Orion wheezed, gasping for air as he reached the elevator, sprinting as fast as he could while leaving a frightened Ekko behind.
'Which timeline is this? Does this match the show, or does Vi die- Or the one where they all die because of me!' Orion's thoughts spiraled wildly in panic as he jumped into the elevator with a few strangers.
The other passengers stared at him like he was crazy, leaning away from his stench and panting. Orion barely noticed, too preoccupied with the storm in his mind.
By the time he reached the bridge, Orion had slowed himself to a steadier pace, desperate to regain control of his breathing so that he could function upon arrival.
'With how much they have to sneak to reach the workshop undetected, I should be able to make it' he thought, trying to reassure himself.
Despite all of this, his heartbeat and breathing remained erratic.
Orion shook his head, gritting his teeth. 'I can't make that assumption, I need to speed up!'
Channeling the offensive magic, Orion focused it into his legs and accelerated. People shouted as he darted past with dangerous speed, some hurling insults or objects in his direction.
Orion cut the travel time in half at least using his magic. He rounded a corner into an alley, earning disgusted glances from passersby just before he disappeared inside. Orion's eyes scanned the lining of pipes and ridges along the wall, quickly spotting a suitable place to climb.
Anyone watching would have found it terrifying as Orion launched himself multiple feet to various ledges, powered by his magic. The climb was reckless, to say the least.
By the time he reached the top, he was gasping for air and had to stop channeling. His body felt like it was on fire, the magic tearing through his muscles, amplifying the pain of every movement.
For a fleeting moment, Orion glanced up. The scene was majestic, airships flying above, but the awe was only temporary as he resumed running. His pace slowed considerably on the roof to avoid falling, but it was still frantic.
Minutes later, he reached the spot where the gang had jumped in the opening scene of Arcane.
Orion grunted, sliding down the side of the roof onto a balcony and launching himself across to the next. Scrambling up, his eyes locked onto the workshop in the distance- and the gang!
Vi had just kicked open the door, with the gang following close behind her. Orion's heart skipped a beat. Knowing he didn't have much time, he resumed channeling his magic, speeding up.
Multiple times he slipped during this panic. At one point, a sharp edge tore through his shirt, making him wince in pain, but he gritted his teeth and kept moving. There was no time to recover.
Breathing out, he cut the channel after reaching the workshop's roof, a dull pain throbbing through his legs as they started to shake.
Dropping down and gripping the ledge, he launched himself onto the balcony.
------------------
//Vi PoV//
Vi's hand shot up, causing Mylo and Claggor to freeze as they heard rattling from the rooftop above.
"Someone followed us?" Mylo asked, bewildered, raising a brow in disbelief.
Claggor stepped closer to Vi, clenching his fists in anticipation of a fight. "Did little man tell other people, Vi?"
Vi shook her head. "Not that I know of," she replied cautiously. Before she could say more, they heard a faint sliding sound followed by a figure launching itself onto the balcony.
"Orion?" Vi said, startled, her eyes scanning his disheveled and exhausted appearance. Her gaze landed on his wound, concern flickering in her mind. 'How did he get hurt?' The thought was fleeting though as Orion's voice snapped her back to the moment.
"Get out. Get out all of you." Orion said harshly, his voice strained as he stormed in and glared at them.
Vi flinched, a painful tickle burning at her heart before irritation replaced it.
"No," she replied flatly, crossing her arms and meeting his glare with a defiant one of her own.
Vi heard the other two shuffling up behind her, believing they were ready to back her up. She straightened up her posture, unwilling to let Orion ruin this. "Everything's fine. You're the one getting in our way!" she whispered furiously.
Cling-Clang
Loud, sharp metallic ringing cut through their argument from the hallway, silencing everyone. All of their gazes shifted toward the door as a shadowy figure started to block the light shining through its stained windows.
"Mylo!" Vi hissed.
Mylo was already moving, grabbing the chair next to him and darting over, jamming it under the door handle. Powder sprinted past, giggling excitedly as Mylo secured the door.
"Hello? Is someone in there?" A calm voice rang out from outside with an edge of suspicion.
"Orion, you're here!" Powder's delighted whisper rang out as she dashed out onto the balcony.
"Hey, open up!" The voice carried urgency, followed by slams as the person attempted to break down the door.
Within a few seconds of her initial command, Mylo, Claggor, and Powder were already on the balcony.
Vi reached for her satchel but before she could grab it, she felt Orion wrap his arms around her. Orion twisted around and crouched to the floor with her tight in his grip.
Frantic and furious, thrashing wildly, she whispered harshly, "Hey, what are you-"
Her words were cut off by a deafening explosion. The shockwave rippled through, throwing light, heat, and debris across the room, accompanied by a series of sharp cries or panicked shouts from everyone.
At first it was just one, but within a split-second two more explosions detonated, almost simultaneously.
Vi shrieked, her ears ringing as a bright flash stole her vision. The bright light and concussive impacts around her instinctively forced her eyes shut. She curled her body without thinking, clutching onto Orion for safety as she held her breath in fear.
Her breaths came back in ragged gasps, ears ringing painfully. The first thing she noticed through the haze was the strange warmth- something dripping onto her.
Slowly, she forced her eyes open, white specks dotting her blurred vision that slowly began to clear. She saw was red- dripping down onto her arm.
"Orion," Vi croaked, tilting her head slightly off the ground. "What hap-"
She gasped, eyes going wide as realization hit. Her head whipped down to see pools of blood on her clothes and sprayed out across the ground around her. It wasn't hers; she felt no sharp pain after quick pats to check herself. Vi's gaze shot upward, locking onto Orion's face with growing horror.
"Orion?" she whispered, her voice trembling.
Surrounding them was a semi-circle of twisting colors, moving outward like a tide before curving and crashing back into itself. It formed a shimmering, deep blue translucent shield with veins of black and red pulsing and twisting through it like living threads.
Orion was at the center of it. Some of the energy spiked out like jagged lightning or crystalline shards, piercing his body- his side, his shoulder, and leg anchoring him above her like a grotesque puppet.
"What...what is this?" Vi whispered, fear mingling with confusion and shock as her eyes darted from the corrupted glowing shield to the injuries and back to Orion's pale, bloody face.
His bloodshot eyes rolled upward in a daze, breaths shallow and weak.
"You're alive… Vi..."