Breathing heavily, a woman ran down an alley, clutching her baby tightly to her chest.
She turned the corner, heart pounding, convinced she'd escaped the giant.
"It's not real," she repeated to herself—but then the baby started crying.
Panic rose in her throat. "Shh, shh," she whispered, rocking the baby.
Her voice trembled as she hummed a lullaby, desperate to quiet the sound.
The baby calmed, and the mother let out a breath of shaky relief. Then she tried to leave the alley.
But then a giant hand dropped in front of her, blocking the way.
Her eyes widened. Slowly, she followed the enormous hand up the arm, up the looming form that cast a shadow over her.
Sitting on one knee behind her, barely fitting in the alley, was a giant scarecrow. Its glowing yellow eyes locked onto her.
The baby began to wail from the harsh light. The woman squinted, shielding her child.
"I'm so sorry for what I stole," she gasped.
"Please... I have a child to feed." She cradled the baby and backed up—right into his hand.
The scarecrow tilted his head. "Stole?" he rasped, voice dry and cold.
"What did you steal?"
His hand began to close behind her—slowly, deliberately—pushing her forward, closer to him.
"I stole…" The woman blinked, breath hitching.
"...I didn't steal from you?" she said, confused.
Scarecrow shook his head slowly, a wide grin creeping across his stitched mask.
Clutching her baby, the woman tried to hush its cries again. Her voice trembled as she looked up at him, squinting against the glow of his eyes.
"Why are you doing this to us?" she whispered.
"Why torment us?"
"Why chase us?"
"Why?"
There was a pause—a stillness between breaths.
"Because you intrigued me," Scarecrow said at last, tilting his head to the left.
"No, not you." He tilted it to the right.
"Your kind intrigues me."
"My... kind?" the woman echoed, voice barely audible.
"You undercity people," he said, as his massive hand pushed forward again, slowly guiding her closer like a cruel shepherd.
The woman stumbled. "Ah—!" She lost her footing from the pressure—and the baby slipped from her arms.
But before the child could hit the ground, Scarecrow's other hand darted out with unnatural speed.
Snatch. He caught the baby by the leg, dangling her upside down.
The woman scrambled to her feet, eyes wide with panic as she stared at the dangling child.
"T-there's nothing special about us! We're just people!" she cried.
"Please… can I have my daughter back?"
"She's the only thing I have left."
Scarecrow let out a sharp laugh.
"Are you serious?" he barked, swinging the baby from side to side as she wailed.
"You undercity people are so unpredictable—I hate it!"
The mother looked ready to collapse from anxiety.
"But you seem so… predictable," he added suddenly, his tone softening in a way that only made it worse.
He reached out and brushed her hair back with a long, hand, the other still holding her crying baby upside down.
The baby's sobs grew louder. Her tiny tears trailed down past her nose and ears, dripping below.
Scarecrow winced. "Ugh—how do you shut this pipsqueak up?" he growled, slapping a hand over her mouth and pulling her farther away from the mother.
The woman's eyes darted toward the alley's exit. The giant hand blocking it was gone.
"Uhmm..." she fidgeted with her fingers, voice trembling.
Scarecrow turned his gaze lazily toward her. "What?"
"While you were chasing us… I dropped my daughter's toy." She pointed past him. "It should be just behind you."
Scarecrow squinted, annoyed. "Ugh… okay…" He turned his head, slowly glancing behind.
.
.
.
"What did you say the toy looked like again?" he asked, turning back—
But the alley was empty.
The mother gone.
Scarecrow blinked. Then he let out a short, confused chuckle.
"What…?".
"'The only thing she had left?'" he echoed mockingly, raising the baby.
"What a joke."
He laughed, sharp and bitter.
"That I believed"
His laughter echoed down the alley before cutting off abruptly.
He looked up into the dark.
"I still have your daughter!" he shouted, voice echoing.
.
.
.
"I—I hate Zaunites," he muttered, placing the baby gently on the ground.
"I've tested so many of them."
He stared down at the child, then off into the shadows.
"I thought today would be different. A mother, after all."
His eyes drifted back to the baby.
"I mean—it was different. But I thought it'd be... more."
The baby continued crying.
"You know…" he said, glancing at the baby again.
In a blink, his towering form shrank, folding inward and compressing down to his original, size.
"Man, I thought your momma would try harder." He crouched beside the baby now.
"She just begged... and bolted when she had the chance."
He sighed disappointed .
"I've been at this for months. Most save themselves. Some? Some actually fight for the ones they love."
He smiled faintly, as if recalling a fond memory.
"I was certain she would try to save you."
———————————————
Months had passed since Crane first took shimmer.
Now, he wandered the alleys in secret, transforming into the towering, slender giant—tormenting people, giving them ultimatums, trying to understand them.
He just never could.
Rumors spread through the undercity. Whispers. Nightmares. Sightings.
——————————————
—Silco's Office—
"Hey, did you hear about the rumors?" Jinx asked, perched beside Sevika.
"About the giant living in the alleyways?"
Sevika didn't even look up. "Don't believe everything you hear, kid."
Jinx opened her mouth wide in offense. "Hey—who said I believed it? I just wanted to keep you informed!"
Sevika rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right."
Silco, who had been silent until now, finally spoke.
"If I were you, I wouldn't brush it off."
Sevika turned, suspicious. "What do you mean?"
"Some of our people have seen it. This so-called giant—"
"Ha! I knew the giant was real!" Powder cut in, grinning triumphantly.
Sevika facepalmed.
Silco continued, eyes narrowing.
"And it isn't just a giant…"
"It's Scarecrow."
Sevika's face hardened. "...Him."
Jinx's grin vanished. Her pupils shrank.
Her breathing hitched.
"I-It's not my fault. Not my fault!" she mumbled, eyes darting, voice rising.
"He did it. Not me. Claggor… Claggor wasn't my fault. It was him."
Sevika raised a brow and tapped her shoulder.
"Who you talkin' to?"
Jinx flinched, her voice suddenly small.
"No one."
————————————————————
At the end of each week, Crane would have a tea party—
Hosted by him. Attended by him.
And him alone.
Porcelain cups. Rusting silverware. Imaginary guests.
He told himself he would reveal himself to Jinx—someday.
But every time the lab door creaked open, he hid.
Every single time.
He couldn't do that forever.
—————————————————
—Singed's Lab—
Crane stood beside Singed, gloved hands working through a tray of still-warm specimens.
His tone was casual. Almost bored.
"Why are we experimenting on wolves now?"
He tilted a head toward the bloody table.
"Bit of a leap from cats and mice, don't you think?"
Singed didn't look up. "It's a necessary step."
Crane scoffed. "You mean a personal step."
Just then, the lab door opened.
And—like always—Crane vanished.
Into the shadows. Behind equipment. Silent.
Waiting.
The door creaked open.
Silco stepped into the lab—alone this time. No Jinx by his side.
His eyes scanned the dim space, falling on Singed.
"Didn't expect you today," Singed said without looking up.
"Something wrong?"
Silco's gaze drifted, lingering across shelves and shadowed corners.
"Where's your assistant?"
"For an assistant, he's rarely present."
Singed paused, as if weighing an excuse.
But before he could speak, Crane popped up from behind a counter, hands raised.
"I'm here. I've been here. Just… observing quietly."
He gave an awkward shrug.
"Wasn't sure if I was needed."
Silco looked at him. Really looked.
Eyes narrowing, studying.
"Why do you hide?" he asked, voice low, puzzled.
"You knew Vander. You knew his kids."
Crane nodded, almost casual.
"Sure. I knew them. But like I told you before—I picked the side that's winning."
Silco didn't blink.
"I remember."
He stepped closer.
"So tell me, Crane—do you hide from me?"
"Or from Jinx?"
Jonathan hesitated, then let out a dry chuckle.
"What's with the interrogation?"
He lifted his hands in mock surrender.
"Alright. I hide from Powder—"
A pause.
"Or Jinx. Whatever she calls herself now."
He glanced away, expression hard to read.
"I don't know why, really. I guess I just… don't want to ruin whatever image of me she still has in her head."
Silco was quiet for a beat.
Then:
"Keep it that way."
His voice was low. Final.
"She doesn't need reminders of her past."
——————————————————
Most of Crane's time these days wasn't spent in the shadows—but in light.
Events. Meetings. Galas.
He stood beside Jayce and Viktor, surrounded by polished floors and polished people, all eager to talk about the future of Hextech.
He smiled. He laughed. He played the part.
———————————————————
A Piltover gathering.
Jayce, Viktor, and Crane stood with a group of wealthy patrons—donors, investors, influencers.
"Your promises sound nice," one of them said, swirling their glass. "But is there anything... smaller? Something you've already built?"
Jayce and Viktor exchanged a glance.
"Nothing to show just yet," Jayce admitted, a bit sheepish. "It's still in progress."
Disappointment crept onto the faces around them.
Then Crane stepped forward.
"Actually... I've already made something."
.
.
.
All eyes turned to him. The wealthy smiled. Jayce and Viktor looked stunned.
"You did?" they said in unison.
Jonathan nodded.
"Yup."
He hoisted up the case he'd been carrying.
"I was wondering why you had a case," Jayce muttered.
"For this moment, of course."
He popped it open with theatrical flair. Inside, a leather strap, shaped oddly, glowed faintly.
Everyone leaned in.
"What is that?" a woman asked, voicing what everyone was thinking.
Jonathan grinned, pulling it out.
"It's a Hexstrap."
The silence that followed was immediate.
Hexstrap? echoed silently through the crowd.
Even Viktor looked confused.
"What... is a Hexstrap?"
"I'll explain," Jonathan said, strapping it on with ease.
"The Hexstrap is designed for women or anyone without, you know, a penis."
He flicked his eyes toward Viktor.
Several patrons blinked. Some mouths opened in delayed understanding.
"When I press this button—" his finger hovered over it, "—it activates and creates a hard-light projection of—"
"Whoa!"
Jayce stepped in, grabbing his arm.
"This is not what we'll be making," he said firmly to the crowd.
Some of the women in the audience looked genuinely disappointed. One of them raised her hand.
"How much?"
—————————————————
Later, after the chaos had mostly cooled down, Jonathan found himself drifting toward Caitlyn, who'd been watching from the sidelines.
She was smiling.
"What's so funny?" Jonathan asked, squinting at her.
Her smile widened.
"I can't believe people actually want to buy it."
Jonathan sighed, leaning against the wall beside her.
"There's always a market," he said, matter-of-fact.
He glanced at her.
"It's not weird or funny. It's just love, at the end of the day."
"Love, huh?" Caitlyn muttered, before turning to him more directly.
"I heard you started working with Heimerdinger."
Jonathan groaned.
"Why'd you have to bring that up… But yes. I'm working with Heimerdinger."
"I've heard people praising you for your ideas," Caitlyn said, proud.
"It's only been a few months, and you're already changing so much."
Jonathan looked at her.
"I heard about you as well."
"Me?" Caitlyn blinked.
"What did you hear?"
"I heard you want to be an Enforcer."
Caitlyn paused.
"…Yeah. That's true."
Jonathan raised a brow.
"You didn't think to tell me? That seems like a big deal."
Caitlynlooked down.
"Do you hate me?"
"Huh?" Jonathan tilted his head.
"Why would I hate you?"
"You're from the Undercity. You hate Enforcers," she said softly.
"All of you do."
Jonathan gave a slow nod.
"That's true. I do hate them."
Caitlyn's eyes dropped again.
"But you?" he added.
"You can change them."
He reached out, gently lifting her chin.
"That is… if you're willing to change them."
He looked into her eyes.
"Are you?"
Caitlyn held his gaze, then gave a quiet nod.
"I'm willing."
———————————
I'm thinking of doing small month long time skips, explaining what he's been up to, and interactions he had
Until I eventually get to the giant timeskip