PROJECT: Incarnation

The scientist | 38

Every problem had a solution. This was the rule Caitlyn went by for years now. And she was determined to find a solution for the Ezreal issue once and for all.

The main problem wasn't the boy himself but his protectors. Caitlyn realized that she had been playing this game all wrong; there was no way she could come victorious against a battle with the PROJECTS and she still wasn't entirely sure why she had chosen that approach. But now that she was certain that the PROJECT corporation couldn't be trusted, she wasn't going to bother with them. It was their problem and not hers any longer. They were just obstacles between her and her goal. What she needed to find out was how to overcome such obstacles, which required the right information, information that the company wouldn't provide. Therefore, Caitlyn needed to get what she needed from somebody else, someone who was familiar with the PROJECT technology.

She called Vi, asking to meet near the TPA headquarters. Caitlyn didn't specify why. When Vi arrived at the spot, the first thing she did was ask her where they were going. Caitlyn had instructed her to get into the uber, not answering her persistent questions. They drove away from the headquarters, in a location that they had never been before. Caitlyn exited the vehicle in a rush, moving towards the nearest alley. Vi followed closely behind, obviously very annoyed with the agent's behavior.

"Will you at least tell me where we're going before we proceed into a labyrinth of alleyways?" she asked again.

"Everything in their tight time, Vi. Show me some faith here," was Caitlyn's response.

Vi didn't ask her again as she followed her around. It seemed like Caitlyn knew exactly where she was going with every turn she took. After a while, the alley ended and the road appeared in front of them. Caitlyn retrieved her rifle and turned it into a motorcycle before climbing on it.

"Come on." She motioned at the PROJECT.

Vi had enough. "Not until you tell me exactly where we are going." She crossed her arms across her chest.

"Fine, I guess there's no point in hiding it from you now." Caitlyn shrugged. "We're going to meet the scientist that invented the PROJECT technology. His name is Viktor. I hope he could give us some answers regarding his creation, maybe provide a solution to your little problem."

"You could have just told me this from the beginning, y'know." Vi climbed onto Caitlyn's bike. "What's with all the secrecy anyways?"

"My boss wouldn't be too happy about this. Plus, I don't want to get the others involved, not yet at least," Caitlyn responded. "Hold on tight," she warned.

They navigated through the dark streets, slowly but steadily leaving the city behind them. From her research, Caitlyn knew that Viktor had his laboratory located somewhere more isolated, away from the regular commotion of Piltover. He wasn't very sociable - at least that's one thing they had in common. He prefered to work alone. Which made it even more curious to why he had chosen to work for PROJECT Inc. He was the only one who could provide them with those answers.

Eventually, they arrived at the laboratory, a building located in a lonely plot with no other structures in the surrounding area. It felt odd standing there, like a mushroom that had popped up from the ground after a heavy rain. The area was unnaturally quiet, giving the impression that it wasn't even located in Piltover. Caitlyn pulled over on the side of the road and both her and Vi climbed off the motorcycle, which in the next moment turned back into a rifle and Caitlyn threw it over her shoulder. There was a high metal fence surrounding the plot with no other access to the lab. The entrance seemed to be locked too. Cameras were installed all around the fence. Nothing went in or out without being noticed.

"So, what do we do?" Vi questioned.

"We ring the bell and hope someone answers," Caitlyn replied as she approached the doorbell that was installed near the entrance. There was another camera aimed straight at them. She rang it without hesitation. For a little bit, nothing happened but then the entrance unlocked, giving them access.