Arcane: Bond Beyond Death

Author Note: Quick sondage before we start so I get a better view of yall readers.

What do you enjoy most about this fic?

A. The psychological love between Bael and Jinx and their dynamics.

B. The chaos they cause to express their love language.

C. Watching Bael change. And Jinx too.

D. All of the above.

...

Back in the lair, Jinx lounged on the couch, she watched Bael settle into his workbench, her eyes tracing his every movement.

She broke the silence with a teasing lilt. "You know, Bael, you're kinda boring sometimes. You could at least pretend to be happy we didn't get caught."

Bael didn't even glance back, his focus still on the shards of Hexcrystals scattered before him. "I'm happy we didn't get caught, Jinx," he said dryly, though the hint of a smile tugged at his lips.

Jinx propped herself up on one elbow, a sly grin spreading across her face. "You're a terrible liar. Come on, admit it—you had fun."

"Fun isn't exactly how I'd describe nearly blowing our cover," Bael replied, finally turning to face her.

"Pfft, you're no fun," Jinx pouted, crossing her arms. "You're always so serious. When's the last time you actually let loose? Like, really let loose?"

Bael raised an eyebrow, leaning back in his chair. "Let me remember... Maybe seven hours ago?"

Jinx rolled her eyes and got to her feet, sauntering over to him with exaggerated confidence. She leaned over his shoulder, her lips close to his ear, "I didn't talk about last night silly~. Did you enjoy fucking me that much~?"

Bael turned his head, their faces inches apart. "Ugh–! Jinx stop for the love of... Ugh, whatever." He surrenders.

"Maybe we throw some Hexcrystals in the river and see how big the explosion is. Or crash one of Piltover's fancy parties in disguise. Ooh, or—"

Jinx straightened up, pretending to look offended. "You're no fun, Bael. No fun at all."

"Maybe not," he admitted, standing and stretching. "But I'm practical. And that's what keeps us out of trouble."

Jinx's grin returned as she grabbed his wrist, tugging him toward the couch. "Fine, Mr. Practical." She pouts.

Bael hesitated for a moment before relenting, letting her pull him down beside her. "Alright, Jinx. Just for a while."

As they sat together in the dimly lit lair, the chaos of the outside world seemed to fade away.

Jinx, for her part, rested her head on his shoulder, her voice barely above a whisper. "You know, Bael… for all the crazy stuff we've been through, I wouldn't trade this for anything."

Bael glanced at her, a rare softness in his eyes. "Neither would I, Jinx."

Bael leaned back, looking thoughtful. "Hey… Progress Day is next Saturday, right?"

Jinx blinked, caught off guard. "Uh, yeah? Why?"

He smirked slightly, resting his hand on his chin. "I was thinking… maybe we could hang out. You know, take the day off, what do you think?"

Jinx's eyes widened for a moment, her grin spreading ear to ear. "Wait, are you serious? Like… fun fun? Not 'let's steal from the Council' kind of fun?"

Bael laughed softly. "Yeah, fun fun. Just a regular day for us."

She leaned closer, giving him a skeptical yet playful look. "Who are you, and what did you do with Bael? Did someone swap you out when I wasn't looking?"

"Very funny," he replied dryly, rolling his eyes. "I just figured it might be nice for once. So… what do you say?"

Jinx's grin softened, her eyes almost glowing with excitement. "I say… hell yes! Progress Day with you sounds amazing. But…" She tilted her head mischievously. "Don't expect me to behave the whole time."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Bael said, chuckling. Returning to his workbench.

Jinx mockingly pulls out one of her explosive gadgets and activates it. She throws it at Bael who picks it instantly thanks to his inhuman reflexes. He quickly cuts the main wirse rendering it useless.

"HA!" Jinx laughed, "Blowing me up is funny?" He asked. "Don't tell me about it~." She replies.

...

The moonlight filtered into the cavern, casting long shadows that danced against the walls. Bael sat on the edge of his chair, holding the syringe filled with the daily antidote he needed to counteract the shimmer coursing through his veins.

Jinx sauntered up to him with a playful smirk. "Need some help, genius?" she teased, sliding onto his lap without waiting for an answer.

Bael flinched slightly but relaxed as her fingers trailed to the crook of his arm. "It's just a routine shot. I've got it," he said softly, though he didn't push her away.

She held his arm steady as he injected the dose, her bright eyes fixed on his face the entire time, searching for any signs of pain.

Bael winced slightly as the antidote entered his bloodstream. His veins pulsed faintly with a brief purple glow, fading into the natural tone of his skin. "There. Done," he murmured.

Jinx leaned her head on his shoulder with a content sigh. "You're stuck with me for a whole month of this, you know. Lucky you."

Bael chuckled. After that, Jinx went to the sleeping area, while Bael remained on his desk, thinking about it all.

He looks over to Pow-Pow Eta.

He takes the minigun and puts it on the table.

"If I can just... crack the code... I can make something that'll shake this world." He says.

Indeed. Pow-Pow Zeta was a masterpiece of its own, and hybrid of classic and advanced technology. Just imagine if it became fully modern.

Baels started by decomposing the weapon's insides. He modified some things and then his gaze directed to the Primitive Shimmer bottle at the edge of the desk.

He extracted a little dose and poured some into the circuits.

As expected, the shimmer was acidic and burned down some parts. This frustrated Bael and he repaired those wasted parts.

He made a small reserve for the acidic primitive shimmer which he placed inside Zeta. A simple drop of shimmer was enough for now, since their stock is extremely limited, other liquids will merge with the shimmer to form an intermediary.

He closed the weapons insides. Adjusting the new feature by adding a button near the main trigger.

When Pow-Pow Zeta overheats now, the heat will react chemically to the substances insides which will trigger a shimmer reaction only if the unleash button is pressed, this will produce temporary bullets fueled with Shimmer which are extremely poisonous.

Bael gripped the newly modified weapon, his fingers tracing over the now-refined grooves and mechanisms. He could feel the weight of his work, the culmination of hours of sweat and innovation. The shimmer reservoir hummed faintly within, as though alive, ready to unleash its chaotic energy at his command.

He smirked, holding Pow-Pow Zeta up to the dim, flickering light of their lair. "No, not Zeta anymore," he murmured, almost reverently. "You're reborn now." His gaze darkened, the determination in his voice sharper than the weapon's edges. "Once I figure out the secret to infinite bullets and pocket transportation via Hextech… this won't just be a weapon—it'll be a guillotine."

He carefully adjusted the secondary shimmer trigger and ran his hand over the reinforced reservoir. "Welcome to the world, Pow-Pow Eta," he declared with quiet menace, as though speaking to a living being.

The thought of infinite ammunition made his heart race. No more worrying about stockpiles, no more wasted energy reloading. And pocket transportation? That would mean seamless movement across battlefields, overwhelming enemies with unpredictability. The possibilities were limitless—and terrifying.

Bael placed the weapon down gently, a rare smile curling his lips. In his hands, this wasn't just a weapon; it was revolution incarnate. The world might have cast them into the shadows, but with Pow-Pow Eta, he would drag them into the light—or burn them to ash trying.

"Just you wait," he whispered to the silent lair, his voice almost a vow. "They have no idea what's coming."

...

Bael sighed as he approached the bed where Jinx had already curled up, her blanket draped loosely over her. She turned to face him, her bright eyes watching his every move. Without a word, he slid in beside her, the warmth of her presence immediately calming his restless thoughts.

As he lay down, Jinx shifted closer to him. Without hesitation, Bael wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her snugly against his chest. His legs intertwined with hers naturally, creating a cocoon of comfort and security. She exhaled softly, a contented hum escaping her lips as she rested her head against his shoulder.

Her hands moved to rest atop his, fingers lacing together gently. "You're warm," she murmured, her voice barely audible in the stillness of the lair.

"You're impossible," Bael replied, his tone soft, but there was a hint of a smile in his words.

Jinx chuckled lightly, her fingers squeezing his. "You love it."

"I... love you, Bael," she murmured, her words barely above a whisper but carrying the weight of her entire heart. "More than anything in this pathetic world…"

Bael's eyes widened slightly at her confession. The way she spoke—so vulnerable, so genuine—was a rare side of her that few, if any, ever got to see. It was a side reserved only for him. For a moment, he was at a loss for words, his chest tightening with a warmth he hadn't known he needed.

"That's... warm to say," he finally responded, his voice soft, his arms tightening their hold around her. A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he pressed his forehead against hers. "I love you too, Powder."

Hearing her old name, Jinx's eyes shimmered, a flicker of the girl she once was briefly surfacing. But instead of recoiling from it, she embraced the moment, leaning into him and letting the name settle in her heart. For Bael, she wasn't Jinx, the chaotic killer. She was Powder, the girl who always believed in him, the girl he'd sworn to protect no matter the cost.

She closed her eyes, nuzzling closer to his chest. "You make living in this world bearable, Bael... even when it's crumbling around us."

Bael rested his chin on her head, his hand gently stroking her back. "And you give me a reason to keep fighting, Powder. Without you, I wouldn't even bother. I'd just… destroy the world and me with it... I already told you this."

She lifted her head slightly, looking up at him, her lips brushing his. "Well, lucky for you, you're stuck with me... Till death i guess."

"...I'll find a way to overcome that." Bael added. "Overcome death? You serious?" She asked.

"I overcame death itself when my arm got ripped off, if I master the Arcane, lifespan would be the least of our worries." He says.

Jinx chuckles, "Well you better find a way to make us immortal then dummy!" She says, a proposition of most flattering ones.

With that final idea, they drifted to sleep, together.

...

When they got to sleep, Bael had a dream, a flashback of the first day when everything got to hell. Powder carried him with all her forces back to place where he stopped the bleeding and closed the wound, the place where his arm used to be. It took 2 years for the wound to completely heal with the scars.

During that time, he'd steal money to buy food and clothes for him and Powder to survive, he played the role of father figure when he was 1 year younger than her.

He'd steal to survive and even kill when needed. That's when he developed his first steam gun. Then, he made his robotic arm that improved his quality of life drastically.

Moral of the story, killing was a cycle. And hopefully, if he masters the Arcane, he'll never be part of that cycle.

For now, it was the calm before the storm.