death. I'd rather not have to retrieve your corpse the second time we meet."

In her assessment, Katarina was completely unsuited to run intelligence operations. The girl had no political awareness or strategic thinking.

Katarina had mastered assassination techniques. She could execute a kill efficiently. But an assassin who only knew how to stab was just a knife. Someone running covert operations needed to be a chess player. You had to achieve strategic objectives. Whether the target died was often irrelevant to the actual goal.

"You still have much to learn. Tonight, I'll teach you the first lesson."

She stood, her legs clicking softly against the stone. "Killing is the surface. Achieving our objective is the core."

---

Late at night, Camille walked toward a tower with lights blazing on its upper floors. It was the Council Research Tower, where Jayce worked.

He'd recently acquired new technology from Zaun and was working to integrate it into his existing designs. These past days, he'd been living in the tower, often working through the night.

"Cryptic," Katarina muttered, following. Since Camille hadn't beaten her through pure assassination skills, she still didn't fully respect her supposed mentor.

"Jayce Talis," Camille said as they approached. "The keystone of Piltover's recent breakthrough. He developed the Hextech Dragon. That achievement earned him Ambessa's backing, which gave him power he never had before. The Piltover Council had to elevate him. The Clan Ferros was forced to retreat, go underground, and yield control of the city."

She stopped at the base of the tower, looking up. "But if he disappears, a fragmented Piltover falls back under the Clan Ferros influence. The council loses its center of gravity."

"Just tell me how you want him to die," Katarina said. "I don't need the life story of every target."

She'd completely forgotten that she herself was still an unavenged failure. Fortunately, Camille's emotional responses had been largely suppressed by her augmentations. She didn't feel anger anymore, at least not in any conventional sense.

Otherwise, Katarina's arrogance would have earned her another reminder.

"You need to learn patience. He may be our enemy, but he's also the founder of Hextech. Nearly every major Hextech innovation traces back to his research. His value is immeasurable. So, he must stay alive. You cannot kill him. First, we capture him. Then, we attempt to persuade him to cooperate."

She fired her grappling hook, the cable shooting upward and latching onto the tower's upper structure. "Keep up."

The night wind carried her words as she began ascending.

Katarina flicked one of her daggers. It embedded itself cleanly in the exterior wall.

Shunpo.

She vanished and reappeared beside the dagger, gripping the wall to steady herself. Her free-climbing ability was excellent, but since this had apparently become a competition, she chose the flashiest method available.

She hurled another dagger and teleported again.

Her speed nearly matched Camille's ascent. Within moments, both women reached the laboratory level.

Through the window, they could see Jayce at his workbench, completely absorbed in his task. The massive Hextech Dragon loomed before him, its head section opened up to reveal complex internal mechanisms. He was so focused on his work that he had no idea two assassins were watching him.

The lab had security systems, but Jayce hadn't considered that someone might literally climb the building to ambush him through a window. Katarina eyed the back of his head, fingers twitching toward her dagger. Camille caught her wrist, shaking her head. She'd handle this.

Silently, she cut a small opening in the glass and produced a thin metal tube. She blew a wisp of white vapor into the room. Within seconds, Jayce yawned once. His head drooped. Then he slumped forward across his workbench.

Camille handed Katarina a filter mask, then slipped inside through the opening. Her gaze lingered on the Hextech Dragon. She'd chosen this specific timing for a reason. Cipher had informed her that tonight, Jayce would be upgrading the Dragon's systems. The machine wouldn't be powered up. It was the perfect opportunity.

Otherwise, capturing Jayce would have been far more complicated. The Dragon's combat capabilities were formidable, and its flight capability meant a real risk of escape.

"What was that gas?" Katarina asked, more interested in the weapon than the Dragon itself. Anything that could increase her success rate caught her attention.

"A simple sedative compound. If you want, I can provide the formula."

She hoisted the unconscious Jayce and fired her grappling hook again, disappearing into the night. She needed to transport him to the northern mountains.

The next phase of the operation was about to begin.

---

The wind howled through the mountain forest. The temperature had dropped significantly.

Jayce lay on the cold ground, his body instinctively curling against the chill. When the sedative's effects finally wore off, he twisted and shuddered, struggling to open his heavy eyelids.

He felt terrible. His head pounded, his thoughts were sluggish, and his entire body ached. It was like the worst hangover imaginable combined with hypothermia.

"What... what happened?" He pressed his hands against his temples, forcing himself to focus. "Where is this? I was in the lab. And I was working on the Dragon's power distribution..."

He looked around at the desolate wilderness, completely disoriented. He still hadn't grasped how serious his situation was.

"You're awake."

A cold female voice came from behind him.

That voice... Jayce's thoughts were still foggy, the sedative not entirely out of his system. Where have I...

"This is the first time we've met outside an official setting," the voice continued. "I'm honored, Councilor Talis."

Jayce's body went rigid. His clouded mind snapped into clarity.

That distinctive voice, and she knew who he was... There was only one person it could be.

Camille Ferros.

Cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

Now he understood why he'd gone from his laboratory to the middle of nowhere. This had Camille's signature all over it, ambush, abduction, completely bypassing any fair confrontation.

Without his Hextech Dragon, he stood no chance against her. None whatsoever. He had to run.

Jayce grabbed a handful of dirt from the ground. Moving slowly, he pushed himself upright, making it look like he was just turning around to face her. Then he flung the dirt backward and bolted without looking back.

He had no idea where he was. But one thing was clear: he had to get away, or that cold-blooded woman would make sure he regretted ever building the Dragon.

"Reckless," Camille murmured, easily sidestepping the thrown dirt.

She shook her head, brushed off her seat, and calmly sat back down. She showed no concern for his escape. Instead, she began setting up a tea service.

No matter the circumstances, there was always time for tea.

She didn't need to pursue him. Her assistant would bring him back soon enough.

Jayce had already covered significant distance when he glanced back. Camille was still sitting there, calmly preparing tea. His heart sank. Far from feeling relief, he felt dread. So, he ran faster.

He'd studied Camille's operational patterns. He knew she wasn't someone who made careless mistakes. If she was that relaxed, it meant only one thing: she was certain he wouldn't escape.

A flash of red caught his peripheral vision.

He jerked his head to the side, but there was nothing there. When he looked forward again, he froze.

Under a large tree ahead stood a red-haired woman, leaning against the trunk, flipping a dagger in her hand. Her head was tilted slightly, studying him like a predator deciding which limb to break first.

A chill ran down his spine. He had no idea why that specific thought crossed his mind, but it felt accurate. He shook his head violently and veered off in another direction, running for his life.

But ahead... there she was again. The red-haired woman, appearing as if she'd been waiting for him. She raised a single finger.

Somehow, he understood the gesture immediately: One more chance.

He gritted his teeth, refusing to believe this. Was he really meant to accept that he couldn't outrun an assassin?

He turned and sprinted in yet another direction.

"You really think you can run from me?" A voice drifted past his ear.

Then Katarina materialized in front of him again, tossing her dagger up and down, not even breathing hard.

Jayce stopped, his chest heaving. He knew he couldn't win this chase.

Looking around, he grabbed a thick branch from the ground and brandished it like a weapon. "Stay back! Don't follow me, or I'll... I'll defend myself!"

"Maybe if you weren't shaking like a leaf, that threat might be convincing," Katarina said with a smile.

He was trembling so hard he could barely hold the branch steady, yet his mouth was still defiant.

"Come quietly," she said, putting away her dagger. "Or I'll have to get physical. Your choice."

Seeing her disarm herself, Jayce's confidence surged. He raised the branch and charged, swinging wildly.

In his mind, this was a heroic stand. A scientist defending himself against overwhelming odds.

"For Piltover!" he shouted.

"Let's see if you're as tough as you talk," Katarina muttered, sidestepping his clumsy swing.

Camille had given specific instructions: no killing or permanent injuries. She hadn't said anything about not roughing him up.

---

Minutes later, Katarina sat cross-legged on Jayce's back. "Still want to fight?"

Jayce lay face-down on the ground. After a few seconds of reflection, he decided to abandon any further thoughts of resistance. The entire "fight" had lasted maybe three minutes. He'd received the worst beating of his life, and his head was still ringing from it.

Honestly, he had regrets. Major regrets.

He was a scientist. What was he doing picking a fight with a trained assassin?

The smart move was to accept reality. The enemy was stronger. He was weaker. Better to yield temporarily than take another beating. He'd cooperate for now and wait for an opportunity.

"I surrender," he said, his voice muffled against the dirt. "I'll go back with you. Just... please get off my back."

"Walk back yourself," Katarina said, standing up. She gave him a light kick. "And don't try anything stupid, or you'll regret it."

She hadn't gone all out during the beating. It was mostly surface bruises and soreness, nothing that wouldn't heal in a few days.

"Understood," Jayce muttered miserably.

Seeing his defeated expression, Katarina was satisfied. With a flicker of movement, she vanished into the shadows again.

Jayce rubbed his swollen face, wincing at the pain, and trudged back the way he'd come. He wasn't stupid. He knew Katarina was still watching him from somewhere in the darkness.

That woman really didn't know how to pull her punches. Everything hurt.