Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

PART 1

Home is not where you were born; Home is where all your attempts to escape cease.

— Naguib Mahfouz​​​​​​​​​

“You’re too late, Ekko.” 

“ Wait! ” 

Ekko pulled at the Z-Drive, it started whirling again, faster this time, too fast. He came back to reality. Jinx was still alive. She looked him up and down as he panted, clinging to the railing. “Always a dance—” 

Jinx pulled the pin again, not letting him finish, and he ripped back the coil of the Z-Drive one more time. But he was too late, and the explosion cracked the glass casing. Ekko kicked toward Jinx as it did, grabbing her as the Z-Drive exploded. 

His vision went black and he was zipped away again and he landed heavily onto a metal floor. 

Reality came back to him slowly. 

He looked at his hands first, sighing. The Z-Drive was gone and he was back in the same clothes as he’d been in the alternate universe. Was he back with Powder? He looked around. It certainly resembled the alternate universe. But none of the equipment Ekko and Heimerdinger had used to throw him back to his original universe was here… What a cruel twist of fate.

He laughed despite himself. Of course it wouldn’t be that easy. How could he think saving Jinx would be easy? Nothing was ever simple with her. And that was putting it lightly. 

“Ekko?”

He looked over to Vi’s memorial, it was Powder. Of course. But something wasn’t right. Her voice was off. “Powder?” he asked tentatively. 

Powder scrunched her face up. “That’s not… Why do you look different?” she asked, hugging her sides…

“You’re not— Jinx , is that you?” he asked. 

“Who else would it be?” she asked, annoyedly voice raising, “ and you didn’t answer my question, why do you look different?” 

“You might want to give yourself a once over,” said Ekko. 

Jinx sneered at him, and went over to the centre of her hideout where the mirror was. “What's that supp—” But before she finished, she glimpsed herself. 

Ekko was up and closing the gap. “Jinx…” he said slowly. 

Jinx spun on her heel, eyes wide and manic. He’d not realised that this version of her could look so scary, and recoiled at the sight. 

“What did you do?” she demanded.

“What did I do?” he scoffed. “If you hadn’t kept blowing yourself up, you’d have not compromised my Z-Drive.” 

“Oh, that’s helpful—blame the Jinx!” she yelled. 

“I didn’t—look, alright… I’ll explain.” 

“I’d like to see you try…” Jinx then gave him a once over before snorting, “you look like a right Piltie in all that… and don’t get me started on this,” she said, gesturing to her clothes. 

“I think we’ve been transported to another universe…”

*

It took some explaining before Jinx had warmed—well maybe warmed wasn’t the right word, but accepted the idea that they’d travelled to another universe. Especially because he’d refused to let her go and see the rest of it until she’d calmed down. There was no telling what she’d do if she saw Vander, Mylo or Claggor. Let alone if Silco was still running around somewhere. He mostly explained what had happened to him, and how this reality was as close as it got to that, just by looking around the room. He left out a lot, and mainly focused on their dilemma, which was the idea that hextech may have never been invented.

“So, let me get this straight… you spent weeks in an alternate reality with the counselor, Heimerdinger, wooing my alternate self and building a multi-dimensional device along with a time machine, then came to save me. And then let the time machine blow up and throw us across dimensions…”

“Yeah. Basically.” 

“Great.” Jinx stood up, and went over to the railing. 

Ekko lunged after her, grabbing her by the shoulder. 

“What are you doing now?” 

“Making sure you don’t kill yourself, and this version of Powder.” 

Jinx sneered. “I wasn’t going to.” 

“Yeah right.” 

“Not like you’d let me. Not in this body at least,” she said, gesturing to herself.

“I wouldn’t let you in your other body.” 

“And that’s the reason we’re stuck here. If you’d have let me we wouldn’t be in this mess.” 

Ekko winced at the thought of just letting her die. He couldn’t do that, especially after seeing just how good she could be, if only she’d give it a chance. Shaking the nasty thought from his mind, he said: “Not stuck. We just have to rebuild the device.” 

“Without the little Yordles help. How easy will that be?” 

Ekko shrugged. “Guess we’ll have to find out…” 

“And I guess you want my help with that.” 

“Couldn’t do it without you. The first time and now.” Ekko picked up a discarded wrench from the desk, and held it out to her. “So what do you say, partners?” 

Jinx squinted at him. “Temporary partners. Until we get out of here and you leave me to do what I was doing.” She grabbed the wrench, and tossed it back onto the desk. 

The threat was clear, and Ekko wanted to protest but begrudgingly nodded in agreement instead. At least he had time to talk to her now, so perhaps the situation wasn’t so dire that he needed to resort to drastic measures. Not yet at least.

“Good, Boy Savior—don’t get too attached…”

*

After the first few hours, once Ekko had gotten Jinx caught up as best she needed, he decided they needed to get their bearings. They were around the same age, so at least it would be alright to go off on their own for a bit without anyone batting an eye. But eventually they’d have to surface, and the only way to know if he was back in a similar universe was going to the tree. 

“I have a plan,” said Ekko. 

Jinx gave him a look. “That bodes well for us.” 

Ekko shook his head at her. “I can just leave you here—”

“No you wouldn’t. You don’t trust me.” 

“That’s another thing, actually… we’re going to have to act friendly… maybe even… Y’know…” he trailed off, gesturing vaguely with his hands.

“What’s that supposed to mean, mister?” 

An image of the other Powder flashbanged his mind. “Look around, Po— Jinx ,” he said, gesturing to the workspace that, though the same location as her lair in their world, was decorated with both Jinx’s and Ekko’s signatures. Let alone the ‘ I love you ’ notes and flowers scattered around. 

“Oh I bet you’re just loving this.” 

Ekko shrugged, and smiled gleefully. “You’re also going to have to answer to Powder again.”

Jinx scowled. “Only in public,” she said forcefully, “down here—when it’s just you and me—the names Jinx. Don’t forget that .” 

Ekko held his hands up in surrender and guided Jinx up through the lair toward where he knew the tree to be. They managed to avoid everyone well enough, and kept a low profile as they wandered through the streets of Zaun. 

They made it to the pipework, where Ekko was planning to lead Jinx somewhere he never thought he’d get to show her. Not in this lifetime at least. Before he could, she turned around to admire the beauty of Zaun, as it should’ve been.

“This…” said Jinx as they continued their journey, “this… I—” 

“It’s all we’d ever wanted,” Ekko finished. 

“Silco’s dream couldn’t even live up to this… I don’t think Vander even dreamt of something this amazing…” 

“I… I’m not sure about this world, but in the other one I was in… Vander and Silco, they made up. Alone they couldn’t do this, but together…” 

Jinx’s head darted to look at him. “Why is this the first I’m hearing of this?” 

“I wasn’t sure how you’d react to the possibility of them being alive just yet…” 

“I can handle it.” 

“Of course you can,” said Ekko, guiding Jinx into one of the pipes. “But I’m not sure I could handle you skipping off to go see them before we have our bearings.” 

Guiding her through the tunnels proved easy enough, but the creeping thought of wondering whether she’d react good or bad to the revelation of where the firelight base was, was something that worried him. It was only a matter of time before she figured it out. She’d seen the Firelights dash into the pipework enough to have some grasp over the fact they lived somewhere in it. 

As they closed in, Jinx was content to sit in silence, and thoughts of telling her how sorry he was gnawed at him.

Ekko watched Jinx as her eyes adjusted to sunlight again. She squinted around, until her eyes fixed on the tree. He let her take it in, and confirmed his hopes when he saw Vi’s mural, the mural he painted for Powder, resting on it. 

“Why is Vi on there?” she asked.

“In this world… Vi didn’t make it.”

Jinx grappled with herself as she stepped toward the mural. 

“She died in that apartment, because of the tip I gave you guys…”

“But this is Vi… our Vi…”

Ekko nodded. “When I was first transported to the other reality— this reality—, I argued with Powder… I said some nasty things, insinuating that Vi’s death was her fault… when I realised what I’d said, found out what had actually happened…” 

“You came here… and drew this for her?” 

“And in return she showed me how amazing you could be.” 

“You’re not going to give up that dream so easily, are you?” 

“I saw how good you could be—” 

“Could’ve been,” said Jinx. “If you didn’t notice, our world isn’t like this one… Silco is dead. Vander is dead. Zaun isn’t flourishing…”

“But it could be.” 

“Not after everything that’s happened.” 

“Why not?! Why should we cower away and let what's happened happen without trying to right those wrongs?” Ekko yelled, closing the gap between him and Jinx, getting in her face. “You might be ready to give up, but I’m not!” 

“Giving up?” Jinx hissed, “I’m counting my losses. You should too. You might realise you’ve got nothing left.” 

“There’s only nothing if I close my eyes, and even then I still hear your voice.” 

“Don’t! Don’t fucking say that!”

“I know you’ll never love me back, but you can’t stop me from loving you.” 

“Stop it, Ekko!” 

“No—”

Jinx tackled him to the ground, making them fall into the cold water, punching and scratching him as tears fell down her cheeks. She was violent and nasty, it hurt. But he let her continue. 

“Fight back! Fight back!” she cried over and over.

Ekko didn’t, and her strength wavered. He grabbed her wrists as she sobbed atop him. “I’m tired of fighting you,” he whispered. Blood dripped from his nose and into his mouth, his left eye throbbed. Still, Ekko wrapped his arms around her as she sobbed, ignoring his own pain in favour to help ease hers.

Hours must’ve gone by as they remained by the tree. Ekko had lifted them out of the water and cradled her beside the tree until her sobs went away, and she had nothing left to give. 

“Are you ready to head back?” he asked as it turned dark. 

Jinx nodded and pulled away from him, finally seeing his bloody face. She didn’t say anything, but brought her shirt up to wipe away the dried blood. 

For the first time in a long time, as Jinx cared for Ekko, he only saw Powder.

*

“I’m starving, Ekko,” Jinx said as he attempted to lead her back to her lair. 

Ekko sighed. He was too. But he wasn’t sure if he was ready to face them all again. Part of him was ecstatic to be back. With his Pow—Jinx, this time. But the longer they were here, the more they experienced, the harder it’d be to leave. 

“Fine. We’ll go to the last drop… I’m sure Vander has some food prepared.”

“You're just gonna leech off my family, then?” Jinx asked, playfully. 

“Like I’m going to let you out of my sight.”

“You couldn’t keep up with me if you tried.” 

Ekko wanted her to try it, just so he could prove how wrong she was. He knew Powder’s body wasn’t as war ready as Jinx’s was, despite a proper diet, but this Ekko had kept decent shape. Jinx had seemed to already come to this conclusion, but opted to remain quiet and hope he didn’t accept her challenge. 

It was dark and the Last Drop would’ve been closed to the public by now, but people was the least of Ekko’s worries, so he pulled Jinx aside to an offshoot alley. “We have to hold hands,” he said. 

“What?” 

“Hold hands.”

“Why would we do that?” 

“Because that’s what Powder and I did…” 

Jinx scowled. “How do I know you’re telling the truth?” 

“You don’t. But I can assure you, Vander, Silco and the others won’t bat an eye. So neither should you.”

Jinx took his hand, forcing the motion with false disgust. Ekko could see behind the facade. She didn’t mind all that much. He let her drag him through the doors, as she acted all strong willed. It lasted moments. Until she caught a glimpse of Vander cleaning some mugs at the bar. 

Ekko sweeped her along so they made it to the bar, and let her take a seat as she stared at him. 

“Ah, there you two are,” said Vander with a large smile, “I was beginning to worry.” 

“Just lost track of time,” said Ekko, giving Jinx a nudge. 

“Here, I thought all your time troubles had been whisked away by that Z-Drive of yours…” 

Ekko’s voice caught in his throat. So there was a Z-Drive here! Thoughts of whether Powder and Ekko recreated it came to his head. If they had, that step was the big leap they needed. It wouldn’t be hard to get back—

“Numpty here broke it,” said Jinx. 

“Oh. A shame,” said Vander, “is that why your face is all broken?” 

“Yeah, he just doesn’t know when to quit… But don’t worry, I’ll help him get it working again.” 

Vander chuckled, and turned to Ekko. He pulled a bag out from under the counter and filled it with ice. “What would you do without her, eh?” 

Ekko smiled, took the ice pack and placed it over his eye. “You’ve no idea…” 

Jinx’s stomach rumbled, and she looked sheepishly away. 

“And the real reason the two of you have come out of that hole of yours!” Vander said with a laugh. “Don’t worry, I sent Silco to get Jerichos. He should be back soon… Speaking of…” 

Silco came through the door, holding a large box of food. 

Ekko looked at Jinx, whose jaw was agape. She knew, he’d told her. But she probably hadn’t fully believed it until now. He took her hand in his, squeezing it gently. Jinx looked down at their hands, and back up at him, child-like wonder in those brilliant eyes of hers. 

“You got them, then?” Silco asked as he placed the large box on the counter.

“They came to me, actually,” said Vander. He put the cup he’d been cleaning down and grabbed a set of four bowls and his pipe. “Mylo and Claggor have gone off Topside. Said something about their hybrids… They seemed pretty excited.” 

Silco nodded. “I’ll leave their food in the fridge.”

As Vander and Silco spoke, Jinx’s grip on Ekko’s hand tightened and tightened. 

Vander began looking through the box, placing boxes out for Ekko and Jinx to take and put in their bowls. Silco had gotten their favorites, and he and Vander made small talk as Ekko and Jinx ate in mostly silence; not once did Jinx let her grip of Ekko’s hand waver. She held onto him as if it were her lifeline. 

Dinner was slow, and they spoke of menial things as they let the night pass by them. 

It was Silco who stood first, and said his goodbyes for the night. Ekko saw how she shifted and her eyes longed to speak with him. He couldn’t let her give that up.

“Go to him,” Ekko whispered. 

Jinx’s head perked up. “What?” 

“Go spend some time with Silco… I know you want to.” 

“But—” 

“I got my chance to speak with Benzo,” said Ekko. “Got to say my peace… you deserve that, too.”

“I… Thank you, Ekko.” Jinx gave his hand one last squeeze before scuttling off after Silco, forgetting to say goodbye to Vander. 

Ekko remained with Vander, who poured Ekko a strong concoction along with one of his own. Ekko nursed the drink as Vander necked one and spoke. “How’d it happen this time?” 

“How did what happen?” 

“C’mon, lad… you think I can’t tell that isn’t my Powder.”

Ekko went slack jawed. 

“She missed work today,” said Vander softly. “You and I both know she doesn’t miss work.” 

“Jin—Powder hasn’t been feeling great,” Ekko tried to lie. 

“You’ve always been a bad liar, lad. Nothing wrong with that, but I can tell you two aren’t ours.” 

Ekko sighed. He’d been doing that a lot today. “The Z-Drive broke… that isn’t a lie. It sent us back here…” 

“At least you're the Ekko who built it, then…” said Vander, smirking at Ekko’s astonished face. “Powder told me.” 

“She shouldn’t have.” Ekko necked the rest of his drink and immediately regretted it.

“I can be persuasive when I need to be…” said Vander, pouring Ekko another drink. “So, that’s your Powder pining after Silco?” 

Ekko nodded. 

“Very different girl,” said Vander, “but much the same, too.” 

“Don’t get me started,” said Ekko, laughing faintly. “She doesn’t see it.” 

“They don’t always…”

“J— Powder —” Ekko winced at the second slip up “—has a lot of stuff going on, half of which I don’t even know about…”

“Why do you keep tripping up on her name?” Vander asked, like he already knew the answer. 

“Don’t make me say it,” said Ekko.

“Life’s been hard for you two, hasn’t it?”

“You guys don’t know how good you have it… how bad things went,” said Ekko, feeling tears prick at his eyes. 

“I can only guess… I didn’t even know Powder’s fists could do such damage,” said Vander.

Ekko ignored the comment. What else would he say? That Vander didn’t know his daughter at all? He opted for something else. “How come one death…” 

“The world is cruel like that sometimes… but we persevere,” said Vander. “I won’t begin to pretend I know what happened, and to tell the truth, I don’t want to know… But if anyone has it in them to bring about change like this, it’s you two. But you have to stick together.” 

“I’m not the one you need to be telling that to.” 

“That’s why Silco is telling her.”

“ What? ”

Vander chuckled. “The worlds been hard on you, but you’re still learning… Not all things are learnt through hardship, Ekko… You’ll get it eventually.”

Chapter Text

Jinx found her legs moving on their own to catch up with Silco. Her heart pounded in her chest and the line between real and fake was scrambled. She followed him until she reached his office. The same office as in her world. Some things didn’t change. She opened the door without knocking, and then stood like a sardine in the doorway staring at him. 

Silco looked up from the desk, smiling pleasantly. “To what pleasure are you gracing me with today, Powder?”

Jinx paled, and placed a hand on the doorway to keep herself upright. 

“Are you alright?” he asked. 

Jinx nodded. “Yes!” she said, too loudly. “May I?” 

“Of course,” said Silco, gesturing to the seat opposite him. 

Jinx swept over to it, closing the door behind her. It didn’t feel right to sit in the chair. Her eyes went up to the rafters, then to the desk where she’d sit, and finally landed on Silco’s lap… “I…” Her mind was all over the show, and words were not forming! She scrunched her hands into fists and tried to speak, but it came out as nothing more than a squeak. 

Silco’s smile turned tender. “The world hasn’t been kind to you, has it, child?” 

Tears welled in Jinx’s eyes, and her lip trembled. She shook her head. Any pretense that she was Powder had fallen away, and although she wore her skin, nothing would convince Silco she was anything but a broken shell of the girl he knew. 

“Don’t cry,” he said softly. 

His words burst the dam, and Jinx found herself sobbing. Silco stood, and swept over to her, kneeling in front of her chair and taking her hands in his. 

“I can’t…” said Jinx through uncontrolled heaves. Her chest hurt badly. “I’m not strong enough.” 

“Nonsense…” said Silco. “There is more to strength than muscles, we both know that…” 

Jinx laughed and sobbed all at once at his little nothing jibe at Vander. 

“I will not pretend and presume more than I know, and I will not ask more than you’re willing to give…” Silco said, squeezing her hands. “But it does not take a brilliant mind such as yourself to see how strong you are, Powder.”

“Ekko’s the strong one… not me.”

“And yet he still thinks the world of you…” 

“How—” 

“The two of them are closer than the two of you.”

Jinx looked away, seeing images of Ekko float through her mind. “He’s always been too stubborn for change.” 

“Many of us are,” said Silco. “And that stubbornness has kept him, in this world and yours, pining over you for as long as you’ve known one another. Through everything.” 

“He should’ve given up… I thought he had.” 

“And he probably thought he had, too; Wanted badly to give up on you, I'm sure…” Silco brought her hand up, and showed her the bruises painting her knuckles. “You gave that boy a beating, what for I don’t know, and tonight he looked at you as if there weren’t a star in the night sky…” 

“He told me he loved me,” Jinx admitted sheepishly. 

“That’ll do it,” Silco chuckled. “Only love can make a man that foolish.”

“He’s not… we’re not…”

Silco shook his head. “If I were you—and I told this to my Powder, too, when she was still deliberating over him—I’d not be waiting for anything else… because something else doesn’t exist.” 

“It’s not… I’m not waiting for anything else…” she admitted, more to herself than him. “It’s not—it’s me. Not him. It’s always been me… I’m broken.” 

“Everyones broken… you, me, Ekko, Vander… with love comes loss… and I see you’ve loved a lot, and lost even more… so you’re afraid of losing him, too. Can’t you see if you turn him away you’ll forsake not just him, but yourself?” 

“It’s better if I stay away from him, at least he’ll get to live,” said Jinx. “If I let him in I’ll just Jinx it, like I’ve jinxed everyone else.” 

“You’re not a jinx.”

Jinx laughed. “You don’t know the half of it…” 

“Then tell me.” 

So she did. First that her name wasn’t Powder anymore, that it was Jinx. That Silco was the reason for the name. She told him how they met, the years and years they spent together, and then how she still murdered him despite it all. Then she spoke of Isha. And she truly broke. Through it all, Silco held her. He comforted her and stroked her hair. But even he had to pause when Jinx finally spilled the reason why she and Ekko had appeared here. 

“I just want it to end…” she said, eyes prickling with tears, nose red raw. “I need it to end.” 

“There’s no doubt you’ve had it hard… harder than most… but do you really want it to end, or do you want it to change?” His voice was soft and kind. 

“I…” 

“You’ve lost a lot. A hell of a lot… I know how that feels—when Vander and I…” Silco trailed off, for the first time he lost the wise man persona. “When I thought I lost Vander, it broke me. I’d already lost your parents, people I loved dearly, for me Vander’s betrayal—like Isha’s death—was my so-called last straw…”

“But you didn’t kill yourself.” 

“No. No, of course not. Something far, far worse consumed me… You saw that. You saw what I became…” Silco had tears in his eyes now, and his voice quivered and shook. “More so than even I… But I can tell you, letting that go… it was the best thing I ever did. Forgiving both Vander and myself, and taking that next step toward something greater…” 

Jinx thought about how Zaun looked now, under the rule of both Vander and Silco together. It was perfect. Everything she and Ekko had ever wanted when they were children, everything anyone in Zaun could’ve dreamt of and more. 

“And if I fall back down?” she asked timidly. 

“Then you fall… and Ekko will be there to pick you up, as you will be for him…” 

“I’m scared…” 

“I’d think less of you if you weren’t, sweet child…”

Jinx let herself bask in Silco’s touch for a moment longer, and let his strength be her strength. Fears surrounding Ekko pooled in her stomach, and made her hurt so badly. Not because of him, but because of the idea that she’d lose him too. “I don’t know if I can love him like he deserves,” she admitted.

“What we deserve is secondary to what we get. And you’ve gotten that boy's love, don’t you think it’s time he gets yours?”

Chapter Text

As he waited for Jinx to return from her talk with Silco, Ekko begun looking through the lair to find anything that might be useful to them, and setting up whatever was left. He’d decided he needed to go back to Vander to ask about anything that was missing. The biggest find was an unfinished replica of the Z-Drive. It didn’t work, and Ekko gathered that Vander must’ve known that. In one little mention of the Z-Drive, he’d known they were imposters… the man was right, there was still much he needed to learn. 

Ekko found a box of his own things, mostly just random trinkets or extra clothes. Nothing out of the ordinary, but it confirmed to him more and more that he and Powder, in this universe, were much more than friends. 

As Ekko finalized things, putting the parts of the interdimensional machine into piles for him to sort out properly with Jinx later, footsteps caught his attention.

“So much for keeping a low profile,” said Jinx on her return. 

It was closing in on three in the morning. Jinx went immediately over to Vi’s memorial, and tucked her knees up to her chest. 

Ekko tittered. “It didn’t help that Powder snitched on me…” he said as he came over to sit with her, lighting up the incense sticks as he spoke.

“She did?” 

“Silco didn’t tell you?” A small part of Ekko’s brain misfired as he spoke about Silco without any hint of hatred. 

“We talked about other things,” Jinx said vaguely.

He got the feeling she wasn’t ready to share whatever it was. A nice silence ran between them. Ekko couldn’t remember the last time they’d just sat together. That was a lie. He remembered it like it was yesterday, it ran through his mind on a near daily basis, and haunted his dreams and nightmares alike. 

Often he’d be trapped in a reality where he and Powder were sitting together, both tinkering on something or the other, when she’d turn to him, eyes devoid of light like Jinx’s so often were, and ask ‘ why did you leave me? ’... He’d wake up in a cold sweat, screaming her name, ‘ POWDER! ’ begging the gods to give her back to him. But even when tears tracked down his cheeks she’d never come. And so, he’d tried for so long to forget, so that sting of rejection didn’t hurt so much. Yet it persisted, like grease and dirt under his nails… 

Ekko’s eyes wandered to her, the movement as involuntary as breathing. The differences were large between Powder and Jinx, yet the similarities were abundant. He’d never imagined he’d get to see his Jinx look so peaceful. There was a hope he could, a fleeting dream when he’d gaze at Powder, but he never thought he’d live it. Even if it was a half truth. The matter still lingered that once they made it home, that was when the real battle began. 

Jinx looked over to him, doe-eyes wide and full. Her mouth opened and closed, then hung slightly ajar. “I’m sorry for hitting you,” she said finally. 

“I’m sorry, too.” 

Jinx’s brow furrowed. “What for?” 

“For the bridge… for giving up on you.” 

“You never gave up.” 

“I let you stay with him.” That was worse than giving up.

“He’d have killed you if I went with you.”

“I’d die a thousand times if that's what it took.”

Jinx laughed at him. It made him smile. It wasn’t that manic laugh, but pretty song-like giggles that warmed his heart. She swatted him playfully, the touch electric, and said: “God, I’d forgotten how much of a romantic you are…” 

“Don’t worry, I won’t let you forget a second time.” He spoke without thinking; It was bold. Perhaps too bold. 

Jinx took pause. The ball was in her court, and Ekko let her decide on whether to act on it. All it resulted in was a silence as she stared at him, doe-eyed and awestruck. Their silence continued for a long while, as the incense sticks burned to ash. 

Eventually Ekko felt his eyes grow heavy, and yawns began to overwhelm him. It was only then did Jinx speak, in such a quiet voice he wasn’t sure whether he was awake or dreaming. 

“Will you stay with me tonight?” 

“If that’s what you want?” Ekko asked tentatively. 

“Please.” 

The words sounded foreign to Ekko, he smiled regardless.  

“No… No— y’know .”

Ekko grinned, and held up his hands. “Not our bodies anyway.” 

“And if they were?” 

“I’d do nothing you didn’t ask for.”

Jinx nodded, Ekko got the impression it was more to herself than him, as if reassuring herself he wasn’t lying. Like he could ever lie to her; like he’d forsake her again… 

“I think the sofa pulls out,” she said. 

“You think?” 

Jinx shrugged. “Never used it in our world.” 

Ekko shook his head. That didn’t surprise him. She never looked like she’d gotten more than two hours of rough and interrupted sleep since Vi was taken to Stillwater. He held out hope this would be the start of a change.

They padded over to the couch, which—though both were great engineers—they struggled to open. ‘ Stiff springs ’ they blamed it on, to save their egos. Once it was out, they found a multitude of blankets and other things scattered around, all smelling of a mixture of the two of them. Of home… 

Ekko kicked off his boots and started to get out of his dirty clothes, once topless and going to remove his trousers, he heard Jinx cough. He turned. “Yeah?” 

She gave him a look. One that told him ‘ keep it above board ’ or there’d be hell to pay.

Oh. Right. “Er, yeah…” he said, and began looking through his box of stuff. He found a set of old sweatpants, nothing more, and held them up to show Jinx. “Will these do?” he asked. 

Jinx furrowed her brow, and sneered at the offending items. “Why are those the only things you’ve got?” 

“Probably because the other two aren’t as modest as us,” he joked. It fell flat. “I can always shack up with Benzo if—” 

“No!” she said. “No… don’t go. I…” she faced away, cheeks turning a violet pink… 

Ekko went over to her. “Hey, hey,” he said, gently pulling her chin with his fingers to face him. “I’m not going anywhere unless you want me to.” 

Jinx nodded, and then a mischievous little grin came on her face. “You’re not as muscular in this universe…” 

Ekko chuckled. “You know how muscular I am?” 

Jinx shrugged, and clambered into the bed without another word. 

Ekko smiled at the sight, and let another hapless dream overcome him: of a life he never thought he’d get. 

“You gonna stand there with that goofy grin or are you going to bed?”

*

Ekko woke up with Jinx wrapped around him, snuggled tightly into his chest. At first he couldn’t tell if he was still dreaming, as he soaked in the rhythmic hum of her calm breathing. Part of him was surprised she even slept through the night without issue. 

He came to his senses soon enough, albeit after indulging himself for a little while. 

In a way this whole experience was a dream. Getting to live out the perfect life… It was as nice as it was wicked. A fanciful joke played by the universe, saying, ‘ look what you could’ve had but won’t ever get! ’. The thought roused him fully, and he slipped out of her tender grasp.

He wasn’t sure how long it’d been since she had a full night's sleep, and after the rollercoaster of a ride the previous day had been he was sure she’d need even longer just for that.

It gave him time to look through their stuff more, and even skuttle over to the Last Drop to speak with Vander before it opened.

“To what do I owe the pleasure?” Vander asked Ekko on arrival. 

“I need to recreate the machine I used to leave last time. Have you any idea where Powder might’ve put all the parts?” 

Vander chuckled “Up and at it early, then…” 

“The sooner we’re back, the better.” 

“You think so?” 

Ekko shrugged. “We’re imposters in this world.” 

Vander shook his head. “You may not be our Ekko and Powder, but you're not imposters.” 

“I—” 

“Don’t overthink it, lad. You’ll give yourself a headache,” said Vander. 

“I think I’ve had one since we arrived.” 

“I’m not sure Powder’s punch helped with that.” 

Ekko shook his head. “She’s got a mean right hook, I’ll give her that,” he joked. 

Vander nodded, but Ekko didn’t feel he knew just how capable Jinx was when she was angry. Or in general. “That’s not the first time you’ve fought, is it?” he asked.

Any humour left Ekko’s body. “No.” 

“But it’s the first time you’ve not retaliated?” 

“I don’t…”

“I’m not going to respect you any less if you say you’ve fought her, Ekko,” said Vander. “Silco and I, our past is filled with blood.”

Ekko juggled with whether he could tell Vander their story. It wasn’t just filled with their own blood, but the entirety of the undercities. The streets were caked in the remains of Jinx’s victims. Sometimes Ekko didn’t think there was an alley Jinx hadn’t killed in. Still, he found himself confiding in Vander, the only likely person to understand: “I’d told myself Powder—my Powder—was long gone… consumed by another person.”

Vander nodded solemnly. 

The small gesture proved enough to Ekko for him to continue. “We fought on the bridge—I wanted her dead, so she’d stop marring the perfect image I had of Powder etched behind my eyes… I won the brawl, had her pinned to the ground, nose bloody and eyes blackened… It was over, and I chanced to look at her.” Ekko’s voice hiccuped. “I—I… I didn’t see this pet of Silco’s I desperately wanted dead… I saw Powder, scared and crying—whimpering under my harsh hold…” his voice faltered, and he couldn’t look at Vander anymore. 

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want—”

“I need to.” 

Vander conceded. 

“My fist faltered, I couldn’t strike the final blow…” he laughed without humor, “then, I heard the pin of her grenade get pulled. And all her face said to me was ‘ this ends together ’... But I wouldn’t let it. How could I? Not after I saw Powder again. I threw the grenade away, and almost lost my leg… but she was alive, and part of me thought that maybe, just maybe, I could get through to her… I didn’t see her for a long time after that.”

“And how did it come about that you found yourself here?” 

“I decided to let things cool off between me and her, so I began working with counselor Heimerdinger on other things… stuff went wrong with that, we found ourselves messing with the Arcane in ways it shouldn’t have been… before we knew it we were here.” 

Ekko looked back up to Vander, who had a mirthful smile on his face. 

“What?” he asked. 

“You’ve had some life, lad…” said Vander, smile persisting. 

“You don’t know the half of it…” Ekko shook his head. “You know how it went with Powder, though… I’m sure she mentioned some of the stuff I said to her.” 

“She told me Vi survived…” 

Ekko sniffed. “Such a small thing changed so much…” He looked back over to the door, Jinx was probably awake by now and he needed to get back to her before she went stir crazy and did something stupid. He went to turn. “I should—”

“I’ve been meaning to thank you, by the way,” said Vander. 

It stopped Ekko in his tracks. “What for?” 

“Bringing my Powder out of her shell… she’s always been brilliant, and Ekko here knew that more than us all, but it was you—who came with fantastic ideas—that brought life back into her eyes…” 

“She brought hope back to mine… Without her, all I had was a suspicion Powder could come back. Now I know she can.”

“A mutually beneficial meeting, then.” 

“Yeah. You could say that.,” said Ekko. “Only I thought that was where it’d end.” 

“Hiccups in the road, we all fall victim to them.” 

Ekko nodded. “This isn’t how I imagined it going, but I think it might be the best way it can go.”

“Indeed… You’ve been given the chance to step away,” said Vander. “To right your own wrongs before you’ll have to right the world…” 

“Since when were you the wise one?” another voice came. 

Ekko jumped out of his skin at the intrusion. It was Silco. He and Vander just chuckled at his reaction. 

“You scared the shit out of me,” Ekko breathed. 

“Sorry,” said Silco, unapologetically.

“Don’t worry about it,” said Ekko, holding his head at the mindfuck that was a nice Silco. 

“Tell you what, lad,” said Vander, “I think it’s worth a trip over to old Benzos to find what you're looking for.”

Ekko nodded. “Thanks. I’ll go grab Powder and we can go together.” He went to leave but was interrupted. 

“Hold it, boy,” said Silco. 

Ekko froze. God that sounded like his Silco. He turned slowly, wincing prematurely at what he might be faced with. “Y—yeah?” 

“You’re not going without breakfast, are you?” 

Ekko shook his head, letting out a belated chuckle. “I… don’t usually have it.” 

“Well here you will,” said Vander, and pulled out a box. “Share it with Powder, won’t you?” 

“Of course.” 

“Good. We’ll see you for dinner.” 

*

Jinx was awake when he returned, and was twiddling with something in her hands on their sofa, now made bed.

“Silco and Vander made us breakfast,” Ekko said as he came to sit beside her. 

Jinx didn’t answer, and Ekko saw the necklace he gave Powder in her hands. She twirled it, and looked at it with curious eyes. “Is this another thing you made for her?” she asked quietly. 

“Yeah… I—er—I wanted to give her something of my own.” 

“You love her.” It was a statement, not a question. Jinx looked at him, sadness in her eyes. 

Ekko nodded. “How could I not?” 

Jinx’s face scrunched and she looked away, placing the necklace on the sofa. 

Ekko took her face in his hands, turning her back to face him. “I love her because I love you… The way I see it, you’re the same person—” 

“But we’re not!… we’re so different…” The last part came out as a whisper.

Ekko picked up the necklace. “You’re two sides of the same coin… intertwined so deeply you can’t even grasp it… my love for you doesn’t just stop with you—this you—but every version over every possibility… I like to think the other you saw that… as I’d like to think you can see that now.” 

“So I’m just one of a million others, then?” 

“Better.” 

“Better?” 

“You’re the one I’d choose over every other… No matter how much I love these other versions of you, nothing—and I mean nothing—would stop me from getting back to your side. I broke time and space so I could return to you, and we’re about to do it all over again so that we can get back to where we belong…”

Jinx shook her head. “You might be a genius, pretty boy, but you sure are stupid.” 

Ekko grinned. “Oh yeah, how’s that?” 

“You said to build that Z-Drive you had to scour around for pieces of the gems…” Jinx ruffled through her pocket, holding up a small sack. “Yet, these were just in Powder’s draw.” 

Ekko frowned, and snatched the bag from her, opening it to find fully in-tact gems. “Powder didn’t tell me she had these…”

“And that’s why I’m the best version— I tell you things.” Jinx’s arms were folded, and she had her chin held high to prove her point. 

“You never had to convince me of that. I always knew.”

Chapter Text

“How much of the machine have you found so far?” Jinx asked. 

They were going to Benzos, as Vander had suggested, and Ekko was telling her what they were hoping to get. 

“Not as much as I’d hoped… for the most part, they were only rebuilding the Z-Drive, not the rest of it.” 

“They didn’t fancy a jump to our universe, then?” 

“Evidently not.” 

Jinx nodded. “So we have none of ‘Dinger’s additions.”

“Don’t call him that.” 

“What? ‘Dinger?” 

“Anything but that.” 

“How about Heimy?” 

Ekko shook his head. “Vander said Benzo might have the rest of it…” he said instead of addressing her. “Even if he doesn’t, there’s a chance he knows where they put it.” 

“Don’t you think it’s weird calling them different people, when we’re them?” 

“Helps me differentiate.” 

“Only when we’re together.” 

“It’d be a mindfuck if I start saying you—or we —did things we haven't done. Even if we have done them.”

“Mindfuck for you maybe.” 

“Not all of us are gifted with such an eccentric mind like yours.” 

“Shame,” said Jinx, shaking her head in pity. “I think you’d find it fun—liberating, even.” 

“One of us has to be normal.” 

Jinx snorted. “Yeah, right! You’re not exactly the epitome of normal, buster.”

“Sometimes…” 

“Sometimes, what?”

Ekko chuckled. “It’s nothing.” 

Jinx huffed, and folded her arms dramatically. “Keep your secrets,” she said. Her annoyance was fake, however, as a mirthful grin played on her lips. 

Ekko found himself so focused on the back and forth they were having, he almost completely walked past Benzos shop. He tried to play it off as if he were getting the door for Jinx, but she saw straight through the facade and gave him a shit-eating look. 

They entered the shop, Benzo at the counter, and said their ‘hellos’. 

“Hello, little lady—Ekko been treating you well?” 

Jinx paused, and gave Ekko a once over. “Lost his mind a couple times…” 

Bezno laughed. “Like you’d have it any other way.” 

“You know me too well.” 

Ekko was staring off into the dark corners of the shop as they spoke, looking around for anything that would either help them rebuild the machine or was part of the machine to begin with. 

“Say, Ekko, what happened to your eye?” asked Benzo. 

“Huh.. Oh, er—”

“He mucked up the Z-Drive again,” said Jinx. “Almost took his eye out.” 

“I wouldn’t go that far,” said Ekko. 

“No? It was quite a harsh blow you suffered.” Jinx brought her hand up to caress the bruise next to his eye. The touch was gentle, the polar opposite of the harsh bare-knuckled punch she’d given him only a day prior. 

The gesture, along with Jinx’s concerned look, made Ekko short-circuit. “Nothing I couldn’t handle,” he said with a husky edge.

Jinx bit her bottom lip. “Oh yeah—”

Benzo cleared his throat. It snapped them out of their stupor. “Was it a hard enough blow that you forgot you’re working today?” 

“Nope. Course not,” said Ekko, quickly, adjusting his shirt. “Would’ve been here earlier but Vander forced me to have breakfast…” 

Benzo scrutinised him. “Well there’s stock in the back that needs unpacking, get to it.” 

Ekko nodded, and wandered over to the back of the shop. At least he’d have time to look through the stuff and see what he was working with. He went through to the back, leaving the door open as he remembered how hot and stuffy it’d get when he was younger, and actually working for Benzo. 

As he started to unload things from boxes and organise other things, he heard Jinx speak up.

“Say, Benzo… You wouldn’t mind if I hung around to keep an eye on him. Silco thinks he might have a concussion…” 

“Like you even have to ask, little lady.”

Ekko heard Jinx’s footsteps, as she wandered over to the back.

“No funny business, though!” Benzo shouted after her, “Ekko’s gotta work.” 

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” 

As it turned out, Jinx and Ekko worked quite well together. Before they knew it, they had sorted it all into where they needed, be that in the front of the store, restocking the shelves, or organising things to be in the best place possible. With it so well organised, it was easy to spot anything left from the machine, which was less than Ekko had hoped, but still enough as to where he and Jinx could build the rest of it with little worry. 

Ekko was already thinking how the gemstones may aid them in building a better machine, one where they can both return without dying like Heimerdinger. He’d have to calculate how the gemstone would scale compared to the fragments. There was a chance they’d need to fragment one to make it work. But without doing any error analysis, it would be hit or miss. These weren’t the refined ones they’d gotten to work with in their universe. 

The only saving grace was that Jinx had knowledge of how Hextech worked, likely more than Heimerdinger and Ekko had before they came here. So combined, it should only aid them further. 

Now the only issue that was left was asking Benzo for the stuff back. 

“You gonna ask him or do I have to?” said Jinx, as if reading his mind. 

“I will…”

“Will you, or is it I, doing the saving this time?” 

Ekko shook his head at her, and went out to the front to speak with Benzo. “Benzo,” said Ekko slowly. 

“Yes, Ekko?” 

“Er—” 

“Could we take back the stuff we gave you for the Z-Drive,” Jinx said from behind him. “Where Ekko broke it, we’re going to need it back to fix it.”

Benzo looked between them, then settled on Ekko. “You finished with all your work?” he asked. 

Ekko nodded. 

“Take whatever you need, then,” said Benzo. “Nothing from the shelves.” 

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” 

*

By the time they finished up in Benzos and grabbed as much stuff as they could carry, Ekko and Jinx needed to head to the Last Drop for dinner. 

Jinx was far more excited than Ekko was. Even though Vander had been understanding about the complexity of his and Jinx’s relationship, he still felt a great deal of shame for their past. Something that wouldn’t go away just from Vander’s blessing. 

She’d stolen his watch to keep an eye on the time, and once it was closing time for the Last Drop, she took hold of his hand and dragged him there. 

Ekko didn’t mind. It was the first time he’d seen her properly excited for something (that wasn’t blowing something up) that he let her drag him. There was also the matter of her voluntarily taking his hand, as well. 

Upon arrival, there was one difference to the previous night, coming in the form of two brothers, Mylo and Claggor. They were sitting having an animated conversation with Vander at the bar, as Silco sat watching them with a drink. 

Silco raised his drink to greet them, and Jinx went over to sit next to him. Ekko trailed behind her. 

“The prince and princess have arrived,” said Mylo, half bowing in his seat. 

Jinx gave Ekko a slight look of confusion. 

Ekko just grinned at Mylo. “How’s the hybrids coming along?”

They were something Ekko hadn’t paid much mind to when on his first visit to this universe, but now that he was thinking more on them, he realised how good of an idea they were. A way to convert the grey back to breathable air. 

When they were younger, Ekko had always thought of Jinx as the only one with big aspirations with technology and advancements to the world. But clearly Mylo and Claggor had grown into fine young scientists themselves. And, if he were being honest with himself, a breakthrough like the hybrids—plants that could ‘eat’ the grey—was a far better contribution than anything he’d specifically built.

“Getting there,” said Claggor. “The conversion rates are high enough now, but they’re still too frail.” 

“Topside is finally taking them more seriously now,” Mylo added. 

“Is that why you were absent last night?” Ekko asked. 

“That and we managed to scrounge up enough money to spend a night in one of those fancy hotels,” said Claggor. 

“And you call us royalty,” said Jinx under her breath. 

“As if you two aren’t up there every other week with that energy storage device,” said Mylo. Thankfully he took it as a joke, but Ekko knew there was nothing friendly about Jinx’s jibe.

Jinx opened her mouth to retort but was cut off by Vander, “as lovely as I find your sibling bickering, I think it’s time for some dinner.” 

Ekko gave Vander a grateful smile. There was no telling what Jinx would’ve said given the chance. Especially to Mylo of all people. 

Vander plated up some food, and served it to them. He sat opposite Silco and Jinx, and began to speak with them, while Ekko opted to talk with Mylo and Claggor. The hope being he’d be able to steer them away from talking with Jinx. 

“You got any ideas on how to improve the hybrids?” Ekko asked as he tucked into the food. 

“Some, but it’s hard to have them grow… There’s too little sunlight down here.”

Mylo nodded, pointing at Ekko with his fork. “There’s a reason no trees grow down here.” 

But a tree did grow down here. His tree. The tree he’d shown Jinx not a day earlier; the firelight sanctuary. “And, say there was enough sunlight?” Ekko asked. 

“Well, theoretically, the hybrids could grow larger…” said Claggor. “We’ve thought of growing them up topside for that exact purpose—that’s what we went up there for—but when we told them how expensive it might be, they weren’t all that keen.” 

“What Claggor’s trying to say, they don’t want to ruin their perfect city with ugly plants for Zaun,” said Mylo. “It’s too expensive to get a large enough plot of land, let alone usurp them once they’ve grown and bring them down here.” 

“But that wouldn’t matter if you found somewhere down here to grow them, would it?” 

Claggor sighed. “That brings us back to the first issue—” 

“No. It doesn’t,” said Ekko. “I know of the perfect spot for this. Trust me.” 

Mylo scrutinised Ekko. “Do you, now?” 

Ekko nodded. “Positive. I’ll show you guys tomorrow, if you’d like.” 

“If it’s as good as you say, we wouldn’t miss it for the world.” 

*

After dinner, Jinx and Ekko headed back to the lair. It wasn’t particularly late this time, nor did Ekko feel that tired. Even after the day's work at Benzos. So, he opted to continue to set up what they had of the interdimensional device. Jinx was half helping, and half wandering around without a pattern. 

“You want to show Mylo and Claggor the tree with me tomorrow?” Ekko asked. 

“Why’re you showing them?” 

“Y’know the hybrids we were speaking about, well I think there will be the perfect spot for them to grow.”

Jinx grunted. “What do they do?” 

“They’re trying to get rid of the grey.” 

“Huh… never thought those two bozos would amount to more than Vi.” 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” 

Jinx gave him a look before her eyes widened with some sort of realisation. “Oh, yeah—you were too busy living it up here to know… Vi hauled it with the Pilites and used the air vents to weed us out with the grey.” 

Ekko was speechless. 

“Don’t give me that look. After I bombed topside she went all cuckoo,” said Jinx, as if it were normal, then added more quietly, “you missed a lot.” 

“I’m gathering that…” said Ekko. 

Jinx looked like she wanted to speak more on it, but opted out and joked: “Does that mean I’m older than you?” 

“I guess so,” said Ekko, unable to help the grin on his face. “But I’m sure once the Z-Drive’s up and running again, that’ll soon change.” 

“You plan to relive a lot, then?” It was Jinx who closed the gap, pushing her chest out and exaggerating her hip movement. 

“Only as much as I need to.” He knew it was the wrong thing to say immediately, and winced at her reaction.

Jinx went silent, and stopped in her tracks.

It frightened him. “Are you—” 

“How many times did you… y’know…” 

Ekko’s jaw clenched. He’d counted the first few times. But, after a while, they all blurred together. His voice caught in his throat.

“You don’t know, do you?” Jinx let out a hollow laugh. “God, you're stubborn.” 

“I couldn’t just let you do it.”

“You should’ve, it’s more than I deserve.” 

“You don’t get to decide what you deserve—” 

“You sound like Silco,” Jinx interrupted. 

“I sound—what!?” 

“I told him I didn’t deserve… er—something—” a blush crept onto her cheeks “—he told me you get what you get.”

“Well… he’s right,” said Ekko. 

Jinx laughed. “First time for everything, ‘eh.”

“What else did he tell you?” 

“Nothing that would interest you.” 

“You don’t just get to decide that—” 

“But you get to decide,” Jinx scolded. 

Ekko knew what he was about to say was stupid. He said it anyway. “This is different.” 

“How is it!? All my life people have made decisions for me. First with Vi, then with Silco, and now with you!”

“So you want to kill youself? That’s the big decision you don’t want people to take from you? What’s that going to solve?”

“I want my life to be in my own hands!” Jinx cried. “But I don’t know how!... I’m not exactly perfect, pretty Powder who can do no wrong! I’m Jinx! All I do is wrong.”

“That’s just not true. You may not be able to see it, but I have.”

“In Powder!” 

“Yes in Powder, damn it! But not this alternate universe. In you! In the little girl I grew up with. I saw your big ideas; I listened when you’d tell me of all the different inventions you made…”

“That’s in the past.” 

“And so are all your mistakes, yet you’re still clinging on to them… letting them dictate your life.” Ekko sighed. “Look, I understand—” 

“But you don’t,” Jinx bit back  nastily. “Back home… you’ve got it all. Friends. People that care for you… and all I’ve got is—”

“Me,” said Ekko. 

Jinx refused to look at him. “You don’t need me.” 

Ekko sighed and laughed all the same. “You might be simultaneously the best and worst thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Jinx glared at him. She went to talk, to throw another snide comment at him. 

Ekko didn’t let her. “And the reason for that is, when I started the firelights, I started them for you. For your memory… for the person I thought you could’ve been… I told myself even though you were gone, I wouldn’t let your memory live on in vain—even if that meant me killing you,” Ekko stepped toward her, taking her face in his hand, he wiped away the tears from her cheeks. “I might’ve said or implied that it was when I came here that I believed you could be good again… but it was that night on the bridge I realised how wrong I was. And since then I’ve not been able to get that dream of you by my side again out of my head.” 

Jinx didn’t respond. She was too busy holding back tears. Even so, she let herself lean into his touch.  

“If you don’t want that… if you don’t want to help me rebuild Zaun as we’ve always dreamed, just tell me… If you really think that’s what’ll make you happiest, for it to all…” Ekko couldn’t finish the sentiment. The mere thought made him sick to his stomach; his heart stopped. He wasn’t sure he could let her. The memory of her pulling the pin, over and over and—

Jinx closed the gap between them, wrapping her arms around him so gently. Then, she whispered, “I don’t want to die… but sometimes it’s so hard to live.”

Ekko’s heart began to beat again. He wrapped his arms around her. 

“I’m really trying to be better,” she continued, “but things overwhelm me… everything’s too loud, and it gets hard to think straight… It gets so bad I lose control over myself. So, when you said I don’t get to decide, it just set me off…” 

Ekko pulled away, so he could get a good look at Jinx. Her hair was in her face, and he moved it out of the way so he could see her properly. “I’m sorry.”

Jinx shook her head. “Silco was right…” she said with a faint smile.

“Even a broken clock is right twice a day.”

Chapter Text

“ISHA!” 

Jinx saw her, she was sitting in their den. She scrambled to get to her, but something held her back. She kicked at the obstacle, clawing at the bed to get to Isha. Nothing she did worked; she couldn’t get to her. 

Tears fell down her cheeks “Isha! Isha, please!” she wailed, reaching out for her little girl. 

Isha just sat there, still playing with stinkmaw. Blissful and ignorant. She didn’t respond to Jinx’s cries. 

Jinx broke from her captor, falling off the bed and crashing face first and hard onto the ground. She didn't have it in her to get to her feet, so she frantically crawled over to Isha. 

Finally, Isha turned, fuzzy and not herself. She raised her hand in the form of a pistol, and… ‘ pow ’… she was gone. 

Jinx rushed to where Isha had just been, but was swept up in a strong hold and forced back. She fought, kicked and bit at whatever was holding her from her baby—

“Jinx!” 

Jinx didn’t stop. And she brought her captor down, both of them falling to the ground with a large crash! 

“Jinx! Please! It’s me ,” they cried. “You’re hurting me…”

Good, she thought, she could take her pain out on them. For stopping her getting to Isha. 

“She’s gone!” Jinx bawled, “She’s gone…” Her fists lost their strength, and they beat against the chest of her captor without malice. “I couldn’t save her…” 

Jinx curled into a ball. 

“It’s not your fault…”

Jinx stilled. That voice— “Ekko?” she whispered.

“I’ve got you.”

Jinx didn’t even try to respond. She just clung to him, as he kept hold of her. He wasn’t going to leave her, she thought. He was here. And that’s all she needed right now. 

Through it all, Ekko mumbled thoughtlessly, until she fell asleep in his arms. 

*

When Jinx woke up again, she wasn’t on the floor where she’d fallen asleep, but back on the bed. She was tightly wrapped in Ekko’s arms. It was comfortable. But the events of the night came back to her, and she buried herself deeper into Ekko’s embrace to hide from it. 

Ekko stroked her back, but didn't speak. 

They stayed like that for a long while, before Jinx finally mustered up the courage to speak, herself. “I’m sorry…” she mumbled.

“You have nothing to apologise for,” he said immediately. 

“I hurt you.” 

“You didn’t mean it. You stopped as soon as you knew.” 

“I thought you were stopping me getting to her…” Bandage was wrapped around Ekko’s arm, and his chest was torn up. Jinx dared a look at his face, and let out a sigh of relief to see she’d not harmed him further. She brought her hand up to trace along the wounds on his chest, drawing back slightly as he winced, then continued more gently.

“Would you tell me about her?” 

Jinx blinked at him. Of course he didn’t know about Isha… “She was like Powder…” she started, smiling despite the pain of the memory. “You’d have loved her… she brightened even the dimmest room…” 

For the rest of the morning, Jinx regaled Ekko with all of the things she and Isha did together, from dyeing her hair to making up with Vi and trying to get Vander back. He listened through it all, looking infatuated with the story. 

“You know how the story ends,” said Jinx. It was obvious. It was in her name… and she was disgusted with herself; how she even believed she could protect Isha to start with—what a joke!

But Ekko didn’t look at her with disgust. No malice or hate laid behind his eyes. Only love. “You’ve tried to make it out like theres none of Powder left—”

“If Isha was still with us, that might’ve been true,” said Jinx. 

“She might not be with us anymore, but that doesn’t mean we can’t build a better future for children just like her.”

For the first time, even with the blaring pain of Isha’s death pounding in her chest, Jinx really wanted to believe it. “I—” 

“Just give me whilst we’re here to show you.”

Jinx shook her head. Sometimes that boy is too stubborn for his own good. She decided not to tell him that she'd have given him a chance, even if they were magically transported back this instant. “Alright, mister. You better hope you're as good of a convincer, as you are a pillow.”

“I just ask you one thing… be polite to Mylo. For my sake.” 

“Fine!” said Jinx. “Only so long as he’s not a complete moron, though.” 

*

Jinx let Ekko lead them to the last drop where they met up with Mylo and Claggor. 

“Late wake up, was it?” Claggor asked as Jinx and Ekko took a seat at the booth with them. 

“Long night,” said Ekko, giving Jinx’s hand a squeeze.

“Too much info!” said Mylo with a look of disgust. 

Jinx smirked at Mylo. It would be such a shame to let this go. “Just because you can’t keep a girl up all night doesn’t mean Ekko suffers the same affliction…” 

Ekko elbowed her as Mylo choked on his drink. Claggor shook his head. 

“What? Claggor asked,” Jinx said with a shrug. 

“He was making small talk,” said Mylo, “not asking about… eugh .” 

“God, you're so dramatic,” said Jinx. 

“‘You guys ready to go?” Ekko asked. He gave Jinx a look, but she saw the mirth glittering in his eyes. He could never fool her. “It’s a somewhat long walk.” 

“Yes,” said Claggor, standing and grabbing Mylo with one hand whilst holding the hybrid in his other. “I could hardly sleep thinking of this. Are you sure it’ll be enough?” 

“Yes, Claggor. Trust me,” said Ekko. “Isn’t that right, Powder?” 

“He might be a dummy, but it’s pretty perfect.” 

Again, Jinx let Ekko lead. He took her hand in his and led the way through the streets of Zaun toward the pipe work. It had been somewhat a mystery where Ekko and the firelights shacked up, and at times it did occur to her to follow them through the pipe work they knew so well… then again, part of her didn’t have the heart to follow them. It wasn’t until now she reconciled that fact. 

Moreover, it was obvious that the tree was the centerpiece of the firelight base. Somewhere Ekko had decided to show her, even though he couldn’t have been certain she wouldn't blow it up when they went back to their universe. Of course, he was certain, in his stubborn ‘I have to be right ’ sort of way. And, she had to admit that in some fashion his recklessness wasn't so reckless after all. At the very least, whenever they did go back to their universe, she wouldn’t go and blow it up.

The biggest mystery of it all was just how Ekko had stumbled across it. She knew he’d spout some shit lie to Mylo and Claggor; but when they were back in private she’d be interrogating him over it for certain. 

When they finally arrived, not without complaints from Mylo—Ekko had to grab her to stop her attacking him—Jinx took in the magnificence of the tree again. In the entirety of Piltover and Zaun there wasn’t anything else like it. Completely untouched, it resided here as a staple of what can grow in Zaun given the chance. And, leave it to Ekko to be the only one who could not only preserve that beauty, but enhance it, too.

“How did you find this place?” Claggor asked in awe. 

“I’m wondering what made you wander through those pipes…” said Mylo. 

“I had a dream,” said Ekko. “I can’t really explain it.” 

Smooth, Jinx thought. Way to deflect the question… 

“And you drew Vi?” Mylo asked. 

“Same dream… a dream of something different, yet kind of the same.”

“Ever the dreamer,” said Jinx. “Where else do you think he gets all his crazy ideas?” 

“You think this’ll be good enough?” Ekko asked. 

“Oh, I’ll say,” said Claggor. 

“Good. You think there'll still be enough space even with the tree?” 

Mylo laughed. “Can’t you see, the tree’s already doing what the hybrids are made for.” 

“Oh…” 

“Mylo’s right,” said Claggor. “It might not be made for it, but the air here is so much cleaner than our usual air… with the help of the hybrids this’ll be the perfect place.” 

Mylo and Claggor continued to survey the area as Jinx and Ekko stood back. Jinx watched as Ekko admired the tree, but his eyes weren’t looking at this one. She could see he was lost in memory of their universe. 

“Ekko…” she whispered. 

“When we’re back home, I’ll show you what this place looks like… I think there’s something you’d like to do there.” 

“And what would that be?” she asked. 

Ekko smiled, and shook his head. “It’s a surprise.” He leant over, and gave her forehead a gentle kiss, and wrapped his arm around her. “Trust me, you’ll love it.”

The gesture made Jinx stop. Her body went into meltdown, and all she could do was stand there in Ekko’s embrace, her mind whirling at the exchange. 

After a while of letting Mylo and Claggor look around, they came back over, buzzing about the place. 

“If only we could route the air vents to blow the grey straight here,” Claggor mused. 

“Well…” said Jinx. 

“Well what?” 

“It’d take some time, but Ekko and I could manage.” Jinx looked up at Ekko, who gave her a questioning look. She shrugged—she’d tell him later. “All the pipework is linked, you see… controlled by a single hub. We could theoretically engineer it in a way where we suck the grey into here, and then pump it back out as it’s broken down into breathable air by the hybrids… at the same time we could pump fresh air down into the underground to dilute it more, too.”

Mylo was slack jawed at her answer. 

Claggor shook his head at her. “How…” 

“While both of you thought Ekko and I were fucking last night, we were actually discussing this,” Jinx said with a grin. “If your minds weren’t so firmly planted in the gutter you might’ve understood that.” 

Ekko had the biggest smile on his face. She couldn’t remember the last time he looked so happy. 

Jinx ducked away from it, feeling the uncontrollable heat rise and splay onto her cheeks. But even though she wasn’t looking at his face, whenever she blinked, she saw him etched behind her eyes. 

“How long do you think it’d take you to do this?” Claggor asked. 

Jinx shrugged. “Depends on how good of a condition topside left it all… but going off of how this place looks, stuff might be a bit worse for wear.” Of course, Jinx knew it wouldn’t take that long. She’d rigged it up alone—well, she had Sevika’s help, not that the woman knew what she was doing. So, with Ekko by her side, someone with some real brains on him, they could knock it out relatively fast. 

Claggor and Mylo exchanged excited looks. It made Jinx’s heart beat faster… she’d never seen Mylo happy at her like this before. 

Ekko smiled at her. He didn’t say anything. He didn’t need to; Jinx knew what he was thinking already. For the first time in what felt like a long time, she thought so, too.

Chapter Text

“So, do you care to tell me how you know how to rig the pipework, or are we going to just blow past that?” asked Ekko once they were back in the lair. 

“It’s as I said, you missed a lot…” 

Ekko frowned at her. 

“Don’t give me that pouty look,” said Jinx, “I was gonna tell you.”

“I wonder sometimes…” 

“Yeah yeah, whatever,” said Jinx, rolling her eyes and waving him off. “I learned to rig the pipework around the same time as Vi became an enforcer. There, happy?”

“You’ve just—start from the beginning,” said Ekko. 

Jinx surveyed him. “So long as you don’t get all mopey dopey lovey dovey about it…”

“Since when do I do that?” 

“You always do that!” 

“Didn’t hear you complaining about it this morning.” 

Jinx scoffed and hiccuped, then turned pink. “That—” 

“Just get to the story!” 

Jinx shook her head at him. “Fine! You win, savior boy…”

The story Jinx went on to describe, of how Vi showed up with the Enforcers and wreaked havoc on Zaun was one Ekko wasn’t quite prepared for. It was a hard pill to swallow, even if he knew Vi had a soft spot for the Piltie girl. 

Ekko had thought Jinx would use the pipework for something else, other than rigging it to blow large amounts of paint topside. But it shouldn’t have surprised him. It wasn’t like she’d have fought fire with fire and stopped them using the grey against Zaun. That wouldn’t have even crossed her mind. 

What Ekko found most surprising was how Jinx had conveniently left out the fact that Isha had held Vi at gunpoint, something she’d left out when first telling him about the little girl. Why it was even a surprise that a girl in the care of Jinx knew her way around a gun was something he’d tackle at a later date, for now he was more focused on the fact that the more he found out about the months he’d lost, the more he realised just how long he’d been gone.

“Fuck…” he said, unable to come up with anything better to say.

Jinx gave him a smug look. 

“Don’t say it.” 

“I wasn’t going to.” Jinx’s face said otherwise.

“I’m surprised how quick you and Vi made up, considering it all.” 

“... Getting Vander back mattered more than our differences.” 

“And now she thinks you and Vander are dead.”

“Way to be blunt about it…”

“Hard not to be.”

Jinx flopped onto the bed. “I take back my earlier sentiment, I’d rather you be lovey dovey again.” 

Ekko tittered, he slumped down next to her and said, “I can’t win with you, can I?” 

Only a fool would’ve missed the way Jinx’s eyes darted down to Ekko’s lips. And a bigger fool would’ve been completely calm despite that. 

Ekko was neither of those. Warning sirens blared in his ears. Memories of their fight on the bridge came up, only to be replaced by the smiling form of Powder… to then flicker to days ago to Jinx’s suicide attempt…

 All the while, the gap was closing between them. 

In spite of it all, Ekko let them get closer. That dream. The dream that lingered in his heart all these years took over. It always had in regards to Jinx. First in hatred, now in love. It was all the same. His feelings hadn’t changed.

Their faces were close now. Ekko could feel Jinx’s warm breath against him. He went in, dared to close that final gap. 

Jinx pulled away. “I can’t.”

“I—” Every emotion bombarded him at once, anger, betrayal, loss and sadness… Her grenade had been a softer blow. “I understand.” 

Tears welled in Jinx’s eyes. “I’m not Powder.” 

“I never wanted you to be.” 

Silence reigned. There was so much Ekko wanted to say, but words eluded him. He knew it was a push to ask this of her. Much had changed but this was that step too far. 

He stood. Maybe he’d spend the night with Benzo… Or just wander the streets, go back to the tree. 

Jinx grabbed his arm, then recoiled away. “I… it’s not never,” she said. “It’s just not now.” 

Ekko turned and gave her a smile. He knew it didn’t reach his eyes. Even if he knew he’d asked too much of her, for something she wasn’t ready to give, the pain in his chest didn’t lessen. The knife to the heart that was rejection wasn’t healed by understanding. Yet her next words were the promise of stitches.

“Will you still be my pillow tonight?” 

Ekko sat back down. Words didn’t come. He hoped his actions spoke for him. 

*

Ekko went to work for Benzo the next day. He let Jinx go off and spend the day shadowing Silco, whilst he pulled together the last of the parts for the Z-Drive and interdimensional machine. 

He blew off any attempts Benzo made for small talk and just got on with the tasks set. He’d hoped fixing stuff around the shop would give him the much needed break from thinking about Jinx. He’d not thought about anything but her, or things to do with her, for days. 

The main thing riding in his mind now, however, was the thought of how stupid he’d been. How could he possibly think Jinx would be ready for such a commitment? Three days ago she’d beaten him bloody for even mentioning the word love, and now he was trying to bombard her with a kiss? God, Ekko was stupid sometimes. 

The perfection of this universe had muddled his brain. And the solution he’d come up with to fix all of that was going to muddle it even more. That’s how he found himself wandering to Silco’s office after he’d finished work with Benzo. Ekko never thought he’d seek out Silco to give him anything more than a rightfully deserved beating, but the man knew Powder, and his insight might help Ekko regain some form of clarity. 

Not that Ekko had much faith in that. 

Besides, there was more he needed to say to Silco than things about Jinx. An apology or thanks—both—needed to be given. Silco had surprised him like none other, and it was high time Ekko gave him the time of day. 

Ekko knocked on the office door, and waited for an answer. Silco didn’t say anything back, and Ekko was about to knock again when the door opened.

“I was wondering when you’d come.”

It took Ekko aback. “Er…” 

“Come in, have a seat,” said Silco, wandering back to his desk. 

Ekko obliged, and before he knew what had hit him, he found himself sitting in the chair opposite Silco like one of his many goons. He twiddled his thumbs as he found the right words. God why was that so hard?

“You don’t have to keep pretending you feel anything but hatred for me… Powder told me all about it.”

“No…” Ekko said, firmly, finally finding his voice, “that’s not—I came here to thank you.”

“Oh?” 

“Jinx…” Ekko shook his head, “ Powder … I know you already know how much your talk meant to her, but I needed to thank you. I don’t think I could’ve helped her in the way you did.” 

“Nonsense, lad,” said Silco. “All I did was give her a little nudge.”

“Either way, I didn’t feel like I’d made any progress with her until that talk you had.”

“It always seems that way, and I can imagine the initial beating she gave you had you—for a moment, at least—thinking there was little hope…” 

“Yeah… it wasn’t until she wiped away my bloody nose that I thought there was a proper chance…” 

“I imagine that wouldn’t have stopped you trying,” Silco mused. 

“No…” Ekko laughed. What kind of fever dream was he living? “Sorry. It’s just…” 

“As I said, Powder told me all about it…” said Silco, “she also told me about last night.” 

“Yeah?” 

“Indeed…”

“I should’ve waited.” 

“Definitely.” 

“I asked too much of her.” 

“Oh, certainly.” 

“You’re not helping.” 

Silco smiled like he knew it was taunting. “I’m agreeing with you.” 

“I’d hoped you’d agree with me last night,” said Ekko, sighing. 

“You don’t want me to do that.”

“Fuck you.” 

Silco just laughed. “You’re not angry at me, you’re angry at yourself.” 

“I ruined—”

“You ruined nothing, lad,” said Silco. “Were you forward? Yes. Did you catch her off guard? Probably. Did Powder know you’ve wanted to kiss her since you were kids?” 

Ekko fidgeted in the chair under Silco’s gaze; he nodded despite himself.

“But Powder told you something else last night, didn’t she?” 

“Not never.” 

“Yes. So while you’re moping about because she did something you knew she’d do, why don’t you take it in stride and move on?” 

“Because I’m stupid—because my heart is saying one thing and my mind another.” Ekko shook his head. “Two months ago, I would’ve killed her given the opportunity.” 

“Now you’re just lying.”

“I—” 

“Vander and I tried to kill each other, boy. And I have no doubt Powder would’ve killed you; but you, kill her ?” Silco tittered. “That’s just delusion on every level.” 

“What makes you so sure?” 

“Powder doesn’t care about life like you do,” said Silco simply. “I’d bet you’d mourn a plant. She wouldn’t. Not until Isha, at least. She values her life less than the one of her inventions’… that’s the case for both Powders, not just yours.”

“And what about the other me?” 

“I’d bet you value her life over yours in every universe.”

“That’s a bit of a stretch.” 

Silco rolled his eyes, looking rather bored of Ekko. “Roll up your sleeve.”

“What?” 

“Come on, do it. Show me that nasty bite she gave you. Or unbutton your shirt and show me those scratches she clawed into your chest.”

“She was having an episode.” 

“She was hurting you.”

“No—” 

Silco laughed. 

“Stop that.” 

Silco shook his head. “Her rejection hurt more than all of her beatings. Love really does make us foolish, doesn’t it?” 

Ekko stood. He’d not hear another word.

“Sit down,” Silco sighed. “You’re too close to it to see the bigger picture… You know, when I first sought out Vander after it all, we almost killed one another. Again … We argued, and what started off as each of us trying to forgive one another turned sideways… It was easier to resort to violence than to talk things out.”

“How's this related to me?” 

“Because I know how hard all this is. I’ve experienced it. I know how hard it is for Powder… she said yesterday you two were having fun, joking and enjoying yourselves like you were before. You know this. What you don’t know is how overwhelming that can be. Yes, Powder was enjoying herself, but part of her doesn’t think she deserves that… This isn’t about forgiving you. That’s happened. It isn’t about whether or not she loves you, boy… It’s whether or not she can let herself love you—whether she can accept that love despite the past.”

Ekko wanted to refute Silco’s sentiment, but it died in his throat. 

“You’re getting it now.”

“I should apologise.” 

“Don’t.” 

“Why not?” 

“Powder knows you’re sorry—” Ekko wanted to say something but Silco just held his hand up “—she told me she knows. You’ve blown this all out of proportion, all you need to do is—when we go down for dinner—act like you normally do.”

“Won’t that—” 

“Apologies only lead to broken promises,” said Silco, sighing. “For once in your life just trust me.”

“Fine.”

“Excellent… Now, you want her to reciprocate, yes?” Silco waited for Ekko to nod before continuing. “Then just love her. Let her get comfortable with the idea of your love, and before you know it her guard will loosen, and you’ll be wed in holy matrimony…” 

Ekko scoffed and laughed all at once. Silco giving his blessing? This night just got even weirder than it already had. He held his head.

Silco stood. “Come on, let’s get some dinner. They’ll be waiting for us.”

Ekko got to his feet, and let Silco lead him down to dinner. They didn’t speak again. Not that Ekko was complaining. And wandered down to the bar where Vander was sitting with Jinx. 

They had drinks in front of them, and Ekko shook his head as he saw the large grin on Jinx’s face. “You haven’t let her have alcohol, have you?” he asked in jest as he sat down next to her. 

“What are you, my father?” Jinx asked, taking another sip. 

Ekko smiled. “I wonder sometimes.” 

Jinx rolled her eyes. 

They chatted some more, and ate their food. At some point, as Silco and Vander were lodged in a chat about Zaun’s future, Ekko just let himself admire Jinx. 

It didn’t take her long to notice. She grinned at him, and rested her head on his shoulder. Maybe it was the alcohol getting to her, or she was just getting more comfortable. Either way, what she said acted as morphine for his wounded heart, “You’re a right idiot, you know that, don’t you?” 

Ekko chuckled. “Like you’d let me forget.”

Chapter Text

It didn’t take a genius to know that both Ekko and Jinx’s hearts weren’t fully into building the interdimensional machine. There was progress, but nothing like there had been with himself, Powder and Heimerdinger—even though he knew almost all of what was required, and had all the materials sitting in front of him.

It was harder this time around. So, so much harder. Before, although he had Powder, his heart and soul yearned for Jinx. Now he had her, and everything else here.

They had started doing good work with the hybrids, too. A few days work and it was already starting to come together. It took precedence over getting home. Even if their alternate selves could pick up where they left off, Jinx’s first hand experience with rigging the pipework gave them a massive advantage. 

But even then, they had maybe two weeks here tops. They would begin to overstay their welcome, otherwise. There was a sense of dread pooling in Ekko’s stomach as he thought about Silco and Vander getting bored of them inhabiting these bodies. 

So the thought had kicked Ekko into overdrive, even if he didn’t want to leave just yet, and began making proper progress on the interdimensional machine, to at least have it close to working for when they were forced to leave.

Jinx spent the time culling through all of their alternate selves’ stuff. She was far quieter than she’d been all day, even if she’d been quieter because of the hangover she was nursing, this was far more apparent. Once she was bored of sifting through everything, she grabbed some paint and began decorating the place. 

She started with the floors, adding to the paintings already drawn by Powder around Vi’s memorial. Then it went outwards, and Ekko felt obliged to step in. 

“Do you think you should be doing that?” Ekko asked. 

Jinx looked at him from the floor, where she was painting a large monkey face. She shrugged. “This place needs to be spiced up a bit. I can’t deal with how dull it is.” 

“We’ll be back home before we know it, don’t you think we should respect their space?” 

Jinx grunted. “If they were in our shoes, I’m sure they’d be living how they want.”

“I think it’d be you mucking about and me trying to speak sense.” 

“You think?” asked Jinx, going back to painting. “I think they’d be too busy wrestling each other—” 

“Wrestling… you’re calling it wrestling?” Ekko asked with a mix of exasperation and humour. 

“Wrestling, fucking? Same thing.” 

Ekko shook his head at her. “You’re incorrigible.” 

Jinx scoffed. “Don’t act all high and mighty, mister—I know you’d be all over me given the opportunity.”

Ekko gawped. 

Jinx looked him up and down, as if assessing a piece of meat. “And, if I know anything about the other me, she’d probably be enjoying the extra muscle…” 

“I can’t…” 

Jinx dipped her fingers in the paint, then looked at them funny. “Don’t worry, little man, when we’re home those muscles of yours might be too tempting even for me…” She flicked the paint on her fingers at him, splattering his face and neck with a bright pink. 

“Why—” 

But before he could ask the question, Jinx had done it again. Now his nice Piltie shirt was covered in a smattering of blue along with the pink. His shock turned to excitement very quickly, though, and before he knew it he’d dipped his fingers into the paint and flicked it at Jinx. 

Paint speckled her cheeks, and Jinx laughed that sweet laugh he couldn’t get enough of. She grinned. “Come to play, have you?” she teased.

Ekko smirked, and gave a shrug. 

It turned into a dance, with paint going everywhere. Jinx’s song-like laugh echoed throughout the lair.

There was paint on the floor, smudged and perfect as their shoes donned all manners of pink and blue. Their footsteps were immortalised on the floor as they circled the platform. Mismatched and uneven, and closer with every step, it turned from trying to get paint on each other to painting each other. 

Laughter died down, whispered affections took its place. 

Clothes were discarded ruefully. Replaced by the markings the other gave. It was the first time Ekko noticed that Powder had part of the tattoo Jinx donned fully. The puffy blue smoke of the flare Vi had given her on the side of her abdomen. Jinx wanted it painted pink. Ekko obliged. 

Their bodies ended up covered in a mix of pink, blue and green. 

Once they were mostly covered, Ekko just admired Jinx. She’d never been one for modesty, not by a long shot, but he couldn’t help the heat rising in him at just how little she had on. For her part, she didn’t care, more focused on eyeing him up and down—like an artist would their canvas.

But Ekko did notice. He soaked up her curves, shown off in the cropped, skin tight shirt she wore, and the tiny shorts that were smaller than his boxers. She let him get his fill, seemingly enjoying his wandering eyes, but it wasn’t long before he was drawn back to her face. 

He loved the way she pouted when she was focused. Loved the way her eyes narrowed as she honed in on what she wanted, then grew big as she had an epiphany. 

Jinx pounced on him.

“Wah—” 

“Shut it, little man,” she said, grabbing a tub of blue paint and pinning him down. “This will complete your look!” 

Ekko struggled for a moment, before she put her entire weight on him, then he settled into laying on the floor. He couldn’t bring himself to be upset with the situation, no matter how much he tried. “You better—” 

“If you keep talking it’ll look as stupid as you think it will.” 

Ekko shut his mouth, and let her get to work. Her focused pout came back on in full display; he basked in the moment. 

It didn’t take long for her to draw what she wanted, and lean back so she was in his lap. Ekko sat up, and Jinx fell back slightly. 

He caught her waist. 

Both stilled. 

Jinx was a deer in headlights as the intimacy of the situation set in. 

Ekko wasn’t any better. He kept his hand firmly planted around the small of her waist, and just stared. There was nothing more Ekko wanted to do than close the final gap and ravage her, wet paint and all, but the events of a few days prior weighed heavy on his heart and kept him still as stone. 

Jinx’s eyelids grew heavy, and she bit her lip. 

God, Ekko wanted nothing more than her. Every part of her. Still, he remained like stone. 

But Jinx had to be the one who could squeeze water from stone; the subtle shift of her hips was anything but that. “ Ekko .” Her voice was low, he could hear her desire screaming through. 

Ekko still waited. The gap closed anyway. Their faces an inch apart—

A loud crash sounded behind them, followed by the opening of the door. 

They flew apart! Ekko stood to attention as if he were in the army. He felt Jinx pressed up behind him, using his body as cover. 

It was Mylo and Claggor. 

“I—er… you… er—” Mylo stuttered as he stared at Ekko and Jinx. 

“You ever heard of knocking?” Jinx called from behind Ekko. 

Claggor grabbed Mylo and they both turned around wordlessly. 

Jinx giggled at them. Ekko had never felt more embarrassed. 

“Dinners ready,” said Claggor, still turned around, daring not to look. “Vander and Silco were wondering where you were.” 

“We’ll be up in a minute,” said Ekko. 

Claggor gave them a thumbs up, before pushing Mylo out the door and shutting it behind them. Their muffled argument could be heard as they scampered off and away. 

Ekko turned back around to face Jinx. “Dinner, then?” he asked. 

“As long as you keep your face paint on.”

Chapter Text

“I love the face paint, Ekko,” Vander said, as Jinx and Ekko sat down. 

“What is it?” Ekko asked. “Powder won’t tell me.” 

Vander looked for a moment. “An hourglass?” he asked, looking at Jinx. 

“Yep! It’s pretty, isn’t it?” 

“Very,” said Vander, grinning. 

“I’m not sure Mylo thinks the same,” said Silco. He gave Vander a humoured smile, and they exchanged something in a single, furtive glance. 

It made Jinx think of the looks she shared with Ekko.

“If you’d seen what we did…” Mylo shook his head. Jinx thought he might cry. 

“We should’ve knocked,” said Claggor. 

“Damn right, you should’ve,” said Jinx. 

“You don’t… the door’s usually left wide open!” 

“Well today it wasn’t.”

“Don’t remind me.” 

“You didn’t see anything bad, Mylo,” said Ekko. “It’s not like—”

“Sex is different. It’s normal .”

Jinx laughed at Mylo. “You’d have rather seen that?—creep.”

“NO! Not after what I just saw… I dread to think what the two of you’d get up to if you sit and mark each other for fun.”

“I’ll give you a rundown—”

“Alright, that’s enough of that for one night,” said Vander, looking at Jinx. “I think you’ll give poor Mylo a stroke if you continue.” 

Vander grabbed the freshly-cooked home meal, and gave each of them a bowl. It wasn’t lavish top-side food, or the sweet greasy fish Jericho served. But those couldn’t begin to match the feeling Vander’s cooking gave. 

Dinner at the Last Drop had become a staple in Jinx and Ekko’s lives, even in the few short days they’d spent in this universe. 

Jinx knew she looked forward to them more than Ekko; but she saw, when he was talking with Mylo and Claggor about cleaning up the Zaun’s air, how life sparkled in his eyes.

Jinx preferred to talk with Silco and Vander. She couldn’t always look at either of them, in fear of seeing Silco’s dead body, and Vander as the monstrous beast that the doctor made him into. But their voices were a soothing hum amidst the wails of the dead. 

It wasn’t that she had a lot of hallucinations in this universe, but when things got too quiet, she’d see things in the corner of her eyes, only to look and for them to be gone. The only exception was if she were alone with Ekko. When it was just them, nothing else crept up. 

The soul exception: her nightmare of Isha… 

And what a surprise that was— not ! Him talking of rebuilding Zaun together had brought her memories of Isha crashing back. Of helping the metal fortune cookie build his cult… The brief peace that was so fresh in her mind, and all gone. 

Until now. 

It hadn’t escaped her mind that there would be a version of Isha running around here. But she knew this girl wouldn’t know her. There was none of that connection they’d shared back home. And when she’d understood that, she knew why Ekko went back. 

The rest of dinner passed by in a flash. Before Jinx knew what hit her she was back in their lair. She’d not realised how much paint they’d gotten everywhere in the heat of the moment; it reminded her of home even more.

She looked over to the interdimensional device Ekko had spent the day building. It was large, and took up an entire fan blade. They’d gotten paint on it, too. The device gave her ideas… she knew they weren’t good ones, but she spoke before she could think them through. 

“What would happen if we accidentally went to another universe?” 

“We’re in another universe,” Ekko replied. 

“Yeah, I know… but, when we finally do use that machine, theoretically it could take us anywhere.”

“I thought that, too, but it’s built in a way where it recognises what universe we’re from and takes us back.” 

“But you could change that.” 

“I guess… but why would we want to do that?” 

“This universe doesn’t have Vi…” Jinx started, “That implies…” 

“Oh…” Ekko sighed. “It would still lead us back to the same problem we have here… no matter how hard we try, we don’t belong anywhere but home.”

“How do you know that?” Jinx asked. 

“I don’t, per-se… but I do know there are people back home who need us.” 

“There’s an infinite number of people that could use our help… we could go to them…”

“We’d never have a home… never a place to call our own. What would happen—” Ekko stopped himself, as if he was about to say something too far. 

“Say it.” 

“It might work if it was just us… only us… but what if we want kids someday? How could we tell them when we inevitably overstay our welcome and need to leave? Any friends they made would be totally different people—how can you explain that to a kid?”

Kids… “I had a kid… and she’s gone.”

“And going to another universe won’t bring her back…” His words stung all the more because she knew he was right.

“I’d get to see her again, though…” 

“It’ll be like the people here… it’s a game of pretend… and to those who know, eventually all they’re going to think is that we’ve taken the bodies of their loved ones.” 

“You’re just being cynical.” 

“Yes, I am! I’ve been away from our universe for too long… I miss my friends, the people who I call family…”

“I—” 

“Don’t say it!” Ekko warned. “Don’t say you don’t have people who love you back home.” He ran his hands through his hair and let out a guttural mix between a yell and a bark. 

“I just… I miss the old days…” 

“I do, too… but that’s no reason for us to forsake what’s left. Otherwise all the suffering is in vain.” Ekko shook his head. “I can’t in good conscience leave that behind, no matter how good the other cause is…”

Jinx nodded. She’d known that what she was saying was nothing more than a dream. One that she might well live happily in for a while before it turned into a nightmare. She already dealt with the dead on the regular, it wouldn't deal with them more than she had to. Even if it felt good…

“I’m going to have a bath.”

“Could I come with you?” Jinx asked before she could think. She didn’t want to be left alone. 

Ekko tittered. “You’re joking, right?” 

Jinx frowned at him. 

“We’re not kids anymore.” 

“I know… I won’t look, if that’s what you’re worried about…” she said, giving a belated smile. “Please.”

It got a smile out of Ekko, though. “It was never you I was worried about.”

Ekko took her hand, and they went to the bathroom at the Last Drop. 

They didn’t speak on the walk, and remained quiet as the bath filled up. 

Jinx remembered when they didn’t have consistent hot water, so she and Ekko shared the hot water. It ensured neither would have to go without. Those days were gone, someone fixed it. It wouldn’t have surprised her if any one of them did it—be it her, Ekko, Mylo or Claggor…

When they were younger, there wasn’t anything more to bathing together other than for them to get clean. That was no longer the case. Jinx wasn’t even trying to kid herself that there was so much more going on than getting clean. Jinx had never cared about being dirty. She’d asked because she didn’t want to be alone, but she’d insisted for another reason:

Mylo and Claggor had interrupted. 

A lock on the bathroom door made sure they wouldn’t again. 

“You going to keep staring?” Ekko asked. 

He was topless now, and Jinx was staring at all the markings she’d given him earlier. She’d painted the scratches on his chest, making them look comical. It was more for her than him… 

“Sorry,” she said, averting her gaze—turning to look at the wall. 

“Yeah, right,” said Ekko. 

Jinx could imagine the grin on his face. “You can’t act all high and mighty when your eyes wouldn’t leave my ass earlier.” 

“I liked what I saw,” said Ekko. 

Jinx scoffed. 

“I’m not going to pretend I don’t find you attractive,” said Ekko. “We’re long past that.” 

“You were hardly subtle about it earlier… I could feel you through your pants.” 

“My point exactly.” 

“You think Mylo saw?” asked Jinx. 

“Dunno. Don’t care,” Ekko said. 

Jinx heard a splash, and turned to see Ekko in the bath, covered by bubbles. “Where’d you get the bubbles?” 

Ekko shrugged. “Thought you weren’t looking.” 

“I like what I see.” 

“Repeating my words back to me now?” Ekko asked with a laugh. 

“You say some smart stuff here and there.” 

Ekko gave her a cocky grin. 

Jinx smiled, and shook her head. “That face makes you look stupid.” 

“Got you to smile, didn’t it?” 

“I hate you.” 

“I love you.”

Jinx froze, and frowned. Why did he have to say such a thing? Make their fun so much more complicated. 

Ekko realised immediately. “Sorry… I—” 

Fuck it, Jinx thought. She tossed her top off. It halted whatever bullshit apology Ekko would come out with as he stared, jaw agape, at her. 

“You trying to catch flies?” Jinx asked, trying to remain confident under Ekko’s blatant stare. 

“Sorry.” 

Jinx giggled. “Yeah, right…” She stripped down the rest of the way, enjoying the way Ekko stared at her. She knew it wasn’t her body, necessarily, but he wasn’t in his either, and she’d be a hypocrite to say she wasn’t enjoying him. And, although she felt something amiss, she shrugged it off, saying: “Budge it. I’m getting in.” 

Ekko obliged, and Jinx slid into the bath at the opposite end, bringing her knees up to her chest as the warm water enveloped her. 

It took Ekko a moment before he regained composure, and his next words weren’t what she was expecting. Though not much of a surprise… “Powder shaved a love heart into her…” 

“Oh… no, that was me,” Jinx admitted, smiling shyly. “Wanted to give her something to remember me by.” 

Ekko chuckled. “You’re nuts, you know that.” 

“Like you’d have it any other way…” 

Tension in the air crackled like lightning at the slightest movement; and a silence, neither awkward nor pleasant, swept over them. 

Jinx’s markings she’d given him were slowly seeping into the water. All her hard work washed away. It made her angry. She needed to give him something more permanent. Something that’d tell others to stay away. 

Her eyes moved from his lips, down to his neck. What she wouldn’t give to mark him as hers. When they were home she’d be even worse, mark him in a way no other could match… Still, whilst here, there was no doubt in her mind she could leave purple welts the length of his neck, with a smattering of bites, too. She’d done it to his arm and chest already, but he covered those. Not that she’d want him to show her less than perfect side. Leaving blood bruising on him, however? 

Jinx would parade him up and down the street, arm in arm… 

“ Jinx ,” Ekko warned, his low voice caked with desire. 

Like he could stop her. Like he wanted to stop her. He knew what the jig was when he let her come bathe with him. 

Jinx pounced. 

Their lips met in bliss. She was needy and fast, he was slow and passionate. It mixed well; It felt godly. 

Ekko wrapped his arms around her, and brought her flush against him, then his hands snaked down to her ass. She moaned into his mouth, and his hands moved to the small of her back to bring her closer to him. Their chests flushed together, and Jinx moved in a way where she felt his cock rub against her. Desire ached in her stomach but she froze anyway. She broke from the kiss, and gently pushed away.

“Are you—did I…” Ekko asked, breathing heavy. 

“I… sorry… it… just—too soon.” Jinx still badly wanted to mount him again, but something in her kept her away… It might be her body, but it wasn’t her body… And, no matter how much she liked the way this version of Ekko looked, nothing could compare to the boy back home… Who'd have thought a stupid kiss would be a better argument than all the words in Ekko’s vocabulary?...

Ekko nodded. “I got a bit ahead of myself… I didn’t mean—” 

“You’re babbling… It was an accident… when we’re home…”

Ekko regained his clarity. His nod was firmer, more assured. “I—”

“That doesn’t mean we need to rush out of here and rebuild the machine tonight,” Jinx said. “I still want to enjoy what little time we have left here… there's…” she paused. Since when was she thinking about the future—their future?... He’d really lived up to that name she’d given him, hadn’t he? “We’ll have the rest of our lives to… y’know?” 

“Yeah?” Ekko asked. 

“Yeah, you dopey boy,” said Jinx, smiling and shaking her head. “Now come here, let me get that paint off you.”

Chapter Text

Arrangements with Mylo and Claggor held up any progress on the interdimensional machine. 

Ekko wasn’t too displeased with that. The more he could learn from them about the hybrids, the better. It would only aid him and Jinx in the long run; The grey wasn’t just a thorn in their side here, but in their universe, too. 

Mylo and Claggor had spent the last couple days cultivating the soil where the tree was to allow for the hybrids to take root. 

Meanwhile, Ekko had followed Jinx’s lead to the operating room of the pipework. It hadn’t been a surprise to see it utterly abandoned. Any of the fans/pipes that worked were maintained directly by the people of Zaun at the ground level. 

“It was easier at home,” Jinx had said on arrival.

She explained that Vi’s Pilitie girl had it cleaned up, so they could funnel the grey as they wanted. Jinx had then used their own trick against them, trapping some goon and letting him distract them as she took control of it all. 

This time, the issue laid as the neglect it had suffered. But most issues turned out to be superficial at best. 

So it was no surprise to Ekko that it took them no time at all to gain control of the hub. It was more manual labour than it was anything else; cleaning the control panels and replacing the wiring over the course of a few days. They were lucky to find no major issues with the pipes themselves, that would have them scouring through miles upon miles of wiring to find an issue that a singular rat would’ve caused by chewing through a wire. 

It was the one good thing Topside had done in terms of the ventilation. At least one engineer up there would’ve recognised the need for more insurance measures. Ekko imagined they’d proposed it to show that the initial cost might be higher, but there would be less need for maintenance; therefore, less need for them to go down here…

Once it was all working the way they wanted, where full access to every fan in Zaun could be found within the singular room, it became a game of finding how to angle the fans in the correct orientation to circulate the air through Zaun. 

They were in their lair, with schematics they’d borrowed from topside strewn around. Looking at them, they realised that the good of the robust pipes was counteracted by the stupidity of the layout. 

“We could just let them figure it out,” said Ekko, sighing as he stared at the blueprints. 

“We’d still have to figure it out when we’re home…” 

Ekko looked at her. “It’d give us a break, though.” 

Jinx scoffed. “You can hop between universes, but you’re beaten by some Piltie fans… Oh, how the mighty have fallen.” 

Ekko shook his head, unable to remain straight-faced at Jinx’s joke. “The Arcane makes more sense than whatever Topsider thought of this configuration.” 

“You know what I think it is,” said Jinx. 

“What?” Ekko asked, enjoying the way Jinx was pouting. 

“Topside made it in a way that would benefit them. Not us.” 

“They did do that for the Hexgates.” 

“Huh?” 

“Oh… I guess I forgot to mention,” said Ekko. “It’s the reason I came here in the first place.”

“You said you and Heimy were messing with the Arcane, isn’t that what happened?” 

“Yeah, but we were doing it because the Hexgates had begun to set a chain reaction off in Zaun… the tree was—is? I’m not sure… but it was dying. We went to investigate, and met up with the Man of Progress himself… he showed us they made a failsafe miles underground, away from topside…” 

“But close to Zaun.” 

“Yeah.” 

Jinx scoffed. “I hope you ripped Progress Prick a new one for our troubles.” 

“I was in the middle of it… when we’re back I can finish.” 

“I’ll come along, too. I’ve always wanted to meet the man who signed every page of his notes…” 

Ekko chuckled. He looked at his watch. “You ready for dinner?” 

Jinx nodded. 

Ekko held his hand out for her to take, but she hesitated. “You alright?” 

“I… when we’re home d’you think we could continue the dinners?”

“Who’ll do the cooking?” 

“You, of course.” 

“I doubt I’ll be as good as Vander.” 

“You better start practising, then,” said Jinx, taking his hand. 

Up in the last drop, Mylo and Claggor were looking just as beaten as Ekko felt. 

“Please tell me you guys have made some progress,” Mylo asked as they sat down. 

Ekko shook his head. 

“Great.” 

“How are the hybrids taking to the new environment?” Ekko asked. 

“Not great,” said Mylo. 

“Some have taken better than others,” said Claggor. 

“That’s something at least,” said Jinx. 

Mylo whistled. “Who’d have thought cleaning up the grey was such a chore…” 

The rest of dinner was spent discussing their next moves, which was basically ‘Get things working’. Ekko had been jotting down notes of it all in his journal. It wasn’t for him and Jinx once they were back home, but so that their other selves could pick up without much of a hitch. 

Ekko wasn’t about to fool himself to believe they’d have every little kink ironed out by the time they left. A few days wouldn’t afford them that luxury. But with enough notes, and the thing practically complete, he had no doubt they’d get the whole thing to flourish. 

Once they were back in their lair, Jinx snatched the journal away to make her own additions. He’d seen her ‘additions’ from the previous few days. They mostly consisted of doodles of them together, and circling or highlighting important pieces of information. 

Ekko used the time to make some adjustments to the interdimensional machine. 

They continued like that for an hour or so, until Jinx put down the journal and began wordlessly helping Ekko with building it. 

Little was said between them, just a muttering of ‘can you hold this’ or ‘would you solder that’. The night passed them by in a blink of an eye, but left them with the machine built, and the Z-Drive back to full functionality. 

Ekko didn’t think he’d ever known peace like it. 

They sagged down onto the bed to admire their handiwork.

“We work well together,” Jinx said, letting her head fall onto Ekko’s shoulder.

Ekko hummed. “Thanks for the help…” 

“Eh, I got bored of watching you fumble to build it alone.” 

“I wasn’t fumbling,” said Ekko. “I was just taking my time.” 

Jinx tutted. “All I’m saying is once I started helping, it got done.” 

Ekko tittered and shook his head. “It got done because of all the intensive labour I put into it—” 

“Intense?” Jinx snorted. “You call turning a few screws intense?” 

“It was more than a few screws, I’d have you know.” 

“Oh, sorry,” Jinx said, grinning, “I forgot, you used a hammer once, too!” 

Ekko laughed. He grabbed Jinx, and pulled her into his lap as she squealed with delight. 

“What are you doing!” she giggled. 

“Teaching you a lesson,” Ekko said, as he began to tickle her. 

“No! No! Ekko—” Jinx laughed. “Stop it!” 

Ekko continued as Jinx twisted and turned in his grasp, giggling and grinning. He didn’t keep it up for long, though, and let her catch her breath as she sank into his lap, breathing heavily as the ghost of her laughter died down. 

Their foreheads touched. 

Ekko closed his eyes, and took the moment in. It was so calm, so lovely and delightful the lightness of sleep began to take him. 

“I love you,’ he whispered. 

Ekko didn’t hold out for a response, and let bliss take him. He’d thought he’d wanted to live in one moment forever with Powder, to pretend that falsehood was perfection. But since coming here with Jinx, since they’d made up and worked together, every moment had rung out as true perfection. 

And, yet, no matter how perfect this moment might’ve felt, he knew there was more. 

So he let himself dream of the future, of the endless number of nights he’d get to spend like this one. With Jinx in his arms and the promise of so much more. 

It was then he heard her speak so quietly he thought it might’ve been a part of the dream. And perhaps it was. But, then again, those words had always been the dream for him; they’d be a dream even if it were reality… 

“I love you, too, wonder boy.”

Chapter Text

“I’m not opening that door!” 

Jinx stirred beneath him, and stretched out. “What’s going on?” she mumbled into his chest.

“Mylo and Claggor are debating whether to come in,” said Ekko. 

She giggled. “You’re just letting them argue?” 

“I’m comfy,” said Ekko, wrapping his arms around her to punctuate the point.

Jinx smiled and hummed.

“They’re probably just asleep,” said Claggor. 

“Asleep or not, I’m happy to wait ‘til they open the door.” 

“How long have they been at it?” Jinx asked, finally braving opening her eyes and looking up at Ekko. 

“About five minutes.” 

Jinx trilled. “Not long enough, then.” 

They waited until the arguing ceased before getting out of bed, and spent a good amount of time getting dressed. 

It was midday before they opened the door to face Mylo and Claggor, who were sitting outside it in silence. 

“What’s got you two so grumpy?” Jinx asked. 

Mylo let out a frustrated grunt and got to his feet. “I swear these past weeks you two have found every little way to get on my nerves!”

“Now, don’t you think you’re exaggerating a bit, Mylo,” said Claggor. 

“Not you, too!” said Mylo, sighing dramatically. “I swear it’s like they’re different people.”

“No clue what you’re babbling about,” said Jinx. 

Ekko shook his head. “C’mon. I think today will be a good day.” 

“It better be, seeing as you’ve missed half of it.” 

They went over to the tree once again, and Mylo and Claggor showed the progression of the hybrids. 

Some smaller ones were dying, but there were a few that’d taken root and begun to grow properly. One was waist height already—it was the one Mylo and Claggor had spent the most time on, and initially thought would take root even in the deepest pits of Zaun. 

It gave Ekko hope they’d not have to wait for the things to grow properly. He wasn’t sure he could wait that long… The further into this entire thing they got, the harder—more attached—they’d become. 

In turn, Ekko and Jinx showed them the progress on the air vents. Ekko had written in a way to get to the control room for their alternate selves, but it would help if Mylo and Claggor were up to date on where everything was. 

As they explained the pipework away, Ekko felt an understanding flood through him. He knew Jinx had, too.

It caused Jinx to grow ever quieter as the day wore on. There was a sense of finality to what they were doing. Even more so now. 

Dinner time came, and they made their way over. Ekko took the time to continue the journal He wrote all the latest in, keeping Jinx from seeing the last page as he wrote it. Not that she would’ve, as she  was far more talkative with Silco and Vander. It was the most he’d seen her talk to them, rather than them talk at her, for the entirety of their time here. 

But as the meal finished, and Mylo and Claggor began to yawn, Jinx reached out for his hand. She padded around until she found it, not taking her attention from Silco and Vander, and snaked her fingers between his. 

Ekko squeezed her hand gently, and stroked the back of it with his thumb. 

Jinx squeezed back, but didn’t stop her chat with her adoptive dads. 

He went back to the journal. He knew it’d only be harder for him if he did what Jinx was doing. One of them needed to remain firm in the decision to return. Even if it were so much sooner than they’d planned.

Still, Mylo and Claggor’s next words jumped Ekko out of his skin. 

“We’re off,” said Claggor. “We want to get up early tomorrow. Got a good feeling about it.” 

Ekko felt Jinx squeeze his hand. He squeezed back. The gesture, soothing beyond belief.

“Don’t stay up too late again, you two—or at least leave the door open so we know we’re allowed in,” Mylo added. 

Ekko chuckled. “We’ll be up on time. Might even be back to normal, you never know.” 

“Promise,” Jinx added. Her grip was ironclad on Ekko’s hand, but she smiled through it. 

They nodded, seeming satisfied, and went to bed. 

“Say, Vander, you think we could get something stronger?” Ekko asked. 

Vander nodded.

Ekko pulled Jinx close to him as Silco and Vander began to talk of how reducing the grey will help them progress further into a flourishing nation without the help of Piltover. 

“We need to say our goodbyes…” Ekko whispered. 

Jinx nodded as if trying to convince herself it was the right thing to do. 

The conflict on her face broke Ekko’s heart. He stepped to her, capturing her face in his hand and stroking her cheek. 

“Yeah. I know,” Jinx said shakily. “Been quick, is all…”

Ekko agreed. There was a rushed feeling to it all. And Ekko knew he was the culprit. 

“Getting emotional on us?” asked Vander as he gave them their drinks.

Jinx let out a quivering chuckle. 

“It’s time, then?” Silco asked. 

“The machine is built… we need only configure the pipework and…” 

Vander nodded and Silco hummed. 

“Thank you,” said Jinx. “I…” 

“It’s been our pleasure, Powder.” 

Jinx nodded, lip quivering but a smile persisting on her timid face. 

Vander turned to Silco, a smile on his face. “Dare I say our two will have big boots to fill, don’t you think?” 

“Undoubtedly…” said Silco. “What I know the two of you will achieve with your version of Zaun will be perfect…”

Jinx let go of Ekko’s hand to wrap Silco in a bear hug, almost making him fall out of his chair. He smiled, and wrapped his arms around her. “Don’t cry, sweet child… smile.” 

Jinx did both. 

Her hug with Silco ended, and she gave Vander much of the same. Practically swinging from his neck and giving him a fright. 

Ekko cleared his throat to get Silco’s attention. “Thank you again,” he said, and held out his hand. 

Silco took it with a smile. “You may never have had my blessing, Ekko. But you do have mine.”

Jinx’s hug with Vander ended, and Ekko went to shake his hand, too. 

“None of that. You’re family,” said Vander, and he wrapped Ekko in a bear hug. Then he whispered something only Ekko could hear. “Tell Vi I love her, won’t you?”

“You have my word.” 

As a last thing, Ekko flicked through the journal as he heard Silco comfort Jinx one more time. The one he and Jinx had spent the last week using. In it laid all the plans for the hybrids and the pipework but so, so much more. Inside they’d left part of themselves, so that their alternate selves could get a feel for them as people, not just scientists. 

Jinx had left notes for the alternate Ekko, ranging from remarks of ‘do more push ups’ to ‘treat Powder well’. Then some for Powder, like ‘love ya, sis’ and ‘I like the ear-ring’. Ekko had drawn a love heart around that last one. They had both annotated each other's notes with little drawings and scribbles with paint and markers. And somehow all of that was overshadowed by the last message she left… Ekko closed the book, feeling a lone tear prick at his eye. He handed it to Vander as Jinx’s words rang in his ears.

‘A fight will last a day; your love is eternal.’ 

*

Back in their lair, Ekko left the door wide open and went over the blueprints one last time. He jotted some notes down and began to make it neater and tidier. One last set of notes to let their alternate selves do the final touches. 

“When did you figure it out?” Jinx asked. 

“About the same time as you.” 

“I…” 

Ekko shook his head. They’d both kept it from one another, that the pipework had been figured out during their last bit of time with Mylo and Claggor. But even without words they knew. “I could see it in your face… I could hear it in your voice.”

“It’s really time, then?”

Ekko nodded. 

“It was best to let them think we had another day.” 

“They knew. They just knew we needed to do it alone…” 

Jinx shook her head. “They’re too good.” 

“We’ll get there someday.”

“When we’re forty, maybe,” said Jinx, as she slapped the machine into action. 

Ekko made sure everything was set before they stood onto the platform. He’d not be able to deal with a repeat Heimerdinger situation. 

The floor began to rumble, and Ekko grabbed hold of Jinx. They went onto the platform together, arms linked together. 

The wild rune surrounded them! Larger than the last time. So, so much larger. 

Ekko gripped Jinx tighter pulling her into a hug, and an outward pulse spun them and made them float. 

Another pulse shook the room, and temporarily blinded Ekko. He felt Jinx’s grip on him tighten. 

When his vision came back. The bodies they’d inhabited were on the floor, wrapped together in perfect harmony. 

Then everything went black…

Jinx’s grip disappeared.

He thought he heard a choir singing in the darkness, and he tried to go to it. But it was like swimming in an endless void. The choir turned to giggles and laughter. Jinx’s laughter. 

It gave him hope in the empty void. 

“Jinx!?” he cried out. His head began to hurt. “Jinx!?”

Ekko’s head pounded as his body came back to him. He had hands again, and he grasped for something to catch his failing legs. He heard the Z-Drive whirl and slow, and he came back to himself fully. 

It felt like he’d woken from a long dream.

Ekko looked up, shaking his head and reaching to wipe at his tired eyes, all the while searching for Jinx.

She was back on the ledge, holding the monkey bomb, frowning. 

They were back in the same place they started. A carbon copy of before.

“Jinx…”

Jinx turned. He’d almost forgotten her eyes were pink. She looked at him, frown deepening. “Ekko…”

“Yeah…”

“Was… do you—did we…”

“It wasn’t a dream,” he answered.

Jinx nodded, and turned to look at her bomb. She fiddled with it. 

Ekko lunged and snatched it from her. 

“I was just taking the stones out, genius,” Jinx chided, snatching it back off him. “They could be useful.”

Ekko shook his head. “I was worried—” 

Jinx kissed him. “You needn’t have been, Ekko… I’ll never leave you again.”

End of Part 1

Chapter Text

Part 2

Our eyes are full of terrible confessions

— Anne Sexton

“Are you sure you don’t want me to pierce the other ear?” Jinx asked. 

Ekko sat at her desk in their lair, looking at his newly pierced ear. Jinx liked it. It suited him. But there could be more room for modifications. Even if piercings weren’t the way he went, he painted himself enough for Jinx to know he would be receptive to the idea of getting tattoos… 

“This is good,” Ekko said. “You want yours done now?” 

Jinx nodded. They swapped positions, and she sat in the chair in front of the mirror. 

They had made matching earrings for one another using the scraps of one of Jinx’s old guns. 

Jinx had designed his with a monkey face engraved into it with her signature pink and blue accents. It wasn’t big, as the earring was just a small hoop, but it got the point across. It was one of many things she was planning to give him that claimed him as her own. 

Ekko, for his part, had done the same. Her two earrings had hourglasses on them. And she couldn’t wait for it to be a permanent accessory.

Jinx watched through the mirror as Ekko picked up the needle—that was freshly sanitised because he was a germaphobe, apparently. He fiddled around with it more than she had, and Jinx took the time to give herself a once over. 

She frowned at the sight. Pink eyes. The Doctor really tried his best to take her humanity away… The salt in the wound was knowing what she would have looked like… the knowledge of pretty Powder’s perfect face, and brilliant blue eyes… 

Jinx looked back at Ekko as he fiddled with the needle some more. He looked at her through the mirror. Their eyes met, and she saw the love behind them. God. What had she done to have him look at her in such a way? 

They’d only been back a few hours or so. The first thing they’d done was figure out the annoying sofa bed again and have a nap. It was a sleep Jinx would remember for the rest of her life. Dreamless and unplagued by any of her hallucinations, it was the best rest she’d had since Isha… Of course, sleep in the other universe had been blissful, too, but she wasn’t counting those ones. Least of all because Powder’s body would revolt to a lack of sleep; Jinx didn’t have such problems. If anything, she actively avoided sleep. And yet, in Ekko’s arms, she’d surrendered to sleep without hesitation. 

Jinx could only hope things would remain that way. 

“You ready?” Ekko asked. 

“Yeah,” she nodded. It didn’t escape her notice that Mylo and Claggor were watching in the background. Her hallucinations had come back stronger now she was in her body again. They were quieter than they’d been before their trip across dimensions, though. Their whispers were nonsensical, incoherent babbles—no more than a dull hum of a fan. She couldn’t bring herself to hate them anymore, not after the time she’d spent with their grown up selves—people who’d cared for her, even if she’d annoyed them. Boys she’d gladly call her brothers…

Ekko stuck the needle in. It stung. But the pain was so normal she didn’t flinch. He took some gauze and wiped away the blood with gentle hands. Then, he grabbed the earring and threaded it through and continued to wipe away the blood from her ear. 

He switched sides, and grabbed the second needle. It wasn’t as much of a faff as the first time, and he was done a lot quicker.

“All done,” he said. 

Jinx took the gauze from him so she’d hold it up to her ear herself. “Thank you, handsome.” 

“Handsome now, is it?” 

“For now,” said Jinx, grinning. 

“You say that as if I’m going to sprout horns.” 

“Horns would suit you.” 

“I don’t think so…” 

“No?” Jinx asked, spinning around in the chair to look at him properly. “I tell you what you would suit—some tattoos.” 

“You think so?” 

“You paint yourself enough…”

“I wouldn’t know what to get.” 

Jinx stood, discarding the gauze and stepping toward Ekko seductively. “I could give you some ideas if you’d like…” 

“Yeah?”

Jinx hummed, stopping an inch from his face. The thought of Ekko getting tattoos she’d thought up sent shivers down her spine. She bit her lip. “ Yeah .”

“Show me…” 

Their lips met. 

It lasted all of a second before the door swung open. 

Jinx growled, and spun to see the intruder. “— Sevika!? ” 

Sevika stood in the doorway. Jinx had never seen her stunned to silence like she was now. She caught herself quickly, though. “I thought you were dead.” 

Jinx thought she’d been as well. “I’m still kicking… no thanks to numpty here.”

Ekko tittered. “I’d beg to differ—” 

“Yeah?” 

Ekko hummed. “Uh-huh.”

“You’re wrong” 

“Stay delusional—” 

“Shut it. The both of you,” Sevika demanded. “Do you even know what’s going on out there?” 

“We’ve been a bit busy, you see…” said Jinx. 

Sevika grimaced. “Too much— ugh . Noxus and Piltover are on the verge of war… Piltover has asked—begged—that anyone from Zaun willing and able come and join the fight.” 

Jinx snorted. She exchanged a glance with Ekko. His eyes said it all. Why was she even surprised? Saviour boy would always save the world. 

“Sooner than expected,” Ekko said. 

Jinx shook her head ruefully. “People always need saving, don’t they?”

Sevika looked mortified at the two, as if they’d grown second heads specifically to insult her. “The longer you two do whatever this is, the less time we have to prepare.” 

“And how long is that?” Jinx asked.

“Couple days, give or take.” 

“Enough time for a grand entrance, then,” said Jinx.

“Will give us time to round some extra people up…” said Ekko. “I think it’s time to show you what the tree looks like here, don’t you think?” 

Jinx couldn’t agree more. 

They led Sevika to the tree—the Firelight base, she kept reminding herself. Their walk was quiet. Whenever Jinx and Ekko would talk, Sevika would grunt or otherwise show her disgust in any way she could. 

So Jinx forced Ekko to go the long way, through the dirtier, worse smelling pipes. 

Sevika must’ve realised what happened at some point, because her disdain became less vocal. 

After the prolonged tour of Zaun’s pipework, they came up on a blocked pipe. 

Jinx frowned. “I thought…” 

But Ekko just banged against it in a simple tune. And not a moment later, it opened up to the Firelight’s base. 

The big, bat-eared fellow—Scar—was the one to open it. He looked rather unhappy. “Who— Ekko? ” 

“Miss me?” Ekko asked. 

Scar shook his head, and pulled Ekko into a hug. “We thought…” 

“I know,” Ekko whispered, embracing him back. 

They broke apart, and Scar looked over Ekko’s shoulder at both Jinx and Sevika. 

“Sorry, I should’ve warned you,” Ekko started. 

Scar waved him off. “I don’t know how much you’ve missed, but these two—they’ve done a lot.” 

Ekko nodded. 

Jinx had told him about how she and Sevika had broken into Stillwater in search of Isha. So it wasn’t a surprise for him that Scar was okay with their presence. But, still, Jinx was somewhat surprised herself. It was one thing to be on agreeable terms, it was another to welcome them so freely into their home. 

Scar’s mighty roar brought her out of her thoughts, and what must’ve been the entirety of the Firelights came rushing out of every little crevice and crack. All people, ranging from little kids not half her height to adults like Scar came to greet them. 

Ekko was bombarded with people, all asking how he was alive, all checking over him to see if he was alright. 

It was then Jinx caught sight of the mural. 

And all her worst deeds came back to her. 

Jinx played a part in half of the murals deaths. Likely all of them, actually. She’d know better had they not all worn masks… Jinx clutched her sides, digging her hands into them. 

A shame like none other flooded through her. She’d gotten comfortable in the other reality; she’d not been presented with her greatest failures there. They didn’t know about them, nor experience them. 

Except Ekko. He’d seen it all. Known the worst of her. And still he stood by her.

“It's not so easy seeing it all, is it?” Sevika said. 

“I’d let myself forget…” 

Sevika grunted. “He didn’t.”

Jinx looked at Ekko. “No…” 

Ekko caught her looking at him, and broke away from the group who bombarded him. He came over, taking her hand in his. “I was thinking you might like to put Isha up there…” he said. 

“I…” Yes, she wanted a way to remember Isha. But there was more to it than that. This was a wall of people who she'd helped murder. Every one of them, even the younger version of her, had fallen victim to the jinx that she was. Vi—though on here, but still alive—had spent years in prison because of her, and she’d gotten off the lightest. 

Putting Isha up there just felt wrong. And not just because it would force Jinx to grapple with the fact she’d played a role in Isha’s death… 

“You don’t have to…” Ekko said. “I just thought it’d be a nice way to remember her. And to give me a face to match the name.” 

“Can I think about it?” Jinx asked.

“Of course… the wall isn’t going anywhere,” said Ekko, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her into a side hug. “My face will be, though…”

Ekko siphoned Sevika off to Scar and company, while they went up to his workshop. Jinx was somewhat thankful to get away from them all, and come to a familiar feeling place—even if she’d never stepped foot in here. 

It felt like Ekko. 

It felt like home. 

Scribbles and drawings lined the walls, and a mismatch of various inventions were strewn around on the desk—which was far too large for a singular person to use—and in boxes on the floor. 

Looking around, Jinx noted it was larger than she’d imagined Ekko having. He was always space conscious. And a double bed just didn’t fit that. 

Jinx didn’t dwell on that. She was sure he had his reasons. 

Besides, it smelt of him; of that earthy tone she couldn’t get enough of. 

It helped her calm down from the mural. 

“Seeing as I’ve got the Z-Drive, what d’you think about making something new for you?” Ekko asked. “God knows there’s enough scrap lying around here to build something great.” 

Jinx nodded. “Yeah. I’d like that.” It was something she could do well. Something good. 

Her eyes scanned the room to look for something to hijack. They landed on the discarded hoverboard. “I… I think I’ll need to get some things from my place,” she said as she stepped toward the hoverboard and picked it up, “but this will do for now.” 

Ekko nodded. “I need to go speak some more with the others… would you be alright to stay here whilst I do?” 

“Yeah…” 

He smiled, stepped over and gave her forehead a kiss. “I’ll see you in a bit.” 

“Don’t… You won’t be too long, will you?” 

Ekko patted the Z-Drive, smiling slightly. “I won’t be a minute.” 

Jinx went to work on dismantling the hoverboard and laying out all the different components on the floor. It gave her an idea on what she could use and what she couldn’t. 

Once she’d gotten her bearings she began to look for paper to make some drawings to plan it out all the better. But Ekko hadn’t told her where to find it, and all the paper on the desks had drawings on the front and back.

She looked through the draws, trying to find anything to draw in. There was a notepad faced down in one, and she picked it up. Turning it over revealed a large blue love heart on the front cover. Curiosity got the better of her, and Jinx opened it. 

The first page was a drawing of her. Of when she was young and still Powder. The detail was scarily accurate, but it was the little text at the bottom that caught her eye the most: 

‘I’m sorry I couldn’t save you.’ 

A lone tear dripped onto the page, and Jinx flicked to the next. It was more of the same, drawings of Powder. But Jinx noticed after the first few that she started to look older. Her clothes were different. They were drawings of when she was first living with Silco, and beginning to use the moniker of Jinx. 

The further she went, the older she got. Slowly turning from the bright eyed girl to the hollow shell she’d become. One thing never changed were Ekko’s notes. From ‘I miss you’ to ‘I can’t stop loving you’. 

She couldn’t stop the water works when she saw them. 

But what made her put the book down was the last drawing. It was a detailed drawing of her face from the night they fought on the bridge. He’d even drawn the blood gushing from her nose. But what got her was the eyes. They were the same innocent eyes he’d drawn for Powder on the first page. 

The comment? ‘Only a fool dwells on the past; I am the biggest of them all.’

It was dark outside by the time Ekko returned. He looked beaten down a bit, but smiled at her nonetheless. Mylo lurked over his shoulder, giggling away. “Jinx! Jinx! Jinx!” He chanted.

Jinx just curled further into herself on the bed. The notepad at her feet.

“I… I wasn’t expecting you to look through that,” said Ekko, coming to sit at the foot of the bed. “I thought you’d be too busy working on your invention.” 

“I was looking for paper…” 

“Oh… I should’ve told you where to find it. Sorry.” 

Jinx waved him off. “Not your fault,” she mumbled. 

Ekko nodded. He picked up the book, and flicked through it. A ghost of a smile dancing on his lips. He stopped on one drawing, around half way through the book, and traced his hand against it. “Where’d you even get those pants?” he asked. 

Jinx shrugged, still curled up. She didn’t have the power to move. “Some dumpster… I wanted to look like Vi.”

Ekko tittered. “I think we all did…” 

She looked back at the notepad. She wanted to understand… “Why?” Jinx asked. 

Ekko followed her eyes. “I could never get you out of my head,” he answered simply. “I drew you on the mural to show the others I thought you were gone… and maybe you were—but you weren’t for me… you were always with me. At night I’d only ever dream of you… of the idea of you being by my side.”

Ekko kicked his boots off and scooted up the bed to lay down next to her. He brought a hand up to her cheek. Jinx relaxed into his touch. 

“I must’ve spent a lot of time watching you from afar… from you running errands for Silco or otherwise doing menial things…” 

“Is that why the drawings are so detailed?” 

Ekko smiled. “Yeah…” 

Jinx shook her head, and let out a little laugh. “You were always good at staying unseen…” 

“I thought you’d seen me a few times… as we got older, it was harder.” 

“I think… I think I did see you. I remember times of you peering out of alleyways or sitting on a balcony… yet I always thought they were just hallucinations—not really you.” 

“Sounds like me…” 

Jinx agreed.

A silence hummed between them. And one thought barrelled around her head. The drawings of her as Powder. The image of the other version of her, who got to grow up as Powder, and live as Powder. Someone Jinx would never get to be. 

“I miss being Powder,” Jinx admitted slowly. 

“You never stopped being her for me.” 

For the first time, Jinx believed him. Still, she couldn’t stop the floodgates from opening, and she cried for the girl she wished she could’ve been. 

Ekko pulled her into a hug. “I love you, my darling girl… a name will never stop that.”

Chapter Text

Ekko woke to Jinx weeping. 

She’d passed out in his arms the night before after crying herself dry. And that’s where she’d remained; but the agony remained too. 

He wrapped his arms tighter around her. “I’m here…” he whispered.

Jinx didn’t respond. But her weeps grew fainter. 

Ekko wasn’t sure whether or not she was awake. And if she was, he wasn’t sure she really knew where she was. It didn’t matter. He’d be by her side no matter what. 

“I’m here, darling,” he mumbled again. And continued to as her weeps subsided into scattered snores.

Ekko had known it would be hard for her to come back, but he hadn’t realised just how bad it’d be. They’d got comfortable in the other dimension. Everything was simpler there. And because Jinx had thrived, he’d not quite appreciated the mental trauma that still lived on. 

Then there were the hallucinations. He’d seen her react and talk to nothing too much to know there was more going on. Even past that, the nightmare she’d had of Isha showed just how bad they could get. But he thought such events were isolated. Especially now that their Silco is gone. 

She’d been looking past his shoulder more, though. Her eyes would flicker to nothing. At first, in their lair, he’d chalked it up to her being a bit more paranoid now they were back. But she was reacting to them like they were talking to her. 

Jinx became fitful again, and faintly struggled against him. “Isha…” she muttered, her tortured voice cracking and breaking. “Isha,” she cried again. 

Ekko felt her tears wet his sides. He cradled her. It was all he could do. 

He wished he could turn back time far enough. Take them before Isha’s death. 

Maybe if he’d been less focused on himself… if he’d not gone looking for a fix for his tree… maybe he’d have gotten to see her with Isha, allowing things to play out differently. What a fool he was. Thinking of changing the past. He’d only do it for her. 

No one else could make him so witless. 

Again, Jinx’s fits subsided. But Ekko knew they’d be back. 

Sleep would not grace him tonight. The heartbroken cries of his beloved would have to suffice. 

The hours went by slowly as Jinx’s sleep continued to be restless. But morning came after long, and Jinx woke up early with the birds as the sun rose. 

She looked up at him. 

He smiled tiredly. 

She frowned. 

“I know…” he whispered as he brought his hand up to her cheek and stroked it gently. 

“I kept you up.” 

Ekko smiled sadly. “I would’ve slept less without you.” Either that or he’d have been plagued by his own worst dreams… he’d have spent an eternity awake if it meant she were in his arms. 

They stayed in the same spot for a while, both content to bask in the other’s warmth. But the knowledge of the fast approaching war sat heavy in the air, and it forced them out of bed. 

“I’m going to have a bath,” said Ekko. “Not sure I can get any work done feeling this dirty…” 

“Could I…” 

Ekko smiled. “I was going to ask if you’d help wash my hair…”

“Only if you wash mine.”

“Deal.” 

Ekko led Jinx to the bathroom.

There were a few bathrooms scattered around the firelight base. Ekko had set up a small one atop the tree in his workshop when he first found it. 

He’d found the tree a couple months after Benzo’s death; it’d been his home ever since. Times had been hard after losing Benzo. Ekko had few he could trust. He’d lost so many, and when Jinx had turned her back on him… he’d had nothing. The tree became a haven he could live in. 

He’d set up a little tree house. It’d always been a dream of his and Powder’s to live in a tree… A part of him still believed it was her dream. Even if she didn’t vocalise it. Her reaction to the tree the first time she’d seen it in the other universe said it all… 

Ekko had never thought he’d share the tree with any other. But whilst following Jinx around, he’d come across people in similar circumstances. So he’d invited them to join him. To set up shop at the tree and create the first vestiges of the firelight base. 

And, through it all, his dreams of Powder joining had persisted. 

In the bathroom he flipped the lock and started the bath. 

Jinx looked at the bath oddly as Ekko turned the hot water on and let it fill.

“What?” he asked. 

“How long did it take you to run the pipes all the way up here?” 

Ekko tittered. “Longer than I’d like to admit.” 

“How… how old were you… when you…” 

“Twelve.” 

Jinx nodded. She looked around, and her eyes landed on the sink. Ekko followed her line of sight to the two draws. One with an ‘E’ and one with a ‘P’. 

“You… A double bed …” she whispered, shaking her head. “A desk too large… drawers for us both…”

“A bath we could share,” Ekko finished. 

“At twelve?” 

Ekko shrugged. 

“God you really are a romantic, aren’t you?” 

“I did tell you I wouldn’t let you forget…” 

Jinx stepped toward him, and leaned in close. So close, in fact, that he could feel her breath on his face. “And you’re doing a splendid job with that, lover boy,” she whispered. “Now get in the tub.” 

“As you wish, m’lady,” he said, grinning. 

“That won’t earn you brownie points,” said Jinx, folding her arms. 

“I do it for the love of it,” said Ekko as he undressed. “Not for you.” 

“Keep telling yourself that—we both know the truth.” 

Jinx was not shy about staring at him. All of him.

Ekko let her. He returned the favour as she undressed. She wasn’t shy about it either, and gave him a full view as she bent over to take off her pants. 

When she turned back around, she gave him another once over, and smirked. “Someone excited?” she asked. 

Ekko shrugged.

He got in the bath, and waited for her to follow. She slid in opposite him, a deep hunger in her eyes. 

Ekko’s heart skipped a beat, and then began to pound in his chest. There’d be no stopping if they started again. But Ekko didn’t want the previous night to linger on this memory. “You want to wash my hair first or me do yours?” he asked, trying to keep the tension light. 

“Yours first. It takes longer.”

Ekko nodded. “Be—”

“ Careful ,” said Jinx playfully. “And who figured that out, I wonder?” 

Ekko tittered. “You don’t need to rub it in.” 

“Just turn around, mister. Your hair won’t wash itself.” 

Ekko obliged, and Jinx took the handheld shower and began to soak his hair. Her fingers were delicate, as she checked to see whether his hair was wet enough. Once she was satisfied, she took his shampoo and began to work it into his scalp. 

It was then he felt her newly metal finger glance against his scalp. He’d not paid too much mind to it since they’d returned. She’d told him how Vi’s Piltie girl had shot it clean off during their fight. Even retelling it in Powder’s body, she’d spent the time looking down at her finger—which was still there for her alternate self—with sorrow.

“This soft enough for you?” Jinx asked. Her voice was soft, caring. She sounded genuinely worried that she might be going too hard.

Ekko smiled even though he knew she wouldn’t see. “Yeah… it’s perfect,” he said. 

“Good.” 

It had been so long since Jinx had washed his hair. Yet her movements were the epitome of practiced precision. Like she’d never stopped; like they’d never forsaken one another… 

Jinx rinsed the shampoo from his scalp, and then repeated the process for the bulk of his hair. Not a word passed between them as she did. Nothing needed to be said. 

Once she had rinsed his hair the second time, she squeezed the excess water out of his hair. 

“All done,” she said, patting his shoulders. 

Ekko turned. Jinx was smiling. He was smiling too. “Thank you.” 

“Don’t get all sappy on me now,” Jinx laughed. 

“I’m not.” Ekko stood, and got out of the tub, going for the drawer labelled ‘P’. 

“It’s my turn, y’know—we had a deal, buster.”

Ekko opened the drawer. “I know. Just getting your shampoo and conditioner…” He grabbed the bottles, shut the drawer and turned back around. 

Jinx blinked at him, and shook her head. “Why am I even surprised?”

Ekko just shrugged and got back in the bath. 

Jinx turned around, and Ekko returned the favour—methodically washing Jinx’s hair like they’d never stopped. 

“Have you any idea what you’re going to build?” Ekko asked. 

“Something big.” 

Ekko tittered. “Bigger than your machine gun?” 

“Pow-Pow wasn’t that big.” 

“Pow-Pow?” 

“That was her name,” said Jinx. “And then there was Fishbones—the rocket launcher.” 

“The one you used to blow up Topside?” 

“Yep… I’m going to combine them.”

“Makes sense, why have one or the other when you can have both?”  

Jinx shook her head, laughing.

“Stay still.” Ekko grabbed the handheld shower and rinsed her hair out gently before grabbing the conditioner to repeat the process. 

A brief silence came over them as Jinx let Ekko wash the conditioner into her hair before she spoke. “What are you going to build?” 

“I’ve got the Z-Drive.” 

“Yeah, but you’re not going to keep resetting time to talk the Noxians out of killing us, are you?” said Jinx. “You already saw how that went the first time.” 

“It worked out, didn’t it?” 

“For us… not sure how mummy Medarda will enjoy getting sent to another timeline.” 

“I could just trap her there… get you to help me get back again.” 

“Yeah, that’s a no.” 

 Ekko was in the middle of rinsing out the conditioner as she said this, and accidentally sprayed Jinx directly in the ear making her squeal. 

“What it, mister!” 

“What do you mean no?” he asked, ignoring the protest.

“I’ll not have you buddying it up with my other selves again, thank you,” Jinx said, folding her arms.

Ekko chuckled. “Jealous, much?” he asked as he turned the handheld shower off and began to wring out Jinx’s hair.

“There may be an infinite number of us, but you—you’re mine. You got that?” 

“As if I’d choose any other version of you.” 

“Good answer.”

“This is where you say you’d only ever choose me…” Ekko said; he copied Jinx’s actions when she finished his hair and patted her shoulders. 

“Is it?” Jinx asked, turning around. “I’m not sure only one of you can handle me…” 

“Sure, are you? From what I’ve seen I’ve been more than able to handle you.” 

“You’ve seen nothing yet, savior boy…” 

“Is that right?” Ekko asked. 

“Uh-huh…” said Jinx, biting her lip, and coming forward, taking his chin with her metal finger. “But if you think otherwise… prove it —”

Ekko grabbed her, flipping the script in a second. 

Jinx let out a surprised giggle. 

“You’ll get to see, baby girl… just not right now…” Ekko let go of her, and got out of the tub. 

“Ekko!” Jinx protested. 

“We’ve got to meet the Firelights.” 

“That can wait.” 

“I’m afraid it can’t.” 

“I’m telling you it can wait…” said Jinx, changing her tone from demanding to seductive, pushing her chest out to try and coax him. 

It damn near worked. “Later. I promise.” 

“It better be,” Jinx grumbled. She stood in the bath and let out the water. 

Ekko threw her a towel and began to dry himself. 

Jinx whistled as she stepped from the bath, garnering his attention. 

He looked over.

Jinx winked at him, then turned and bent over to dry her legs, giving Ekko a perfect clear view of her heart-shaped ass. “Just so you know what you’re missing out on, little man.” 

It took all of Ekko’s strength not to take her there and then. He forced a smile. “Not missing out, just postponing.” 

“That’s if I let you… I might not be in the mood tonight.” 

“We’ll just have to wait and see, won’t we?”

They dressed and got ready in mostly silence, with Jinx helping Ekko put his face paint on, while he helped her do her make-up more like Powder did—by her special request. 

It was then he decided that they needed to get different clothes. Especially Jinx, as half her stuff was ripped and torn or otherwise unfit for battle. But that could wait. 

They were already on the late side as it was. The irony that they could time-travel and were still late didn’t pass over him.

Ekko and Jinx made their way down to the communal area of the Firelights where he’d planned to meet everyone the night before.

“How nice of the king and queen to join us,” Sevika grunted as Ekko and Jinx entered the meeting room. “You’re aware we’re about to go to war, aren’t you?” 

The ‘meeting’ room was less a meeting room and more a large dining room where they usually came together to eat meals. In recent years, it had developed into a space for them to plan and operate out of. But it still remained primarily somewhere to come together, and not just to talk of war.

“We’re here, aren’t we?” asked Jinx. 

Sevika shrugged. 

Ekko cleared his throat. “We briefly discussed plans about coming in as the battle starts proper…” 

“Like a sneak attack?” 

“Yeah…”

“It might be best if we rendezvous with the council to let them know prior,” said Sevika.

“We’d have to go Topside to do that,” said Scar. 

Sevika sniffed. “We don’t have time—” 

“We’ll need to make as much use of our skills as possible…” said Ekko, interrupting Sevika and garnering a death-glare. He continued anyway: “We won’t outnumber the Noxians.” 

“So what are you thinking?” 

“As our name suggests… We are like Firelights… One alone can be missed unless you’re looking for it, but all of them together? They can light Zaun entirely… So, Sevika, you go up alone Topside, unnoticed, to relay our plans to the Council. While we wait and release the horde when the time is right.”

*

After sending Sevika back off Topside, with Scar accompanying her out of the pipework on his hoverboard—which had been quite the sight considering the hoverboards were only meant for one—, Ekko took Jinx up to their workshop. 

The first thing he did was fish out some paper for her to use, and stow away his sketchbook, as he began to fiddle with his own designs. 

Seeing as Jinx had taken his old hoverboard, he decided it was high time he made an upgraded version, and got to work rummaging through the bins of scrap parts he kept. Which thankfully included a half-built hoverboard he’d been working on before scrapping it along with numerous other inventions. 

Whilst salvaging, anytime he saw something Jinx could use, he tossed it her way, and she caught it—inspecting whether she could use it or not—and either put it in the pile or sent it back to him. 

Not much dialogue was exchanged through this process, but it wasn’t needed, Jinx was in her own world, and had put Ekko’s stereo to use, putting it on full-blast as she tinkered away. 

It wasn’t until about mid-afternoon that she put everything down and got up to inspect his handiwork that they spoke properly. 

“You think I could make a trip over to my place?” she asked. “There are a few things there I need.” 

Ekko nodded. “You want me to come with you?” 

“If you wouldn’t mind… plus there might be a few things you could use there too.” 

Ekko knew she was right, if there was any place that had more useful scrap lying around it’d be her lair. In the brief time they’d been there before Sevika came he’d seen just how much she’d been tinkering with. 

So they went. Ekko borrowed one of the hoverboards and they used it to navigate the pipework and come out just by her lair. 

“Didn’t think I’d ever get to ride one of those…” said Jinx as they descended down into her lair. 

“You could make one of your own,” said Ekko, “it’ll probably be how we get Topside.” 

“I was thinking about that, actually…” said Jinx. “I might have a better idea.” 

“Yeah?” 

“Uh-huh.” 

They entered her lair, and Jinx gestured to the massive fan blade. 

“What’re your thoughts on making this fly, little man?” 

Ekko chuckled and shook his head. “If anyone could do it—” 

“It’d be us.” 

Ekko loved the sound of that. “We can do that tomorrow. Let’s focus on getting your weapon built for now.”

Jinx nodded, and scampered away to collect things around the lair. 

Ekko did the same, but at a much more leisurely pace. He knew if she found anything during her search for parts that might help him, she’d give them to him. 

Instead his focus went over to the little den Jinx and Isha had made. 

They’d made the sofa out into a bed after deciding it was time for a much needed sleep when they’d returned to this dimension, but other than that it was the same as Jinx and Isha had left it. 

In its own way, it was a memorial now, like the one Powder had made for Vi in the other dimension. The similarities between the two were sometimes uncanny. Even with the drastic differences of their life paths, they’d both come across the same place to shack up, and both decorated it in a similar fashion. 

Ekko wondered if Jinx had noticed that too. She probably had. She was very observant when she wanted to be. 

He continued to look around the little den and let his mind wander and imagine what Isha and Jinx would’ve done together. How they might’ve slept or Jinx might’ve told her bedtime stories like Vander and Benzo had told them all those years ago. 

Jinx and Isha’s relationship remained somewhat a mystery to Ekko. He wasn’t sure whether they acted as friends, siblings or mother and daughter. In a way, you could say they were all of them. 

When Jinx was awake, and speaking of Isha fondly, she’d talk of her as a friend. But during the nights—during her terrors—Jinx would resort to calling Isha her kid. Or something along those lines. 

If Ekko were honest with himself, he’d say Jinx didn’t know what relationship she had with Isha. She was never good with putting boundaries as a mother would to her daughter, but in the same breath she would’ve been far closer to Isha than mere friends were— 

“What’re you thinking of, space boy?” Jinx asked. 

Ekko turned to see her. She was holding a large box of allsorts of parts. From the remnants of fishbones to grenades and allsorts. Pow-Pow was slung over her shoulder and she looked ready to take off. 

“I… would you draw a picture of Isha for me?” he asked quietly. “Not on the mural… just—in my sketchbook or something…” 

Jinx blinked at him, then frowned. “I guess… but why?” 

“Like I said yesterday…” said Ekko as he stood. “I’d like to put a face to the name.” 

Jinx nodded, then nodded her head to another, even larger, box by the centre of her lair. “Could you carry that? I’m all out of hands.”

Chapter Text

“Where did you find them?” Scar asked Sevika. 

They were slowly making their way through the pipes on Scar’s hoverboard. Sevika sat on its front, feet dangling off the edge as Scar stood at the back to even out the weight. It was the largest hoverboard of them all so it played to the fact he took her. That didn’t help the flow of conversation, however. 

Sevika and him had fought a few times through the years. Not for a while now, but the memories lingered. What had come out of those tumultuous times was a weary respect. 

“At Jinx’s,” Sevika rasped, “if I’d have been five minutes later I dread to think what I’d have walked in on.” 

Scar hummed but it came out more as a growl. “He used to tell me he thought the girl he loved was dead… I didn’t really believe him, but respected what he said as our leader… And then he came back from his fight with her on the bridge—a councillor in tow—acting all strange,” Scar sniffed, then added, “more hopeful.”

“He almost killed her on the bridge,” Sevika said. 

“She almost killed them. Ekko said she pulled the pin of a grenade and tried to take them both out.” 

“That’s not what Silco told me.” It had been the last thing they’d spoken about before his death—how the Firelight leader had left her for dead on the bridge… Jinx had taken him hostage shortly after from what she’d gathered and the rest had been history.

“What does a dead man know?” Scar asked.

“He wasn’t dead when it happened,” Sevika grunted. 

“And he wasn’t there when it happened. Only ones who know are Ekko and Jinx—and considering she hasn’t disputed his claim…”

Sevika spat off to the side and grunted dismissively. “Still doesn’t explain why they’re all…” she waved aimlessly with her good arm.

“You think they’re keeping secrets?” 

“Everyone does.”

Wasn’t that true.

Zaun was full of secrets, Sevika knew. It was an inherent part of life in the undercity. Silco had his secrets, and so did Vander—and both represented the two sides of Zaun. She’d never really questioned it. Why would she? But there were secrets and there were secrets. 

The Last Drop had been brought to the ground. 

It was what rushed her to Jinx’s hideout. Who else would’ve done such a thing? 

She expected a broken girl; A girl who’d just lost the closest thing to a daughter someone could have. No smiles should’ve been seen, no happiness or life should’ve shown behind those once dead eyes… And yet it had. 

In that bloody boy's arms, no less. The boy who Silco swore to the gods and back about… Oh, how Silco hated him. The leader of the Firelights… the only one who could feasibly take the power of Zaun from him given enough time… 

Ekko.

The Boy Savior… as dubbed by Jinx… supposed to be mocking, yet always spoken with a hint of fondness. 

And how he’d lived up to that bloody name! 

Sevika had thought him dead. By the looks of things, so did the Firelights. Not a sighting of him had gone by for months, and the Firelights’ presence in Zaun had dwindled all for it. And then he shows up in Jinx’s arms. 

Then miraculously they’re both alive. 

It didn’t add up.

There were secrets, and then there were secrets. Sevika knew so much as that. And those two had many. 

If Sevikia didn’t know better, she’d have thought they never stopped meeting one another. Their touches, which were so gentle—so romantic—of those only deeply entwined, like a spool of fabric… Sevika couldn’t grasp how those two could be like that, and yet she’d seen them try to kill each other numerous times. 

It was almost as if they were different people. Maybe not different people, but people who’d experienced a different set of events. Like if Jinx had accepted his offer when he came to her all those years ago, and they’d spent the rest of the time together living it up in that blasted tree. 

But that wasn’t right. 

It all left Sevika with questions she knew she’d never get answered. Secrets like these didn’t get unearthed easily, least of all when the two keeping them were as close as one.

“Can’t think of it too much,” said Sevika. “They’ll only tell us if they want.” 

“I’m not holding out hope. Ekko has more secrets than he’d ever let on.”

Sevika sniffed. “Damn right. That little brat was Benzo’s ticket to keeping in business.” 

“Don’t I know it,” said Scar, shaking his head. “His ability to haggle or otherwise talk people out of something is quite impressive… unless he lets his heart get in the way.” 

“That heart might’ve been the saving grace for Jinx.” 

The exit of the pipework came up on them. Scar slowed to a stop, letting Sevika hop off. “Good luck,” he said, landing and taking hold of the hoverboard.

Sevika nodded, and held out her hand. “Thanks. Look after those two, won’t you? Deaths in this war are inevitable, but those two need to survive. For Zaun’s sake… for our sake.” 

Scar took her hand. “We may’ve been adversaries, but Zaun will never prosper if fighting among us continues…”

Sevika nodded. “You’ll be here in the morning?”

“Of course.”

They parted ways. 

*

It was a slow and treacherous walk up to the council building. Had it been any other time, she might’ve been arrested just for stepping foot topside looking like she did. But war called for drastic measures and letting Zaun’s citizens run free around the place seemed the least drastic of them all. 

Sevika had already bannered together a good few people for Piltover. It had led to a tentative understanding between her and the council (well, the remnants of them). It gave her some hope that once this was all said and done, that Zaun would get some of the respect it deserved. 

Of course, she wasn’t certain that they’d not indulge the proposition of Zaun’s independence, but that was a job for Jinx and Ekko to do. Not her. 

It was with that thought she entered the council chambers to be greeted with nothing she was ready for. 

They were training. Councillors were training. At least the crippled one wasn’t there… and there was the fact that Vi was a fairly competent teacher… even if she didn’t teach them anything more than fist fighting. It was Caitlyn who was helping the most—showing them the proper form to hold a gun. 

None looked up at Sevika when she entered, so she cleared her throat loudly. “I’ve found another thirty willing fighters…” she announced. “Good ones. Not just civilians.”

That got their attention. 

“Oh good,” said Caitlyn. Her voice was far too chipper for what they were about to undergo. “Who?” 

“The Firelights.” 

Caitlyn nodded, looking somewhat pleased.

Less could be said for Mel. “The outlaw group?” she asked. 

“They’re not outlaws,” said Vi. 

Mel straightened. “I didn’t mean—” 

“Can it,” said Sevika. “We’ve more important things to deal with than our differences.”

“Have they come up with you?” asked Caitlyn. 

“No. They’re making final preparations but will be here once the Noxians come knocking.” 

Caitlyn and Mel exchanged some kind of look. Sevika didn’t like it. 

Jayce cleared his throat. “What exactly, other than thirty people, will they be bringing to the table?” 

Sevika tittered. “If you're worried they’re not up to par, don’t be, pretty boy… Jinx and Ekko alone—” 

“Jinx!?” Vi cut in. “Jinx is with them?” 

“Yes. Your sister is with them,” Sevika sneered. “With her lover boy.” 

“Ekko? Since when were—” 

“Beats me. But, when I found them, they had no idea a war was about to start…” said Sevika, as she strolled over to Vi to address her alone. “And between you and me, kid, had I not interrupted them, you might’ve been an aunt-to-be.”

Vi scoffed and looked ready to punch Sevika but was interrupted by Jayce.

“Ekko… the kid with the tree?” asked Jayce. 

“How’d you know that?” asked Vi, pulling her ire from Sevika and pinning it on Jayce. 

“He and Heimerdinger came to me asking about it… but that’s not important,” said Jayce, waving her off. “I thought they both died… or something worse… Did you see Heimerdinger there?”

Sevika shook her head. “Can’t say I did.”

“Shame,” Jayce mumbled. “I wanted to apologise.” 

“You can grieve when this is over,” said Sevika. “If we mourn now, and lose focus of the bigger picture there’ll be no one left to grieve over.” 

“Sevika’s right,” said Vi. She looked ready to say more but it died in her throat.

“I would like to ask what they are bringing to the table again,” said Jayce. “So we can coordinate our forces effectively. I assume they won’t need me to make them any weaponry?”

“Ekko said to look to the skies… not much more. They have hoverboards so I assume they’ll be using those,” said Sevika. “The Firelights are usually quite cryptic but the love birds had their heads off in fairy land this morning.”

“And you’re sure these two will be effective fighters?” asked Mel. 

Sevika shrugged. “I can vouch for Jinx, but considering your history with her I don’t think I need to tell you how capable she is… Ekko on the other hand is a wild card.”

“Ekko’s good,” said Vi. 

“I’ve met Ekko…” said Caitlyn, addressing Mel and Shoola rather than the rest of them. “We may have had our differences, but he’s good—it’s Jinx I worry about...”

“If anyone can keep her antics under control it’s him…” Sevika threw a look at Vi, and gave a half smile. 

Vi glared at Sevika. 

Caitlyn took Vi’s hand. “As long as Jinx keeps her firepower aimed at Viktor and the Noxians, that’s all we need.” 

“She will. As much as she hates you lot, she knows there are more important things at stake. Can’t say that’ll keep after it all, though.” 

*

Sevika had been taken back to the Kiramman estate once the council broke up for the night. 

There was a glaring reason why. Vi wanted to speak with her, and she was staying with Caitlyn. 

It wouldn’t have bothered Sevika to go right back to the pipework and wait for Scar to come collect her in the morning. She’d had rougher nights as a child. All of them her age had. It was a part of being from Zaun. 

But she could get used to the lavish life Topside had to offer. The drink was strong and the couch comfortable.

Of course, as custom, Caitlyn offered Sevika a drink, and by the second one the girl had left the bottle next to Sevika’s glass for easy access. 

It was then that Caitlyn squeezed Vi’s hand and said she was off to bed. But Sevika knew better. The girl left. 

Sevika necked her next drink. “What d’you want to know?” she asked. 

“Jinx.” 

“Yes. I know.” Sevika rolled her eyes. “What about her?” 

“The last time I saw Ekko—he wanted her dead.” 

“If you’re asking me what’s changed, I can’t tell you,” said Sevika, leaning back on the fancy sofa. “I only ever knew them when they were fighting. Not before.” 

“They must’ve let something slip, though…” 

Sevika shook her head, and just grabbed the bottle of liquor Caitlyn had left and took a swig. “Unfortunately those two are as thick as thieves. Not a peep out of them… other than some vulgar insinuating language.”

“Great.” 

“This can’t be a surprise to you.”

“What?” 

“From what I know, they were best of friends before Vander’s untimely passing…” 

“And who do we have to thank for that?” Vi asked, voice scathing.

“You,” said Sevika. “And Jinx. And a whole host of others—myself included.” 

“Me?”

“Topside only came down because of you and your group stealing. If you can’t accept that, then that’s a you-problem. But, if you’re asking if I’ll own up for my own wrongdoings, I won’t deny I had a part to play.” 

Vi sneered and snatched the bottle of liquor from Sevika’s grasp, taking a healthy gulp of her own. “Why isn’t it a surprise to you?” she asked, going back to Sevika’s earlier comment.

“A long time ago, maybe a few months after Vander’s death, Ekko broke into Silco and Jinx’s home. Tried to convince Powder to leave with him.” Sevika tittered and shook her head. “Damn near worked, too. But Jinx pushed him away.” 

“That’s…” Vi looked troubled. She took another swig. 

Sevika gestured for Vi to give her the bottle. When she didn’t give it back, Sevika tore it from her grasp and pointed her finger at Vi, saying: “After that… Well, safe to say Silco grew paranoid about the boy. I was ordered to kill him on sight if I ever got the opportunity,” she said, then took her own swig.

“Hard task, that. He’s always been good at keeping out of sight.” 

Sevika grunted. It didn’t take a genius to see she failed those attempts. “You know… Silco told me Jinx used to cry your name in her sleep. Those first few months, at least.”

Vi looked aghast at the thought. “No…” 

“Yes,” said Sevika. “After Ekko’s saving attempt”—she shook her head—“you’d never guess who became the subject of her dreams after that.” 

“Ekko…” 

Sevika titterd. “Not as dumb as I thought you were.” 

Vi glared at her, then wrestled the bottle from Sevika’s grasp.

“Ekko represented the biggest threat to Silco’s regime. Not only because he could feasibly take the power from Silco given enough time, but because he was the only one Jinx might turn for… that’s why this turn of events doesn’t surprise me—the only thing that has me stumped is why Jinx is almost as happy as she was with Isha.”

“She is? That doesn’t sound right—when I let her out of the cell they held her in, I… I thought she was going to kill herself.” Vi put the bottle down on the coffee table, and ran her hands through her hair. 

Sevika picked the bottle up. “Maybe as happy is reaching… but when I found them kissing—” 

“What?”

Sevika chuckled. “Thought Jinx might take my head off for interrupting.” 

Vi shook her head. “When this is all over they’re gonna have a lot of explaining to do.”

“Good luck with that,” said Sevika. “I personally don’t hold out hope they’ll be in the kiss and tell mood…”

“Don’t say that,” Vi sighed. 

“You’ll have to get used to it. God knows those two brats don’t care about our poor eyes.” Sevika choked back another gulp of the liquor before handing the last of it for Vi to have. 

Vi took it, giving a subtle nod to Sevika. 

They weren’t friends, but maybe they didn’t have to be enemies.

Chapter Text

“What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” Jinx asked, turning to look at Ekko. 

She had given him the heavier of the two boxes, that she’d filled with maybe a little more than she needed. The box was bigger than his torso, and given how much they had, and the fact Ekko could only operate his hoverboard with a certain weight, it was up to him to carry it—along with the hoverboard strapped to his back. 

They were wandering through the lanes, taking the most direct route through—but also the busiest—and kept having to stop for people. 

“There’s nothing wrong with them—” 

“I’m not dressing like Powder if that’s what you’re getting at.” 

“I didn’t say that,” said Ekko. “Just that I think the Queen of Zaun might need some nicer pants than ones from a dumpster.” He adjusted the box in his arms, grunting as he did. 

“I’ve got a few conditions…” 

“Is that so?” 

“Saying that like you won’t do whatever I ask,” Jinx mumbled. 

“I don’t—” 

Jinx stopped him mid-sentence with a look from his eyes to the box he was carrying and then back again. “You were saying…” 

“Okay, this might not look like I can put my foot down…” 

“Condition one,” said Jinx. “No more queen of Zaun shit.” 

Ekko shook his head. “I was joking.” 

“Condition two… I get to pick your outfit.” 

“Now wait a minute—” 

“And condition three…” Jinx said, interrupting him, and holding out the box she was holding. “You take this box, too.”

“You’re serious?” 

“Dead serious.” 

“Fine,” said Ekko, adjusting his posture and squatting down so Jinx could put her box on top of the one he was holding. 

“You dope!” Jinx laughed, and turned around, wandering away from him. “I already gave you the heavy stuff.” 

Ekko trudged after her. “That’s just cruel.” 

“Cruel is what you did this morning.” 

“We’re about to go to war.” 

“And you couldn’t spare five minutes.” 

Ekko scoffed. “You think that’d take five minutes?” 

“Oh I don’t know… would’ve found out this morning, wouldn’t we?” 

“I assure you, it’d be longer than five minutes.” 

“Big words for a little man.” 

“I’m not so little anymore…” 

“We’re not changing your name to big man—what if some dirty bimbo thinks you’re up for the taking?” Jinx shook her head and tutted. “We can’t have that now, can we.”

“Like that'll ever happen.” 

Some man bumped into Jinx and made her drop her box of stuff onto the floor. 

“Watch it!” 

“You walked into me,” the man dismissed, not even looking at her, but somewhere down the street at nothing. He kept walking. 

Jinx scoffed, and looked him up and down as he attempted to trundle away. He was fatter than Benzo, and Jinx admired the way his fat hid his neck. “Hardly.” 

She saw Ekko put his box down. His face was masked with controlled fury, he cut the man off and stood in front of him. “Apologise,” he said simply—getting in the man’s face. 

“And what are you going to do, little boy?” the fat man jeered. 

Ekko chuckled. His eyes flicked over the man's shoulder and met Jinx’s. Something in them felt dangerous—she liked it very much.

“You think this is funny, you little punk?” The fat man used his weight and pushed Ekko. “I think you and that little bitch should learn some manners.” 

Ekko balled his hands into fists, and wound his arm back to sucker punch the pillock. He halted when he heard Jinx cock her gun and put it to the back of the fat man’s head. 

No one touched him like that but her.

“Manners?” Jinx hissed. He was about to learn her definition of manners—

“Hey!” some woman shouted. 

“Stay out of this, Lady,” Jinx said. 

But the woman didn’t come and stop Jinx. She walked up to the fat man and sneered at him. Jinx recognised her as one of the blue-haired women she’d broken out of Stillwater, but couldn’t place her name. “Do you know who she is?” the woman asked scornfully. 

“W—what?” the fat man blubbered. 

“That’s Silco’s girl—Jinx.” 

The fat man spun too quickly for his size, and finally made eye contact with Jinx. “Jinx! I—I didn’t mean—” 

“Can it!” Jinx said, still pointing the gun at his face.

The fat man nodded meekly. 

Jinx eyed the man up and down, finger dancing along the trigger of her gun. What to do, what to do, she thought… 

As she mulled the question over, the woman spoke again. “You ought to pick her stuff up, don’t you think?” she said.

The fat man nodded again. “Yes. Yes!” He scrambled to the fallen scrap and began placing it neatly and tidily into the box. 

Jinx sniffed and put her gun away. She turned to look at Ekko. If they’d have been alone she’d have asked if he was alright, but out here—with people watching—she just tilted her head. It was all the same to them. 

Ekko gave her a smile and a small nod. He then turned to the woman. “Thanks, Gert,” he said. 

“It was the least I could do,” Gert said. “Seeing as if it weren’t for Jinx I’d still be rotting in Stillwater.” 

Jinx gave her a muted smile, and waved her off. 

“What are you two doing with all this stuff?” she asked. 

“War prep for the Noxians,” said Ekko. 

“You’re fighting, then?” asked Gert, looking hopeful. 

“They’re invading our home,” said Ekko. “It’s bad enough when Topside does it, let alone some foreign nation.” 

The fat man had organised the box for Jinx by this point, and she shooed him off and away. 

Gert smiled. “Me and a few others were going to head up tomorrow to pledge our support—” 

“Don’t,” said Jinx. 

“What?” Ekko and Gert said simultaneously.

“Spread the word—meet us at Vander’s statue tomorrow afternoon,” said Jinx. “Ekko and I have a plan to bring Zaun Topside.”

Jinx grabbed her box from the floor, and called Ekko along with her. 

Once they were out of ear shot and in a quieter part of Zaun, Ekko spoke up: “What was that all about?” 

“I think it’s high time we start running this place, little man.”

*

It was getting late, the sun having set a few hours before, and Jinx watched as Ekko’s relentless building of his new hoverboard slowed to almost a stop. He was yawning twice a minute, and increasing, and his posture had slouched as he began using the desk to hold his weight up. 

The morning’s promise of intimacy was all but forgotten by Jinx, but she knew they wouldn’t do it tonight. It could wait. Ekko getting a good night's sleep after she’d kept him awake the entire night could not. 

Jinx stood from her chair and stretched out like a cat. Her bones popping and cracking in all sorts of ways. She yawned. “It’s bedtime, sleepy head.” 

“Huh!” Ekko jolted up, like her voice had woken him from a dream. “Bedtime?” he asked. 

Jinx stepped to him, and pulled him up from his chair. “Bedtime.” 

“But—” 

“It can wait.” 

Ekko wrapped his arms around her. “I promised.” 

Jinx tittered and shook her head. She put her hands on his chest. “It can wait… besides, it’ll be boring if you fall asleep for all the fun.”

Ekko chuckled and kissed her forehead. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be.” 

They helped each other strip down and out of their oil stained clothes. Ekko asked if she wanted to have a bath before bed but Jinx just told him it could wait til morning. She could see how tired he was, and he’d only fall asleep in the bath and have to be dragged back to bed. 

Once they were tucked under the covers, Ekko practically passed out. His arms were tightly wrapped around her, as she used his chest as a pillow. 

It occurred to Jinx that this was the first time she’d seen him sleep since they made up. She’d fallen asleep or passed out in his arms for two entire weeks, and woken to him admiring her every morning. It was her turn to admire him now. She wasn’t all that tired, mind reeling still at all the possibilities of her latest gun. So she let all the ideas wash over her as the rhythmic hum of Ekko’s breathing relaxed her body. 

The mix of parts from Ekko’s old hoverboard, Pow-Pow and Fishbones were coming together nicely. The hoverboard’s parts helped link the myriad of working components to each other, while keeping it sleek and easy to carry and even used the hoverboard technology to take some of the weight from her. 

It was far heavier than anything she’d built before. But the Shimmer in her veins, courtesy of the Doctor, allowed her to carry far larger than anything she’d have dreamed of holding before. So at least one good thing came from the Doctor’s tampering. Even if it had cost a pretty penny. 

The pretty penny being her eyes. 

Jinx wondered whether Ekko cared. He’d not mentioned them. But he looked at her differently now that they were back in their bodies. He didn’t look at her badly. Not at all. Yet there was something else lingering in the back of his eyes, hidden away from the world. And Jinx saw it. 

 She wanted to ask him—ask him whether he preferred how Powder looked. Did he like the fullness of her cheeks and her less defined arms? Did he want her eyes to turn back to her original Powder blue? 

Ekko would deny it. Say he loved her for how she was. All of her. It didn’t matter that her eyes were Shimmer pink. It never would matter either. 

Jinx couldn’t believe it. Because she knew Powder was prettier. And she knew she wanted to be Powder again. It was so easy being Powder. She could do no wrong… all her ideas, all her inventions—they worked first time. No issues. 

Ekko’s words from the previous night came back to her: ‘You never stopped being her for me’... 

And still he called her Jinx. Jinx because that was what she was—who she was. Who she’d decided to be. 

She regretted that now. 

How couldn’t she? She’d seen what she could’ve been—experienced who she could’ve been. Not a Jinx: Powder. 

It was harder and harder to keep the mantra of Jinx alive in front of Ekko. Because somehow all he saw in her was the perfection of Powder. And she’d be lying to herself that she didn’t miss the way she loved how the name sounded on his lips. 

But the world saw her as Jinx now. That’s who she was to them. None knew of her real name. The real her… they saw the martyr. The symbol. Jinx wasn’t a Jinx anymore. Jinx was associated with revolution; With the change all of Zaun wanted to see… They wouldn’t get to experience who she could’ve been, and see the perfect girl who deserved to inherit Zaun. 

Yet Jinx had gotten Zaun. 

That’s what Silco had said wasn’t it? You get what you get. 

So maybe she could still be Powder through Jinx. Do the deeds Powder would do… Ekko still thought she could do that, didn’t he? 

She looked up at him. His face wasn’t the still mask of happiness it’d been when he fell asleep. He was troubled. His brows were knit together and it was then she felt his arms tighten around her.

Ekko began to mumble something. Inaudible at first, but she picked it up when his voice grew firmer—sadder. “Powder please,” he whispered, shaking his head. His eyes were scrunched together, and his grip tightened Jinx could hardly breathe. “Please, Powder—come with me.” 

Oh. Jinx knew what his dream was about immediately. She’d heard those words countless times. Once from Ekko. And again and again in her nightmares.

Ekko was dreaming of when she’d forsaken him. 

It had been the last utterance of the name Powder until Vi had come back from Stillwater. And maybe that was why Jinx found it so hard to accept the name Powder again. The memory wasn’t a kind one. 

“I don’t care,” Ekko mumbled and whined, he shook his head. “It wasn’t your fault.” 

Jinx could hear her response. ‘ It was my fault! ’ she had shouted at him ‘ and if you’re not careful, you’ll go the same way as them! ’. God she’d been so stupid… 

“No—don’t say that…” 

Ekko was crying now. So was Jinx. 

‘ You should leave. ’ Had been Jinx’s next words. ‘ Leave and never come here again! ’ 

“I’m sorry, Ekko… I’m sorry…” Jinx whispered. She brought herself closer, laid on top of him as he gripped at her as if she was going to tell him to leave again. She nestled herself into the crook of his neck and whispered mumbled apologies. 

“I love you, Powder. Please don’t do this!” Ekko sobbed, his grip so fucking tight. 

Jinx was glad he held her so tight. It kept her grounded in reality. She heard her next words echo through her head nonetheless. ‘ I don’t love you. I never loved you. My place is here with Silco—not by your side. ’

Jinx felt Ekko’s chest heave. “Pow—” 

‘ GO! ’ 

Ekko woke up with a start. His sobs were uncontrolled and his grip on her didn’t waver. 

“I’m sorry, Ekko.”

Ekko’s breathing was heavy and frantic—without rhythm. His hands moved up and down her back, as if trying to assess if she was real. “Powder?” he asked, voice choked and groggy. 

She didn’t dare correct him, but she looked up from the crook of his neck and into his eyes. 

Ekko shook his head, the fog behind his eyes clearing. “Jinx. Sorry.” he corrected. “I—” 

Jinx’s heart broke a little at the name. “Don’t apologise for your nightmare.” 

“You’re crying—” 

“So are you.” 

“I—” Ekko stammered. “I—I…” 

“I know… I know, Ekko… I’m…” Her voice broke off. 

Ekko just gripped her tight. “It can’t be changed… It’s in the past.”

“We can learn from it, though… use it to shape our future, can’t we?” Jinx thought of Gert and the rally they had planned at Vander’s statue for tomorrow. That would decide not only their future but the future of Zaun, too. 

Then her thoughts of Powder came back. The thoughts of how Powder got everything right the first time. Powder didn’t have the past to look back on. She couldn’t learn from it. And that was good. But Jinx did. So why not use it to be perfect—become like Powder through her mistakes as Jinx.

Chapter Text

Night proved time and time again to be anything but Jinx and Ekko’s friend. Their sleep was filled with the past demons they were trying to amend. It caused much pain, as had the previous night. Jinx had never heard Ekko sob so violently. Of course, she’d seen the tears, and heard his cries. The image of him crying to her all those years ago never left her, but the way his chest had heaved… it broke her heart… 

And who was to blame but Jinx? 

She’d not left his arms for that very reason. And only fallen asleep once his breathing evened, and brow loosened. It was a change of pace—a role reversal. 

Jinx wished the change would be them sleeping peacefully together, not taking turns reliving the trauma of their past.

The birds woke her in the morning; she looked up to see Ekko still peacefully asleep. Jinx smiled at him. The night was gone now, and so with morning came new promises. The new day already promised change with the meeting at Vander’s statue, but Jinx decided she needed to make some promises of her own. 

That could wait until Ekko awoke. For now she decided to admire him a little while longer—if only to remind herself of the promise he represented. 

She ran her metal finger on his chest. Drawing circles and all sorts of wonderful things. She let her imagination run wild… she could see the patterns in her mind's eye, not just of monkeys and bombs, but of flowers and love hearts and all manner of proclamations of her love for him. 

God knew she was too afraid to speak it. 

Jinx said it once… in the protection of Powder’s body. Ekko still spoke it everyday. He wasn’t afraid to say it like her. He expressed it in his drawings and when she showed him something. He wasn’t afraid to put them to paper, to immortalise his thoughts and feelings in a way Jinx was afraid too.

It was why she’d put off drawing Isha for him. Even though he’d asked so nicely. The burden of Isha’s memory was far harder to express than it was to repress. 

But now the memory is fresh. She saw Isha in her final moments, sliding under the hulking beast of a man once known as Vander. She saw the recognition of Vander’s face as he tried to hold back the beast within, but Isha hadn’t given him the chance… 

The last thing she saw was Vander’s lifeless body, and no Isha anywhere to be seen… 

If she was a foolish girl, she’d have hoped something stupid like dimension hopping would’ve taken her. But the black spot where Isha had stood was confirmation enough. Still, she dared to dream that foolish dream, as Ekko had dared to dream that one day Powder would come back to him. 

Sometimes the impossible was just improbable, wasn't it? 

After all, no one thought the grey could be taken away, and then they’d found a way. What’s to say the dead needed to stay dead? 

“What ‘you thinking about?”

“Hm…” Jinx hummed, looking up. “Nothing much.” 

Ekko smiled, and brought his strong arms around her. He took a deep breath in, and hummed as he let it out. “I wish every morning could be like this.” 

His happiness was contagious, and Jinx smiled despite the lingering memories of Isha. “What—with the birds chirping and the sun shining?” 

Ekko tittered. “And with you in my arms…” 

“How could I forget, lover boy?” Jinx said, shaking her head. 

“Because I’m obviously not doing my job well enough.” 

Jinx giggled, and leaned back to look at him. She tilted her head and smiled. 

Ekko smiled too. “What?” he asked. 

Jinx shook her head. “Oh, nothing…”

Ekko laughed. His eyes were closed and he looked like the happiest, most beautiful thing in the entire world. 

Jinx closed her eyes, and placed a chaste kiss to his lips. 

Ekko’s eyes held a childlike wonder behind them she’d seldom seen. “What was that for?” 

I love you… she thought. The words didn’t make it out of her mouth. Jinx smiled anyway, and shook her head again. “Can’t I kiss my man when I want?” she said instead. 

“Of course you can, my sweet darling.”

Their morning continued with them making their outfits. Well, Ekko was making Jinx’s outfit. Jinx, on the other hand, had spent the first hour or so drawing a myriad of sketches of Isha for him. 

It was lucky they were up somewhat early, as whenever Sevika arrived would be when they had to indulge the Firelights and not live up in fairy land, working away in their treehouse. 

She’d taken his sketchbook, and was careful to flick past all his drawings he’d made of her. Then opened it to a fresh page where she began to draw Isha in every way she could remember her. 

There ended up being five versions of Isha she drew. They were all playing and interacting with one another, with Stinckmaw and Scuttle Butt in the middle of them fighting far more ferociously than they had in real life. But that was where the fantasy ended. Each portrait of Isha was as detailed as she could make them. 

The first was of Isha when they’d just met—when Isha had literally dropped from the sky, in need of help. Jinx included the then unmarked miner’s helmet, and the brown hair. She looked innocent, and the eyes in that portrayed it. 

The next was Isha with her bunny ears and the painted-on tattoos. Jinx had drawn her sat down with her hands on her feet—intensely watching the match between the two beetles. 

The third was Isha with her dyed hair. And Jinx thought this was the beginning of the end for them. Maybe she’d have survived had Jinx not let her come along. But that would mean doing what Vi did with Powder, and look how that turned out…

The fourth was her with her dyed hair, but now with her painted miner’s helmet too. Jinx might’ve indulged herself and spent more time adding extra markings around the helmet when she couldn’t quite bring herself to draw Isha as she’d been when she… 

It was with a trembling hand she’d drawn the last one. Isha with a copied outfit to Jinx, with the pants to match and a version of her top that covered more of her torso—as Jinx refused to make anything any smaller for her. She remembered telling Isha that if she wanted it to be smaller, all she had to do was grow up… 

She guessed that wasn’t meant to be. 

A tear dropped on the sketchbook as she painted the final few lines. 

This was as close to a memorial as she’d gotten for Isha… if there’d been a body, Jinx would’ve made sure Isha was the first Zaunite to be put to rest in a casket. She’d have made it out of fine wood, something only Topsider’s got—the fanciest Topsiders at that. And drew all of their memories around it. 

Jinx sniffed, and wiped away her tears. 

Ekko noticed. He dropped his needle and thread he as using to sew Jinx’s new pants, and came over to her. 

Jinx smiled despite herself, and handed Ekko the book. 

Ekko took it wordlessly, and gazed at the portraits, the entire world expressed behind his soft eyes. He didn’t speak for a while, she his sad smile and the way he drew his hand over each version of Isha—as if committing them to memory.

“She’s perfect,” said Ekko… 

“You’d have loved her,” Jinx mumbled. “We—we’d have had so much fun together, if you’d gotten to meet her.” 

Ekko nodded, a serene smile on his face. He pulled his chair up to sit next to Jinx. “If she’s anything like her m—like you—I’d have had my hands full…” 

“She was better than me, Ekko… she was fearless, she was kind—nothing ever got her down… sometimes I think she looked after me more than I looked after her…” 

Ekko brought his arm around her. “I’m sure she thought the opposite.” 

A knock came at the door. “Sevika’s back.”

Chapter Text

Caitlyn was up and getting ready before first light, Vi watched her from the comfort of the bed. She’d hidden her eyes initially, when Caitlyn had turned on the light and began rummaging through her walk-in closet—which happened to be bigger than the entire place Vi had been living in for the past few months. In fact, if you measured the square footage of the bed they were on, it probably rivalled the size of her dingy apartment too. 

Caitlyn came back into the room with a war-worthy outfit. “We need to get you some new clothes.” 

“I’m fine with the ones I got,” Vi mumbled into the pillow. 

“I’m sure you are… I, however, am not.” 

Vi grunted.

“You didn’t drink last night, did you?” 

She didn’t need a lecture about her drinking. “Sevika’s fault.” 

“Yes. I imagine you didn’t want to look like a lightweight…” Caitlyn drawled. “It’s a shame you can’t keep up the charade after the fact.”

“You weren’t complaining last night,” said Vi, finally ripping away from the pillow to look at Caitlyn.

“You were not curled in a ball groaning last night.” 

“But you were.”

“I never!” 

Vi laughed, and clambered out of the bed—still feeling somewhat haggard from just how much she and Sevika had drunk. “God you’re easy to rile up…” 

“I—”

Vi silenced Caitlyn with a kiss. “C’mon, we’ve got a war to win.” 

Caitlyn huffed. “You taste like a distillery.” 

“And you taste like peaches, cupcake.” 

“And I wondered who’s getting the better end of the deal…” Caitlyn shook her head. “We’re having a shower—I’ll not have you looking anything but professional in front of the council.” 

“We?” said Vi excitedly. 

Caitlyn folded her arms, and gave a smirk that had Vi’s knees weak. “Don’t look so morose, meatloaf.”

If anyone else had called Vi that, she would’ve fought them bloody. But Caitlyn? She could make anything sound flattering. 

Vi took Caitlyn’s hand and went for the shower. It was lucky they were up early, as it allowed them some extra time to indulge in the shower. Vi figured that was Caitlyn’s plan, but she didn’t let on whether it was or not. From the brief amount of time she’d spent with Caitlyn, she’d found the woman was an early riser.

The only thing was, this was somewhat excessive. 

By the time they finished up in the shower, the sun was only just poking through the curtains and Vi wondered just how early Caitlyn had woken them up. 

Vi was going through Caitlyn’s limited supply of make-up. It was probably the only thing she was more modest about than Vi was. It wasn’t surprising, as Caitlyn had such a natural beauty it’d almost be sin to cover it. 

“It’s a shame Sevika wasn’t as forthcoming with information about Zaun’s forces,” said Caitlyn as she began to dress herself. 

“I’m not sure either Ekko or Jinx told her that much by the sounds of it.” 

“What did she tell you last night?” 

“Old stuff… Jinx and Ekko’s new dynamic—how they are keeping things from her.”

“So she wasn’t lying when she said she didn’t know how they were coordinating their forces?”

“Sevika may be a piece of work, but she’s no liar…” Vi shook her head, and plucked out the make-up she wanted to use. The only thing was, there was some implication of how, between Ekko and Jinx, they could potentially round up much of Zaun. Vi wasn’t entirely sure that would happen, but rally’s had been held in Jinx’s name before, and it’d be silly not to utilise such an asset if they were genuinely willing to help Piltover in this fight.

“You never did tell me what your relationship with Sevika was…” 

Vi grunted as she started to apply some of Caitlyn’s eyeshadow. “When my dad was still himself… Sevika sided with Silco—she’s part of the reason he ended up the way he did.”

“So that’s why you almost killed yourself fighting her when we first met?” 

Vi shrugged. “You know what it’s like to want someone dead.” 

Vi saw Caitlyn still in the mirror. 

Vi stopped applying make-up, and turned to look at Caitlyn, smiling sadly. “I realise now it’s not the way forward… I thought Silco’s death would solve all my problems, but I still lost my sister. My family didn’t come back to me… and I almost lost you.”

“But Jinx is still alive… Sevika said as much, didn’t she?” 

“Jinx locked me in a prison cell a couple days ago…” Not to mention Vi still struggled to see Jinx as her sister, even if she’d seen the remnants of Powder in her during their brief time together with Vander…

“While that is true, it doesn’t take from the fact she is still alive and seemingly well—considering it all… not to mention, willing to help in the war against Noxus.”

Vi tittered. It was hard to believe such a change had happened almost over night. “And how much does that actually sound like Jinx?” 

“It sounds like Powder…” said Caitlyn, hammering a nail into Vi’s heart. “It sounds to me like the young girl you told me about, not the woman we found in Silco’s care.”

“Jinx told me that girl was gone.” 

“And so did Ekko…” 

Vi shook her head. “Of all the people I thought would never give up on Powder, Ekko was that person… I hardly got to witness how my parents loved each other—too young to see, or really understand… but I got to see how Ekko and Powder interacted.”

“They can’t have been older than twelve—” 

“I don’t think Powder really understood it back then… Ekko did. If you ever saw the way he looked at her, Cait, you’d know. Our brothers didn’t see it—god, I didn’t see it… but Ekko saw something in Powder.”

“Well, murderous intent aside, she is somewhat impressive with what she's achieved—circumstance omitting.”

“I thought so too… Ekko’s just as talented with inventing and fixing… so, I used to think he saw her skill with a gun, or talent with explosives… I don’t really think that now,” said Vi. 

“What else could he have seen?”

Vi couldn’t quite believe what she was about to say, considering it’d taken her so long to find it herself… But there was no doubt in her mind now—as she looked at Caitlyn in the early morning sun, admiring her beauty—that Ekko didn’t ever care whether Powder achieved anything noteworthy in her life. Because for him, she was already perfect… 

“Something no kid that young should ever have the right to grasp—especially not in the little outcast girl from the sump—something that I didn’t grasp until I met you,” said Vi, placing the make-up down and wandering over to Caitlyn. 

“He saw the love of his life.”

*

Vi had never liked the Council chambers. They were large and gaudy, and served no other purpose than to look large and gaudy. The underground one, the wartime one, was far more fit for purpose. 

Luckily, the underground one was where she and Caitlyn were headed. To meet Mel, Jayce and Shoola. How Vi had managed to weasel access laid directly in Caitlyn’s emergency wartime powers—which Vi had insisted she disbanded once everything was over. 

She’d have told her to do it immediately, had it not benefitted Vi directly. Tensions between Zaun and Piltover still ran high, and should it benefit Zaun, Vi would backtrack and allow Caitlyn to sustain emergency powers until the time was right.

Vi twisted her hands, feeling some sweat build up… she had the Hextech gauntlets still, and had them on as they went to the chambers. Jayce had given her new gemstones, as the original ones had disappeared when Isha had stopped Vander. Well, it was more likely they’d been destroyed. 

What hadn’t sat right with Vi was how Vander—in his hulking wolf form—had not suffered much of a scratch from the blast, and nor had the ground. Of course, the main damage was his death. But the body remained, and, as they’d seen before, Vander could be brought back from the brink…

Isha, however, hadn’t left a trace. She, Jinx’s gun, and the gemstones were all gone. 

Now, Vi had seen the capabilities of those stones first hand. Sevika had lost an arm to them, and they’d blown Jayce’s Piltover apartment up by merely dropping one. But it was unnerving to think that the stones in her gauntlets could have such an outcome. That one day, should something go wrong, Vi could disappear like Isha. 

It might’ve been the reason for her sweaty palms…

The elevator down to the Council room stopped and the doors opened. Vi and Caitlyn exited, and went down the little hallway to meet the rest of the Councillors. 

Jayce had returned to the Council for the war, after stepping down post Jinx’s attack. But his presence was more due to his close relationship with Viktor, and ability to arm Piltover with Hextech weaponry—even if he was less than thrilled to do so. 

Vi got the feeling he wasn’t giving them all the information about Viktor. Anytime the man was mentioned, he’d act weirdly—even though he said he’d blown a hole in Viktor’s chest, Jayce was adamant that Viktor was somehow still alive and well. 

Speaking for herself, Vi didn’t think she’d still be alive and kicking if a hole was blown into her chest. But it seemed other’s were afforded luxuries that she wasn’t.

Upon entering the Council room, they were met with the rest of the council already there and speaking amongst themselves. 

“Zaun needs to cooperate,” said Mel firmly to Jayce. 

“Zaun hates you,” said Vi, stepping away from Caitlyn so she couldn’t stop her. “You want their help, yet you’ve done nothing to help them.” 

“You’re here.” 

“Because of Cait. Not out of moral duty to Piltover.” 

“What do you suggest, then?” asked Mel, her tone reeking with condescension. 

“Seeing as Ekko and Jinx are willing to help, you’ll have Zaun’s backing.” 

“Sevika told us thirty. Not Zaun in it’s entirety.” 

“And, yes, that is the population of the Firelights. Not Zaun.” 

“And yet you think Zaun’s backing is somehow implied…” 

Of course, Vi wasn’t sure. But she sure as hell wasn’t about to tell Mel that. “Forgive me for asking, but when was the last time you visited Zaun?” 

“I don’t see how that matters—” 

“But it does. Down there they look to Jinx as a symbol—not some terrorist. Graffiti of her lines the walls—Jinxers are her cult-like following… she busted all of them out of Stillwater not two weeks ago,” said Vi. She placed the gauntlets down on the table. “She and Ekko might’ve confirmed the Firelights to Sevika, but, if Ekko knows anything of the past few months, he’ll not pass up the opportunity to round up the people of Zaun.” 

“So why should we worry that Zaun hates us, then?” asked Shoola. 

“Because the favour of helping for this war will cost you their independence.” 

Mel folded her arms. “That can be negotiated after the war. Sevika seems more than happy to help us.” 

“Sevika is looking at the bigger picture. She knows once this is all over, that Zaun either is granted independence or they march on the bridge again—this time when you’ve been ragged down by Noxus.”

“Yet they’re willing to give them our forces?” asked Jayce, looking confused. 

“Only under Jinx and Ekko’s orders. They’re not about to come up here and let you put them on the front lines to die.”

“They’re under our domain,” said Mel. “And should they wish to commit treason, they should be dealt with using sufficient force.” 

Vi scoffed. “What’s the saying again, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree…” 

“I am not my mother.” 

“Couldn't've convinced me—”

“Or we can stop the bloodshed and give Zaun the independence it deserves,” said Caitlyn, finally stepping forward and taking Vi’s hand in hers. “We’re set to lose people in the coming conflict… would it not be better to save the lives we can.” 

“Violet has just openly threatened Piltover. Where is the sense of removing further bloodshed?” 

“You’re missing the part where you give Zaun our independence,” said Vi. No bloodshed will be needed for that.” 

“That is until Zaun gets too big for its boots. Begins to think they deserve more than independence… we grant you this boon, and then what’s to say you don’t want more?” 

“More? Look who’s talking. All you know is lavish lives—you don’t know what starvation feels like, or drinking silt filled water through your only top because it’s the only water you can get.” 

“And what’s to say given the chance Zaun won’t put us through that—when will the oppressed become the oppressors?” asked Mel. 

“It’d be no more than you deserve.” 

“And you prove my point. That dire need for vengeance—even if we give you what you want—is a greater threat than an army marching on our walls once Noxus is gone.” 

“Enough, please!” said Jayce. “We’re too focused on these things—none of it will matter if Noxus wipes us off the map.”

Vi huffed but didn’t speak. Better them doing it than Piltover, she thought… 

“I want to believe you, Vi, that all of Zaun will come and help. But I won’t be relying on them,” said Jayce, then went to address the entire room. “Let us focus on what we know we have—Firelights excluded—and plan our operation around that for now.” 

And so they did. The rest of the morning was spent looking at Piltover, and seeing where they would manage their forces. Caitlyn would lead the snipers in the turrets, while Vi and Mel were to be on the front lines. 

Jayce left once they’d done that, in order to continue breaking apart the Hexgates. He’d been working tirelessly to do it, but it was long, and arduous work alongside his other duties. Vi wondered how much he’d actually slept in the past few days—he certainly hadn’t showered. 

After he’d left, Vi and Caitlyn went off, too. To start coordinating their respective forces. All the while, Mel and Shoola continued to try and round up the rest of Piltover’s citizens. 

The meeting hadn’t been friendly, but at least it’d been productive. 

Only time would tell if that productiveness would drip over into peace negotiations with Zaun post war. Vi was growing less and less hopeful for that, though. It was clear they still didn’t see Zaun’s citizens as anything but second class…

Chapter Text

Down in the dining room, Ekko sat next to Jinx whilst eating breakfast. A couple slices of toast wasn’t anything extravagant, but it was as much as Ekko could stomach. 

The previous night had been rough for him to say the least. Tailoring some of his clothes to fit Jinx’s style had provided some solace, but the memories of their fight lingered in his mind. 

He kept telling himself that was the past. She was here with him now. That’s all that mattered. But the nightmare had brought him back to being the helpless child he’d tried so hard to leave behind. He was supposed to be the one helping people. That was his duty as the leader of the Firelights, wasn’t it? 

Of course, he’d never fully rid himself of the nightmares, and although their inferno had withered to ash, that ash had clung to him through the years, sitting on in his lungs, weighing down his heart, lingering hot enough and threatening to reignite… And, now Jinx was back again, he tried to act as if there weren’t that smouldering pit rumbling inside him, try to douse it with newfound hope—and still it lingered…

Ekko felt Jinx’s hand tighten subtly around his, and he looked up from the single piece of toast he’d been staring at for the past five minutes to her. 

“Still with us, spaceboy?” 

Ekko smiled. Her words stoked the fire in his heart… The ashes didn’t just hold their arguments, but also their love… If only she knew how alike she and Powder really were. “I’m worried about the outfit you’re having me wear.” 

“I haven’t told you my plans yet.” 

“That’s what I’m worried about.” 

Jinx grinned. “Trust me, you’ll look great.” 

“Not filling me with a lot of confidence…” said Ekko. 

“Why not?” 

“Because knowing you, I’ll be half naked…” 

Jinx’s eyes were filled with mirth. “What are you to us, if not a bit of eye candy…” 

“I was hoping to keep my dignity through this war.” 

“Modesty’s never been my style, little man…” 

“Don’t remind me,” said Ekko, chuckling. 

“Like you’d have cared if I flashed you when we used to fight.” 

“If you’d have flashed me, I think I might’ve wound up dead.” 

“At least you’d have died with a smile on your face.” 

Ekko tittered and shook his head. 

Sevika cleared her throat. She was puffing on a cigar and looked rather bored of both Ekko and Jinx, not that Ekko particularly cared. “If you two have finished flirting, I’d like to hear more about this meeting you’ve scheduled at Vander’s statue today.”

“Gert—” Jinx gave Ekko a look, as if asking ‘is that her name?’ and only continued at his confirmation “—yeah, Gert said to us yesterday she and some others were going to join Piltover’s forces. I said to meet at Vander’s statue instead.” 

“So we can divvy up our own forces effectively,” Ekko added. 

“You don’t trust Piltover then?” 

Jinx snorted. “What sort of question is that?” 

“Vi seems happy enough with them,” said Sevika offhandedly. 

Ekko would’ve said that he was planning to have a conversation with Vi about that when the time came, but thought better of it. That was something that could be dealt with at a later time. He’d been lenient with her about a single Piltie, but after what Jinx had told him of her aiding Caitlyn with the grey, there was more that needed to be done. 

“If Vi trusts ‘em, let her,” said Jinx. “But we’ve seen time and time again Piltover not give one flying fuck about us—so why should we let them send our people off to the front lines without a say.” 

“I have been making the rounds with Piltover’s council,” Sevika said, as if her presence alone would make Piltover keel over and kneel…  

“And where are the people you’ve given them now?” asked Ekko.

Sevika stiffened. “They’ve been taken in for training.” 

“Training to be cannon fodder, more like,” Jinx grumbled. 

“Isn’t that what half our forces will be?” asked Sevika. 

“Not if we can help it,” said Ekko. “No point in aiding in this war, if we end up just as bad off as if we lost to Noxus.”

“So we’re going to bring everyone who comes and shows their willingness to fight back here to prepare,” said Jinx, taking over from Ekko as if they were speaking as one. “From there, once we know where Noxus’ forces are, we’re planning to use the pipes to manoeuvre into the city and set bombs to go off and split Noxus’s forces smaller and so easier to manage with our limited numbers.”

“There will be a minimal number of us actually fighting in melee combat,” Ekko continued. “We’re used to skulking around unheard and unseen—might as well use that to our advantage.”

“But the two of you plan to fight melee?” asked Sevika.

“Plus you, Scar and a select few Firelights who’re capable with a weapon,” said Ekko. 

“The population of Zaun will be led by the Firelights with the most knowledge of the pipework, and shown how to plant and operate the bombs we’ll be designing.”

Sevika puffed on her cigar and gave a barking laugh. 

“What?” Jinx asked. 

“Nothing, kid,” said Sevika, shaking her head. “Just let me be there when you confront the Council, that’s all I ask.”

*

Ekko and Jinx retreated back to the room to continue making their outfits and start with sorting already built bombs and making new ones as they spoke through where the best parts of the pipework would be to ambush Noxus. 

The hours upon hours they’d spent looking at the blueprints for the pipework in the alternate reality allowed them to draw up make-shift copies they’d be able to give to each team of Zaunites. 

As Ekko was putting together the final touches, he heard a pair of scissors slice through one of his shirts. “Er—Jinx?” he asked. 

Jinx held up the t-shirt in front of him, which was now a crop-top, and nodded. 

“Seriously?” 

“Dead serious, little man.” 

Ekko shook his head. “No cutting my pants. They’re staying as is.” 

Jinx pouted. “Fine. But you’re wearing other accessories.” 

“So long as I’m not showing more skin.” 

“Spoil sport.” 

“I can’t have you getting distracted.” 

“You think you have that big of an effect on me?” 

“Considering how you’ve been fondling me—” 

Jinx scoffed. “Like you’re any better.” 

“And that’s why I’m making you wear less revealing clothes.” 

“There’s no fun in that.” 

“There’s fun in being alive… Once it’s all over, you can wear whatever you want. Hell, I’ll support you in the free the nipple movement if we both make it out unscathed.” 

Jinx scrunched her nose. “Even that’s a bit far for me.” 

“Good, cause that’d only happen over my dead body.”

*

Only Ekko, Jinx and Sevika went to the meeting at Vander’s statue. Sevika had taken Scar’s Hoverboard, while Ekko used the one he’d somehow managed to finish the night before with Jinx. 

The new hoverboard had an extendable front, which Jinx was perched on happily tinkering away with a newly made pistol, adding the finishing touches—including one of the hextech gemstones. 

He’d need to speak about the abandonment of Hextech once the fight between Noxus, and potentially Piltover was done, considering what it had begun to do to the tree. But that was something for the future, there wouldn’t be a tree left should they not use everything in their arsenal—and it wasn’t like Piltover would stop using Hextech before the war was over anyway… 

They stayed in silence for most of the journey over, anything Ekko and Jinx spoke about was met with a disgusted noise from Sevika, and—if Ekko were being honest with himself—he didn’t want her to hear their conversations anyway. 

It was only a tentative trust he had with Sevika, and that extended only to war stuff. Not anything personal. Once it was all over, he hoped he’d not have to have much to do with Sevika outside running Zaun, and dealing with Piltover. But that being said, through her rocky exterior, her no nonsense—all business—attitude was something that he did like. 

They exited the pipework, and began their journey into Zaun toward Vander’s statue. 

The streets were eerily quiet, and Ekko and Jinx shared a skeptical look. 

That was until they got closer. They began to hear noise. Lot’s of it. And the first vestiges of people were seen heading toward Vander’s statue. 

It became obvious on arrival why no one lined the streets:

The entire square around Vander’s statue was full. Not a space was left for them to land. Heads of dyed blue hair, just like Jinx had told him about, were speckled about, along with many that Ekko recognised as Silco’s—or the other chembaron—goons. In fact, Ekko actually saw some of the chembarons there, off at the back of the crowd, watching. 

The first thought that went through Ekko’s head was, ‘this many people won’t fit in the Firelight base’. But that was quickly snuffed out by the loud chants for both Jinx and—for whatever reason—himself. 

Somehow, as they circled above, the sea-like crowd parted at Vander’s feet, and allowed them to land. 

The chants dulled to murmurs, and then to silence as the crowd waited for them to speak. 

It was Sevika who started, as she must’ve seen both Ekko and Jinx awestruck at the turnout Zaun had given them. “We’re about to go fight a war for people who’ve done nothing for us… But I think we all know, should Piltover fall to the Noxian forces, our lives will be no better…” 

Murmurs broke out again. One voice shouted above them all: “Noxians or Topside—it’s all the same! Why should we fight for them?” 

A chorus of agreement echoed through the square. 

Sevika tried to speak over them. “We—” 

“I want to hear Jinx!” someone else shouted over her. 

“Yeah, what does Jinx think!” another yelled. 

Ekko looked at Jinx. She was frozen in her spot. He took her hand, pulled her closer to him. She looked up into his eyes—a million emotions running through them. The crowd's roars died in his ears as he looked at her. 

For a moment they just locked eyes. And an entire conversation played within a second: she was born to change the world, it was time she lived up to her birthright. 

Jinx turned to face the crowd, her grip on Ekko’s hand never wavering, if anything growing tighter—as if it was grounding her. “We’re not fighting for Piltover,” she announced, silencing the crowd in an instant. “We’re fighting for ourselves… for the freedom we deserve. And that starts with Noxus—but once we kick their asses back to where they belong, if Piltover thinks we’re just going to kneel down and let them step on our necks, and throw us in shackles… that they’re sorely mistaken!” 

Ekko saw the crowd nodding, and some whistling in agreement. The square began to buzz with excitement. Jinx grew bolder, yet her grip on his hand remained ironclad. 

“This is our time to show them who we are—what we are capable of!” Jinx continued, breathing heavy. “And if after it all, they still think they can walk all over us, so help me god we will rain fire and blood on their streets until they give us what we deserve or we take it from their cold dead hands!” 

A bit on the nose, Ekko thought, but he smiled at Jinx nonetheless. He raised their clasped hands above their heads, causing the crowd to roar. “A Zaun united is Zaun unbowed!” he shouted. 

The crowd silenced, as if coming to an understanding, and then one by one clasped hands began to raise above everyone’s heads. Sevika had stepped off of the fountain, and joined the crowd, taking one of the Jinxer’s hands in solidarity. Ekko looked to the chembarons at the back, who, too, had clasped hands. 

 Ekko looked at Jinx once again, she was gazing at the crowd before turning to look at him. 

This was it. 

Zaun united as one.

Chapter Text

Jinx watched the Firelight base from Ekko’s balcony. Bringing them all to the base had been a battle in itself. She’d felt like a shepherd herding a flock of sheep. Give her a staff like the metal fortune cookie, and she could’ve guided them like sheep too. 

She wondered idly what had happened to Viktor. Everything had ended so fast that there’d been no time to see him in the aftermath. Not that she really cared what his fate was. He’d called her Powder. And not in the way Ekko called her Powder, with a loving voice and eyes full of wonder. Viktor had used it as an insult—a way to underline all her bad deeds. 

But that didn’t mean she wanted the man dead. Everyone had their good and bad. Jinx most of all. So it’d be unfair to demonise a man for a single slight against her—no matter how deep it cut. 

Then again, Jinx hadn’t lingered long enough to find out the bad side of Viktor. And seeing as it’d been Noxus to secure Viktor’s little sanctuary, she wasn’t sure he—or any of his disciples—would’ve been allowed the opportunity to show their bad side. 

Jinx had only seen Noxus begin to take over the area as she and the Pilties flooded out, which was only the case because she needed to ensure that Vi survived. Why on earth Noxus wanted to secure such a place baffled Jinx, as the only thing noteworthy there was Viktor, and he was a pacifist through and through—the antithesis of a Noxian. 

Of course, that power could be harnessed to fit Noxus’ needs. Hextech’s ‘purpose’ was to aid in transport and other everyday amenities, and she’d gone and blown up the Council building with it—funny how that works. 

So, she supposed, given the fact the Doctor was on their side, there was a chance Noxus could weaponise Viktor… But such a feat might be a stretch for only a few days' notice. That said, the Doctor was no ordinary worksman. Jinx knew his handiwork when she saw it, and Vander’s wolf-like form screamed of it. He could’ve branded his face into Vander’s back, and it wouldn’t have been more obvious. 

“What are you thinking about?” Ekko asked as he came and stood next to her on the balcony. He gazed down at the population of Zaun moseying about the place with a small smile. 

“Vander.” There was more to it than that, but she didn’t care to talk about the Doctor to Ekko… it would bring up conversations about their fight, and why she ended up with pink eyes and shimmer running through her veins.

“You think we could’ve saved him?” 

“I don’t know… even with Viktor’s help, I don’t see how he’d have been anything but the beast he was made into…” 

“You said you still saw him in there, though.” 

“I did… and so did Vi and Isha…” 

“His appearance might’ve taken people some time to get used to, but he’s Vander. Everyone loves Vander for who he was, not his appearance.” 

“You think people would’ve accepted him, despite it all?” 

Ekko locked eyes with Jinx. They said something no words could describe. He wasn’t thinking of Vander, he was thinking of her—how despite every bad deed she’d done, the people of Zaun had rallied behind her—the daughter of the last two rulers of Zaun. Even with her new appearance, of pink eyes and shaggy cut and uneven hair, she was still the person who inherited Zaun—Ekko by her side…

Ekko took her shoulder, and gestured down to the little stand Jericho had set up, serving food to any and all that approached with a broad smile on his face. “We’ve already got Jericho serving the food, would it be that weird for Vander to still serve the drinks?” 

Jinx smiled, the image of Vander in his wolf form fumbling to hold bottles of liquor and serve them bounced around her mind. Then it turned into an image of them all eating dinner together, as they had in the alternate reality, with her and Ekko sitting together, and Vi smiling and talking with Vander too. Then she heard children laughing, and small footsteps running around— 

Jinx blinked the dream away. 

“I bet Vander would still cook a good meal,” she said.

“I think you’d have needed to make him a bigger pair of oven mitts.”

“They’d have been the size of your torso,” said Jinx, giggling. 

“You’d have enough space to decorate them well, then.”

Jinx laughed, and imagined these oven mitts, made out of a material Vander couldn’t slice through, and decorated with her paintings of monkeys and hourglasses… “If only, eh?” she said quietly. 

“He was brought back once.” 

“If I could put the Doctor at gunpoint, and make him bring Vander back I would… but god knows we don’t have the chance for that.” 

“I didn’t think there’d be a chance for many things.” 

“If I get the opportunity, I won’t pass it up… but Vander deserves to rest, we shouldn’t force him back just because we could.” 

Ekko hummed his agreement. Some things were best left in the past, they knew that by now. They didn’t linger on the thought. “I finished your outfit, by the way.” 

Jinx tittered. “About time, mister.” 

Jinx followed Ekko into their room, and was presented with her outfit. She’d already seen the pair of old pants he’d been tailoring for her, as he’d spent a prolonged period of time measuring her legs with a tape measure. And she’d tried them on a few times to get the fit just right for her. Then there was the top, which she’d asked if she could use bandages to match Vi. Of course, he’d made sure there was a lot of bandage, and once it came time to put it on, she knew there would be a back and forth between them of how much she’d wear. 

But that all took a backstep to the hood he’d made. It was a shark hood that matched Fishbones. The teeth were somewhat crudely stitched on, but it was so perfect that Jinx couldn’t help but grin at it. 

“You like it?” Ekko asked. 

Jinx nodded and went over to take the hood in her hands. “This is what you didn’t want me to see?” 

“I thought it’d be a nice surprise,” Ekko said as he came up behind her.

She turned to face him. “It’s perfect,” she said, wrapping Ekko in a tight hug. “Thank you.” 

“I was thinking of making it into a top once we’ve finished with the Noxians.” 

Jinx nodded into Ekko’s shoulder, not quite ready to let him go. “I’d like that.” 

They continued to hug in silence a moment longer before Ekko spoke again: “Do you want to go get some food from Jericho?” 

“Yeah.” 

The stroll down to Jericho’s little stand was quiet. Jinx spent the time looking around at all the groups of people sitting in make-shift cots the Firelight’s had provided for everyone. Jinxers and goons and all manners of Zaunites were sitting together despite their differences, talking away with smiles on their faces. All were digging into Jericho’s food. 

It felt like they were a part of something far bigger than themselves. And somehow all she looked at, looked back at her with some form of adoration that she’d only ever seen from those closest to her. Or as Powder in the other universe. 

It left a strange feeling in her stomach, and Jinx closed in closer to Ekko’s grasp, even though they were already holding hands. 

On arrival at Jericho’s stand, he’d already begun to serve up bowls for the two of them. Under Vander’s care, they’d been somewhat regulars, and even under Silco’s care, Jinx had continued to eat there. But she wasn’t sure, other than the time they’d had Jericho’s in the other universe, how long it’d been for Ekko. 

Jericho had given Jinx her favourite, and she took it with a ‘thank you’, and then he gave Ekko a bowl of the same fish combo Ekko had eaten in the alternate universe, which he took with a ‘thank you’ too. 

They left Jericho to do his thing, and went to the dining room where they were met with the sight of Sevika and Scar sharing a drink. Scar’s kid was off playing to the side in a little crib, and Ekko handed Jinx his bowl of food and went over to the kid immediately. 

“Is the plan staying the same?” Sevika asked, then added mirthfully: “There are a few more Zaunites than expected…” 

“Just means we can take a few more to the front lines with us,” said Jinx, taking a seat at the table with Sevika and Scar. 

“It’ll allow for more bombs in the pipes, too,” Ekko added as he played with Scar’s kid, earning a little giggle from it. 

“You two have it all figured out, then?” asked Scar. 

“As best we can, given the circumstances…” said Ekko. 

“We’re going to need some extra time to rig our above ground entrance,” said Jinx, continuing to watch Ekko with Scar’s kid, unable to take her eyes off the sight for some reason. “But we can send off the masses first, and do that once they’re on their way. Will give them time to get into position, anyway.”

Ekko waved goodbye to the little kid, and came to sit next to Jinx at the dining table, taking his food from her and digging in. 

Idle chatter between the four of them was made as Jinx and Ekko ate. Sevika poured each of them a drink, and they toasted to a new Zaun. After that Scar went to put his kid to bed, and go to bed himself. Ekko went with him, stating he needed to go to the bathroom, which left just Jinx and Sevika alone in the dining room. 

“He finally did it, then,” Sevika said as she lit her cigar. 

Jinx shrugged and poured herself another drink. “Took him long enough.” 

Sevika chuckled. “He live up to all the nicknames you gave him?” 

“I wouldn’t say he saved me, but helped me save myself,” said Jinx. 

Sevika grunted. “I was talking about little man, not savior boy…” 

Jinx scoffed. “I’m not talking about that with you.” 

“A few more drinks and you’ll be singing it to me,” said Sevika, shaking her head with a grin. “Has he seen you drunk yet?” 

“Tipsy.” 

“Good. He might rethink his life choices if he saw that.” 

“I wasn’t that bad.” 

“The tears at the end of the night notwithstanding, you somehow had Silco pinching his brow in frustration at your antics.” 

“All I did was make a couple bombs and fireworks.” And cry to Silco about Ekko…

“You almost blew up the Last Drop.” 

“I—” 

Sevika gave Jinx a look. 

“Okay, I might’ve gone a bit overboard with the gunpowder… but I was trying to make cool fireworks.” 

“No one can argue they weren’t good fireworks, Jinx. But you usually set them off outside. ” 

“I forgot about that.” 

“You always do,” Sevika said fondly. 

Jinx took a sip of her drink through the straw. “How don’t you forget things with how much you drink?” 

“Oh trust me, I try—but some things don’t want to go away, no matter how much drink you have,” said Sevika, taking a long drag of her cigar. 

“Why do you drink, then?”

“Sleep is dreamless.”

Jinx thought of the sleep she’d been having with Ekko lately. There had been dreams, and some nightmares, but with him, the nightmares didn’t scare her anymore. Then she thought of the night she’d passed out drunk in Silco’s arms, pretending he was Ekko, with tears running down her cheeks. It had been dreamless, like Sevika said, but it wasn’t nice. 

Sevika seemed to pick up on her thoughts. “That boy's arms are an infinitely better cope than what I do… unfortunately, some of us aren’t lucky enough to keep something like that.” 

Jinx nodded. A couple weeks ago she’d been in Sevika’s shoes. “What happened?” 

“They died in the same manner as your parents… it’s why when it all went down between Silco and Vander those years ago, I sided with Silco…” 

“Do you regret it?” 

“Yes and no,” said Sevika. “I can’t change what’s happened.”

“You can learn from it, though.” 

Sevika laughed. 

“What?” 

“I don’t know what’s gotten into you, kid… but that boy has somehow performed a miracle.” 

Jinx smiled. Words didn’t grace her lips. 

“If Silco could see you now, I’m not sure whether he’d be upset or proud.” 

“Both, probably…” 

Sevika nodded. “You did what he couldn’t…” 

“Unite Zaun?” 

“Forgive yourself.”

Chapter Text

Jinx would never drink with Sevika again. 

It wasn’t that she was overly drunk. She’d not drunk that much. But rather the conversation she’d had with Sevika was putting her off. 

Sevika had seen Jinx at her worst, and—unlike Ekko—she was more than happy to bring up Jinx’s embarrassing moments. Some weren’t bad, but others—like the first time she’d gotten black-out drunk, or, as Sevika put it, squinnying over her clothes—were moments she’d rather forget. 

Luckily Ekko had come back and mentioned he was going to go have a bath, which Jinx took as an invitation, and left Sevika to continue to drink alone. Jinx was confident she’d not be alone for long though, as Sevika was quite popular with many in Zaun…

Jinx and Ekko went back up to the top of the tree, heading straight for the bathroom. 

“I’m going to grab my sweats from the room if you want to get the bath started?” Ekko asked. 

“Grab my boxers, will you?” 

“Of course, darling.” 

Jinx smiled. The boxers in question were actually Ekko’s, which she’d stolen as her own when trying to find something to wear to sleep.

She entered the bathroom and turned on the taps, letting the bath fill. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror. She’d avoided mirrors since they’d been back as much as she could. It was only a reminder of who she wasn’t anymore. 

Her hair was a chopped mess, something she’d done in the spur of the moment. Part of her thought she could turn it into the hairstyle Powder had. But that didn’t feel right. It wasn’t her—as much as she wanted it to be. 

What she could take from Powder was something smaller, like Ekko had taken the ear-ring. Powder had donned a strip of pink dyed hair—the same colour Vi had when she was younger. That would be nice. She used the colour in all her art and inventions, too… it was something both of them shared. 

Overall there was enough to work with that she and Ekko could come up with something unique. And that was enough for her to give her hope.

She could change it. 

That was more than she could say about her eyes. 

They even made her hesitate to add that pink stripe to her hair. 

Ekko was smiling as he came into the bathroom, blissfully unaware of the turmoil that plagued Jinx. He tottered over so he was standing behind her and looking in the mirror with her, placing a kiss on the top of her head. “What are we admiring today?” 

Jinx smiled despite herself. “Will you cut my hair?” she asked, and when Ekko didn’t respond immediately, she added, “it’s messy, and uneven, and I did a bad—” 

“Yes, I’ll cut your hair,” Ekko said. “But don’t expect some out of this world haircut from Piltover.” 

Jinx turned to look at him properly, finding it harder than usual to look him in the eye, but forcing herself anyway. “I wouldn’t want to look like one of those Piltie goons anyway, mister.” 

Ekko laughed, and planted her boxers on her head. “Thank god for that.” 

Jinx put the boxers off to the side with her towel. 

“You want me to cut your hair tonight, or tomorrow?” 

“Tonight please.” 

“I get a please, tonight?” 

Jinx put her hands on her hips. “I don’t want to get a bowl cut.” 

Ekko shook his head, smiling. “Only nice when you want something…” 

“I wouldn’t say that…” said Jinx slowly. “You give me what I want whenever I want anyway…” 

Ekko unbuckled his belt and slipped out of his top. “So why the nicety?” 

Jinx stepped over to him, and ran a finger up his chest and to his chin. “I can be mean if you like that better…” she said slowly. 

Ekko grabbed her waist and pulled her close, planting a chaste kiss on her lips. “Fire or ice, as long as it’s you…” 

Jinx tittered. “Cut my hair, lover boy.” 

“Your wish is my command, my darling.” 

Jinx shook her head at him. He was becoming more sappy by the minute. 

Ekko turned the bath off and took a pair of scissors from her drawer. “What do you want?” 

Now why were the simplest questions the hardest to answer? 

All her life her hair had been dictated for her. Her hair when she was younger was a mirror of Vi’s, and then Silco had helped her maintain her hair, and gave her suggestions and guidance when she wasn’t sure. And then she’d kept that hair after his death to hold onto him, and the moments he’d spent braiding it for her… The first time she’d done anything to it herself had been chopping it all off to end it all. Leave it in the past, along with everything else.

This was new now. She had complete freedom. Ekko wouldn’t cut a strand without her explicit permission. 

Jinx looked in the mirror again. The hair she had now was hers and hers alone… she’d done it, whether for the right or wrong reasons, she’d done it. 

“Could you just tidy it up?” she asked, looking at Ekko through the mirror. 

“That’s what you want?” he asked, not in mocking jest, but genuine query. 

“Yes.” 

And so Ekko obliged. He first helped her wet her hair, and then began to slowly shear away at the mess. The process was slow, as his fingers deftly worked through her hair. He held her gently, and continued to ask her about every large movement he made. 

The large moves in question were asking to cut an extra half inch off. 

In the end, it resulted in a mix between a long bob, and whatever Powder had. She had to remind herself that she was—technically—Powder. They had the same body, for the most part… Jinx was somewhat shorter and skinnier, but their faces were still similar. So it shouldn’t have been such a surprise that Jinx could still look like her… 

She admired Ekko’s handiwork in the mirror. It would do for now. She could grow it back out properly in the coming months, and get it perfect then. For now it was hers, and that was all that mattered. 

“What do you think?” Ekko asked. 

“I think you should stick to engineering…” Jinx smiled.

“That bad, huh?” 

“I wasn’t expecting you to fix it,” said Jinx. “It just needs time to grow.” 

They got into the bath, having to add more hot water as it took a while for Ekko to cut her hair.

Ekko was laid against the back of the tub, letting his legs splay out, and Jinx sat between his lap, resting the back of her head against his shoulder. 

The bath warmed up slowly, and Jinx felt Ekko pressed between her thighs.

It felt like they’d waited an eternity to broach the subject, and take that final leap together. Jinx could hardly believe it had not been three weeks. So much had happened, between them and in life—enough for a lifetime for some people… Jinx didn’t mind, she preferred it, actually. It was a way to live a thousand lifetimes with Ekko in just the one they got. God knows they’d wasted enough time apart. 

It made her want to take that last step with him. To cement their relationship in the last way possible… that was only right, wasn’t it? But no matter how ready her body was, Jinx still held reservations. She worried no end about Ekko’s somehow unwavering love for her—she couldn’t help but want to poke holes in it, test to see if it was an act. 

Would sex show that it was all an act? He gets what he wants, and casts her aside for someone else… It was a foolish thought. She knew deep down he’d never do such a thing. He’d seen Powder and somehow thought more of Jinx. 

Jinx had seen the opposite.

“Doyoustilllikemyeyes?” she blurted so quickly, even she hardly understood what had come out of her mouth. She cringed.

Ekko blinked at her, and wrapped his arms around her stomach. “What?” 

Jinx took a deep breath, slipped from his grasp and went over to the other side of the bath. “In your sketchbook you put such detail in my old eyes—my blue ones… do you still like them now that they’re different?” Now that I’m different. 

Ekko frowned at her. 

She knew it. She looked away. He hated— 

Ekko cupped her cheek, and pulled her face back to look at him. She couldn’t make eye contact. 

“Won’t you look at me?” he asked softly.

Only for him. Jinx obliged.

“I wish you could see yourself as I see you.” Ekko smiled sadly. “They’re yours… How could I not love something that’s yours?”

“But—”

“You think they’re poles apart; all I see is snow.”

“How can you love something so imperfect—so rotten?” She couldn’t. She could only love Ekko—the epitome of perfection.

“I’ve only ever seen you as perfect, Powder—” 

“Don’t. Don’t call me that,” she demanded, shaking her head. “I don’t want to be called that.” 

“Why do you keep asking me if I still see you as Powder, then?” 

“I haven’t.” 

“You have,” said Ekko firmly. “I don’t see any faults with who you are, what you look like—yet you keep asking if I do. If I miss Powder—” 

“How can’t you!?” 

“Because you’re Powder, dammit!” Ekko yelled. 

“I said don’t call me that!” Jinx shouted back, standing and getting out of the bath.

“I can’t win with you!” 

Jinx didn’t respond. She started getting dressed.

Ekko stood from the tub. “Where are you going?”

Jinx went for the door. 

Ekko grabbed her. 

“Let me go!” 

“You know I can’t do that.”

Tears built up behind her eyes. Jinx shook her head. “I’m not Powder. All I am is Jinx!” 

Ekko’s tear filled eyes hung heavy. “Can’t you see how much good you’ve done?”

Jinx hung her head in shame. 

Ekko pushed her forward, out of the bathroom and down the hall to their room. He was still naked and wet. 

Jinx kicked and slapped him. None of it worked. “Are you nuts—What are you doing!?” 

Ekko didn’t answer, still pushing her through the room and to the balcony. He forced her to look down at the Firelight base, at all the people who were now soundly asleep in the beds they had provided for them. Even Jericho had gone to bed now. 

“You did that,” Ekko said firmly, finally letting his harsh grip of her go. “Jinx, Powder, whoever the fuck you want to call yourself. It doesn’t matter! You Did. That . No one else… you ask me why I still love you—how I could ever forgive you for your sins—I ask you who else could’ve done such a thing?” He sighed. “If you want to throw that all away for some stupid name, I’m not going to stop you… but I’m not going to stand around and make that decision for you either.” 

Jinx had never felt shame like it. 

“I’m going to finish in the bath. Do what you want.” Ekko left without another word.

And for the first time since they’d reunited, Jinx was left alone to grapple with the sins of her past.

Chapter Text

Jinx stood looking out the balcony for a while after Ekko left. She’d heard a large bang! where he’d slammed the bathroom door behind him, and that had been enough to keep her from immediately following. 

What would she even say if she did follow? 

Ekko had said exactly what she wanted him to say. He’d reassured her that he didn’t care about the colour of her eyes, and then called her what she’d practically begged to be called. 

All of her thoughts contradicted. None made any sense. A day ago she’d wanted him to call her Powder, but all it did was trigger some guttural response that she had no control over. 

Mylo laughed in the corner, and slapped Claggor on the back. 

“Quiet!” she hissed at them. 

When had they even come back? Mylo had been so quiet lately she’d hardly seen him, other than the occasional loitering in the corner of her eye. Something she ignored. 

Jinx looked down at the Zaunites. She needed a distraction, so her mind would quieten and she could regain clarity of her wayward thoughts. Most were sleeping, some were up speaking amongst themselves. She looked around to see if she could spot anyone she knew, trying her best to ignore Mylo and Claggor sitting on the bed. 

It was Sevika Jinx spotted, who, as she’d thought, found company in Gert. Of course, Jinx had thought Sevika finding ‘company’ would mean her seeking out one of the brothel workers she frequented, but Gert was a pleasant surprise. They were sharing a bottle of liquor and laughing off in a corner away from everyone else. 

Jinx had seldom seen Sevika this happy. There were occasions, but usually when she was black-out drunk or gambling. She didn’t often sit and talk and enjoy time with people. Not like this. 

Ekko’s words rang in her ears, silencing Mylo, “You. Did. That.” 

But had she really? 

This was Ekko’s home. Everything they’d given the Zaunites came from him… he’d even, somewhat metaphorically, given them Jinx back. He’d saved her life. Pulled her from the pits of depression, kicking and screaming. So, if anything, he’d done that. 

But it had been her idea to bring them here, hadn’t it? When she’d spoken with Gert on the street, the idea had come to her without hesitation. And Gert had only come up to her because she’d broken her, and half of Zaun, out of Stillwater… She’d only done that because of Isha—for a girl who’d had nothing, just like she’d had nothing. 

It all cycled together, didn’t it? You could continue down that pipeline of thought for as long as time itself. A series of cause and effect that lied far beyond Jinx’s scope of living, yet affected it all down to the last minute detail. 

They were only here because she’d sworn off the name Powder in favour of Jinx. 

How any good came from that moment, she had no idea. It wasn’t just good in this universe, either. Ekko finding the tree had allowed them to begin the process of removing the grey from Zaun entirely. Something she was sure would’ve happened anyway, as Mylo and Claggor would’ve eventually figured out a way to get the Hybrids to work with or without ample sunlight, but they’d kickstarted it along, at the very least. 

All from decisions she’d made… 

Was that why Ekko still saw her as Powder? Because he couldn’t imagine Jinx could do such good for the world? 

That wasn’t right. It didn’t feel right. 

Jinx thought back to the first morning they’d been in the alternate reality, when she’d found the necklace Ekko had made Powder, and he’d comforted her about how they were one in the same:

“You’re two sides of the same coin… intertwined so deeply you can’t even grasp it… my love for you doesn’t just stop with you—this you—but every version over every possibility… I like to think the other you saw that… as I’d like to think you can see that now.”  

She’d not even attempted to grasp what kind of nonsense Ekko was spouting back then. She wasn’t sure she could even grasp it now that she was trying to. How could he love an infinite number of people—of her? No one had that capacity… 

“You’re Powder!” 

Did he think the other Powder was Jinx too? 

Was that what he was trying to say? That there weren’t an infinite number of Powder’s and Jinx’s he loved, but just one. Because they were the same person a million times over, just with outside cause and effects changing their allowable decisions; but, given the opportunity, they would’ve been any other. 

… Ekko had called it a mind fuck, hadn’t he? And for all intents and purposes, he was the one who somehow grasped it best. 

She turned on the spot. Mylo and Claggor were still on the bed, only now they were cowering away from her. 

She tossed off the few clothes she had and went to the bathroom. 

The door was locked so she barged it open and stood in the doorway as Ekko laid in the bath, shocked. 

She moved to him with freedom she’d never felt. Slipping back into the bath, and straddling Ekko’s lap, she knew, in this moment, there was no place she’d rather be. In other realities, it’d look different; In other’s, Isha was with them; in other’s, they had kids of their own; in other’s, they were Piltie goons… But this was theirs. And it was high time she made it her own.

They locked eyes for a moment. She saw the infinite possibilities in his eyes—all of them lead to one thing.

She kissed Ekko.

“What—”

“I’m sorry.” 

Ekko smiled. “Me too.” 

“This is what I want,” she whispered, kissing him again. “I love you, Ekko…” 

“I love you too, J—” 

“Powder.” Powder because it was time she reclaimed the rest of herself. Jinx would live on through Zaun, and her presence in it, but Powder deserved—needed—to live, too, through her love for Ekko. 

Together they made her whole.

“Powder,” Ekko repeated.

Together they spanned infinity.

Chapter Text

A sea of rage tried its best to drown Vander as he awoke from a deep sleep. Everytime he managed to steal a gasping breath of clarity, another crashing wave would rip that away and send him plunging to the depths. 

Through it all, a singular voice spoke to him. It spoke of liberation. They could take his pain away, if only Vander let him. 

Vander didn’t trust it. What else would he take along with the rage? His freedom? His happiness— 

“Is there happiness for you now?” the voice of compassion asked. “Your daughters are dead…”

Vander wanted nothing more than to rip the voice from his throat. 

“That isn’t you talking, Vander…” 

Who were they to talk about what was real and what wasn’t? How could he be sure they were even real? Vander slashed one of his beast-like claws around haphazardly, trying to strike his incorporeal foe. He was stopped by the chain that bound him to the ground, only allowing the smallest of movements. 

“I am not your enemy.” 

Yet the kids were gone, and Vander was nothing more than a prisoner. 

“I can bring them back… only if you were to help me.” 

And what would that entail—what would be its cost? This voice may’ve sounded the same as the one willing to give anything to help Vander regain control, but Vander heard more than tone. He heard the deceit. All he cared for was the beast-like body that Vander was wrestling against for control. 

“You cannot expect me to give you everything and ask for nothing in return, Vander.”

But what were the promises? To be united again? He’d seen what this unity meant. It’d take the humanity f—

“And what humanity do you have now?” the voice asked. How could he make that sound even remotely kind?

It was infuriating.

Vander slashed around again. It hit nothing. It made him angrier. He kept slashing. He cut his body, which regenerated in an instant. 

“You’ve murdered so many, and you’ll continue to murder—you call that humanity?” the voice continued, appearing everywhere but in the line of Vander’s ire. “Please, Vander, let me take this rage from you.” 

But Vander had known this rage all his life. He used to hate it. Condemned himself for years, especially after Silco… but it was him. He’d come to terms with it. He couldn’t relinquish something like that. No matter how he hated it. No matter how he suffered from it.

“Do you not want to remove this suffering?” the voice asked, “is that not what you want to remove from Zaun? All that unnecessary suffering to be taken away.” 

Yes. He did want to remove the suffering— 

“Then why don’t you let me help you?” 

Because there was helping, and then there was helping. You couldn’t just remove an inherent human emotion and call that helping. It would remove the point of his vision for Zaun entirely— 

“It’d bring about your vision.” 

It’d make a mockery of it. A twisted and warped version, just like Vander was now. 

The voice didn’t respond. 

Vander was left alone with his thoughts finally. He knew he wasn’t really alone. The voice always heard him, even if he didn’t respond. There wasn’t privacy for Vander, nothing to call his own. And that would be all Zaun knew under the voice’s reign. Which went against everything Vander believed in. 

Zaun united as one wasn’t under an overbearing dictator. They had that in Piltover already. It was Zaun’s citizens, through their differences and dislikes, working together despite everything. There would be disagreements, there would be times of hardship—but Zaun would flourish nonetheless. 

Their differences would make them stronger. 

It was what made Vander and Silco strong. 

Alone, yes, they were well off. Vander kept his grasp of the undercity through sheer dominating will, hands that could bend iron. But Silco kept it through his ability to bend wills. One or the other could keep a strangle hold on Zaun for a little while… they’d proved that—and against each other, ununited, they saw Zaun slip from their tight grasps. 

Together was the only way Zaun could prosper under them. And now that Silco was gone… 

Vander couldn’t do it. 

Others must take that spot. 

Vi and Powder had once been Vander’s hope. Sisters. Different, like Vander and Silco. But they never brought the best out of one another… 

Vander felt shackles bind his wrists. He tried using his inhuman strength to rip away from them, but nothing worked. He tried to look around, only to find his neck imobile too. 

“I see your problem, Viktor,” came the conductor of Vander’s nightmares—Reveck. A former informant for both Vander and Silco before he (and Silco) went awol. “I had thought my serum would… remove … this little problem, but it seems—rather extraordinarily—the man remains within the beast…” 

The beast was the man, Vander thought. 

“But I don’t see why you cannot remove him yourself…” Reveck continued. “Surely his will isn’t stronger than your own?” 

Vander knew it was. And so long as that will remained within him, Viktor would never have control over this body.

“I would rather do it with his permission,” said Viktor. 

The voice of kindness, everyone! Vander thought, disgusted. Let me remove you from yourself—only if you want, that is. What a joke. None with anything to lose would fall for it. 

Would Reveck let Viktor do it? 

“You’re still communicating with him?” Reveck asked. 

“While he does not speak, he continues to fight. His thoughts are wild, unfiltered, but there—layered within the beast.” 

“Remarkable…” said Reveck, tone almost reverent. “And so, I assume, unlike the others, he remains untied to you?” 

The others were tied to Viktor? How— 

“It would seem that way…” 

Reveck stepped toward Vander, inspecting him in a way that felt far too close and intimate. 

“We are running out of time to bring him into the fold,” said Viktor. “The longer we wait, the more time Jayce and Piltover have.” 

“Ambessa is getting to you,” said Reveck. “Her restless hunger knows no bounds… it’ll be her downfall—after all, once it’s all said and done, will she get to walk out of Piltover with Hextech?” 

Viktor didn’t respond for a moment, and Reveck’s question hung heavy in the air. 

Vander was slow on the uptake. Surely Viktor didn’t want to let Ambessa Medarda—a Noxian—wield Hextech. That would go against his very plan of unity…

“Hextech was never meant for weaponry…” said Viktor. “I will not allow her to use it as such… not that she’ll have any need, given our victory over Piltover.”

Reveck nodded. “Give me some time, I think I may be able to bring Vander to keel…” 

“Continue your work, Doctor. I must rest,” said Viktor. 

Viktor left. 

“So, Vander, what is keeping you going?” Reveck asked. “Surely you understand by now the severity of your situation.” 

Yes. If Viktor finally got bored with the games, he’d be no better than a puppet. No words came out, though. Not that Reveck seemed to care. 

“I must admit, your survival plays more in the way of my interests than Viktors. He keeps you for the sheer fact that you are the first to deny him. Others in your situation came begging and pleading for salvation—you have not.” 

And what happened when he got bored of the denial? 

“No doubt you know he’ll warp this view of wanting salvation as best he can… plant that idea in your head, until you believe he is right…” Reveck continued to scan over Vander, running his hand along different parts of his body. “He’s tried to do it with me…” 

Like Reveck wanted salvation. The man knew nothing but his work. Long ago, Vander had held some respect for the man, when he was a gifted mind looking after his wife and child. But Reveck had fallen long and far since then. Like Vander, he was a bastardised version of the man he’d once been. 

Vander had seen it first hand over the years as Reveck forced life back into him. Reveck had spoken to him of his daughter's ailment . He wondered just how many people knew that was Revecks only care—

“He’s spoken of the ways he can bring my daughter back… but we both know what he’d do to her—what he’d do to all he sinks his teeth into…” Reveck stood back. “I cannot free you from him.”

Vander didn’t expect him to. 

“I am only here to collect from you what I need for my daughter,” Reveck continued. “But you will remain out of his grasp… Perhaps, given the opportunity, I could’ve freed you from this prison—let Viktor have his beast. And maybe I could’ve found you a different body after that… something… lesser, in Viktors eyes… more human.” 

 Vander didn’t want Reveck to mess with him again. Yes he’d brought him back from the brink, but it was a half-life he was living. An experiment only to help Reveck with his daughter's affliction. There was nothing more Reveck cared for. No line he wouldn’t cross if it gave him his daughter back. 

Some small part of Vander respected that. Because wasn’t that the same thing that kept him going? That unyielding, unwavering need… 

“I care not for the state of the world, Vander. And I only tell you this, as I intend to go where he cannot find me… I will allow you to continue in hopes that somehow Viktor’s dreams of grandeur fail… as, should you remain if he fails, I hope to have found the knowledge to help you as you have unwittingly helped me.” 

Reveck injected Vander with some contraption of his, and sucked out blood and who knew what else. It was excruciating, and Vander began to rip away from his binds until the pain stopped and he was left panting like a dog. 

“Before I go, I wish to leave you with one last thing, Vander…”

What could he possibly give Vander? Everything he’d done to Vander was nothing but pain…

“Your daughters are alive..."

Chapter Text

Vi watched from the side as Caitlyn and Jayce spoke. They were in his lab, where he’d been building Caitlyn’s latest rifle. It was one of only a few weapons he’d agreed to make. 

“If you get a clear shot on Viktor, Cait, I need you to take it.”

“What happened between you and Viktor that made you want to kill him?” Caitlyn asked. “He was your partner.” 

Jayce hadn’t looked like the man of progress since the first time Vi had seen him in the council building all those months ago. Since then, he’d gone on an increasingly downward spiral. His hair was long and half-matted, and his eyes hung heavy on his face. A far cry from the pretty face he once was. 

“It’s not him in there anymore,” Jayce said. 

“How can you be sure?” Caitlyn questioned. “He was your friend.” 

“I just am, alright,” said Jayce.

“You don’t sound it,” said Vi. 

“I don’t want Viktor dead…” Jayce said quietly, “but he can’t be allowed to get through to the Hexgates… from there he’ll bring about his glorious evolution upon the entire world… everything that makes us different—what makes us unique—will be ripped from us.” 

“Can’t you talk him down?” 

“There is no reasoning with a monster.” 

“Is he a monster, though?” Caitlyn asked. “... we’ve seen first hand in Jinx a monster, only to be shown another side of her given the opportunity.” 

“I don’t mean to be rude, Cait, but Jinx is a girl. Viktor can rip your humanity from you and make it seem like a good thing—something you want.” 

“Still,” said Vi. “If that is the case, how are we going to stop him?” 

“I haven’t figured that out yet.” 

“And what have you figured out?” Vi demanded. “If we’re as fucked as you say we are, what’s the point in all this?” 

Jayce bit his cheek and looked away. 

“Is there something you’re not telling us, Jayce?” Caitlyn asked.

“I… it’s not something either of you will understand.” 

Vi scoffed. “More of your science shit?” 

“It’s to do with hextech, yes,” said Jayce. “But in truth I hardly even understand it.” 

“Can you give it to us in simple terms?” asked Caitlyn. 

“You won’t believe me.” 

“We won’t know until you tell us,” Vi grumbled. 

“After Jinx’s attack on the council, when Viktor awoke and left to start helping those in the undercity, Ekko and Heimerdinger came to me for help regarding his tree.” 

“Why?” 

“The hexgates have an underground failsafe, and that had been… polluting the undercity—it was—still is—killing Ekko’s tree,” said Jayce, wincing at Vi as if admitting that he’d done further damage to the undercity would get him punched—if they weren’t in such a situation, it would’ve. “I took them to see it, only to find something beyond anything I could’ve foreseen…” Jayce shook his head as if he knew he was missing things out, and picked up Caitlyn’s rifle, plucked the hextech gemstone from it and held it out for them to see. “Viktor and I found a way to communicate with the arcane using runes and gemstones.”

“You’re losing me,” said Vi.

“The runes and gemstones are a manmade configuration of natural, wild versions of the arcane…” said Jayce. “Heimerdinger, Ekko and myself stumbled upon a natural reaction to the hexgates, a mirror, if you would. But wild—unstable. Something Viktor, as he is now, can harness.” 

“And we’re trying to stop him getting to it?” 

“Yes…”

“Why wouldn’t we believe that?” 

“Because there’s more,” said Jayce. “Viktor has already gotten to it.” 

“What?” 

“Not our Viktor. Another one.” 

Vi blinked at him, and looked at Caitlyn to see if she understood any better than her. She didn’t. 

Jayce recognised this, he sighed, put the gemstone down and sat against the large anvil. “When I was gone, it was because Viktor took me from this universe—this reality—and put me into his. Showed me the end of it all, how we lose and how he wins.” 

“You’re joking, right?” 

“I wish…” 

“Wait wait,” said Caitlyn. “When were you taken—around the time you met up with Heimerdinger and Ekko?” 

“When we went to see the hextech failsafe, and found the wild rune, yes.” 

“And they weren’t taken with you?” 

“No. It’s why I asked Sevika if she’d seen Heimerdinger with Ekko—'cause if he’d made it back, as well, that means Heimerdinger might’ve too,” said Jayce. “How Ekko made it back is beyond even me, as I was sent back—” He cut himself off, as if he wasn’t meant to say that. 

“You were sent back?” Vi asked. 

Jayce closed his eyes. “Viktor sent me back to make sure he didn’t succeed.” 

“That’s what you mean when he already has access to this wild rune?” asked Caitlyn. 

“Yes.” 

“And he asked you to kill him?” Vi asked. 

“Yes.” 

“Are you sure? Or did he make it seem like that just so he can succeed this time too?” 

Jayce blinked at Vi, and shook his head vehemently. “No. Viktor wouldn’t!” 

“Yet he already did,” said Vi, folding her arms—unconvinced. “Sounds to me this is all a roundabout tactic to have him end up winning all over again using his magic powers.”

“You didn’t see him,” said Jayce with an unyielding conviction. “The remorse I saw in his eyes wasn’t fake.” 

“If he did feel remorse then why didn’t you say you might be able to talk him down?” Caitlyn asked. “If you’d told us that from the start we wouldn’t have questioned you.” 

“Because as he is now there is no talking him down,” said Jayce. “And as much as it pains me to say it, him winning, and taking over this world may be the only way he sees the light.” 

“So he must die?” asked Vi. 

“Unless you’ve got a better idea.” 

“Can’t you show him this other world?” asked Caitlyn. 

“If you’re asking if I could lure him to the wild rune and hope the other him sweeps him away before he gains control of everything and anything, no.” 

“And there isn’t a way to control this ourselves?” asked Vi. 

“Not that I know of…” said Jayce, and then his eyes widened. “ Ekko!… ” he said, as if it were the key to everything. 

“What about him?” 

“He… if he was also transported to another reality, and somehow made it back…” 

“He might know a way to hop between realities himself,” said Caitlyn. 

“That’s a long shot,” said Vi. “This all hinges on the fact Ekko didn’t get sent back himself.”

“It’s the best we’ve got.”