Chapter Text
Why was he so nervous over something that seemed so simple?
Jayce walked through the crowded streets of Piltover, concealed in a hooded cloak to ensure no one would spot him, with the help of protesters blocking him off from their view.
Back when he was a student at Piktover Academy, he could walk past every single resident there without worrying whether they would pay him a second thought. But now, with the large statue the council had built to parade his sacrifice and push their continuous agenda of a city built on 'progress at all costs,' it was a risk for him to go out in public.
He told a few of the others about his idea, and even though they insisted he wait, Jayce refused. For the past few weeks, he's thought of going to see her, but there was always something holding him back from committing to it. Jayce wasn't sure if it was regret for not going to see her sooner or shame for allowing her to think the last of her family was dead for two years.
After his father died, she tried to be strong for the two of them, but he could always see just how badly she was hurting. Whenever he tried to offer help, such as taking on a second job to help pay off their debt, she would sway him away and tell him to save the money for himself. No matter how hard he pushed, it always came down to funding his education.
She believed the time she could've spent in the sun had passed long ago, but at the same time, she thought that her son would be the one to shine brighter than the sun. Anyone could imagine the relief she felt when the Kiramman family recognized his potential, going so far as to pay for his schooling and trips around Runeterra. None of them had a clue what he was really doing out there, but it still felt nice to have a wall of financial support behind him.
It's weird how things can change in the blink of an eye. One day, he was preaching about the value of hextech, and the next, he was watching as Piltover's own walls of support slowly deteriorated by the second. When Ekko finally agreed to discuss his plans with Jinx, a few changes were made to ensure that the movement itself would remain in Zaun's best interest.
The last thing Jayce wants is for either side to fall into yet another war where the innocents would pay the price. As much as Ekko seemed to agree that he didn't like putting other lives on the line, the difference between them was not only that Zaun remained loyal, but Jayce hadn't yet understood the means behind the cost.
It wouldn't be won through exploitation, but the hard truth was that people could die. What they were doing would lead to fighting, no matter how they tried to put it. War was only a few steps from the line between their competing ideals.
For however long it lasted, a majority of the vast lower-class population still chose to follow. Just as they did to Vander and Silco, they set their broken sights onto the pair who weren't afraid of pissing off the clans of Piltover.
However, some concern remained in his mind. Ekko was changing at an alarming rate, to which everyone seemed to have already noticed with slight concern. The morals he held close to his heart remained, but his outlook on what was to come was different from what it had been before. Now, whether it be his need to prove himself as capable as the old version of Ekko or a shift in how he understands the world, the conditions he faced reinforced a hard truth he had almost forgotten.
The price of freedom would always entail sacrifice. Fairytales won't save the Undercity from the cruelty inflicted upon them, and neither will praying to an old god no one was sure even existed. But rather than using his community to shelter himself, Ekko was part of it.
Ugh.
Jayce couldn't help but think about how he needs to learn how to focus on one thing at a time. If he thinks about Piltover and Zaun, then he'll find a way to delude himself into not going to see his mother. She deserves—no, she has a right to know.
Just like Mel.
Dammit, Jayce, remember to focus on one thing at a time. That situation is complicated enough to deal with.
Just as he had hoped, the house she had resided in two years ago remained intact, with evidence of inhabitants still inside. Thankfully, he left her more than enough money to take care of herself when he disappeared. It doesn't make up for now, but at least he could think of it as a sentimental start.
His fingers trembled as they removed the rusted latch, pushing the gate open to give him a good view of the front yard. She always was a control freak when it came to cleanliness, so it only made sense that her own garden could put the Council's personal greenery to shame. He could smell the scent of all the flowers nearby, noting the most familiar of them all was a white rose.
Her favorite.
Jayce locked his sights onto the front door in front of him, causing his knees to feel weak. Every step he made to close that distance felt like a boulder crushing him from on top of his shoulders. It may have been one of the hardest things he had to do. Ironic, considering that in the past, he had to fight a magic god.
In time, he made his way up the steps and looked at the copper hammer-shaped knocker on the wooden door.
His family crest. It was the first piece he made with his father's help, and after all this time, she was still using it to this day.
After taking in a deep breath, he let the air from his lungs that had been trapped to exhale through his lips. With little composure, he brought his hand up to the knocker and pulled it back.
Thud.
Silence followed.
Minutes passed, and no one had come to the door. It wasn't worrying by any means, but it did leave him confused since it was only the afternoon, and it was clear that someone was home.
But was it possible that she wasn't? Maybe—
A click came from the handle, ripping Jayce out of his state of mind. The door swung open, and there, he was met with a familiar pair of eyes studying his face. She didn't gasp, she didn't breathe, and she didn't even move. She was stuck, studying the face of a thought to be a ghost, desperately trying to figure out whether or not her mind was playing tricks on her.
He swallowed a deep gasp of air that became hitched in his throat, prompting him to make the first move. "Hello, Mamá."
The title alone was enough to snap her back into consciousness. Her pupils widened, her hands trembled at her sides, and the gasp she let out sounded like a wounded bird.
Two years. Two years she spent mourning, of Friday nights spent alone eating dinner, and of folding clothes from his childhood. In the past, Jayce tried to donate the clothing, but his mom insisted on keeping it for the sake of memories. Little did she know that for a time, they would be all she had left of him.
"Jayce?" Her voice finally came, fractured by all of the overwhelming emotions at the sight of her son standing in front of her. His presence was surprising, but she wasn't expecting him to look so tired as well.
She stepped forward, pressing a hand to his cheek to confirm he was real. At first, she remained skeptical, seeing the ordeal as another cruel joke the world was playing on her, until she looked into those amber-colored eyes. The soul behind them was in pain, but she could unmistakably recognize the essence as her son.
"Mamá—"
A quick slap across his face immediately shut down Jayce. He placed his hand over the stinging red skin, looking back to see his mother not weeping, but pulsating with rage and sadness.
"No!" She exclaimed, voice cracking. "Two years! Two years I grieved for you! I buried an empty coffin because they told me there was nothing left. And you choose to stand before me now? Now?!"
Raising his hand, Jayce tried to step forward. "I know, I—"
"You know?" Ximena questioned, almost scoffing. "It hurt enough to think you were gone the first time, but to disappear again? What, am I going to lose my child a third time?!"
Her chest heaved with ragged breaths, filling Jayce with more guilt than before. He believed he had stayed behind for the right reasons, but she had a right to be mad at him. He deserved it, knowing that she was releasing all of her unspent anger upon him.
He was expecting to hear a continuous stream of anger escape from her lips, but was instead met with the sound of a choked sob tearing at her throat. She crumpled forward, her fists clenching the fabric of his cloak to keep herself upright. "Stupid," she whispered. "You stupid, reckless boy."
In her time of weakness, Jayce wrapped his arms around her frame, hugging her tightly. Her shoulders shook violently, but she hugged him back, perhaps tighter than he could. The action allowed for a slight tear to build in his eye, but it wasn't enough to escape. "I'm here now."
"But you weren't here…" Ximena cried with a shudder. "Where did you go?"
Jayce sighed, pulling back slightly with his hands on her shoulders. "I had to stay behind. I didn't have any other choice."
When the tears were wiped from her eyes, she set her gaze upon his face once more, hearing the tremble in his voice. She could see the ways he tried to hide the imperfections by cleaning himself up as much as he could, but a mother's intuition was impossible to evade. Aside from the scarring, the permanent creases near his nose and eyes not only hinted at the stress he was put under, but as well as the heightened age in his appearance.
This time, when she brought her hand up to his face, she caressed his cheek, and Jayce followed suit, allowing his hands to fall to his sides.
"You look so tired," she commented, feeling the pain of the statement invade her heart.
"I am tired, Ma," he admitted in a quiet tone.
Ximena ran her thumb along the crease on his cheek, realizing that each line was carved into him by more than time. With a sigh that mirrored his own, she stepped back and opened up enough space for Jayce to walk inside. "Come in."
With a nod, Jayce acknowledged her request and walked through the doorway into the place he used to call home. The scent of flowers from earlier had brought back a wave of memories, but it was something else entirely when he caught a waft of wood polish.
"Take off that cloak," she asked calmly, closing the front door behind her before quickly moving to the kitchen. "You look homeless."
He chuckled in response, telling her as he objlijed her request by setting it on the coat rack, "That's the idea, Ma."
Before he was old enough to help his father in the forge, he was tasked with helping his mother with chores around the house. She always feared having guests, so cleaning and polishing were almost a deadly ritual, as dramatic as it sounds. He absolutely hated every second of it.
In the corner of the hall, a grandfather clock ticked away with every passing second, and off to the right of it was a cracked ceramic teapot. Jayce spent months perfecting the form to create a gift for his parents, but on the day he was supposed to give it to them, he dropped it. He was heartbroken, but both his mother and his father put his mind at ease, letting him know that the minor imperfection it had didn't stop it from shining as brightly as their other dishware.
Everything felt so familiar, and so unknown to him at the same time. It was like he was a ghost in his own home, haunting the walls he used to find comfort in. The worst part of it all was seeing the altar they had at the end of the hall with a picture of his father. They made it together after he passed, but now, a framed photo of Jayce was placed right beside him.
The snap of a finger broke his concentration, prompting him to turn his attention toward the kitchen, where his mother waited with two steaming mugs on the table.
Dark coffee, with a taste that was bitter and unforgiving.
A sign?
Maybe. She always did prefer tea.
"Sit," Ximena requested firmly. "We drink, then we talk."
Jayce nodded his head again, not giving a verbal answer. He sat at the table in a seat across from her, taking the mug she graciously pushed into his hands so he could bring the hot substance to his lips.
He swallowed it down, and it was still as awful as he remembered. Though there was some solace in it with the way its heat warmed his cold fingertips. It was small, but it helped with the awkwardness of the situation.
For a while, the silence between them stretched out, with the only interruptions being the grandfather clock's constant ticking and the way Ximena tried burning two holes into his head because of how long she was waiting to hear him explain the circumstances behind his disappearance.
"Do you remember that other world I told you about?" he muttered. "The one where I failed."
While skeptical, she raised an eyebrow over the question as she took her mug to take a sip from her hot drink. "Of course. You slept in your old bed that same night, and I was worried you were going to catch a cold with how much you twitched in your sleep."
If only she knew what really happened.
"Okay," Jayce went on, taking a breath to compose himself. "After Viktor, our Viktor and I, fought, I was able to spare a few seconds to reconcile with him." In that moment, he lifted his sleeve, revealing the stone embedded in his wrist. "Then my rune seemed to activate. It pulled us through a tear in reality, and we ended up in an entirely new version of Piltover. But this time there wasn't any fighting. There was mostly peace, aside from a few internal issues."
The news caused her hand to come to a quick stop, sloshing the liquid over the rim as it scalded her fingers. But she didn't flinch. Ximena looked down at the rune, examining what looked to be a disease spreading along with it. "Is it killing you?" She asked with worry.
"No, I don't think so," Jayce replied. "It's spreading, but it's at a slow rate, and I don't think the rune aims to kill its host."
She watched the familiar stone pulse faintly, reaching out to trace the edges where it met the flesh of his wrist. She wanted more answers to what the rune was, but the moment she heard the story of a Piltover living in peace, she couldn't help but ask for more.
"Peace?" Xilmena mocked playfully with a cackle. "In Piltover of all places?"
Jayce pulled down his sleeves, covering the rune as he twisted his hand. "I'm being serious, Mamá. Children of both Zaun and Piltover played in the streets without worry. The Chem-Baron organization was never formed, and a large portion of the Undercity was supplied with clean air."
He himself traced the edges of the rune from over his sleeves, looking down at his fingers in disbelief at what he witnessed. "It was beautiful. There were still flaws and problems, but they became what we never were. A city built on progress. But that's not even the strangest thing. When we first arrived, Viktor's transformation was completely reversed."
Xilmena looked at him with curiosity, and Jayce was forced to watch as it turned into a form of anger in her features.
"So, you abandoned your home to live in a dream world, is that it? Was this one not good enough for you?"
Out of instinct, Jayce's hand shot over to her and held it tight. He thought a physical connection had to be made to make sure she wouldn't get too mad too fast. "No, no, Ma. That's not why I stayed. I promise that's not it."
"Then please," she begged with a shudder. "Tell me what was so important that you needed to stay there."
His hold on her weakened, causing him to pull back and fold his hands together in front of him. "We were stuck there," Jayce began. "But we formed allies. They helped us build the machine to take us back, but there were… complications."
The last word made her hands tighten around her mug, the heat contributing to her already sweaty palms. She tilted her head slightly as her intrigue reached its peak.
Jayce brought his hand up to his shoulder, gripping it firmly. He held that same pressure for a few seconds before slightly easing it, almost massaging it as Viktor had when they'd spent endless nights working late to get the machine working.
"Viktor wanted to stay behind," he finally stated. "He blamed himself for everything that happened, and he attempted to impose a self-exile. We talked, and we grew closer shortly after."
The grip Xilmena held on her mug loosened, and the expression on her face shifted from anger to something unreadable. "Closer?" She questioned, trying to pick up what he was trying to tell her.
With a raised hand to rub against his temple, Jayce sighed, knowing this would be the moment. He's rehearsed it countless times in the past, but he's never worked up the courage to tell her. The worst part was how the words he wanted to use felt so clumsy for a reason he couldn't name. "Yes. We were more than partners by the end."
It took her a second to understand, but once she did, she set her cup on the table and leaned back in her chair. The silent suspense that followed filled the air with enough tension to make it feel like he was drowning in a bottomless sea. Jayce dropped his hand down a bit to pull at the collar of his shirt, suddenly feeling a wave of heat wash over him.
"Jayce," Xilmena finally began, breaking the barrier that had taken form once she collected her thoughts. "Why were you so worried to tell me all this?"
Stunned, Jayce stammered with his words, unsure of what to say or ask her. She rolled her eyes in response to the confusion, and she leaned forward with her cup in hand again. "Jayce, my stupid boy, as long as you are happy, I do not care who you take as a partner." Her lips were hidden behind the cup, but he could see the way the ends curled. It wasn't out of anger, but something far worse for him.
Amusement.
She set the mug between her cupped hands, still visibly annoyed at Jayce, even with the humor of the subject they were discussing. "Though I am hardly surprised. You two always did spend so much time together."
Jayce blinked, trying to think of ways to defend himself. "I mean, I don't think I was that obvious."
"Jayce," she started in a teasing manner. "You may not have realized it then, but I could tell there was at least a spark between the two of you."
His face burned red hot, his mind continuing to conjure up ideas of how he could deflect the conversation, only to come up with nothing. "Was it that obvious at the time?"
"A little," she joked, putting the matter to bed in her own way. "Though I am a little confused, Jayce. With the way you spoke of Mel, I assumed you and her were…?"
The support she offered was comforting, but her prying hands were much like Ekko's when he spoke with him. Always chasing the deeper truth that Jayce felt was unknown to even him.
"We were," he corrected, not allowing an ounce of doubt to creep its way into his tone. She loved him, and he loved her; that much was true. "That never went away. It’s just, I didn't know if we could even make it back home, and he needed me. Just as I needed his support.”
After looking down at the rune in his arm, he pressed his finger against it lightly and took a breath of air to compose himself for the wave of grief he still had to overcome. "But then his sickness returned. The theory is that the journey into the other world reversed his transformation and placed him back at square one."
Xilmena froze in front of him, fully understanding the weight behind his words. She reached her hand out to him, but he pulled away and closed his eyes to hide from the reality taking place before him. "Just like before, I was useless," he began through a shaky breath and a tear that finally broke its way out through clenched eyelids. "He needed help, and once again, there was nothing I could do but sit back and watch him die."
His fingers curled into fists, his nails digging into the edge of his arm where flesh met the cold stone of the cursed rune. Through gritted teeth, he managed to fight through the battle taking place within his mind, telling his mother, "And you wanna know the oddest thing? He told me he was at peace with it. That he wanted to use what little time he had left just living."
Xilmena didn't utter a word yet. She watched him closely, with the patience only a mother can develop over the time she has spent watching her son.
"He…" Jayce swallowed hard, bringing his fist up to wipe the tear from his face as the memory pressed against his heart like a sharp knife. "We found out how to come back soon after the news, but I couldn't let him live out his days alone. I'm sorry for disappearing for so long, but please try to understand why I did it."
The clock continued to tick, and a droplet finally met the wooden table. It was not from the mug, but rather the cold streak that ran down his scarred face. Then, without hesitation, his mother sat up and walked around the table. She kneeled, placing her palms on each side of his face, almost to cradle him in the way she did to clean him when he'd come home from fighting off some bully.
The act forced him to meet her gleaming gaze of understanding, as her hands wiped away the streams of tears from his cheeks. Although the pair of hands felt calloused from years of gardening, they still felt soft in a weird way. She was always so gentle with her approaches.
"Answer me this," she spoke, capturing his attention when he had nothing else to focus on. "Were you there for him?"
"I was," Jayce returned, unsure of where this was going. “But it never felt like enough.”
"My boy, sometimes your presence in a moment of need is all a person can ask for. He is gone, but it’s important to remember that it was not for nothing."
He opened his mouth, but she shut it with a finger to his lips, refusing to let doubt overtake his conscience for something he surely knew was not his fault.
"I know it's hard," she continued calmly. "It becomes so easy to blame yourself for not doing more. I was the same way with your father. Doubt will always remain, but the choice you made will forever show that you cared above all else. You stayed true to who you are, and you showed compassion. That is simply who you are, Jayce Talis. A good man."
His breath hitched once he pulled away from her touch, trying to accept every word as truth, despite the hatred he held toward his own being for not fighting more to save him from a fate that became inevitable.
Even though he pulled away, she continued, telling her son, "That is a virtue you must never lose in this world. So I ask this of you but one time, did you love him, and did he love you?"
Jayce opened his mouth, this time uninterrupted. "Yes."
"Then that is enough," Xilmena desperately tried to explain, accounting for her own experience from when she lost her husband. "It may not feel like it all the time, but it is the truth."
She stood up from the ground and nearly smothered him with her apron when she hugged him. Honestly, she might've smothered him when she saw him at the front door. "Now, you will stay for dinner. No arguments will be made about that."
He opened his mouth again, and like the time when he was a child, she silenced him with a glare. "Before you ask, yes, I remember that my own son hates meatloaf. You're lucky I was making soup today."
A laugh escaped his lips, weak, but still refueled with life. She was always good at remembering.
She left for the kitchen, and just as fast as she left, she came back with two newly prepared bowls. Though at second glance, it looked like she gave him a mixing bowl by examining the sheer size of it in comparison to the one she used to gather her own portion. "You're too thin," she muttered. "Like you've been forgetting to eat."
"I kinda got out of the habit for a while," he returned, looking away to avoid the sure-to-be death-piercing glare of his angry mother over the comment.
"That boy, Viktor," she commented on him again. "Did he at least remind you?"
The question caught him off guard, causing a memory to flash before his eyes. On one night, the two were late at work with the Ekko and Powder of that world aiding them in their endeavor. A kitchen was on the far end of Powder's home, but none of them ever felt like they had the time to use it. So when Jayce's growling stomach grew too much for Viktor to bear any longer, he gave him a tin of spliced nuts to eat from.
It was thoughtful. He always cared for him, and he tried to make it up to Jayce whenever he could.
"He did."
His mother nodded once, showing her approval with one word. "Good."
He chuckled, using his spoon to play with his food for a moment while he reflected on their time. "You know what else he told me?"
She didn't respond verbally, but she did raise her head to signal her intrigue.
"It was like a last request," Jayce explained slowly. "He told me not to live in solitude. Did Pa' ever tell you something like that before he passed?"
She started chuckling then, as if exposing his final words to her for her son was preposterous. So instead, she changed the subject, "Do you still love Mel?"
The utensil in his hand stopped moving as Jayce's eyes lit up over the question, resulting in him nearly choking on the liquid he slurped from his bowl. If not for the grip he held, the spoon would've gone flying out of his hand as a reaction. Though eventually, he did respond. "I’ve always held her close to my heart."
"I see," she exclaimed. "Well, I'll have you know that when Caitlyn didn't have the time to visit, it was Mel's letters that helped me feel accompanied."
Shook, Jayce tilted his head in surprise, like he couldn't believe it. "She's kept in touch with you after all this time?"
"I believe she still does it due to my link with you, but yes. She misses you dearly, even to this day. I'm not sure how she gets anything out with what's going on in Noxus, but if you want, you can read a few of them."
As tempting as that sounded, he shook his head at the offer and raised his hand. "Thanks, but no. Whatever was said between you two will remain as it is."
She smiled and looked down at her meal, stirring the warm liquid inside the small bowl. "You always were a good boy. Stupid, and maybe naive, but good."
The comment made both of them chuckle over the truth in it. Before Jayce arrived, he thought the evening would be filled with nothing but anguish and shame, accompanied by arguments over right and wrong, but he couldn't have been farther from the reality of the situation. There were internal feelings, no doubt about that, and she had every right to be angry at him, and yet she held back. It was… nice.
As Jayce ate from his bowl, he looked up to examine the features of his mother's face once he came to a quick realization that snapped at his mind with the sharpness of his mother's cold gaze. She looked older now in the passage of two years. It wasn't that she looked tired or worn; the lines on her forehead and the bags under her eyes were more prominent now. Even the white strand of hair she had grew larger with its spreading, taking up more of her hair than before.
It was unfortunate, but it made him realize that it was not just two years they lost with each other, but it was time taken from his mother's life. It still hurts to know she likely spent that time alone, and even worse to know he could've come back sooner.
"I should've come sooner," he mumbled.
"You're here now," she commented, slurping from her spoon.
It wasn't forgiveness, but it was a start.
—
"Oh fuck, yes!" Back at the firelight base, Ekko and Jinx resided in their shower, with the blue-haired woman screaming out to her heart's content. Any louder and the rest of the base would be sure to hear them, even with all of the closed doors.
Jinx pressed herself against the wall, bringing her hands up to balance her stance as she bit down hard on her bottom lip. Ekko leaned in closer; the more she inched away, the more eager he was to finish the job bestowed upon him.
Out of breath, she whispered with clenched eyes, "Right there, don't stop…"
Ekko rolled his eyes into the back of his head with a chuckle, in full disbelief of the event taking place before him. "Does it really feel that good?" He questioned, almost with enough interest to scratch at his own head. "All I'm doing is washing your scalp."
She opened one eye and let out a breath of air, though it almost hitched in her throat over the laughter and exasperation that escaped her lips. "Shut up," Jinx spoke through a heavy chuckle, absorbing the feeling of his nails itching at the right spots on her scalp while her fingers dug into the shower wall.
Ekko chuckled as well out of amusement, taking a soapy lick in between his fingers. "I guess all you need to take down the big bad Jinx is basic hygiene."
"I said, shut it," Jinx ordered this time, groaning out of satisfaction.
A sound didn't find its way out from Ekko's lips this time, but Jinx could feel the essence of his stupid smile from behind her. She tilted her head by a slight amount to get a good look at his face, and was very quickly surprised to see him lean forward to kiss her shoulder before resting his head in the same place.
His hands moved away from her scalp and found themselves around her waist, allowing Ekko to rest against Jinx's body. She followed his example and placed one arm on top of the embrace around her waist and another over her shoulder to cup what was left of his unblocked face.
The warm water cascaded over their entangled bodies, giving them a moment of peace as their breathing synced with the splashing of water droplets against the floor.
With half-open eyes, Jinx broke the silence and calmly asked, "You're really making sure I look presentable for tonight. What's next? Are you going to brush my teeth for me? Maybe wipe away my makeup before I go to bed tonight?"
Ekko tilted his head a bit, resting his chin against the damp curve of her shoulder. "It wouldn't be the first time I've done either of those for you."
"I guess it wouldn't," she returned with a slight smile.
Just as Jinx was warming up to his touch, Ekko, for some reason, pulled away and stepped out from the shower. She looked over to make sure she was seeing clearly and was slightly disappointed to see him leaving with a towel around his body.
He was never one to leave so fast, especially when it came to having a moment with her, so Jinx quickly rinsed out her hair and stepped out to cover herself with a nearby towel. Upon leaving the bathroom, she saw Ekko drying himself off in a dour manner. The joy she felt radiating from his physical presence was gone, and that saddened her.
She was about to get ready herself until a lightbulb popped up over her head at the sight of a record player nearby. An idea sprang to life, and when Ekko turned around to grab a pair of pants, she swiped one of his large white shirts and a pair of black panties before tiptoeing to the device. There, she slotted in one of his records and cranked up the volume to capture his undivided attention.
Just as she planned, Ekko looked back without a clue of what was happening.
The rhythm from the lyrics flowed with the air in the room, making the two of them think back to the day when they were preparing for war. At the time, they grew closer despite their hardships, but a kiss was never exchanged. Only the tender moments were allowed, like painting on each other with conflicting and matching colors. In some ways, the smaller acts spoke more about their intimacy.
Still dripping with water, Jinx swayed over to Ekko with slow movements and exaggerated hips. His shirt, clearly too big for her, hung off her shoulders and almost served as a dress with its length.
Ekko zipped up his pants and watched her movements, nearly becoming hypnotized by them before shaking his head with a smile. "You want to dance? Right now?"
After seeing his spirits slowly uplift, Jinx felt more than dedicated to continue this streak. She kept her distance but outstretched her hand with wiggling fingers, feeding into the temptation. "C'mon, you scared you can't keep up?"
He always did like to be competitive, even over stuff like this. With a scoff, Ekko made Jinx yelp when he grabbed her by the hand, pulling her in close with her leg resting upon his waist. His hand gently rested on her back, and the other hand held hers upward.
As their environment darkened and the floor below became a sheet of water, they each focused on their partner's features. No words were exchanged, but as always, more was spoken between them through acts.
Jinx dropped her leg, prompting Ekko to let go of her waist so he could twirl her around in a circle in front of him.
Stumbling, Jinx tried to hold her ground as she slid across the slickening floor, but Ekko's hold tightened then, steadying her before she could fall. She laughed in response, sending her head backward with wet hair to rest against his shoulder while his chest pressed against her back. The music thumped loudly enough to shake the droplets clinging to their damp skin, and their bodies spent a few seconds pressing together to shake off the cold.
It didn't take long for Jinx to separate herself again, twirling away with a grace that dragged Ekko along by his fingertips. The record, unfortunately scratched, compiled what it could of the damaged portion of the song together. For some people, this would stop their dance so they could figure out what's going on, but that wasn't the case for either Jinx or Ekko. It was imperfect, just like them, but still filled with emotion.
Soon the music swelled once more, and Ekko caught her mid-spin, resting his hands upon her hips. Jinx arched her back into him once more, her laughter muffled against his neck while his hands felt around the wet patches of the long shirt where her skin didn't fully dry. He dropped his head slightly, exhaling against her shoulder as her lips grazed his cheek in retaliation.
His grip loosened, giving Jinx the chance to turn in his arms, resting her hands against his chest. Her fingertips trailed along the warming skin, but her right hand stopped when she felt the increased thumping of his heart over her mere presence.
Ekko's thumbs reached the dips in her hips, and his movement that followed guided her former swaying into something less of a dance and more of a surrender to each other. The rhythm increased, prompting Jinx to look at Ekko with half-open eyes before looking down at his lips with greed. Their breath warmed each other's lips, but neither of them closed the distance.
Though before either of them could decide when it would be the right time to make a move, a droplet of water from Jinx's hair trailed down Ekko's face and rested on the corner of his mouth. She brought her head up, gently wiping away the fresh blotch of water with her lips without making the connection they both craved.
Ekko laughed, and although the music nearly drowned it out, it filled Jinx's heart. "Still playing dirty, aren't you?"
She grinned in response, showing her care ever so subtly. "You love it."
Then she caught something. A glimmer in his eye?
The sight made Jinx slide her index finger down his bare chest with a somber smile, silently hoping that she wasn't taking anything too far for him. "You crying on me now, Buster?" She joked, trying to make light of the situation. "I don't think I did anything to warrant that reaction."
Ekko chuckled a little as he tried to lean back while Jinx kept him close. "It's not that," he reassured. "I just…" Ekko began, only for his words to trail off into a quiet shudder.
She leaned forward, moving her hand upward to caress his cheek with loving worry. "Hey, what's going on, Little Man? You can tell me."
With a steady intake of air to ease his lungs, Ekko slowly closed his eyes and leaned into her touch. The palm of her hand felt so warm then. It was an odd change from the usual cold that resided between her fingertips, but it was still one he welcomed.
His conscience tried to hold him back from letting go of the admission, but after swallowing down his pride, he forced the words out from his lips.
"Baby, when they had me, I didn't know if I'd ever get to see you again," Ekko explained as he opened his eyes to stare deeply into the pink glow of her soul. "Let alone feel you."
Her heart felt as if it had been ripped in two, causing her arm to cover her chest physically. She looked down at the tears that covered his face, and as he raised his hand to wipe them away, she stopped him. Instead of wiping them, she leaned her head upward and kissed the salty trails.
Ekko was left confused, and the strange act was enough to make him laugh out loud. Just as she was hoping it would.
"What was that for?" Ekko questioned, still snickering under his breath.
Jinx pulled away and grabbed another shirt from nearby, throwing it at Ekko for him to catch. "Just trying to cheer you up a bit," Jinx explained, removing his now-wet shirt from her body to grab her top and her newly fashioned cape. "Though, like you said, we should probably get ready."
Chuckling, Ekko put his shirt over his head and turned toward his workbench. "Well, you can't be prepared if you aren't well equipped."
When Jinx turned around, she watched as Ekko pulled out a reconstructed version of her rhino gun from behind his desk. Her jaw hung wide open, her body locked in place, her show and growing excitement emphasized as Ekko placed it steadily against the wall.
"It took me about a month to make because of your confusing schematics and unorganized notes, but I think it—"
Before he knew it, Jinx was pouncing at him like a cat. She landed against his body, sending Ekko flying into his desk with a forced grunt while her legs and arms wrapped around him tightly to form a warm embrace.
Once his mind processed what had just occurred, he slightly tilted his head to see Jinx's face resting against his shoulder. After spending two years with her, he knew what this was. Sometimes, when Jinx gets really excited, she can't find the words and communicates through physical contact instead.
Obviously, she was excited.
"I'm guessing you like it?" Ekko asked, sitting up from his desk, with one arm, looking around her back to hold her up.
All Jinx could say in response was "Mhm."
The simple word made him snort, and when he tried to let go so she could get down, Jinx only tightened her hold. Confused, Ekko looked over again and asked, "Are you going to—"
"Nope," Jinx interrupted. "I'm just going to stay here for a few minutes."
A sigh escaped his lips, but there wasn't a trace of annoyance laced in it.
Well, maybe a little.
"You're really gonna make me carry you around? I'm not the only one who has to get ready, by the way."
A grin found its way on her face, pulling at the corners of her lips. "I know," she whispered. "And I don't see you fighting me on this."
He rolled his eyes as he walked around the room to gather their clothing with his free hand, all the while Jinx stayed glued to him. The record player went to the next song, but it too faded into the background while he focused on grabbing everything they needed, while occasionally peaking at Jinx's face.
——
Old texts native to that of Piltover come from a land far from the two cities, otherwise known as Icathia. For thousands of years, its people were kept firmly beneath the heel of the Shurima Empire, with the intent of instilling complete subjugation. But on the very last days of Icathia, an order of noble warriors rose from the ashes of their dead, and fought back to retake their home. The crowds that followed offered little control, filling the kingdom with the screams of every Shurima official.
Though it only continued to escalate. The day of blood became known as they slaughtered all servants of the Sun-Emperor, regardless of position or rank. It only felt fair to them, knowing that the empire that reigned over them only wanted to eradicate what little culture they had left over the span of centuries of enduring humiliation and brutal executions. The Shurima people were slain, their work burned or desecrated, and their treasures were ripped away.
To further their cause, they sent a message to the emperor by impaling the corpses of his own upon wooden stakes. In response to such an act, the emperor assembled his armies and sought the help of the gods. The time of spilling blood only grew worse, as the battles the two sides led against each other grew out of control. Outnumbered, the Icathians would've been demolished if not for the help of their mages.
Unfortunately, only so much could be done, and they made a choice from which there was no coming back. The very sky tore open and opened a path for the void, an abyss of bleeding purple light that tore every soldier to pieces with its waves of matter. The war was won, but at the cost of everything they held dear in the name of independence. Mutually assured destruction became the answer, and so Icathia and its people were no more.
However, legend tells of a powerful mage obsessed with time, known as Zilean, who operated under the title 'The Chronokeeper.' After warning the mages of the improbability of their being capable of controlling the void, Zilean was forced to watch his home plunge into destruction with the deaths of thousands. He took as many as he could for refuge inside his tower, but soon was met with an imminent fate that would surely guarantee their destruction. In an effort to save his home and the thousands that waited for their imminent death, Zilean did the impossible. He removed the very structure of time from their reality.
When his power was spent, he collapsed to the ground and had to come to terms with the frozen faces of fear surrounding him and the dark void beyond his walls. He believed they could be saved, but he had no idea how to undo what he had done. The stories of such a tale are likely no more than fiction, knowing that the older man would have to spend centuries to understand the concept of time. While Ekko knew a timeloop was possible, all he could ever achieve with his machine was four seconds, so the possibility of freezing time entirely for centuries seemed impossible.
In hope of refuge, what few Icathians managed to escape left their home and arrived in Piltover. To them, being turned away and forced into the Undericty for survival was unexpected, but they quickly understood just how similar this new land was to their own. With nowhere else to go, they were forced to stay, and the descendants of their bloodlines continued to live out their culture in the privacy of their homes.
There were times of doubt, much like the Zaunites' belief in Janna, but when those same descendants heard the story of a man who threw time at a god, they had a reason to look up. The story they followed had no ending, and there were no prophecies of a descendant, but the belief of a warrior working under the will of Zilean to free not only themselves but the people of the Undercity only continued to spark over time with the upbringing of Jinx, the blue bird who some believe acted as the Shadow of Janna.
And so, the Firelight leader was dubbed with a new title. They called him, ‘The Paladin of Zilean.'
Though all Ekko cared about in the end was the fact that everything was in place.
The protestors advanced their placement, surrounding the parade for Piltover Academy's innovation competition. As the firelights began to set up their introduction, Ekko and Jinx stood alone on top of a rooftop nearby. Unfortunately, Sevika couldn't attend as they needed her to stay on good terms with the Council for now, and Blitzcrank was put on babysitting duty to make sure Isha wouldn't leave the base.
It was a little hypocritical, but neither he nor Jinx wanted to be responsible for putting her in danger. Then again, he struggled to hide the fact that he wasn't comfortable with his pregnant partner being anywhere near the conflict.
But in the end, they always circle back to that one concept. Danger.
Janna, it was like they were always in danger one way or another.
Still, there was one thing Ekko needed to get off his chest, just in case things didn't go their way moving forward. Better yet, he needed Jinx to know the truth. So when Jinx was ready to descend to start up the party, he stopped her before she could walk off the ledge.
"Jinx," Ekko muttered, his hand holding her back by her wrist. Jinx turned her head toward him, glancing between his hand and his eyes with confusion overtaking her own mind. She could've questioned him or told him whatever he had to say could wait until they were done, but she didn't. She wanted to hear what he had to say.
He took a step forward, closing the distance between the two as he released her wrist from his hold. A slight smile had then taken over his expression, and before she knew it, Ekko had pushed her large bang off to the side so he could see the face of the woman he cherished without any of the obstructions.
"I don't know what's going to happen after tonight," he finally spoke, with every bad memory in the past few years flashing before his eyes to reinforce the truth he knew of which was real. "But I want you to know, I never regretted us. Even with everything that’s happened, I'd do it all over again for you."
Jinx was left in silence, and before she could say anything, Ekko took the first step off that ledge with a smile.
As he was falling, he pulled out his bat-like weapon and threw it down at an enforcer who was about to use their baton on a protester. Before the cop knew it, he was knocked to the ground, with his weapon rolling away on the ground.
Then, when the enforcer looked back up with an outstretched hand, he was met with the horror of a figure in an owl mask diving toward him in a peculiar position. Rather than simply diving onto the officer, Ekko pulled his legs back as far as he could. That way, when the impact was finally made, Ekko dug his knees into the man's rib cage, forcing out a groan from his lips that was filled with anguish.
Jinx followed his act, using her new cape to glide over the crowds while unleashing her new chompers on the enforcers. They all looked around in horror over the familiar sound of teeth clenching tightly, with some even aware of the nightmares it brought them.
Soon they were able to set their sights on them, but by that time Jinx had already shielded her eyes with her goggles to protect herself from the bright flashes that followed. The affected enforcers scream in horror, clutching their faces over the burning sensation of a pink substance clinging to their skin.
Not only did she make flash grenades out of her chompers, but she packed them tight with itching powder. As always, lethal measures were usually a last resort for the firelights, but that didn't mean they couldn't hurt them in a more creative fashion.
Once the way was cleared, other firelights descended upon the scene, all of which promptly dealt with the nearby enforcers, with evidence of their actions fueled by the sounds of screaming and bones snapping.
Jayce, in a hooded cloak, ran out of an alleyway while being escorted by firelights as the cops numbers around the area dwindled.
But when Jinx glanced over to make sure things were going smoothly, she caught wind of a small child-like figure in a similar cloak running closely from behind.
An enforcer stepped forward, tripping the child to send them stumbling to the ground. But when the child looked back up and had their hood pulled back, she saw a familiar pair of amber eyes looking up at the cop like she was ready to take them on.
It was Isha.
Nothing made sense. Blitzcrank was supposed to be guarding her and the other children back at base, but he was nowhere to be found. Instead Isha, a stubborn and arrogant little girl was here in the middle of everything.
An enforcer raised their weapon, its shine gleaming as it caught the moonlight, prepared to come down on the little girl's unprotected head.
Jinx dived down as fast as she could, but as they brought down their weapon, a separate hand caught it, stopping the assault from moving any further. The enforcer looked up in confusion at his culprit, nearly freezing over the sight of a man in an owl mask with open eye holes to reveal two glowing green dots.
Without a second to spare, Ekko headbutted the cop away from the little girl, following it up with two jabs and a cross from his other hand.
The enforcer tried to block the attacks by shielding his face, but the owl man's strength proved to be too strong and quickly broke through the weak defensive wall. With his opponent weakening, Ekko threw a left hook, anticipating the enforcer's instinct to block that side of his face.
Just as he predicted, the cop left the other side of his face open, and Ekko stopped his hook before it could hit the man's arm, then threw a right hook into the opening. The force of his attack sent the man flying face-first into the ground below them, knocking out a few teeth in the process.
Jinx landed nearby, running over to pick her up off the ground. Ekko turned around to face the two of them, feeling a sense of anger and worry building within his gut.
"What are you doing here?!" Ekko asked, shouting loud enough for them to hear among the growing chaos. Isha folded her arms then, pulling away from Jinx so she could avoid answering while trying to come off as mature.
"You're not supposed to be here!" Jinx shouted, also showing off her anger once she made sure the kid was okay.
Isha's small jaw tightened, and her eyes gleamed with a new feeling that hinted at her newfound disobedience. She angrily sighed, almost like she was snapping at them: I had to come!
"No, you didn't!" Ekko snapped back at her, casting judgment on her attitude and body language. "You were supposed to stay away, where it's safe. We can't protect you if you're going to—"
The little girl interrupted him, making her opinion heard, although she had no voice to use, by signing with furious precision: Yes, I did! I wasn't there for Tommy, but I can be here!
Things quickly started to make sense then.
The claim made both Jinx and Ekko look up at each other, and the two stared into each other's familiar gaze, searching for a sign of what to do. The mention of Tommy sent hurtful flashes into both of their heads, making them remember not only the condition he was left in, but the way his recent death continues to affect her.
She wanted to help, hell, she seemed dedicated to keeping what little family she had safe, but at the same time, the two of them knew how quickly things could go wrong. The most challenging part was that she was stubborn; if they tried to stop her, she would fight back with just as much strength.
Janna, they could only do so much to stop her. Vi tried to keep Jinx away all those years ago, and all she did was kill the rest of her family in the hopes of helping despite her sister's refusal.
Maybe, just maybe, things could be different this time around if they let her attend.
"Isha…" Jinx began, reaching out to place a hand upon her shoulder. The little girl looked away, but she allowed the act to take place.
"Enough!" A strong, familiar voice spoke from the stage, capturing the attention of every citizen of Piltover and every protestor of Zaun. They, as well as Jinx, Ekko, and Isha, all looked over to see Jayce Talis standing tall against the podium.
He wore a long white coat with gold accents and red sections, similar to his old attire from the previous war, only now with a fur-like material on the inside that spread up to the collar. His hair was long, but, like his beard, it was neatly kept to look presentable. The Pilties in the crowd were almost instantly mesmerized by the gleam of the Talis family insignia on his shoulder armor, catching the light above.
Ekko and Jinx rolled their eyes at the way the Pilties were so quick to listen to him, but at least the plan was working. Though they thought he was dead, his reappearance may still come as a surprise to many.
"Good evening," Jayce continued, his will continuing to strengthen once the crowds began to quiet as the spotlight shone brightly over him. He cleared his throat, now fully understanding the weight of the situation before him. "My name is Jayce Talis. I'm sure you all know who I am at this point. Whether it be of the statue or the billboards our council put up to market my invention a couple of years back, it doesn't matter."
"It doesn't matter because tonight isn't meant to be about me," he went on, his voice cutting through the quiet whispers of the night. "What I believe matters above all else is the truth, and I come before you all to ask for one thing: To learn what it means to see."
A steady murmur ripped through the crowd of people, and a woman with a large coat and a pearl necklace audibly gasped as if she couldn't believe the audacity of what was being asked. Jayce ignored it and quickly silenced the other sounds by continuing to speak in the same tone as before. "Piltover has prided itself as a city built upon progress with equality in mind for everyone, but unfortunately, this idea is nothing but a fairytale. We are built upon progress, but at the cost of people we should be considering our own."
His eyes flickered over to Jinx and Ekko, thinking over his following few words with them on his mind. "Tonight is about time, and how we must be open to fixing what never should've been done."
Ekko looked to Isha and sighed, choosing to allow her to attend by pulling out one of her arms from her fold to lead her by the hand with Jinx beside him. Not a word was spoken, but Isha quickly caught on when she saw where they were headed.
"For years, Piltover has treated the Undercity as nothing more than its personal backyard," he declared, gripping the edges of the podium until his knuckles whitened. "For too long now, they’ve been able to dump their trash wherever they please, and they can cast an influence on their own people without a worry of the consequences."
He sighed heavily, slowly blinking his eyes to open them again to shed light on the truth of his own poor judgment. "I would know. All I ever dreamed of was giving the world something to strive for, but in the process, I became hypocritical of our fellow Zaunites."
With a quick breath of air to compose himself, Jayce let go of the few constraints still holding him back. "In an effort to help, I aided one of their own in shutting down a production plant for shimmer, but it came at the cost of a young boy's life, and his mother came back for revenge at the council memorial two years ago."
The citizens of Piltover were almost on the tips of their toes out of anticipation to hear every word from the thought to be dead 'Defender of Tomorrow,' even if most of them refused to acknowledge the truth behind what he was saying.
"All I've done is hide from what I did, and I followed the same patterns our own Council has constructed by acting too cowardly to speak up. Furthermore, I allowed our council to use me like a puppet, and it's my own fault that I didn't take enough precautions to limit the use of my own creation. We all saw what happened when I lost control of Hextech, a technology I still don't fully understand."
"As I stated, the truth is all that matters to me now," Jayce continued. "And the truth is that Piltover must take accountability. The prosperity we thrive on was only built due to the poison in which Zaun is forced to live in. Yes, I acknowledge there have been moments of violence from the other side, but I understand now that it was only out of retaliation for the generations in which we have spent keeping them beneath our heel. And if the thought of people suffering doesn't make you uncomfortable, then I ask you to ask yourself but one question: Why?"
More mumbles rippled through the crowd of Pilties, followed by multiple scoffs and quick comments such as 'Is he serious?' and 'A bit dramatic.'
Jayce straightened himself, adjusting the fit of his coat as he leaned into the podium, his shoulders squaring with renewed strength as he felt a few burdens lift from his conscience. "But I'm aware that my word only goes so far. So today, I am joined by two humble but vocal leaders. If any of you truly believe in the idea of progress, then please, take every word they share to heart."
Jayce stepped back from the podium, tilting his head to the side to see Jinx and Ekko, now accompanied by Isha, making way for the focus to be entirely on them by stepping away entirely.
As Ekko took the center stage where the podium stood tall with its microphone, he could feel the true weight of his environment. Beforehand, the angry masses of Piltover civilians called for them to leave, but after Jayce spoke his truth, they fell silent and eagerly waited to hear what else would be revealed. As for the protestors and other Zaunites and Jinxers within the nearby crowd, they showed their support by gathering in silence. They too awaited to hear the Firelight leader speak, with the fabled Jinx beside him.
She slightly stepped forward, placing her hand upon his shoulder to offer him a glance through the eyeholes of her mask. Ekko caught it and felt a wave of relief wash over him, as if her mere presence were enough to give him the strength to go on.
Right there, Ekko removed his hood and lowered his mask, showcasing his face with those piercing green eyes. Jinx followed his example and removed her own raven-styled mask, matching his glowy gaze on the crowd with the shimmer that continued to course through her veins.
He leaned forward, closing the distance between him and the microphone, as he began to speak to the gathering of people. "I am Ekko, leader of the Firelights. Many of you don't know who I am, but you may have known my parents, Inna and Wyeth."
A reaction was to be expected, but he wasn't expecting one on such a large scale as in that very moment. The younger attendants within the protest were oblivious, but the older ones all seemed to have raised their chests to hold their breath.
"They were kind, maybe too kind for their time," he continued. "When I was a child, my parents spent every day telling me how proud they were of me. It didn't matter if it was for the most straightforward math equation, or if I stacked blocks on top of each other so I could watch them fall shortly after."
A small smile formed at the corner of his lips as he recalled his parents and the dedication they had when raising him like any normal kid. "They did everything they could to support me, even if it meant spending every waking hour of their lives working themselves to death so that they could afford to buy me a cake on my Name Day. Their support wasn't just for me either. They looked out for everyone like they were family, and treated them as such by giving away what they could."
The same smile began to falter, shifting in a somber line with little to no expression. "Then one day, those same people died in an accident working under the unstable conditions within the very mines that Piltover's leaders control to this day."
Piltover's citizens shifted where they stood over the uncomfortable topic of their conversation. At the same time, the Zaunites tightened their fists until they could feel their fingers' nails piercing into their flesh. Jinx's gaze shifted from the crowd to Ekko's face once more, keeping her sights locked on to nothing but him.
"The reports that followed classified the incident as a 'structural failure,'" Ekko added with a scoff as a new edge crept its way into his voice. "But we all know better. The acclaimed accident was an incident caused by cutting corners, where the people in charge to this day continue to choose profit over pairs of breathing lungs."
His gaze lingered over the section of Pilties, noting down their silk gowns and their fur coats to conceal them from the cold. The moment he saw the polished jewels tightly wrapped around their necks, it caused the anger under his skin to boil red-hot. "We have made our voices heard, now more than ever, and still, they choose to drape themselves in the silk sewn by the hands of the dead."
One woman, wrapped in a large coat, tried to cover herself with her pearl necklace clutched between her fingers. In contrast, the fellow Zaunites nearby squared their shoulders as they murmured to themselves.
"They call themselves the people of progress," he spat out with disgust. "They preach that Piltover is a city built upon innovation, but at whose expense? Every brick you see before you has been built upon the bones of the Undercity. Every jewel you wear was fashioned by those who were starving. Our own children are forced to work to please you all, until they breathe their last dying breath."
A ripple of conversations broke out among the Piltover citizens, with a few lowering their heads in shame and others sending threatening glares. "In an event asking for change, you label it as terrorism, and when we take what little scraps we can, you call it theft."
"Nothing we do is ever right, and whenever we even think of fighting back, some people preach that violence is nothing but a cycle," Ekko admitted, his words now hanging heavy upon the crowd. "But no one ever asks why the violence was incited in the first place. Piltover sent the first blow, and they pushed us into the dark just to call us monsters for learning to see in it." His back straightened, fixing his posture as his green eyes blazed.
"We will not ask for mercy," Ekko slowly turned toward the crowd of Zaunites, facing them fully with Jinx. "Piltover thinks we are resilient for how we endure, but it's not about survival anymore." He slammed his fist against his chest to emphasize the impact behind his wording. "It's more than that now. With every blow they send demanding we kneel, we don't falter. No, we strike back! We don't fear them, and now they are the ones who are terrified!”
“They try to hide from the cold reality in the comfort of their homes, pleading to be left alone so they don't have to say anything," he continued, watching as the spirits of his people continued to lift. "But I'm not going to leave them alone. I will not stand for the system in which we live in, and neither should you. All of you need to get mad, and I ask you to stand up for not only yourself but for those around you. We too are people with value!"
Jinx removed her hand from his shoulder to reach into the pouch strapped to her leg, pulling out a flare as Ekko continued his speech. “They treat us like a disease in need of cleansing, but Zaun doesn't need saving from Piltover," he exclaimed, taking a second to subtly glance down at Isha. "It requires liberation, and that is why I am now calling for all of the Undercity to join me, so that the path we pave for the next generation will lead to a new tomorrow."
He cleared his throat and placed his hand against his heart. "I don't blame you if you've already given up hope. Maybe it is too late for us. They have always treated us as disposable, even when they are the ones who depend on us when they can no longer use their Hextech. But to this day, I carry the souls of the people I love, and all the sons and daughters of Zaun who have given everything in the hopes of living."
The flare in Jinx's hand hissed to life, casting her large shadow on top of the people with the object held high in the air for the blue smoke to rise. Its light painted them in its blue hue, entirely covering their bodies and the surrounding area within its glow. The only two things that shone brighter in contrast were the burning colors of pink and green from Jinx and Ekko's eyes. "But to Piltover, we will always be nothing more than slaves as they spill the blood of our own. So if we are meant to lose yet another fight, and if I am meant to die like the people who came before me, then I am to die roaring!"
The Zaunites looked out in awe as a large number of the Pilties recoiled, blinded by the light. Ekko didn't pause as he wasn't done yet. His voice grew louder, full of raw emotion. "I am Ekko!" he repeated with pride. "Son of Inna and Wyeth! Apprentice of Benzo!" He shot his head to the side to look at Jinx, raising his own hand to join her in holding the flare. "See to it that the Shadow of Janna be my witness, for I am a child of Zaun, and we will fight to inherit a future that will be free of their reign!”
His declaration hung heavy in the air as Jinx pressed the flare into his palm. Their fingers intertwined around the hissing cylinder, and in that moment, Isha tugged on Ekko's new jacket. He looked down to see her looking up at him with pleading eyes under the hood of her cloak. Ekko understood what she wanted and knelt to pick her up with one arm, making sure she would truly be seen just as he and Jinx were.
Ekko looked to the sky behind Piltover's tallest tower and felt a sense of relief wash over him at the sight, knowing the plan was coming together. A year ago, Piltover implemented a new technology in both cities called a radio system, which allowed them to broadcast announcements and details about other events, like the latest parade for the innovators competition. It's how the firelights were able to create their own communication system.
What they weren't counting on was having someone foolish enough to hijack their systems. Now, rising over the soon-to-be nation of Zaun, were other flares dispensing hot smoke of blue and green hues.
Within the former city of chaos and unpredictability, people were fighting back against their captors. Whether it be in the mines, factories, or at the docks, the firelights who were initially tasked with lighting the flares guided people to their freedom. The city breathed a hot fire, rejuvenated with the essence of will. Gates were toppled, pickaxes were used as weapons, and ships were cut free of their binds while the Chembarons attempted to maintain their control.
The speech he gave reached the nation, standing tall as he was offered the gift of watching the cheering Zaunites before him. Even a few Pilties in the crowd who were likely convinced by Jayce's involvement made their support heard, casting them into the position of a black sheep. Some will even think of Talis as a traitor from this point on, but he may have been right about one thing, as much as Ekko hated to admit it.
Having one of their own speak on the matter at hand helped when putting doubt in the Pilties' heads. Jayce was the acclaimed 'Defender of Tomorrow,' so they must've thought there had to have been some truth behind his words since he chose to side with them.
As Ekko allowed the secret joy he felt behind the event to fill his being, Jinx stood tall with a different mindset. She couldn't shake the feeling she received from seeing everyone cheer for her, even when she wasn't the one to deliver the heartfelt speech. It was oddly like back at the firelight base with Jinxers, the time she saved everyone from the confined bars of Stillwater, and when she witnessed the first gathering of people willingly choose to idolize her.
None of it made sense to Jinx. Why would anyone choose to look up to her? Sure, she's done a few things to help out, but was it really possible for people to see her as a hero? Janna, it was so annoying. She knew what she was capable of, and yet the doubt of her own ability, and the hallucinations. However, its severity fluctuated depending on her environment, but it was still there.
It's weird how the mind works, especially for Jinx when it chose to go against her. Because why did she hate the fact that people were looking to her now, but there was still a part from within her heart that felt as if it were growing every time she heard her name or one of those weird titles they came up with for her.
Like seriously? The Shadow of Janna? Who has the time to come up with this? Though she had to admit, it was kinda funny to see the scowls on the older Pilties' faces over seeing people praise the two of them like royalty.
"It's time to go," Vi spoke over the com system in their ears. "Enforcers are inbound."
Unfortunately, while the Undercity was busy fighting for a sense of control among themselves, a loud siren broke through the cheering. Everyone instinctively turned toward the sound on high alert, watching as new sets of enforcers began to swarm the area. Groups of them held up riot shields to push back the protestors, and while most of them had their hands occupied, others stormed the center stage where Jinx and Ekko resided.
The pair looked at each other with a slight grin, watching as the flare eventually died out, prompting Jinx to throw the hot piece of steel into the first enforcer's face. Two of them came up through the other side with armed rifles, but just before they could get a shot off on Jinx, Ekko predicted where they'd come to a stopping point and threw two crystallized grenades to freeze them in place.
"Wanna stay a little longer?" Jinx asked, hoping he would say yes.
"We've done enough here," Ekko told Jinx, guarding Isha from any conflict by standing in front of her.
"Aw, come on, Ekko, can't we bash together just a few heads?" she responded, swinging her pistol around her finger like an old outlaw before firing three shots into the legs of a few spare enforcers who tried running up the steps. "I know you'd enjoy it just as much as I would."
He forced Jinx to double over by bending her body forward, swinging his sword-bat against the heads of each of the frozen enforcers with enough force to knock them out immediately. They were unconscious, a fate they didn't deserve, but the two of them were still in for a hell of a concussion when they woke up.
"You know me better than anyone," Ekko replied. "But the plan only works if it's on our terms, and getting caught isn't going to help us."
She pouted, playfully sticking out her lip as she followed up the act with a continuous series of kicks across the head of the next enforcer who tried to charge at them. When they were loopy, she grabbed them by their collar and threw them off the stage to land face-first. "Isha, tell Ekko he's being a skuttle butt."
Confused, Ekko turned his head slightly. "A skuttle butt?"
Isha, with a smug smile on her face, signed: He's acting more like a stink maw.
In response, he rolled his eyes, hinting at his annoyance with her taking Jinx's side against him. "Don't think you've escaped a talking to when we're home, young lady."
He caught sight of a gunman taking aim on a rooftop, and just as he was about to pull Jinx and Isha out of the way, Ekko witnessed the man collapse to the ground in pain. With a second glance, he saw Caitlyn sitting in her nest nearby, taking out any rifleman that came their way in the cold dark of the night.
"See?" Jinx continued with that jokey tone in her voice, dodging an enforcer's baton strike and countering it by head-butting them into the floor. "Even the kid thinks you're being lame."
"I'm not a stink maw," he muttered under his breath as he set his gaze upon a canister in the corner of his eye that was flying right toward them. Using his abilities, he foresaw every area of impact it could make and predicted the most likely outcome. He dove downward, catching it in his hand, and threw it back to the enforcer who threw it. The surrounding area was consumed by a plume of smoke, engulfing entire silhouettes.
Ekko grabbed Jinx by the wrist, leading her out alongside Isha, only to be met with the crashing waves of shield and objects. The Zaunites tried to keep them back, using pipes and wrenches to force their way through the gaps in their armor.
Then, a flash of pink cut through the line, breaking through the wall of enforcers with her mighty gauntlets. Vi opened a path with Jayce following closely, and before they could move, Ekko looked back to see a baton being swung at Isha's head. Just as he was about to intervene with rage fueling his body, Jinx stepped in by catching the weapon.
She jabbed the pig in the throat to daze him as she ripped the weapon out of his hand, using it to bend his arm the other way by the elbow until it snapped completely in the other direction. The man screamed out in pain from his broken arm, much to her amusement. In the past, she would've taken a second to admire her work, but with the newfound urgency of leaving, she wasn't given the privilege.
Scar came out from the corner of the alley, pulling the group to safety while leaving behind canisters of smoke bombs to further conceal their whereabouts.
"Took them a while," Scar commented, removing the hoverboard from his back as three other firelights descended upon them from the rooftop.
"It took them too long!" Jinx exclaimed as she removed her repurposed rhino gun from the back of a dumpster. It was another secret little project she had been working on, and it left everyone perplexed when she pulled it out of nowhere. "Bunny and I didn't even get to wail on a guy together. By the time they showed up, we were already set on leaving."
Ekko shook his head, silently admiring Jinx from just a few feet away from her. "You two will get the next one, but right now we need to get back to the Undercity."
"Should we really be leaving the protestors here alone?" Jayce stepped in, offering a genuine question before joining one of the firelight's on their board.
No one froze over the question, but there was a sense of concern in their heads. Though instead of thinking about it too hard, Ekko followed Scar's example and removed the hoverboard from his own back, placing it down for Isha to step on. "It's like you said, Zaun is resilient. They can handle themselves, but just in case, I'll station a few firelights to watch over them."
Jayce opened his mouth, likely to offer advice, but quickly shut himself down. It was the only viable plan they had, so they had few other options.
Now that everyone was satisfied and prepared, Ekko looked down at Isha and smiled. "You ready?"
Isha nodded her head, signaling her approval.
With that in check, Ekko pressed his heel down on the accelerator of his board, shooting him forward and up into the sky. Jinx straddled her device, pulling down on the acceptor of her handlebars to ignite the barrel-like jets on the back. She followed him in his pursuit back home, just as everyone else did once they joined their assigned partners.
On the way, Jinx quickly caught up to Ekko with her extra speed. When he caught wind of her presence, a slight grin pulled at the corners of his lips over an idea lighting up in his head. He lowered the acceleration by a slight amount, placed his hands around Isha's arms, and aimed the hoverboard to go up, encircling Jinx completely as he quickly handed the little girl off to her in one swift movement.
Jinx yelped, half-startled and half-stunned by the sudden transfer once she took the little girl into her arms. She would've been a bit more pissed off if she hadn't heard the muffled giggling Isha was making into her cloak. "Hey!" She shouted at the top of her lungs, capturing Ekko's attention while he flew beside her. "A warning would've been nice!"
Ekko banked slightly, his laughter carried by the updraft. "I thought you were all about surprises?"
In response, she scoffed and looked down to see Isha signing: We should do that again!
If she wants to have a heart attack one day, she'll consider it, but right now? Definite no.
"Sorry, bug, that's a no-go," she muttered, ruffling the back of Isha's hair under her hat. "You’re still in trouble for what you just pulled.”
Then she took her eyes off Isha and focused on Ekko. The look on his face was hard to explain, as she wasn't sure if she had ever come across it before. Maybe he looked at her that way a few times when she wasn't looking, since she tends to catch him staring at her when he has nothing else to focus on. But there was something strange about it. Something… positive.
The last month and a half has been a rough time for everyone, especially for Ekko. She doesn't know how long it's going to take for things to return to their sort of normal, but at least it was nice to know that he was trying to bounce back. The last few minutes seemed to act like a nice distraction for him to get away from the fact that Isha still showed up to the rally.
The thought was nice, but what made everything come together was the soft curve of his lips over the sight of Zaun taking back their home. Of course, seeing his joy wasn't anything new since he always smiled around them. Who wouldn't with their gracious company?
Although the expression he held now only made it feel so much like him.
So much like Ekko.