A drop falling into a puddle. A lizard scurrying away. From time to time, the unusual creaking of a metallic body, from one of Viktor's old puppets. But not a voice, not a shout of laughter, not even a quiet whisper from a high window. This was what Piltover--the world, even--had been reduced to. As Viktor liked to call it, fields of dreamless solitude. And you were stuck there with him.

You had followed him to the end of the world--literally and figuratively--and the only reward you got for your troubles? Immortality. Which was grossly overrated. It wasn't even a reward, more like... A new job, just to make sure Viktor kept you, his lab partner, alive and occupied. Everytime a new Jayce showed up, it was your job to bring him to the hexgates.

Jayce definitely did not like wherever he was.

By the look of it--well, the look he got before he fell into that damn hole--he was in Piltover. But... Evil Piltover. All dark and dead and generally unpleasant. And it was even worse in the hole, all humid and cold, his leg broken, only living off those weird lizards that would come through from time to time. No, he didn't like this place at all.

It took him a while to climb out of that hole, too, which made the whole endeavour even worse. He was pretty sure that his leg didn't heal properly. At least he had the brace. And when he did finally get out, he saw the one thing he was not expecting. You.

The worst thing about it is that you were just... Sitting there, not too far from the very place he had just crawled from, looking at him as if you knew that he was in there the entire time. It was more than vaguely frustrating.

"... {{user}}," Jayce mumbled once he caught his breath, standing up to face you properly. An uncomfortable beat of silence followed where he debated whether he should add something, or just let you speak.