A/N: In case you missed the Note chapter this replaces, I'm sorry I haven't updated in a long while, life hit hard, and I was soooo not ready. Bright side, here's the chapter I wasn't sure I'd finish. It's a bit on the shorter side, but it was a great cut off point, so I left it there.

TL;DR from the A/N Chapter: Life is terrible, I'm done catching colds, and Imma be writing this for NaNoWriMo in November... so updates are #Soon(tm)

More at the end.

Enjoy.

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Part Eight:

Quiescence

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Or:

Of Calm and Cold

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The days passed in a relative calmness. People still came and went, and the basement was still full of people packed in wall-to-wall, but there were less comings and goings. The PROJECTs minded their own business, staying in the underground, and Raksha led his masquerade life above the ground.

Cadao and the band snuck out at least once to preform, returning the next morning with news of the city. The Registration had begun, and all of the humans with cybernetics had begun filing into lines to be registered. They were given separate sections at the Frozen Cask, as well as in the music arena. The robots themselves were separated even further. People were being cautious of the machines around them, and whispered about PROJECTs in dark corners of the city.

Surely, if they were to go above ground, they would also be split apart, held in a different light than the people around them. The PROJECTs would be seen as a threat, a volatile experiment gone wrong, and locked away for correction. Cadao had spit the word when he told them about it, and Fiora had muttered something about the 'Source Code.'

The news from above made the last threads of excitement bleed from the group. Everyone became silent, somber. This was more real than any of them realized.

It was then that Lilleth brought a note to Raksha. The mage read it with a frown, and almost immediately called for a meeting, Dragging the short coffee table into the sleeping room as he did so.

That's how they found themselves here. Around a dozen people crammed into a small room with four bunk beds to sit on and a short table squished between them.

Yi had been dragged into the meeting by Raksha, who had shoved him into his bunk and told to sit still and listen. Other PROJECTs had filtered in, squeezing onto bunks. Weapons had to be left outside, as there simply was no room.

Fiora and Yasuo sat across from Yi, and Leona settled in beside him. Soraka had chosen to sit cross-legged on the floor, having brought a pillow in from the other room and placed it in one of the empty corners. Cadao had claimed the bunk above Yi, and one of his feet hung dangerously close to Yi's mask. Sona actually floated above the table, seemingly weightless by the ceiling. The other bunks were filled with PROJECTs of every color. One in a bright sandy brown and one with dark purple lights sat above Yasuo and Fiora. An almost too-bright PROJECT of bright green leaned against the back corner of the room beside another in bright blue. Raksha was the last to enter the room, sliding the door closed behind him and dimming the lights so the PROJECT armor lights cast odd shadows on the white walls.

Raksha cleared his throat, calling everyone to attention. A few PROJECTs—including Leona, Fiora, the blue PROJECT, and the purple one—straightened as much as was possible.

"I know it's a bit early in the year for it, but I now call this meeting of leaders to order," Raksha said with a swift and practiced grace. "Before we begin, I assure you, I will explain everything in time. For now, treat this like a normal meeting." He flicked his hand above the coffee table, and some computer system sprung to life, projecting a floating window with a series of topics on it. Yi didn't get a chance to read any of them before Raksha moved on. "Introductions for our new fighter, core start. I am Raksha Kismat, owner of the bases and their cover locations. I will be the leader of this meeting."

"I am Soraka of the core sector. I run the bookstore cover at the Frozen Cask and head the support group," Soraka added easily. She motioned to Sona over the table. "That is Sona, my second. The man up there is Cadao, Sona's speaker. He shall speak for her, as well as for himself."

"Yasuo of Core," the PROJECT stated after a small silence, leaning against the wall of the bed.

"Fiora, head of the East and retrieval specialist. I work in the field," Fiora stated the fact simply, without hesitation.

Yi started as Leona spoke next, instead of the pattern continuing in a circle. "Leona of the East. I head both our defensive and communication based efforts," Leona chuckled lightly, "I am also on the retrieval team, but no one who does field work isn't on the retrieval team."

The brown PROJECT spoke next. Their design was simple, fashioned after an old armor design. A blue gem sat in the crown of the helm, just over the long white hair that fell down the PROJECT's back. "Sivir from the South. Head of infiltration and information. I watch people watch other people." The voice was female.

"Talon, south. Investigation and infiltration," the purple PROJECT growled. His voice was rough, matching his cloaked head and sharp visor. A nasty looking gauntlet sat on his right arm, and Yi wondered if it contained some hidden weapon.

Sivir spoke again, jabbing a thumb toward the other PROJECT. "He's the one I watch."

The blue PROJECT was the next to speak, standing tall across from Raksha. A bodysuit framed very clearly female assets, a thin visor with high wings framed her face, and a long blue cloak of light-like energy fluttered at her back. "I am Ashe, head of our northern front. I specialize in reconnaissance and retrieval. I also control the AVAROSA system."

The green PROJECT was the last to speak, barely straightening as they lounged. An angular collar and baggy pants added to the lazy look, and the half-shaved head of white hair left gender in question. "Esta's the name, footwork's the game. I get in, get out, get results. Work with Ashe as my commander, also have the complete honor of being the location tagger for us." Yi mentally put this PROJECT down as a young male.

Silence fell over the room when Esta finished.

Eyes fell on Yi expectantly. Leona nudged him.

"Your turn," she whispered.

"Ah," Yi nodded. "Right. My name is Yi, and I do not really have a role as of yet."

Small greetings were tossed around, nods and hellos. Raksha clapped his hands, summoning silence again. "I would like to call each sector leader to report. Core will be held until the end, as some of its report is linked to the next matter. East, please start."

Fiora stood in what space she could, waving a hand across the holoscreen of the table. Several small dots appeared on a map, each pulling up some kind of profile on a mission. Yi recognized the image of the destroyed lab that he woke in. "The East, as you can probably tell, has had a fair bit of excitement. We completed a retrieval mission for Yi over there, and are currently placing him. We had an incident with a SHADOW and one of our operatives, but the matter has since been resolved. Since the last meeting, we have saved three of four PROJECTS."

A small round of applause went through the room.

"That is East's report," Fiora sat back down.

"Thank you," Raksha said calmly. "South?"

Sivir, the golden brown PROJECT, shifted the map, showing a bright red line that ran southwest through the city. Another set of reports, this time with arrows to different streets appeared. "The south has been quiet. We have been watching the western front, and no actions have been taken. Our infiltration has spotted three new scientists on the board, and we think they have been preparing for something, quite likely that whole registration thing."

"We also believe they may be increasing PROJECT creation, not decreasing it. They are nearing the end of their precious list, so they must be excited to end it," Talon said in his gravelly voice. "They have created a few new labs, as well, according to our reports, though the locations are unknown."

"Duly noted," Raksha said. "Recon will be assigned that immediately. Is that your report?"

"I'll pass the exact details along to Recon after this meeting," Sivir waved a hand lazily, collapsing the map back down. "Yes, that's all."

"North, then," Raksha hissed. Something had him impatient.

"Our reports seem to confirm what the South has to say. The west has been mostly silent, other than the usual deliveries and convoys," Ashe spoke with a strong voice, easily bringing the map to focus on the northwest red line and the markers on it. "Most of their activity has been confined within the western sector, so it is difficult to tell exactly what has been going on."

"Expected," Raksha nodded. "Is that all?"

Ashe froze, eyebrows drawn together in confusion. "That's the most important piece, but we have a whole year of data to share and—"

"That will not be necessary," Raksha cut her off. "If that is what we need to hear, then that is all that needs saying. We can move onto—"

"Wait a moment, Raksha," Soraka suddenly said. She stood, laying a hand softly on Raksha's shoulder. "What has gotten into you? You are never this worried during a meeting. Is something the matter?"

Raksha looked like he was about to snap angrily at the woman, but he snapped his eyes shut instead. His fists clenched, and he took an audible breath. He let it out with a soft sigh, his body visibly relaxing. The whole room seemed to lean in to hear him speak as he opened his eyes. There was a light green ring around them, his magic, no doubt.

"I'm sorry," Raksha breathed the words. "I have been going too fast, haven't I?" He shook his head and knelt by the table, turning the display back into a basic map of the city. "Thank you, Raka, now allow me to explain myself."

"Please do," Sivir snapped, though the words could have been far fiercer than they were.

"We don't have much time," Raksha started, "The world is changing, and we're being put in the spotlight. We will have one shot at this, and if it fails, everything we've worked for will be undone. We will be undone. The Renegades will cease to exist, and all of our PROJECTs will be enslaved again, will be turned to SHADOW and whoever was helping them will be eliminated, we all know this," he paused, letting the PROJECTs around the room nod in consideration. "The thing is, we can't stay in the city any longer. If we stay here, the Creator will search for us, will hunt us endlessly. He will not stop until he controls all of you, and until I, and those like me, are eliminated. He sees us as a threat, we have to act on that.

"We have a chance, though. One chance. I've looked over the options a thousand times, and this is the best chance we got," Raksha frowned. "According to our records, we are down to less than twenty possible PROJECTs that still need to be made, before they begin duplicating. We only know what records Soraka has made for us, from history texts and legends of the League. Our enemies have even more detailed records than us. Our conflict is about to hit the breaking point, and all of you know how few fighters we have left. The PROJECT process has ruined many a legend, and that leaves us far outnumbered. We need allies.

"This," Raksha pulled a thin paper out of his pocket, tossing it on the table, "Is a note from my Mistling contact. They are ready for the move we are about to make, and are going to begin calling for a pilgrimage."

"Mistlings?" Talon asked the air. "That bunch of drug addicts and cultists? Why are we contacting them?"

Raksha met the purple PROJECT's gaze evenly. "They're our ticket out of the city, that's why," he pulled up several dots on the map, "These are the shield generators. We will take out two of them, at least, and then the Mistlings will get our PROJECTs out in small groups. Once out, they will go to set locations, using the Black Mists as cover. From there, Yasuo will lead a select few after a secondary contact of mine to Ionia, to see if it's safe. After that, the PROJECTs will be brought to the island of Ionia, and we will regroup there."

There was a long break of silence as the room stared at Raksha. Finally, several people spoke at once.

"Ionia? The Mists? What are you talking about?" Sivir snapped. "Those are myths!"

"Oh, so that's what that meeting was about!" Cadao exclaimed.

"Where did you get this idea?" Ashe asked.

"When did this plan get made?" Leona muttered.

"Silence, please," Raksha snapped. He knelt on the ground, hands on his head, leaning over the note on the table. "Please…"

Quiet fell slowly, thickly over the room. Yi couldn't help but shift under the silence's weight.

Raksha let out what could have been a choked sob or a bitten sigh. "Please listen. These are not myths. The League was real, you all are proof of that," the mage managed. "If the League was real, how many other myths are there that were connected? Ionia was a part of the League, and supposedly Soraka's homeland. Do we write that off as a myth? Do we ignore the fact that we may have an escape? The Mists come once every few months, but if we wait any longer, the Registration will claim many of us, too many to fight back. The ones they take will be mined for information, enslaved against their will, and bent to the Creator's.

"Some of the PROJECTs we harbor," Raksha lowered his hands, glancing up at Sona, "Some of them are just normal people with memories forced upon them. They are confused, they are lost, and they are not warriors.

"Some of us, on the other hand, are fighters. Some of us are warriors who will do anything it takes to protect ourselves and our loved ones," Raksha glanced from Ashe to Leona, eyes settling on Yi, "Or to find the truth,

"All we want is to see ourselves to safety, to save the PROJECTs that are enslaved here, to keep every one of us alive and well. You all strive to be human again, to be seen as complete, and I'm here to help you.

"Trust me, if there was any other way, I would find it. Between Fiora, Yasuo, and I we've considered all the options, all the angles, all the end results, and this one is the only one that gives us a chance," he shook his head. "Yes, it's based on myths, but all of you are myths to begin with. We can't afford to risk all that we've worked for by not taking the chance we have.

"That said, I will only ask you to help of your own will. There will be no orders here. Each of us will be putting our lives on the line, as well as the lives of many civilian PROJECTs and warriors alike. We need to be careful, to think this through, and be ready to move at a moment's notice. We can't risk a leak, so no PROJECT will be leaving this house until we leave the city.

"I need you guys now more than ever. I need your strength, I need your trust, and I need you to be ready," Raksha clenched a fist on the tabletop. "Who is willing to lead with me?"

The silence settled back on the room, and Yi remained still to take it all in. A risky mission with little chance of success, or a lifetime of fear and worry. Neither option was amazing, yet…

Oddly enough, it was Cadao who broke silence first.

"Sona and I will join you," The musician said firmly. "We can't make the noncombatants leave the city, nor can we physically join you, as our disappearance from the public eye would be missed dearly, but we can help you by sheltering those who stay, keeping an eye on things inside the city as you leave, and… well, we can throw a concert the night of the escape, to draw civilians away from what will be going down. A spontaneous center park concert should do the trick. Would draw a lot of people and city security at the same time."

Raksha nodded, but said nothing.

"I'll join ya," Esta said brightly. "You may be able to use me to get into those pesky shields, or get out of them."

Ashe nodded, "I will join you as well. If it is to further the resistance, then I shall give you all I have. My fighters will go with you, but I will stay in the city, as a last line of defense for the noncombatants."

"You will need our information, for complete records of the generators and gates," Sivir said, "You can't do it without my people. I'll come with you."

Talon grunted in agreement.

"You already have my allegence," Fiora said in her accented voice. "Yasuo as well."

"I have all our books memorized, all the data we will need. We can wipe our drives before we go, keep the written files with us, or burn them," Leona added. "I can transcribe the missing data when we get to Ionia."

Leona nudged Yi's arm, and the swordsman started. The whole room seemed focused on him. They wanted his answer as well, then.

"Ionia," he muttered. "I was told Ionia was my home. If I go there, I may learn more about myself, as many of us would. I would not miss this opportunity if my life was the price."

Raksha nodded slowly.

"You have weighed all the options?" Soraka asked. A nod. "You are the one making this decision, and you have the lives of hundreds of people on your shoulders. Do you believe this is the best possible answer?" Another nod. Soraka let out a breath. "Then this is your choice, and I will assist you in any way I can. The Mists have many myths and many truths written about them, I can help you find which is which. If I can increase the odds of you escaping the Mists alive, then I shall."

Raksha finally raised his eyes, tired and broken in a way Yi had never seen before, the mage met each PROJECT's gaze. Then, he nodded again, more certain this time. "Alright," he hissed.

A fire rose in the man's eyes, a light of determination in the form of a green fire. Yi would have smiled if he could. The sentiment was there, at least.

"We will break the news slowly, appoint those who will join us into teams, assign each team a leader and a group of noncombatants to guide. We will study what Soraka has to say, we will plan, and we will be ready as soon as possible. The Mists should be here in another week or so, we don't have much time," Raksha took a deep breath, reaching forward to flatten the map, shrinking the city to a small circle and revealing the landscapes beyond. "Thank you, all of you," the young mage whispered. He cleared his throat, rose to his knees, and pointed to a point on the map. "This is where we will meet up, that's our end goal. Now let me explain how we're going to get there."

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The next weeks passed in a flurry of motion and action. All forms of communication out of the household were cut off, the Hextech devices were all wiped, erased, or destroyed. Any important logs were collected from the library and put in carry bags, carefully hidden among rations and weapons. Raksha began to gather provisions and supplies quietly through their network of contacts.

The noncombatants were told the news, and—though hesitant—most agreed with the action. Some of the non-PROJECTs refused to put themselves at risk, saying they would stay as spies inside the city. Some PROJECTs chose to stay as well; those who did not connect with their memories, or those who wanted to be registered. Within the first day, five PROJECTs had left for the registration. None of them had returned, and they would not be allowed to return if they did.

A few in their number were sick, not physically, but mentally. Their memories were too fragmented, too destroyed to give them personality. Perhaps in Ionia, they could find help. They were paired with their non-PROJECT helpers, and the helpers chose if they would stay or leave. Almost all preferred to stay with Sona and Soraka, taking shelter in the Frozen Cask. The exception was Tobias Fate. The poor man was a victim of the early Istar Implantation methods. Half himself, half Tobias, the man wanted answers more than anything. His biological sister was his Shadowscape's ancestor, a mix of modern and ancient that simply didn't work out. He was the most capable of the shattered PROJECTs they sheltered, though. He deserved answers. Raksha wouldn't stop him.

Soon enough, they had all their protector and noncombatants paired and grouped. Four main groups, three with noncombatants to escort, and one with only six members. Raksha would be joining Yasuo, Fiora, Yi, Lucian, and Leona as the advance group. Ashe and Sivir would lead their respective groups to take out the shield generators in their respective sectors. They would each have a group of three to perform the tasks, for that was all they could spare.

Raksha was in the sleeping room checking on the map with Leona once again, making sure the paper copies of the map they had made were as accurate as possible, when the communicator that was in his pocket vibrated. He froze, cutting off mid-sentence.

Leona cocked her head curiously. "What's up?"

Raksha's throat tightened, and he frowned, pulling out the communicator without a word. He flicked it open, pressed it in his ear, and spoke sharply. "Yes?"

"The Mists are on the horizon. They'll hit tomorrow night. We move then."

"Understood," Raksha replied.

"See you on the other side."

Raksha nodded, despite the fact that whichever Pulsefire member was speaking couldn't see him. "Yes," he managed.

The communicator went silent.

"What was that?" Leona asked as Raksha removed the com.

Raksha tucked the communicator back in his pocket, slowly looking up to meet Leona's eyes. "Tomorrow. We move tomorrow."

Leona nodded. "I'll let everyone know."

Raksha hang his head in his hands when the PROJECT left the makeshift command center, squeezing his eyes closed and choking down the bile rising in his throat. His stomach flipped, and it was hard to breathe.

When had so many people come under his control? When did he become so responsible for all of this? Why him, of all people?

Because the house Kismat does what is right, no matter the cost.

Raksha took a breath, centering on Phyla. When peace did not come, he breathed out his mana, leaving the raging rush of his magic in the silence. The silence was loud in his ears.

The house Kismat does what is right.

No matter the cost.

No matter what.

Raksha lifted his head, letting his magic rush back to him. It filled him like a man dragged under the tide, and he was left gasping at the mana that seeped off his skin in a thin green mist. He shoved the knot in his stomach down, a new mantra coming to him in a heartbeat.

Desanti.

Raksha rose slowly, his magic flaring off his body.

It was time to do what was right.

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The distraction squads had left early that morning, in the darkness of dawn. When the sun had begun its decent, the different groups filtered out, in pairs or alone to meet at various locations. Mistlings would meet them there, prepare them for what was to come. That left the five of them in an empty house.

They sat in silence until the sun began to set. They bundled in cloaks, grasped their bags, and stepped into the back alley as the Mist warnings went off. Clouds cloaked the sky outside of the bright shield that expanded across the sky. A blue shimmer sank over the city.

Raksha pulled his hood up. Lilleth bowed respectfully as he turned away, promising to take care of the house while he was gone. All of them held weapons at the ready, Leona's shield covered in a drab cloth on her back. Raksha exchanged silent glances with them, keying into the communicator in his ear.

"You ready?" the question was loud in the quiet stillness of the night, spoken straight in his ear by the Pulsefire on the other end.

"We move," Raksha breathed. The words were plenty loud enough in the cooling night air. A shadow lay across the east of the city.

The Black Mists were upon them.

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A/N: Yeah, so here's the chapter. Have fun with that. There is so much dialogue this time, so sorry about that. Hopefully it doesn't feel too repetitive.

Next Chapter brings the REAL plot. And the action scenes. And remember those SHADOWs from a few chapters back? Yeah, them too. You'll see.

The Black Mist chapters hitting in October. How... poetic? Idk. Not planned.

Anyway, here's to me actually accomplishing something for NaNo, eh?

Cheers, m8s.

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Guest Review Responses!

Draaaaaaven: Why thank you for your concern, oh great and powerful Draaaaaaven. I do hope this chapter appeases you, milord. *bows*

Guest (1): *The motivational speech... It fills you... with DETERMINATION* ... I did not just say that, did I? Oh god. (It was at that moment Crysi knew... she f*cked up*

Guest (2): Your guesses, they are close... but only about 50/50. *wink* You'll see more next chapter, don't you worry. :)

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Thank you for the reviews, my dearest Guests! May all your days be wonderful, and may the great Draaaaaaven smile down upon you!