Hi, everyone! This is the first chapter to my first ever fanfiction story! It will deviate from the Journal of Justice a bit (or a lot), because I wanted to write something a little less predictable, but still lore-based. I don't know how it will turn out, but I hope you enjoy! Feedback is much appreciated!

1-The Blade and Her Shadow

Talon watched from the shadows cast by a tree as the woman began spinning again, throwing a flurry of daggers as she did so in the relentless rain, practicing and perfecting her signature move. The air was filled with the sounds of pointed metal objects flying through the air, and multiple satisfying thwunks as the sharp blades found their way to the soaked dummies and Katarina slowed gracefully to a stop. All of a sudden, a dagger whizzed by Talon, slicing through the space that he had occupied not a split second before. Expecting it, he responded by quickly moving through the trees until he was just behind her and dashed out to strike. Immediately, Katarina disappeared, only to reappear behind her attacker, lashing out with a dagger in each hand, before shunpo'ing back to her original position. Talon cursed under his breath at the sharp pain in his back and pulling out three disk-like blades from his cloak. Seeing an opportunity, he threw his special blades in a swift, practiced motion, so that each flew out and back to his waiting hand in a flash. Using the shadows to his advantage once more, he repeated the maneuver again from a different angle before Katarina could react and a long cut appeared on her side and right arm. If she felt any pain, she didn't show it, as she continued fighting.

It went on for over an hour, at least; the two assassins fought with such daring and skilled maneuvers, that any other opponent would have been long dead. But the match wore on, until the two were weary and exhausted and all the daggers had been thrown, leaving them to fight with their fists. In the end, Talon's raw strength won over and he slammed Katarina into a dummy, leaving her dazed, helpless.

"So sorry, Katarina, but it seems as you are no match for me." Talon sneered, looking at her weak, soaked form. "Looks like you won't earn my respect after all..."

"Lowly street scum!" the redhead spat, her words filled with a thick hatred. "You're no better than those Demaci-uff!"

The insult stopped short as Talon kicked her side, right where he had cut her with his first attack. He bent down, holding a dagger to her throat as he hissed, "Don't you dare compare me to Demacian filth. Am I understood?" Katarina managed a reluctant nod, seething with anger as Talon removed the dagger from her neck.

Suddenly, she had an idea. She groped around the hard ground with her right hand and found what she needed: a dagger. As Talon stood up and began to walk away victoriously, she threw the projectile. It landed right where she wanted it to, and she let out a strangled laugh as the blade cut into Talon's side, digging deep into his flesh. With an emotionless face despite the pain, Talon sunk to the ground, bleeding.

Talon sat up quickly in his simple quarters of the Du Couteau mansion, his hand moving towards his ribcage, where the dagger had implanted itself so long ago. Finding nothing, he let out a sigh of relief to know it was merely a dream. Still, it was uncanny how the fight in the dream perfectly emulated the actual duel between the two in his first training session with Katarina.

From the moment Talon had laid eyes on her, there was always something about the eldest Du Couteau daughter that irked him. In his eyes, the Sinister Blade was nothing but a pampered little girl whose father had connections. In those long years of living in the slums, Talon had learned how to fight on his own due to sheer necessity of it for survival, while little Katarina probably got personal training from some stupid Noxian excuse for a soldier. Despicable. She didn't have to fight each day just for meager food scraps. She didn't have to spend her life on the run and fight for her miserable life. She didn't have to spend dreadful nights in the cold, relentless rain. She wouldn't last a day out there.

Fzzt… Twunk.

Katarina let a small smile of satisfaction slide across her face as her last dagger imbedded itself into a dummy and her spinning slowed to a stop. Quickly, she retrieved her daggers and put them away, climbing up into the strong limbs of a nearby tree to watch the pink streaks creep across the morning sky as the sun began to rise. Katarina let out a long, completely unladylike yawn, leaning her head leaned back onto the trunk of the tree, her eyes closing gently.

"Sleeping on the job again, I see?" A jeering voice woke Katarina from her light daze. Scowling in annoyance that her personal training time was over, she leapt down from the tree, landing a few inches from Talon.

"Shut up, you scum! You would, too, if you got up before the sun." Katarina shot back.

"Then don't get up so early, stupid…" Talon replied, amused.

"I have to! You expect me to train properly if I can't go five seconds without getting shit from you?"

"Yes."

Suddenly aware of their close proximity, Katarina stepped back nervously with a faint blush on her vexed face, immediately leaving to grab some water, and earning a snicker from Talon.

"Time to start sparring!" a brusque voice stated, announcing the entrance of General Du Couteau. "Early morning's the best time to fight, hmm? But no weapons." Katarina let out a small groan as she and Talon both put down their weapons reluctantly. Feeling exposed without the comfort of her daggers by her side, Katarina protested, "Why aren't we using weapons? Like we're going to be assassinating anyone with just fists… "

"I've explained it plenty of times. Should you lose your weapons, you need to be able to fight without them." Her father paused. "And I don't want the two of you to end up killing each other. It would be a waste of two great assassins."

Katarina sighed. She hated sparring with Talon, because, though she would never admit it, was second to only him when it came to raw strength.

Talon remained impassive and unquestioning as they turned to face each other. Katarina had a confident smirk on her face, standing in a ready stance. Come at me. You wouldn't be able to hurt me if you tried, the expression read. Talon was just as confident, but he showed no signs of such arrogance.

Katarina attacked first. Shunpo'ing just behind Talon, she executed a perfect roundhouse kick to his head… That is, if it had landed. Ducking just as her leg passed overhead, Talon grabbed it and took advantage of her own momentum to throw her backwards. Expecting this, Katarina nimbly maneuvered herself and landed on the ground on her feet without a scratch, before slamming her whole body onto Talon, surprising him with the up-front attack and slamming him into a tree. Taking advantage of his dazed state, Katarina launched a flurry of attacks at him, immediately, Talon began dodging and defending himself, before swinging his left leg in a classic roundhouse. Too easy, Katarina thought, as she ducked down, prepared to grab his leg. But then, instead of kicking right over her head, Talon twisted his leg at the last moment and shoved it into her chest, full force, following up by slamming a knee to her chin, forcing a groan from Katarina. Blood trickled from her mouth as Talon grabbed her by the shoulders and spun her around, pulling her close and holding her in a headlock.

"Bested once more, hmm?" Talon's harsh sneer brought Katarina to her senses. Two of his fingers made a motion across her neck, as if to say, you'd be dead.

"You bastard! Get away from me!" Katarina spat as Talon loosened his grip on her neck.

"Whoa, Kat! Calm down," Talon said, amusement showing in his brown eyes.

The red-headed assassin turned around and punched him in the chest in anger. "I told you not to call me that!"

Talon smirked. "I know. That's why I call you that."

Katarina punched him again, harder this time. "Ugh! I hate you, you know that!?"

With that, she stormed off angrily. As Talon watched her fiery red hair disappear into the mansion, he let his mind wander to her lingering scent… The sweet smell of her hair tickling his face as he held her in a tight headlock- No, he thought, stop thinking like that! Do not let yourself be distracted! Trivial things as such will only get in the way. He berated himself some more as to not let his mind wander, but later on that night, he would still find himself once again thinking about the sweet, distinct smell of Katarina Du Couteau as he fell asleep.