#jinx arcane

oh the misery

“I’m not alone - It’s just me and your ghost and this cripplin’ depression.” - blackbear, me & ur ghost

Descripiton:A long time ago, there was a peaceful state ruling over the Lanes of Zaun. Yet one day, the protector was murdered by his rival and Lanes had gone to shit ever since, leading to the establishment of an independent Firelight base just out of Zaun. But this peace was to come to end soon with old friends coming back, rising from the dead, and getting killed.

Part summary: Watching you die had led Ekko to a deep depression - until he gets an amazing idea that is able to bring him back on his feet.

A/N: This chapter is much shorter, also more light than the last one I think (since the last one was overly serious) and it’s also bringing us to the time when Ekko will be able to shatter the time.

Warnings: Depression, suicidal tendencies, gore, blood…

Tagging:@sweetcreamlatte​

Word count: 3.9 K

Masterlist:H E R E

Time, to most people, will be an unsolvable conundrum that cannot be understood.
It can fly by extremely quickly one day and the other it’s just pure torture to endure every second of every minute. On days like those, nothing feels good, nothing feels happy as if every emotion left the world just like that. On days like those, the world appears like nothing more than a few shades of grey smudged and  Ekko realized that maybe more than some were able to understand the flow of time, since, at that point, he was one of those who were counting each second.

His brain was not able to cope with the sudden hurt of pain inside his chest. The man felt his organs bleeding out, pulsing, tightening, being torn apart, burned alive. He was bringing your body even closer, feeling the blood coldening in the night air; summer nighttime and its peacefulness was something you loved dearly… Or at least the smell of it. Ekko wasn’t able to fight his need to hold onto your body for a little bit longer, while you were still warm and soft; as if this had the power to bring you back among the living.
Jinx watched it all with her head leaned to her shoulder, loading her gun. At first, she was devastated by her own choices; how, in the name of God, was she ruthless enough to stab her own former best friend to death? What kind of a monster did you have to be to carry out this deed?

The pain inside her chest intensified as she watched Ekko tugging on your arms, smoothing your face as he cried, mumbling all sorts of stuff with panic in his voice. His fingers were smudging blood all over your face, making the sight even worse.
And in the spawn of the next few seconds, Jinx straightened herself, scoffed, and climbed back on her feet; she pulled the switch up as she rationalized all the actions. It wasn’t on her in the end, was it?
Poor Jinx, poor her, was in imminent danger because you’d surely kill her as soon as you’d have a clear vision of her. She had to act in self-defense… Also, Milo was right.
No matter which angle she looked at the issue from, you were an enemy. This was, indeed, a misery - but you were a Firelight based on the mark sprayed all over the back of your coat. Your people tried to kill Jinx countless times (with Ekko being the only one who almost succeeded), so what reason did she have to spare you? Because you were childhood friends? Oh, really? Where were you when Silco lead her away from the explosion site? Nostalgia was weak reasoning used by first-class pussies. And Jinx wasn’t a pussy.

Jinx’s cackling was something to catch both Vi and Ekko’s attention. This woman was far too gone to be called mentally sane. She had blood all over her body, clothes, and hands and even through that, Jinx simply chose to laugh it away. She was a freak. A monster.
Ekko’s eyes snapped in Jinx’s direction as he heard Vi approaching. The man rose his palm up, telling Vi to back off immediately; this was his debt to settle and the man was planning on going in with one goal in his mind - only one of them was to leave that bridge alive. And he didn’t who will it be. Either he’ll avenge (despite Vi’s longing to be reunited with her younger sister) or he’ll be killed, following you to the other side.
Caitlyn, seeing the clear determination written in Ekko’s expression caught Vi’s palm, tugging her away as the man picked himself back on his feet, picking up a long wrench that fell out of his backpack. Beaten to death was a brutal way to go, but knowing that Jinx brought it on herself was probably even worse. Vi knew he had it in him; he was in such an overload of emotion that begging or crying wouldn’t let him stop… Which turned out false just a few minutes later, but Vi couldn’t know that. Even Ekko would swear that at that moment, he had it in him.

“Leave them to it. Ekko will be fine, he’s a fighter.” - Caitlyn hissed at Vi, begging her to leave finally as she pushed the leather casing closer to her chest. The gemstone was currently her top priority; it needed to be secured and put away for good, hidden in Jayce’s laboratory.
Caitlyn was feeling genuinely horrible, tired, and beaten up, but getting Vi out was more important than that. Her leg was bleeding out and each step hurt her. They had to go right now; knowing that, Cait put her arm around Vi’s shoulder, letting the woman catch her waist. - “We got to go before she steals this.” - But Vi didn’t move an inch. The woman was standing there, watching her sister loading up her gun as she snickered in the direction of their friend. Was she about to kill him too?
As Caitlyn waited by Vi’s side, she also understood the inner fight Vi had with herself regarding Jinx. How was she justifying all of this? That Jinx was just too stressed out? Scared? Nervous? Confused? Anything could justify this. Anything. Finally, Ekko turned his head to them, telling them to leave immediately, which seemingly amused Jinx even more. The corners of her lips rose higher as she watched the man in front of her. And with that, both the women left.

Honestly, if you’d ask him about how it all went down, he’d be barely able to tell you anything.
His mind got fuzzy and foggy after he turned his face to look at Jinx. Ekko was only able to recall three things cleary clearly; Jinx cackling as she taunted him more, his palm tugging out his old pocket watch in hopes of luring Powder out, and the vulnerable terrified gaze she gave him as he squatted on her, getting ready to give her the final blow…
The very last thing he remembered crystal clear was the color of your eyes as he laid next to you, looking into your cold, emotionless face. He was laying on his back with intense pain circling throughout his body, barely being able to breathe. For a moment, he thought that was it - that he was to die there by your side. And Ekko was to take this sentence with grace and a smile on his lips as he caught your cold palm in his. The man was ready to go - why would he stay in a world that didn’t have you in it? What would be the point in that?

But as he laid on his back, the time was flying by and he was still alive and awake.
The pain wasn’t enough to knock him out on its own and the blood loss wasn’t enough for him to bleed out. What was he supposed to do now? Wait until someone finds him and shoots him to his head as mercy? Looking at you, he was trying to figure out what would you do in a situation like this.
You’d pick yourself up before it would be too late - you wouldn’t just lay there, waiting to die. You’d fight ‘cause the life you lived didn’t belong to you only; your people needed you to lead them. That was right. Your people needed Ekko and now they needed him more than ever.

And so he did pick himself up - with great trouble, the man tumbled back on his feet, trying to catch his breath as he picked up his old, trusty, and malfunctioning hoverboard. As soon as Ekko was standing fully on his feet, he knew that his ankle was either sprangled or broken.
For one last time, he encouraged himself to take in the sight of you as he turned on his feet to get out of the bridge. It took him an hour; the man was in pain, whining with each step, only pushing himself to go forward because his conscience told him to. The people needed him to lead them and ensure their safety.

The night was already ending when Ekko found himself a safe spot near the entrance to Zaun.
He felt hidden enough to close his eyes to regain some of his strength for the upcoming journey back - and Ekko, more than anyone else, knew that the journey will be a long and dangerous one. The nap he took was not a pleasant one; the events of the night haunted him in his sleep and he had to relive all of it at least three times before rumbling woke him up. Someone was right beside him, taking a deep look at his technology. It could’ve been a child or an intrigued adult, but they could be dangerous nonetheless - yet then Ekko listened into their mumbling.
“This is wonderful, simply wonderful.” - The person said, rotating the metal construct between their fingers. With that, Ekko finally dared to stick his head out and take a look at the intruder; and to his surprise, it was a creature called Yordle. Yordles were ancient wise beings with memories of the old world; the world of bloodshed and Arcana and the ones who were trying to keep the modern world in check. Without a doubt, Ekko thought to himself, this Yordle would be very intrigued by Y/N’s abilities.

Heimerdinger helped Ekko reach the colony safely, helping Ekko repair the board once more and leading it behind himself through shady alleys and empty streets; by the evening, they were both safely back at Ekko’s where he got his ankle fixed up.
To his surprise, nobody asked about you - either they assumed you carried on with the journey to the council or… Or knew what happened. Ekko got his answer early in the morning. As the nightmare woke him up again, he decided to sit in front of the opened window for a bit and to try to occupy his mind with pocket watches since putting them apart and back together always calmed him down.
Looking down, right on the Wall, Chloe was already working on a new portrait. To his expectations, he’d recognize the shape of your lips anywhere; pocket watches were suddenly forgotten as he leaned his palms into the window frame, lowering his head and letting the tears drop down onto his palms.

If you were there, you’d smack it out of him - what was he doing with his life? Aimlessly wandering around the colony, not being able to connect to the present, trapped in the past, and not even daring to think about the future.
People started to ask him about a lot of things that you used to run; one of the main topics was a coal delivery deal with the demon named Butcher, who lived in the Lanes, and another one was fresh vegetable delivery that was late. And shortening the amount of children’s clothing for the winter, since it got cold in the colony. For you, these issues were your everyday bread.
You were an amazing haggler, spokesperson, and negotiator; yet for the hotheaded Ekko, these deals were pretty hard to go through. He was trying, he was trying to live by the pact you made all these years ago, but something was nudging him on the back of his head; especially when he walked around your accommodation - the place was dark, the dust was settling in and the air must’ve been awfully rotten since nobody opened up the window in weeks. But no matter what, Ekko forbade anyone from even coming close to that accommodation. It had all your stuff in there, intact in its place, just like he remembered it and he wanted it to stay like that.

As the days and weeks passed by, his mental situation wasn’t getting any better. In fact, it was deteriorating at an insanely fast pace. Day by day, he was falling into the dark hole deeper and deeper; no matter what he did, whether he tried playing with his notorious pocket watches, talking to people, or working with Heimer on new inventions, nothing was enough to keep him check. It felt like he lost a part of himself that night and that part was nowhere to be found.

The night was on his mind each time he opened up his eyes in the morning, as he first looked out of the window and watched the life moving forward. You loved this more than anything else in the whole world, you used to say - the sunshine sprinkling on the colorful walls, lighting up all the leaves of the mighty trees, and bringing out the innocent blue of the skies above. Kids were playing, squealing, and laughing and all the adults were calmer - there was enough food, warm fresh air, and serenity in the air. Summer was the most beautiful time of the year in the colony, yet the view alone was bringing Ekko many memories. And all of the memories were hurting him.
It usually got even worse when the night came and he was left alone. This usually meant that as soon as he opened the door leading into his workshop, the darkest memories and thoughts started to resurface in his mind once more. There was even a time when his mind was rationalizing the worst possible solution to all of this - whether to follow you to the other side or not. It was at that moment that Ekko went insane (at least according to himself).

“WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU TRYING TO DO?!” - A sweet voice yelled all over the rooftop he was standing at. He had just pushed one of his feet over the edge, taking a deep breath, ready to go down right then and there. Yet the voice made him jump back to the rooftop, falling flat to his ass.
The man just sat there, looking down onto the empty street as he struggled to breathe. His palms started shaking, he was sweaty and there was this ice-cold feeling traveling back and forth on his spine. It couldn’t be. It wasn’t real. How did he know the woman wasn’t there?
Simply - her portrait, with a crooked smile, was painted on the Wall of remembrance. Also because he watched her die in his arms a few weeks back. And even though that, Ekko heard you walking closer to him, kneeling down and pulling him further from the edge. Instead of touch, he felt a weird warm sensation surrounding his shoulders as you pressed your body onto his, smoothing his hair.

It was that bad, huh? The man was so desperate and depressed that he attempted to jump off a roof - and in that desperation, something broke inside of him; making him see shit. But at that moment, he was so fucked that he barely cared about you being real or not - Ekko circled his palm around your forearm as he wept, drying out the tears. You sure as fuck weren’t real, but you were there. And that was what counted. - “You fucking idiot. You fucker. Absolute moron.” - You mumbled, kissing his temple.
Yep, this definitely wasn’t real, but also was everything that he got. Public affection was something you weren’t able to give or accept (at that point in your lives) so this must’ve been some strange version of real you viewed through his lenses. - “This wouldn’t have solved shit, you idiot. You’d only make us suffer more. Our people fucking need you and all you can think of is me being dead. Come on now.” - With that, you pulled him back to his feet, smiling kindly as you smoothed his cheek. You looked so proud and happy.

“You need to start forgetting about me. This won’t be good for you long-term, but… I’ll be here as long as your brain assumes you need training wheels.” - With that, you put the hand down and smiled at him sadly. - “Driving yourself crazy isn’t a solution. No one can ever replace me in your eyes, but if you’d jump off that roof… Ekko, think about the consequence. I know you can’t see it, but there’s a lot more in you than you imagine - you’re the only ones our youngsters are willing to listen to and you make sure of our technological advancement… And you’re the only one who can fix that damn plumbing issue during the winter.”
“Is it because I’m small and I can fit anywhere? That ain’t fair.”
“Maybe.” - You joked, making both of you chuckle. The man didn’t care if you were real or fake, if he lost his mind if he was just daydreaming about you… - “You’re not insane if you’re asking that.” - It was a fast answer; but knowing you were a projection made up by his brain as a defense mechanism, he wasn’t to be worried by you suddenly answering to things he was thinking.
“And I’m still here talking to you.”
“When you put it that way, it sounds weird. I’ll admit that. I’m inside your head - but that doesn’t mean that I’m not real to some degree, yannow?” - With that, you caught his palm in yours as you led him back to the safety of the staircase, making sure he won’t get any second thoughts. - “You’re technically arguing with a part of yourself, but does that necessarily have to be bad? I’m the memories you have of me, I’m everything you knew about me and everything you wished me to be. Ekko, you’re starting to cope, which is a good thing. But you should see a shrimp if you’ll keep seeing me long-term.” - And with that, you watched as he took the first step down. The man watched as you let his hand go with a smile, staying on the rooftop by yourself.

“Are you not coming with me? I’m unsure as to how this entire hallucination thing works.” - Ekko joked back, but you took in a deep breath, raising your hands above your head.
“I’ve been dead for a month and a half, come on now. It’s been kinda boring and it gets kinda repetitive. I think it’s fair that I wanna take a moment off and look around.” - And so, he closed the cover and walked back to the colony with an uneasy feeling in his stomach - now that he got hallucinations, he didn’t want them to go away. The worst thing about it probably was that he didn’t precisely know how to evoke you. It happened when he least expected it - he was laying in his bed with palms under his head, watching the ceiling above him, longing to just hear your voice. And just when the pain in his chest got unbearable, you entered the room while drying your hair with a towel, as if you simply got out of the shower.

“I told you this isn’t healthy for you, Ekko. You’re only hurting yourself more, yannow?” - Putting the towel aside, you put your palms on your hips and walked around the room. The man picked himself up to sit straight, watching you waltzing around the room, taking in the surroundings. - “The portrait is very good. Tell Chloe I like it.”
“There’s no reason you should be painted on that wall. Any of that shouldn’t have happened… Not to you… ”- Ekko answered, picking himself up to stand next to you while you both watched the wall. At first, you nodded before you started to chuckle quietly. - “What?”
“It still happened nonetheless. Jinx saw a moment of vulnerability and did what she felt was right to do. You not agreeing will really not bring me back, dumbass.” - Still chuckling, you walked around the room, watching all the new tech-thingies Ekko was working on with Heimer. While Heimer hated to use Arcana during his work, Ekko talked him down to using some of it. - “This is simply impressive. Heimer loves working with you.”
“You can’t know that, you’ve never seen him or talked to him.”
“Oh boo-hoo, I’m a hallucination inside your head so I just base my opinions on the things inside your brain. You yourself know he loves it. You’re so alike, both intrigued by the limits of infinity. I think Heimer really is feeling bad for not giving Jayce and Victor the same confidence.” - As you walked around, you picked the golden pocket watch up, playing with the small wheel on the side, turning the clock hands backward. Ekko didn’t know he picked the watch himself and that he was staring at it intensely; he saw you holding it. And with a soft smile, you whispered… - “Wouldn’t you look at that… Ekko, the boy who shattered time. Wouldn’t that sound cool?”

Suddenly, Ekko took in a deep breath as his eyes widened. Your face contracted into a sweet smile as you handed him the watch, raising one of your eyebrows. - “Are you suggesting what I think you’re suggesting?”
“I’m not suggesting anything because once again, I am not real. You are suggesting the possibility of time travel…”
“Therefore changing the time…And events that had happened in the past and even saving…” - At that, the boy chuckled to himself, looking you in the eyes.
“But you won’t be able to it on your own, will you? You played with the thought since we were kids, but you never imagined you’d be able to ever achieve that.” - And with that, you looked each other in the eyes, and as your palms squeezed Ekko’s, he felt the warm sensation once more. - “Heimerdinger.” - You both said at once with huge smiles on your lips. Just a few minutes after that, Ekko went to sleep - and for the first time in weeks, he was filled with hope and great expectations. Because being able to travel through time wasn’t a fun option anymore - for him, it had become a necessity.

“Oh, the misery… Everybody wants to be my enemy.” - Imagine Dragons, Enemy

Descripiton:A long time ago, there was a peaceful state ruling over the Lanes of Zaun. Yet one day, the protector was murdered by his rival and Lanes had gone to shit ever since, leading to the establishment of an independent Firelight base just out of Zaun. But this peace was to come to end soon with old friends coming back, rising from the dead, and getting killed.

Part summary: Vi and her friend, Caitlyn, explain themselves and their reasoning behind coming to the Lanes - yet when the women find out about the gemstone in Ekko’s possession, they insist on returning it. And Ekko sees it as a wonderful opportunity for you to negotiate with Piltover’s council. 

A/N: For most part, I love to devide my chapters into two parts that are set as a scene (for example: Y/N’s nighmare x training with Ekko; two scenes, two things happening, keeping it simple but detailed), but this part might be confusing and jumping from place to place since there was a lot to cover before jumping to the actual story I planned for this series. I hope you’ll still enjoy reading it. 

Also: I gave it a lot of thought and I don’t think that Jinx or Powder would be able to do this - but the voices inside of them are cleaerly capable of it. 
We saw Jinx blowing up innoncent people whilst not giving a single fuck, so I really do think she’d carry this shit out.

Warnings:Gore, violence, guns, explosives and death… And also the lenght of this chapter - there was a lot I wanted to say haha.

Tagging:@sweetcreamlatte​

Word count: 8.1 K

Masterlist:H E R E

Vi’s wide-open eyes were glued to your face are her lips kept on opening and closing. She knew who you were - of course, she fucking knew. Not in a million years would she be able to forget. It was probably stupid not to expect an adult to appear instead of that small, cute, and scared duckling she held dearly in her memories… But the number of changes you’ve been both through caught her off guard. Both you and Ekko weren’t kids anymore. You’ve been full-on adults now.
And my oh my, you looked amazing. Sure, you were tired, in a bad mood, and partially still pissed off, but to Vi, you were beautiful. And Ekko’s expression said more than any amount of words could ever say. The deeply rooted emotion, the adoration, and amazement, he had it all in his eyes. - “Oh… My… God.” - She mumbled as she picked herself back on her feet, smiling at you. Her heart was racing as she approached you, hugging you before you could do or say anything.

You remembered Vi being respectfully strong with broad shoulders and an impressive frame, but she must’ve been at least twice as big and three times as strong than before since you disappeared inside of that tight, warm hug. It took you a moment to even accept the touch, and it took you even longer to give into it.
You had to suppress all of the words and memories you wanted to throw into Vi’s face, you had to really calm yourself down to be sure that you won’t start freaking out, yelling, or worse - burning up. Ekko could see your palms shake just moments before you squeezed them into tight fists, keeping your calm self behind the steering wheel.

And to his relief, after a few seconds of trying to keep it in, you hugged Vi back; it wasn’t a normal hug, however. It was a passionate one. You gripped her shoulders so hard that it almost made her trip over and with even more strength, you pushed your face into her shoulder as you started to sob.
Was it all of the anger leaving your body? Was it happiness? Was it relief? You couldn’t tell. All you knew was that the tears were hot and that there were a lot of them. You were a sobbing mess not even two minutes into the hug.

“Look at you…” - Vi whispered as she pushed you off herself just to palm your jaws, looking into your eyes and scanning every single detail of your face. While she gripped the memory of a little and adoring girl inside her head, now a beautiful adult woman was standing right in front of her. And it was obvious you and Ekko were inseparable based on the tone of the gaze he gave you… On a simple look alone. - “I’ve heard you’ve made all of this possible, this dumbass had told me… I’m sure it’s your smarts running this place, not his impulsiveness, isn’t that right?” - Her fingers were now smoothing your hair and cheeks as she still tried to understand that this woman is the small girl who used to accompany her everywhere. It was an obvious joke that could be answered in many ways and neither of them knew what you were about to say. It could be literally anything. You could blow up any second, you could throw an absolute tantrum full of yelling and tears, you could start wrestling her out of nowhere (even though there was not a single doubt in Ekko’s mind that Vi would absolutely kick your eyes and yet…

“Do you seriously think he’d be able to run this place without me?” - At that, you chuckled and put both your palms on your hips. - “It’s strange seeing you around here. We… We thought…” - Your breath hitched for a moment as your brain tried to catch up to what was happening.
“I understand what you thought. And I want you to know that… There wasn’t a single day where you wouldn’t
cross my mind. I was locked for such a long fucking time and now that I’m here with you, it almost feels unreal. You’ve been what has kept me going there. No matter if we’re talking about Ekko, you, or Powder… Or Vander, or Benzo… What’s going on?” - Vi stopped herself as soon as she registered the shift in your expression. Her palm resting on your shoulder tensed up a bit as your expression got more and more hateful. - “Did I say something wrong, duckling?”

Ekko, without asking a single question, knew what was on your mind. Vi was out of the picture for far too long - she was out of it, no matter where she spent all these years. But hearing the name, Powder, being said out loud after years of forgetting that girl had ever existed, was something to make you volatile.
Of course, she was on your mind from time to time, especially when you reminisced about your childhood in the Lanes - the few years of happiness you’ve been given. You remembered… Everything. The way she spoke, the way she danced and tried to replicate Vi’s moves, the way she laughed and told you jokes. Powder was one of your best friends; the other one being Ekko. You’ve all been around the same age, you grew up together. You knew everything there was to be known about that blue-haired girl. And before the riot, you loved her above everything else.

For a long time, you thought that Powder actually might not be that bad. Sure, she joined Silco, but you were just children scared to bits. Spending her time with Silco and his people (who actually used to be Vander’s people and thus a part of the enormous family formed in the Lanes) didn’t make her necessarily bad from the get-go.
That was until that one cold night. You remembered how the night started; you and Ekko had a couple of beers and you two still being kind of irresponsible at times, he managed to talk you down to a walk around the Lanes - mostly the rooftops. And it was beautiful. It was the calmest you’ve ever been. You spent a long time jumping around, having so much fun that you were sure you’ll burst if you keep on laughing. The boy was also only your best friend at the time, there was no sign of romance or lust just yet. And that was when you met her. Just her, on a lonely rooftop; nothing more than a skinny, scared girl with enormous blue eyes and long, braided blue hair.  She didn’t even notice her at first and the two of you, being too shy to approach her, just sneaked behind one of the chimneys and watched your former best friend sitting on the edge, swinging her feet around. Her eyes were piercing the paper she was drawing on, she had a gun in the other hand and she was… Fucking talking to it.

I had a crush… Until she started talking to the gun. This line had a much deeper meaning than anyone could imagine. Ekko was tugging on your pants as soon as you heard the frantic mumbling, but you couldn’t bring yourself to move. The girl was sitting there peacefully and for a moment, you got blinded by the vision of Powder inside your head. Yet as soon as you stepped out of the shadows, barely containing your happiness as you called her name out loud, you knew that this person was in no way, shape, or form your former best friend.
Jumping back into the moment, Vi was still holding your shoulder in her palm and watching you with worries, you shook your head as you laughed. And at that moment, the hair on her neck stoop up - you made a few steps back, shaking your head as you laughed without any emotion whatsoever.

“What is going on?” - Vi demanded an answer once more, but Ekko jumped in, shaking his head.
Powder’s laugher; so high it was hurting your ears. The girl screamed something as Ekko caught the hem of your shirt, making you run away from her. First gunshot. Edge of the roof. Cold air pinched your skin as you fell down. Without a warning, you pushed your finger straight to Vi’s face, your nostrils widening as you took in a long breath - and she was not stupid. Knowing this alone made multiple people turn their heads your way, getting themselves ready for dragging her back into one of the cells; which would happen in case she’d made a single wrong move. Without hesitation, Vi raised both her palms as she made a step back.
“Don’t you fucking say that name here or in my presence ever again, did I make myself clear?”
“But… Y/N…” - Vi breathed out, watching you over Ekko’s shoulder.
“That girl… Powder… She doesn’t fucking exist anymore. I’m starting to doubt she ever existed, she might as well be a damn hallucination. She is now Jinx, do you hear me? Jinx.” - As Vi watched your lips trembling, she kind of understood you. But hers and Jinx’s situation was different. Vi was her older sister and she surely had the power to bring Powder back among the living. - “Don’t hurt me by making me think about who she was and start taking into account all the things she is right now. Cause thinking about the past that sure as fuck won’t help me when Jinx decides she wants to paint the walls with my brain.”

You could say, with certainty, that Vi wanted to say something. She took in a deep breath, but Ekko put his palm in the middle of her chest, shaking his head. - “Just don’t. Back up for a bit and let me handle this, aight?”
“Ekko, I just…” - “Vi!” - The man shouted at the top of his lungs, seeing your eyes already getting green. As soon as Vi noticed, she backed off - she had no clue as to what was happening to you, but the twitching in your face told her more than she needed to know. In the next moment, the boy was holding your face in his palms, watching you. - “You can’t blow up right now, girl. Come on. Take a deep breath, nice and easy. Do it for me. Come on now.”
It took him about five minutes to calm you back down. The entire time, he was holding onto your face and whispering frantically to you, trying to make you breathe, relax, laugh, or whatever before your body decides to go into full TNT mode. And he had succeeded as by the end of it, you were giggling unhappily, catching his palms in yours, leaning your temple into his shoulder.

First off, the connection Vi established between you and him must’ve reached even further than she could imagine. He had absolute trust in you - just as you seem to feel the same way about him. Ekko’s voice and words alone were something that managed to keep you from anything that was about to go down. And secondly, Powder was a forbidden topic for you. Smiling, she approached you once more.
“I’m sorry for upsetting you, duckling.” - She whispered, giving you one of those comforting smiles where she raised only one of the corners. - “How about you tell me more about this place while we gonna pick dumbass number two from the dungeon treatment?” - Vi joked, nudging your side with her elbow. She noticed another short gaze you gave to Ekko - by a nod, he said it’s okay to let Caitlyn out.

“We found this place one day, after barely getting by for a year.” - You started, looking around, watching the children run around and squealing happily. Scar was overlooking a group of small school kids that were on their lunch break - while simultaneously keeping his eye on Vi. - “It was a fucking miracle. We were starving, freezing and we hid in the sewers from Silco’s people. We were just… Teenagers who tried to keep their people safe. And then we bumped into here, all of a sudden - it was nothing more than a wrong way. But as soon as we saw it…” - “We knew this was the place. We knew we were home. If a single seed could make it our here, so could we.” - The young man finished silently with a smile on his face.
You both watched the young woman being absolutely mesmerized by everything going on. The real trees growing out of the ground, the children running around with laughter, the adults just talking and laughing… The place was spacey, full of life and love, full of warmth that couldn’t be explained by words. She watched as some of the kids used old models of Ekko’s board, making tricks and laughing as they landed on the ground face first, the firelights flying by. Ekko was talking about Silco, shimmer, and what it did to Lanes just as a small girl cried out to all three of you.

You knew who she was, because of course you did, and you watched Wanda running to you with three flower crowns in her small palm. As Vi watched you smile, kneel and pick the toddler to your arms as you nuzzled the tip of your nose against her cheek. there was nothing more to be said. These people were your family; a tight community of people who’s risk life for one another. Kids adored both of you (noticeably the small girl or the boys gliding on the board), adults respected you. You were both natural leaders in your regard. And for a moment, Vi was jealous of what you managed to accomplish out of nothing.
“I should’ve been here.” - The woman said quietly to Ekko, watching you and the girl whispering something. You already had one of the crowns on the head, the girl calling you a princess. - “For you. For everyone.”
“That’s one way to drive yourself crazy. If I just went with you that day, maybe none of this would’ve happened.”

For a moment, you let them talk a bit more as you pointed at various things, making Wanda name each one of them. The girl was smart. As the conversation between Vi and Ekko got louder, while Wanda’s mom was approaching you since she noticed the girl bothering you, as she would say, you stuck your head between them with a wicked smile.
“God, Wanda, look at these two grumpies…” - You mumbled, making the girl giggle. Ekko scoffed while rolling his eyes, crossing his arms in front of his chest. - “Do you think they’d look funnier with the crowns on? Huh?”
“I do, auntie Y/N.” - The girl whispered back with a devilish spark in her eyes.
“Give one to auntie Vi for me, here you go…” - With that, you let the girl lean forward, putting the crown on top of Vi’s head. The woman looked at Ekko cluelessly, but to your surprise, she literally bowed in front of the girl. - “And now give one to uncle Ekko… Oh wow, look at them. Now they look so much happier. Good job.”
“Did you hear anything from what we’ve been talking about?” - Ekko scoffed as Maya, the mother of a said little girl finally made it to you. She was catching her breath, so you held onto the small girl for a bit longer, cradling her in your arms.

“Nah, we’ve been too busy talking colors and animals, ain’t that right?” - The small devil in your arms nodded happily. - “So I heard exactly nothing. Zero. Nada. Nah-ah.”
“I’m so sorry for Wanda running off like that, she was just so excited to see you two. I apologize… She must’ve interrupted something important.” - “Come on, not at all. I’m always stoked to see my little princess. I think she actually brought a lot of smiling that we really needed.” - With that, you gave the girl back to her mother and waved at her as they both left you standing there. - “We have one more thing to show you.” - Ekko said with seriousness. - “Oh.” - Was all you answered.
At that moment, something connected inside Vi’s head, and the thought overwhelmed her for a second. All the words that had been said, all your actions, emotions, and interactions spelled out one thing to her. It wasn’t the past or the future driving you forward - it was the present making each of you doing the decisions deemed necessary. She was about to see how much you learned from your past, how you refused to forget, but that wasn’t your main point. The secret was the present and your celebration of it.

As soon as she saw the thing Ekko deemed as super-important to show her, it all clicked together perfectly. It was an intimate place that you called The Wall of remembrance… That was getting a few new faces on just as she saw it for the first time. As Ekko talked to Vi, explaining to her something, you stepped a bit closer. First, you smiled at Chloe, the girl painting another portrait in there. With another smile, you let the tips of your fingers wander on handprints, watching all of them looking back at you. The price of your freedom… All those you’ve lost to get where you were at that moment. Lowering your head, you mumbled yet another thanks and prayer for all those who weren’t able to make it.
“If you’re both done, let’s get the friend of yours out of shackles.” - The shift in your emotion was undeniable. You were much calmer and happier than when Vi pulled out the Powder bomb. And both her and Ekko were intending on keeping you that way. - “And let’s get you some food… And a shower. You fucking stink, Vi.” - And with that, she started to laugh loudly.

The warmth with which you took them both in was… Neither of the ladies expected such open arms. As soon as the local youngest noticed them, all of them huddled around the ladies trying to eat their lunch. The Enforcer lady was unsure as to what she is supposed to do - yet as soon as she saw Vi moving in the flow of the kids, she started to nod her head and smile.
Caitlyn actually never saw something as amazing as this. Your people were honest, they were loyal and all of them made sure that they’ll be happy about every small detail. This was surviving, you managed to build a colony with a beating heart. While in Piltover people might’ve been seeming happy but crooked and in Zaun, they were honest yet living poorly, you got the best of both worlds. How did you manage to do that? Neither of them had no idea. But it sure was wonderful. On the other hand… You had other business at hand.

Just like with Vi, you showed the other woman around - she introduced herself as Caitlyn. While you were seemingly willing to listen to her opinions and reasonings, Ekko clearly already made up his opinion about her.
It was nothing surprising, really. While you still held the memories of Grayson dearly in your heart, Ekko was in contact with the modern-day enforcers - especially Marcus, who was paid to hunt your people down like animals. And as soon as Caitlyn opened her mouth and discussion the situation with him. There was even a moment when Vi had to push him a few steps back. Everything changed when Ekko pulled out the blue shiny ball he showed you earlier. As soon as he did, Cait’s eyes widened and her expression softened.
“You got it. You have to let me take that back.” - You all looked at each other while Ekko showed the small ball back into the casing. Vi didn’t hesitate, asking Cait what this was about. - “It’s a gemstone. It was stolen during the attack… By your sister.”
“And you just forgot to mention that?” - Vi asked with confusion, but Cait didn’t pay the question much attention.
“With this, someone with the right knowledge could build… Any Hextech device. If the Enforcers are becoming more aggressive, that’s why.”

Ekko, looking at the gemstone, turned his face to you. - “We could beat Silco with this.”
“That won’t solve things.” - Caitlyn answered almost immediately, which was something that was on the right track to get Ekko railed up. Truth be told, you weren’t as good with technology as Ekko was, but this thing sure as hell was dangerous. It had the power to rebuild… Just as it held the power of destruction. As soon as you realized how powerful this thing could be, you wanted it out of the walls.
“Easy for you to say. Your people aren’t dying around you.”
“Ekko, it’s wrong what’s been done to you.” - Caitlyn started carefully, taking in a small breath. The young man was first trying to look away, twitching under her gaze a bit, but you put your palm on his forearm, gripping it gently. He hated this gaze when you used all the things he was feeling for you as means to listen. Yet in the end, he turned his head back to Cait. - “You’d be well in your rights to keep it. I couldn’t blame you… But if you do, the cycle of violence never stops. This is our best shot at setting the record straight. This city needs healing… More than I ever realized. Please, let me help you.”

There was a long silence. During the silence, Ekko was staring straight in front of himself, thinking about all the possibilities you could possibly have; he went through all the solutions. As for you, you first suspected that Caitlyn was just some upper-class princess who never set her foot out of Piltover - well, she might’ve been, but deep in her speech, you could feel the empathy and understanding she had for your people. And the people of Zaun. She wanted to help you and to be frank, you fucking needed help.
Smoothing your hand up Ekko’s back and leaning your chin into his shoulder made him turn his face in your direction. Maybe she really could help you - maybe it was worth trying. And because of that, you nodded gently before stepping aside and looking at both women standing in front of you.

“You got a plan?” - He asked, turning his attention to Cait once more.
“I have a friend on the council. Let me take the gemstone to him. He’ll listen to me - your people wouldn’t have to hide anymore.” - And this, this one short sentence right there was something that hit Ekko hard. Caitlyn returned the gaze of hope you gave her, having Ekko turn his entire body to face her. - “One condition. I’m the one who gives it to them.”

With that line, it was set to stone. You began to prepare for another week of fear - Ekko was about to leave the colony with Caitlyn and Vi to talk to the council while you were about to stay put and make sure everything is going smoothly. Hoping he’ll even make it back to you. It made you a bit upset (mainly because he barely got back and you only had one very serious conversation in the meantime), but you understood it. Especially if Cait would be able to provide your people with at least a fraction of the things she was talking about. This was very important.

Yet just as they were about to set on their way, Ekko surprised you by tossing one of the old leather coats they used to wear when setting out. With an unreadable expression on your face, you looked down on the coat and then right at Ekko standing in your doorframe. - “Are you out of your mind? I can’t go out there, I can’t just leave all of them here. Someone has to stay here with our people…”
“I need you out there with me.” - The man cut you off, huffing as he sat down on your bed - catching his face in his palms, he started to massage it. He was tired, so very tired. It was starting to take a toll on him and truth was, Ekko didn’t know how much longer will he be able to hold on. - “Scar and Violet can manage it here, it won’t be a long trip. Three days at maximum, promise.”
“You said that last time as well… You were gone almost a week.”
“Don’t be like that, come on, girl. I really need you out there with me, you hear me?” - And at that moment, you looked Ekko in the face, piercing through those warm brown eyes. I couldn’t be more clear; he was terrified of anything that was right in front of him. It was the council you’ve been talking about, a gemstone with unlimited destructive power, Enforcers stationed at every route leading to Piltover, Silco’s men hunting him down ever since he last bumped into Jinx and Vi herself. She might’ve been your friend, but how much had she changed? Memories were a thing so powerful that they could overshadow rational minds; even minds more clear than Ekko’s. The nostalgia was really the main focus here - no matter how hard Ekko loved the past version of Vi, it had nothing to do with the present Vi, and the same applied to you.

As you started building the colony, a pact was made. That was why you had a thin scar on your palm, carrying it with you anywhere and everywhere - and each time you tended to get nostalgic beyond your own control, you looked at it and pressed your nail into it.
You and Ekko respected the past a lot. You appreciated every sacrifice made and you were well aware that even the smallest decision was a part of getting to where you’ve been at. And at the same time - the past nor the far future could be your main focus. It had to be the present. To ensure a better future, you had to make decisions that were to positively define the present. This was the pact.

And surely, Ekko was now acting based on the pact. He was making a decision that could turn out unpredictable in the future while being exactly what the present needed. Ekko needed Y/N, right there and then. And that was his driving force as he sat in front of you. That also didn’t mean that Ekko needed you specifically - he needed your power. - “You’re the most important of all people in here… To me. You’re their leader, you know what their needs and aspirations are, you know about every smallest thing that this colony needs while I know only bits and pieces. And only you can tell that to the council.” - With that, the man caught your jaw in his palms as he looked you in the eyes. - “That’s why I need you to come with me.”
“Do me a favor and stop lying to me. You’re scared Ekko, and that is human. But these two won’t hurt you, they’re your allies and they will protect you. And they won’t let Silco or the Enforcers take you away, you hear me?”

But you were wrong. You were so very wrong - Ekko might’ve been worried sick, but that wasn’t the reason. If the change was about to come, he needed you by his side. Of all the people in the colony, you held the most importance to him personally. He needed to feel your presence, he needed your smell to surround him and your witty sense of humor to make him laugh. Without you, Ekko felt he has no chance of making it. And in one vulnerable look, Ekko shot your way you could feel all the emotion. This made you stop for a second and caught his palms in yours.
Sighing, kneeling in front of him and letting his forehead lean into yours, you thought about everything that might happen out there. Ekko needed you. Your people needed you to be their voice. And for a moment, you needed to be a real leader… Not just one that hides behind walls of concrete. And so, you nodded, accepting his request. - “Don’t worry… There’s anything that could go wrong.” - It wasn’t more than a mumble, but it made Ekko snicker against his will.

That very evening, all four of you set out to venture into Piltover. Since you didn’t need to be discreet, per se, the way to Piltover wasn’t as long in the end - by midnight, you were already entering the bridge surrounded in total darkness without a sign of motion. As expected, you led both women through a maze of sewer hallways and crawlspace, climbing out in the middle of the bridge itself. It was there where Vi stopped herself, looking at both you and Ekko. Without a word said, you both knew what she was about to tell you.
“I can’t leave her again.” - The woman said, letting you both know that it’s already set in stone. Nothing could change her mind. - “You can’t change her.” - Ekko opposed, but you were both giving her that knowing smile - go and do what needs to be done.
“I got to try.” - Vi responded, making Ekko scoff. Nodding, you walked to her first to give her a firm hug, thinking about when are gonna see her again… Or if you’re gonna ever see her again. - “Don’t get yourself killed.” - Ekko said as he watched the hug you gave her. Her thoughts were set in stone and you already accepted them. There was no going back.

“As soon as I’m done, I’ll see you again. I promise, duckling.” - The muscular woman whispered in your ear just before you let her go. - “I’ll hold you to that promise, buckaroo.” - You answered, finally letting her go. Now, it was Ekko’s turn to say goodbye.
This time, Vi simply chuckled as the two of them embraced. - “No promises.” - As the two of them stepped away from each other, both you and Ekko let them talk in private for a bit, giving them the privacy they deserved. These have been through some shit already - and from what you’ve gathered, they didn’t even know each other for too long.

“How you’re holding up, girl?” - The man whispered as he leaned into the railing next to you.
“I’m nervous, I suppose. What if… What if something goes wrong, yannow?”
“Well if you keep thinking about shit going down…” - Ekko chuckled and nudged your side with his elbow, making you grin as well. - “It will go down. As Ria would tell you, you need to go to your happy place and relax. Everything’s fine. We’re fine. I’ll protect you, alright?”

It was not long after when you watched Vi walk away from you in the direction of lanes, back into the darkness. With that, your nervosity grew even more; so much so that you felt your fingers sparkling already. And you weren’t the only one - Caitlyn looked at your palm with a furrow and that attracted Ekko’s attention. Smiling at you, the man caught your palm in yours since he knew, your body will stop because you’d never consciously hurt him. A few deep breaths let you get the situation under control, making you relaxed.
You continued through the lifeless darkness for just a bit longer - at the Piltoverian bridge exit, you bumped into a bunch of Enforcers. At first, they were pretty suspicious of you but when Cait showed them her badge, the force calmed down a bit as she started to negotiate with the captain. Watching the man walking closer made your arm ignite up to your elbow and just as you were to push Ekko on the ground and shot a fireball with your other one… The Enforcer shot.

The shot rang through your ears as you gasped for air, watching Ekko drop to the ground. The world around you slowed down for a few seconds, your eyes teared up and your heart pumped painfully. Your stomach was turning upside down. Was he… Did they… Did Ekko just die right in front of you?
You were trying to take a deep breath so you could scream, having most of the men aiming at you, but Caitlyn barricaded your way, catching your cheek in her palm. - “You don’t want to do this, trust me, this would be so very stupid darling. Take a deep breath for me, come on now.” - The woman was watching every muscle in your face, the emotion in your face, and the position of your body, taking in every detail. The captain rose his palm up to stop any fire, being quite mesmerized by the flames slowly melting the leather coat, shining through the dark night. You were very close to losing it without knowing if Ekko survive or not.

As you wanted to look at the captain or at Ekko, Caitlyn’s grasp tightened. The woman knew Marcus is taking away the gemstone while pointing at both your hands, but honestly, she was more worried about you getting out of control. Which was a justified fear.
You could hear Vi calling out Caitlyn’s name as Marcus forced the tip of his gun right into your vision, making you grunt. You didn’t want to hurt her - but you wanted to see that swine writhe on the ground, screaming with pain and fear. This man was to be boiled like a fucking crab. - “I told you to leave this alone.” - The man mumbled, looking at his squad; Caitlyn looked at him quickly before turning her attention back to you and Vi, who was sprinting towards all of you - seeing Ekko laying on the ground, your arm surrounded with green flames and all the men watching you. This was not looking too good.

When you turned your head in Vi’s direction, Marcus immediately pointed the gun at your temple, yet you couldn’t be more unbothered as you frowned, watching the sky. There was this… Mechanical flutter disturbing the silence and hundreds of green lights flying your way. - “Is that you?” - You asked the captain, turning your head so the gun was pointed at your forehead. The man straightened nervously, noticing that you didn’t give a fuck. - “Excuse me?”
“I’m asking if this…” - Your finger pointed at the sky. - “Is your doing?”
“No, miss, I don’t think…”
“Oh, fuck.” - Before Caitlyn could catch your forearm, you started to run in the direction of the fire lights, kicking your shoes off - watching you run off, Vi clearly knew what is on your mind. But Caitlyn’s safety was more important to her at that moment.
If this wasn’t your doing (which surely wasn’t) and it wasn’t their doing… It meant that there was a third party hidden somewhere. And you knew precisely who the third party was. With more anger filling you up, you jumped into the air, making the flames consume your feet and legs as you hovered around, looking for Jinx. Railing yourself up, you threw a few fireballs into the darkness, scanning the surroundings for any signs of life. That bitch was well hidden, you had to admit - and she had to admit that you were scary as fuck. For a little moment, Jinx rose her big blue eyes, seeing the butterflies reach their destination.

As all the bombs went off simultaneously, your eyes met hers for a small moment. And to your surprise, she didn’t have the eyes of a serial killer. There was something… Something warm and acknowledging in that gaze was equivalent to a smile you give to an old friend even if her actual lips didn’t move a bit. Jinx’s lips opened shortly as if she wanted to yell at you, but then she shook her head, hiding back into the shadows.
You were enraged at that moment, yet you still felt that small, wondering part of you. What if Vi could be right? It was years since you have last spoken to Powder and even longer since she started shooting at you without warning. Could she still be there? Powder hiding inside that thin woman wasn’t a reason to hold back any emotion of fireballs.

The wave of air was so strong that it threw you to the ground, but you weren’t hurt. Frantically, you picked yourself up on your feet to climb up the pillar where she was hiding - yet reaching the vantage point, the girl was already gone, leaving you breathless - and it was in that moment when you saw all the destruction and only a few signs of life.
Enforcers were gone; one by one detonated to shreds. A few people were trying to pick themselves up on their feet, but the number of dead people was higher than of the living. While the dust settled down, you still stood in the middle of the desolated bridge with a green fireball ready to be fired. Yet the girl who was responsible for all the chaos was nowhere to be found. As if she just disintegrated into thin air.
Turning on your heels, you let the fireball fall flat on the ground. This was one of the most unpleasant views a person could see - all the Enforcers were laying on the ground, looking back at you with dead eyes - some had their limbs torn off their body, some at least visually resembled a human; gallons of blood poured all over the concrete were more than enough for you to understand that all of them were gone by that point. And it was all her doing.

Vi seemed to be fine, Caitlyn had pieces of shrapnel in her upper thigh and was bleeding quite bad, but she was alive - the injuries surely were to heal in a few weeks. Ekko was laying on the ground as you approached him, but he was fine; the iron plate in his chest just saved his damn life, making you smile with pure joy. He was safe and alive.
“She’s gone!” - You cried out to inform the group, catching Vi’s attention for a second. The woman nodded back to you, putting Cait back on her feet. - “She ran away as soon as she saw me.” - You whispered to yourself, looking at your hand hardening before you put the flames out.

If there was someone to preach about all the dangers Jinx meant to everyone, it was clearly you.
There were moments where you wished for nothing more than her throat being squeezed by your fingers. Many times, you muttered under your breath that Jinx would be better off if dead.
Yet when your eyes met for a second and you could clearly see that she recognises you, you knew you wouldn’t be able to take her life away. Those huge blue eyes watched you with fear and a spark of… Something. It was an emotion of some kind. Sure, you’d pack a few punches, maybe knock her out in the worst-case scenario. But not in a thousand years would you be able to kill her.
Catching your breath, you shook your head. You were getting nostalgic and sentimental.

Jinx surely didn’t feel the same about you as she crept behind you.
For a moment, her eyes wandered around the frame of your shoulders, your arms, and the leather monstrosity you were wearing. As Jinx watched you being consumed with flames clearly looking for her, her breath hitched in her throat. It was you. The so-called Demon of the Lanes. It was you the entire time.
It freaked the woman out for a second, but she managed to overcome the fear pretty quickly - you might’ve been looking for Jinx just a moment ago, but she was one step ahead; she hid behind one of the beams holding the bridge in the air and didn’t even breathe until she heard you yelling at your friends. As soon as she saw the opportunity, she caught up, showing each step you made.

Thanks to the dark of the night, none of them saw Jinx sneaking up on you. If they did, it could’ve all happened much differently. It would end up differently. Not as tragically.
At the moment, the woman was right behind you with one of her palms gently risen up; as if she wanted to touch your shoulder gently just so you’d notice her… As if Jinx was building the courage to look in the eyes and to catch your attention.
What was she supposed to do? She hated you to guts, she hated you for so fucking long, she wanted all of you dead, buried six feet under… But when you looked her in the eyes, there was some strange feeling of acceptance and friendly love. Just like when Vi hugged her before Firelights took her away. Should’ve she just circled her arms around your waist and hugged you? Should’ve Jinx brought you close? That surely was one of the options racing her mind. On the other hand… If she was to startle you, you were to burn her to bits. Silco wouldn’t be too happy about that.

Suddenly, everything clicked.
Jinx’s breath hitched as she felt Milo reaching out for the screwdriver in the back pocket of her pants and Claggor laughing in her other ear. Her eyes widened in horror as both the boys started to talk - Jinx’s brain already made the connection even before the boys started to talk. Once more, the time slowed around as she felt her hand slowly reaching behind her waist. Jinx wanted to fight them… She didn’t want to kill you. Not now. Not when there was a slight chance of you maybe accepting her. She wanted just one last smile from you, a greeting, to hear a story, to talk to you. She didn’t want to be alone. Jinx… Jinx wanted to be loved. But her body was quicker than she ever could be.

“She’s a traitor.” - Milo mumbled to Jinx’s ear with a wicked smile. - “Just look at her. She has it written all over her damn face. What are you waiting for? Do it. It won’t take long.”
“All of your friends left you, remember? No one came looking for you when you needed them all. And… Look. She took him away from you. Y/N’s with them now - with the Firelights. She would’ve spared a second before killing you.“ - Claggor joined with devilish laughter, leaning his forearm around Jinx’s shoulders.
’You’re both wrong… Wrong! Stop! Didn’t you see that look she gave me?’ - Jinx tried to oppose inside of her head, already feeling her palm grabbing the screwdriver as she pulled it out. - ’Maybe… Maybe if we’d just talk to her. To all of them.’
”Didn’t you see how Vi hugged that other woman? She clearly replaced you, she doesn’t need you, she doesn’t wantyou. You are alone… Again.“ - Claggor mumbled in a low, mocking tone. Jinx watched her hand preparing in the air, holing on the screwdriver firmly. You had no idea. Not a clue. - "And you think the others will wantyou around after blowing everything up? Did you see how many people you killed? They think you’re a monster, that you’re beyond saving. They’ll kill you when the first opportunity comes, don’t be fucking stupid.”

“Y/N!” - Vi screamed in horror, seeing the pale arm reaching from behind your back. You stopped, but before you could locate what she was worried about, there it was - Jinx stabbed the screwdriver into your throat, making the blood pour on your chest as your mouth filled with your own blood. The young woman continued on stabbing (the first stab was the worst because your muscles, tendons, and veins were pretty firm), yet as she found her tempo, she kept on doing the same motion until you fell to the ground, holding your neck in your palm, trying to slow down the bleeding.
For a moment, Jinx stared down at you with a devilish smile, scoffing, before she pulled out her gun and walked a bit back. Sure, she might’ve just relentlessly murdered you, but she wasn’t a complete monster. Ekko had every right to say his farewell before she kills him too. Honestly, no matter how loud did Vi yell at him, the man didn’t stop for the love of God. He literally collapsed on the ground next to you, putting your head on his thighs as you choked on your blood. One of your palms put pressure on your throat, the other one searched for his arm so you could hold onto it as you pass away.
This was it. You could feel it. There was no coming back after this amount of stab wounds and blood loss.

“Don’t you dare do this to me, come on, girl.” - The man mumbled frantically, watching your widened eyes looking back at him in shock and terror. - “Come on, you’re strong. Just… Live. Live, for me. If you die on me, I swear I’ll find fucking way to break to time and I’ll hop back to fucking save.”
“It’s… It’s you.” - Your voice was quiet and Ekko knew you were putting too much energy into talking. He tried to make you shut up, but you couldn’t be less bothered as you kept your stare glued to him. - “You… Saved me. It was always you.” - The man had little idea of what you were talking about, but he felt himself breaking down in tears as his fingers smoothed your face. His ears clung to every word you said because you seemed determined to tell him everything.
The life was fading out of your eyes, skin, your body. Your heart was pumping with greater and greater trouble, it hurt and your body was starting too feel ice cold. With last grasps of breath, you looked him in the eyes, concentrating fully on what you were about to say. - “I… Love… You… Ekko…”
“And I love you too, but…” - As he laughed unhappily at finally hearing these words he longed to hear all this time, the last breath left your body, leaving you starting at Ekko lifelessly. The grip on his arm loosened and when his hand reached your chest, he couldn’t feel anything. It was over.

The scream of sorrow, rage, and woe could be heard all the way in both Lanes and Piltover. Those who heard it would swear that their blood froze in their veins for a bit; there was so much emotion in a single, painful scream. Ekko was suffering and his heart was bleeding, he felt torn to shreds.  
Even Jinx froze as she watched the scenery. She wanted your love… Not your death. Soon, her eyes teared off as she started to bash her forehead with her palm, mumbling frantically as she argued with the voices inside her head. At that moment, Jinx hated herself. She wanted to take it all back, to jump back in time. But instead of that, she was too weak to protect you from all the trauma, anger, and rage she held within. With that, Jinx fell to her knees, watching the man still holding onto your corpse. - “What have I done?” - The woman whimpered as her face coldened again.
Soon after, another scream followed. And this time, it belonged to Jinx herself.

I’m not going to go too deep into it because it’s worthy of its own post, but it goes without saying that choosing to end the season with another of Jinx’s hextech explosions to parallel her previous one was brilliant on so many levels, not only to showcase the evolution of her character (the first one was a major catalyst for Powder becoming Jinx and now the repeated act solidifies this identity) but for the story as well. The first time was a big turning point at the end of Act 1, ushering in major change for the characters and a new trajectory for the plot and this explosion will no doubt do the same, launching the story and the characters into a new direction. 

The paralleled event also plays on the audience’s memory of what came before. We don’t have to assume that this rocket will be devastating, we’ve already seen what this kind of power can do and we know that it will be on an even larger scale now and this adds another layer of dread to an already shocking turn of events. We know how ferocious that magic-induced fire can be. How it rages and races and incinerates flesh. We already know everyone in that council chamber is going to die instantly without some kind of magical intervention. 

We know Viktor and Mel both potentially have built-in magical reasons for survival e.g. Viktor’s connection to the Hexcore and Mel’s tattoos/armor, but what about Jayce? 

I feel like the hammer could maybehave been used to protect him (we see the gauntlets shield Vi in her fight with Sevika) but he didn’t have it with him in the council chamber and I don’t think he’d even consider grabbing it not knowing that it can shield him anyway, so I assume either Mel or Viktor will have to protect him, but which one and how?

Though Viktor would know his little body wouldn’t be enough to truly shield Jayce nor would he be able to move in front of him fast enough, I do believe he would sacrifice himself in a heartbeat to try to save him if he could, especially knowing he’s dying anyway. That being said, it’s just as likely that Jayce would try and do the same for Viktor and is the more likely candidate to be able to run to Viktor and tackle him to the ground to try and shield him. The act would still be futile but, in each other’s arms, Viktor’s magic could activate and, in protecting him, save Jayce as well. 

If this doesn’t happen however and Jayce instead runs to Mel or doesn’t get the chance to make any decision at all, Viktor’s magic could still involuntarily shield him and he’ll come out mostly unscathed (which will out him) or the magic won’t help him and he could get seriously hurt (which could jumpstart more augmentation).

We don’t know what kind of power Mel has yet but emphasizing her and her armor was no accident and she could very well be the key to saving everyone in that room. If she’s somehow able to hold the rocket at bay while everyone tries to escape (an action that could be extremely taxing and she perhaps can’t hold for very long) she lets it go when everyone is a safe distance away, sacrificing herself to save everyone else (though I do genuinely believe most of the council members will die or at least be seriously injured so I’d hate to see Mel sacrifice herself just for it to be in vain).

Or, if Mel is somehow able to protect one other person besides or instead of herself, she chooses Jayce. Not only because she loves him but because she believes in him as their best choice of leadership for Piltover. This sacrifice to save him would deepen the pain he would already feel from losing her and it could inspire him to continue being on the council to honor her memory despite his previous wishes to leave so he can continue to be in a position to be able to do the things he thinks she would have wanted. 

Again though, I genuinely don’t want Mel to die by the way and I’m not saying she’s absolutely going to. I’m still 50/50 on her survival as I can see the storytelling potential in both options honestly, but these are just wild theories and, as of now, I still have hope she’ll live. 

As a sidenote, I’m also curious as to the potential radius of this explosion and how many more innocents could potentially be at risk beyond the council. The rocket was aimed at the council chamber, but could the fallout be larger than expected? Could the explosion seriously destabilize that building and cave in other nearby rooms or potentially have debris fall to the streets and harm others perhaps? 

Anyway, those are just some scattered thoughts. I know there’s already been a lot of conversation on who will survive and how, but it’s all very interesting to speculate on. 

I love these two so much and I wish their friendship could’ve stayed as it once was

Jinx’s origin story goes from “Protect Powder” to “god someone protect ME from Powder”

It’s been a while since I used procreate… So here is Jinx

Arcane rocked my socks off

Show me I can fall⏳

“are we still sisters?” I loved Arcane so much I had to draw Jinx & Vi

Some arcane doodles

Thank you, I’ll say goodbye soon

Though its the end of the world,

Don’t blame yourself now

- Porter Robinson

it’s time to say goodbye

“Powder fell down a well.”

I have recovered emotionally enough to finally draw some Arcane fan art. I’ve had Silco brainrot since it premiered and it’s only gotten worse but this line from Jinx really stuck with me. I need more

“It’s Jinx now. Powder fell down a well.”

Arcane acrylic charm coming soon!

Omg women in STEM representation ❤

Acting practice

It was a mistake