As they entered the draft phase, the team started discussing who to ban.
Silas asked for Maeve's input.
"Who do you want to ban?"
"I don't care," she said.
"You've been gone for two years," Silas urged. "There are a lot of new champions you've never faced."
Maeve repeated herself, her tone flat. "I really don't care."
The team was speechless again.
Was this confidence, or just terrifying ignorance?
While the teams locked in their picks, the live chat was exploding with a massive revelation.
WorryFree: Am I hallucinating, or does the girl playing for MRX look exactly like the genius from the AI competition broadcast?
Annie Is OP: Who the hell is that?
Angry Runt: Holy shit, bro, you're right! I watched that stream too! The gorgeous girl in the aviator jacket is totally MRX's BDR!
Quickly, the chat turned into a crash course on recent events.
Just an hour ago, a massive AI tech presentation had taken the internet by storm.
The competitor representing Aethelburg University, Maeve Vance, had unveiled two revolutionary designs that shook the industry.
Not only had the public gone wild, but top-tier national tech titans had publicly praised her work.
People were still reeling from the shock of this college student flipping the tech world upside down.
And now, the exact same girl had casually strolled out of the science fair and straight onto a professional esports stage?
Earthling: No way. It has to be two different people who look alike. It has to be!
PrimalForce2018: It sounds crazy, but I really think they're the same person.
BeautyLovesTheBeast: Everyone shut up, I go to her school! This BDR is our resident genius. She got a perfect score on her entrance exams and is a Biological Sciences major!
Flawed Gem: What kind of simulation are we living in? A biology major dominates a tech convention AND a pro gaming tournament on the exact same day? This defies the laws of physics.
The stream chat was in absolute chaos.
Inside the arena booths, the players were oblivious to the storm brewing online.
Team Thunder locked in their comp: Lucian, Soraka, Darius, Ahri, and Kha'Zix.
Team MRX locked in: Ashe, Yorick, Leona, Syndra, and... Lee Sin.
Every single one of MRX's picks was a heavy tower-pushing champion.
Nobody expected Maeve to lock in Lee Sin.
BabyLove: Am I blind? Is MRX seriously running a Funnel comp?
PagodaMonk: What is Connor smoking? Funneling in a pro-tier match is literal suicide!
DorothysUtopia: MRX is officially dead to me after today.
Anyone with basic game knowledge knew the Funnel Strategy only worked in low-rank games against uncoordinated players.
Trying it in the finals was like bringing a knife to a nuclear war.
The male host spoke up. "While I'm curious to see how MRX's new member performs, a Funnel comp puts them at a massive disadvantage here."
The female host agreed. "Team Thunder is famous for their impenetrable defense. Sneaking towers away from them is going to be nearly impossible."
As they spoke, the iconic double-kill announcement echoed through the arena.
Lucian and his dedicated healer, Soraka, were dead. Assassinated by Lee Sin.
Wait. What?
How the hell did Lucian and Soraka die thirty seconds into the match?
The crowd sat in stunned silence.
With both of them dead, Lee Sin used the surviving minions to violently shred the bottom lane tower.
Seeing the tower dropping to critical health, Kiki abandoned mid lane with Ahri, dragging their Jungler along to gank Lee Sin.

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