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Ekko slipped his mask into his bag before turning onto one of the busier streets of the undercity, not wanting to risk anyone finding the Firelights’ hideout or connecting him with their leader. He, for once, wasn’t on a mission. He didn’t have anywhere to be until later that night when they were supposed to be intercepting a shimmer deal. They’d been tipped off about the time and location of this deal a week ago, and he would be damned if he let it happen.
However, until then he was free to roam the streets of Zaun like he had as a kid. It felt like ages ago that he’d been that bright-eyed, curious little kid living with Benzo. He had a group now, something special and a real community in the midst of the chaos Silco had created down there. Yet, there was something so bittersweet about reflecting on his childhood. Sure, it wasn’t great. Rarely did anyone have a good childhood in a place like that, but he had his good moments.
He really missed the people he’d lost since then: Benzo, Vander, Vi, Mylo, Claggor, Powder… They were all gone. Ekko didn’t feel alone without them, but he felt as if he were missing a piece of himself. His history was so brutally changed within a couple of days eight years before. It was really a miracle he had survived let alone made it to where he was now with the Firelights. He was grateful to be alive and making a difference in the undercity.
He rounded another corner and instantly spotted something that made him stop in his tracks: bright blue hair.
No.
It couldn’t be her.
Could it?
“Powder?” He called hesitantly.
The blue-haired girl stopped and slowly turned to face him. He could see now that she was around his age wearing punk clothes with her long blue braids. Her face was different, but he could tell who it was even after all those years.
It was Powder.
But…it wasn’t.
“Ekko?” Her voice was familiar yet changed.
Alarms were setting off in his head. He knew where she had been, what she had done, and who she had become since they were kids. Yet, he still had hope that this was the girl he’d learned to fight with all those years ago. The girl who taught him to kiss. The girl he loved.
Her face seemed to light up with joy when she recognized it was really him. She ran up the street towards him, but didn’t stop once she reached him. The woman barrelled into him and, before he could protest, was wrapping arms around his neck. He hesitated for a moment before letting his hands rest on her waist. They hugged for a few moments before she pulled back and cupped his face.
“It’s been so long. I’ve missed you.” She said softly with a grin.
“I’ve missed you too.” Ekko answered honestly. He knew this wasn’t really Powder before him, but he did miss who she used to be.
She dropped her hands and bounced backwards a few steps, still smiling.
“Also, it’s Jinx now.” She told him. “Not sure if you’ve heard.”
“Yeah, I heard.” He stated simply. He wanted so badly to pretend this was normal for them to be talking, but that name served only as a reminder of what Powder was now: dead.
Jinx seemed to sense something was off by the curious look in her eyes, but she didn’t let it dampen her bubbly mood.
“Soooo, what have you been up to down here? I haven’t seen you in ages.” She asked.
Ekko sighed. “Well, mainly I’ve been saving other Zaunites,” He paused and held her with a steady gaze. “from Silco and his goons.”
Jinx’s demeanor instantly changed. She crossed her arms over herself and narrowed her eyes at him.
“Silco isn’t trying to hurt anyone. He’s fighting for our freedom.” She said with so much conviction that Ekko could almost believe it.
But he’d seen firsthand what Silco was capable of.
“He’s got a real funny way of doing that by putting shimmer on the streets. Or how about causing issues topside so that the enforcers come hunting us down? I don’t see how that’s helping us at all.”
Jinx scoffed. “If you wanted to fight with me, why not just say so? Instead of leading me to think you actually wanted to see me?”
“I did.” Ekko admitted. “I did really want to see you, but Powder-”
“Powder’s gone!” Jinx snapped.
Ekko chuckled in disbelief that he’d actually thought he could have a true conversation with her after she’d become Jinx. She was too close to Silco for him to ever trust her again. He was fighting a different cause from her now, and she wouldn’t ever understand that.
“I know. Powder’s dead, right?” Ekko replied finally.
Jinx widened her eyes at him, but remained silent.
“You ran off with Silco and left me here to fix what you keep breaking.” Ekko continued. “Everyone’s gone now but us, and you killed the part of you that I wanted to see. You killed Powder, and now it’s just Jinx. Right?”
Jinx shook her head slightly, then snapped her head to the side. “Shut up! That’s not what he said!” She said out loud, but it didn’t seem directed at Ekko. She turned back to him, rolled her shoulders back, and spoke to him again. “So, do you really have nothing to say to me if I’m Jinx?”
Ekko regretted the direction the conversation was already taking, but what else could he say? He’d painted her face along with everyone else in the mural of people they’d lost because he had lost her. Jinx wasn’t Powder, she just had the same voice and face but even that was different from eight years ago.
He sighed and dropped his tough appearance.
“I wish things were different for us.” He said finally.
Jinx cocked her head in curiosity but said nothing.
“Do you remember that day in the alley when we were learning how to fight?” Ekko asked.
Jinx twitched slightly but answered with an even tone, “Which time?”
“When we-” Ekko shook his head with a small smile at how ridiculous this moment was. “When you also taught me how to kiss?”
Jinx widened her eyes then Ekko watched as her gaze softened and she smiled too. “We were so young back then.”
“Yeah, and had no clue about anything. Just wanted to fight and kiss like the older kids did.”
“Do you miss it?” Jinx asked.
“Sometimes, but mostly I just wish things ended up differently. That maybe you’d be by my side now and not his. That we could help people together like we used to want to.” Ekko looked into her eyes. “So like I said, I just wish things were different for us.”
He had put so much on the line by admitting to that, but he didn’t care. He needed her to know. He could only hope now that the sweet girl he used to know would still be present enough to react to that without shredding his last bit of hope for her. Ekko missed Powder, obviously, but he wanted Jinx to be someone he could know so badly it ached. He had to have hope for her or else it would destroy him.
Jinx was quiet for a long moment. Then finally she shook her head and said, “You are different.”
Ekko was shocked by this response. “What do you mean?”
She wore a bitter expression. “You think you’re better than me. Some boy savior that can make a difference while I’m a fuck up. Right? You don’t wish you were different, you just wish I was.”
She took a step towards him.
“Well forget it. I’m not gonna change for you or anyone. I especially don’t want to be a part of some delusional scheme to save everyone from other Zaunites while topside is ruining our lives from above.”
Jinx poked Ekko in the chest firmly.
“You can forget me, okay? We aren’t fighting the same war right now, and I’m not gonna let you get in my way.”
Ekko stepped back away from her and she dropped her hand.
“Fine, just don’t get in mine either.” He said simply.
She smiled devilishly. “You got it, boy savior. Won’t be having me knocking on your door anytime soon.”
With that, Jinx turned back towards the way she had been going before and disappeared into the crowd. Ekko turned around and went back to the hideout. All desire to explore the undercity wiped clean from his mind. The only thing on his mind now was Jinx. He tried not to let it destroy him, but he could feel his heart breaking with each step away from her.
Ekko could only hope that would be the last time he’d ever have to see her.
Because if not, there was a good chance he might just kill her for what she’d done to Zaun by Silco’s side. He really, really didn’t want it to come to that, but the ball was in her court now. Hopefully, for her own sake, Jinx would actually stay out of his way.