Love: such a hard feeling

by thenameismaria

Summary:

Ekko loves Powder that's something he is sure of and he's determined to save her, no matter what.
He doesn't believe she's dead.

Well, what if Powder doesn't want to be saved? what if she's Jinx now?

What if her rejection of his help is what made him start the Firelights?

Chapter 1: I'll save her

He finally found her. He really did.
Alive.
There she was, in Silco's lair. She was surely in trouble. He didn't know what to do but he risked it. He risked it all for her.

She was so far down in this fissure. Why would he keep her that deep down?

He went in, quiet, saw the big fan that was her room? No, it couldn't. But it was full of her doodles, vibrant paint, and... and a memorial? That rug doll was Claggor? And the junk robot thing, Mylo?
That was… distur…that wasn't what he was looking for.

He scanned the room, and there she was, sitting on the floor of that propeller, tinkering with something, looked a lot like one of her bomb things. Ekko moved slowly behind her, just inches away from her back.
Her beautiful blue hair,the same blue hair that he loved to tangle, were longer now.
So much time apart…

"Powder?"
His voice was just above a whisper
"Powder is dead."
Her voice dry. She didn't even move to look at him, but she stopped with her tinkering, visible tensing a bit.
"Powder, it's me. It's Ekko."
Silence
"I'm here to save you."
A laugh
"Save me? From what?"
Silence
"Powder, I'm here to rescue you."
She finally faced him, just turning her face a bit, not looking him in the eyes
"I don't wanna be rescued, I'm fine. I'm Jinx now. "

Ekko froze, shock filled his face. What? What did she say?Jinx? What did Silco feed into her mind? She's not a jinx.
She's perfect. She's perfect in every way…

He grabbed her. She seemed unfazed, not bothered at all
"I'm taking you out of here."
Jinx didn't move
"Leave."
He pulled her hard, but still, he was gentle.
"No. I'm not leaving you behind. "

Jinx released her arm and turned to face him fully and froze as she looked into his eyes. His magical eyes, they reminded her of things…
"Powder, come, please."

"SHUT UP"
She yelled behind her shoulder, towards the “memorial”. No one was sitting there, not to Ekko's eyes. But to Jinx...to Jinx there were people mocking her, telling her she's not worth it.

Ekko grabbed her arm again, gently but firmly. Jinx startled and moved her arm to get free. His grip was strong, and when she couldn't get out of his grip, she slapped him…

She slapped him hard, just like Vi had done to her years ago... Ekko jumped behind and covered his cheek with the hand he was once holding her. Tears started to form in his eyes.
Physically, it didn't hurt.

She had slapped him.
This is not Powder... Powder could never have done this.
Powder...loved him...surely she did.
Just like Ekko loved her…

Jinx had turned her back to him, hugging herself and whispering something he couldn't really make out. His ears were ringing with thoughts, thousands of thoughts he couldn't understand nor stop.

"You are too far gone."
He said in his anger, regretting the moment it left his mouth, but couldn't take it back now.

"I know."
She said, covering her ears and whispering, "Shut up" to someone...to everyone.

He... left. He left her there, alone. He didn't save her. Couldn't do it, he wasn't strong enough to save her.

Thank Janna he knew the lanes and especially this area and was able to leave before Silco's goons found him.

He hadn't released it but the boy was crying…
He was crying for his lost love but most importantly his lost friend. In his mind Powder was dead, just like she said, she was Jinx now. All that was left of her.

Fuck why he was thinking like that?

He had already lost so many people, what's one more?

Now the only thing he could do was find his tree. The only thing that gave him hope and a purpose.

The only thing that could probably heal him.
Fill the hole inside him.

Chapter 2: Desperate to fight

Summary:

Ekko meets a new friend that will help him see the world differently.

Notes:

This chapter is just Ekko crying. But we get to meet Scar, so yeah.

Ekko finally made it to his tree. The beautiful tree that somehow managed to thrive in the Undercity.
It was truly a symbol of hope, for him and for all of Zaun.

The tears were still flowing in his eyes and staining his face.
He sat down on the ground, his back on the tree, to feel it.
He screamed,loud and cathartic. This scream could definitely freeze time.

And it was like it did, because Ekko didn't release it, but he was sitting there for a long time and at some point later he wasn't alone.

A Vastaya man was there. He walked towards the tree.
How did he find it?
The Vastayan saw Ekko.

"Are you okay, boy?"
His voice was gentle, like a warm blanket.
Ekko got scared, defensive
"Who are you? How did you find this place?"
The man with the quiet voice spoke once again
"I was just checking the Lanes, and it happened to bump at this beautiful tree."
He smiled
“So magical”
Ekko wasn't convinced. He stayed defensive
"Did you follow me here? You work for Silco?"
"No."
His voice was bitter. Many people didn't like to be accused of working for him.
“I could never work for that animal”
it was like he spitted the last word.

Something in the Vastaya's eyes told Ekko that he was sincere. Maybe he was so desperate for someone, an ally, a partner, a friend… that he just believed him.

Everything was too much for the boy. His tears never really stopped.
They were picking in his eyes, he tried to make them stop, but it was no use.
The man sat beside him, and put a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Talk to me, boy. What happened?"
Ekko couldn't hold them back more. The tears flooded again
"I've lost everyone. I'm alone..."

How could the man help this boy? He didn't know what to do, only to speak the truth
"Aren't we all?"

Ekko met his eyes, behind heavy, hot tears, not a sign of mockery or annoyance in these eyes.
The man didn't speak, he just smiled, a small, reassuring smile.
He let Ekko cry for as long as he needed to, still holding his shoulder.

They didn't know how much time Ekko was crying. Maybe 4 minutes, maybe 14, maybe an hour. It didn't matter. They were sitting there together, neither of them alone.

When he finally stopped, they didn't really move. Ekko wiped his tears away with his sleeve but didn't speak.
He just grabbed a leath from the tree and felt it in his hands, while putting his head back to touch the wood of the tree.
The man went along, just sitting there offering silent company to the boy.

When the tears had finally dried and the sky was clear in his eyes, Ekko stood up.

"I need to do something.”
He said looking down to the leaf he was holding
“Something to save everyone"
The Vastaya was still sitting
"What do you mean?"
"There are so many orphans around. And so many people who are desperate to fight."
He nodded, understanding every word of the boy
"I'm Ekko"
He offered his hand to his newfound friend.
"The name is Scar."
They shook hands
"Will you help me?"
"For Zaun, I'll do anything.”

Notes:

Hope you like it.
Feedback is always welcome!

Chapter 3: Why again?

Summary:

Ekko finally had a place to call his own and people ready to fight for what they believed.

But the past is always lurking around.

Notes:

Don't really know where this is going but bare with me.

The tree was full of life. Not only as it own but around it. There were kids everywhere running and playing.
And people, so many people.

Ekko stood on the balcony outside his bedroom. Watching the people with a fond smile.
He was looking like the fearless leader of the Firelights, but inside him, still felt like a little kid.

Like always his eyes caught the graffiti,
no,
the memorial
of the people who had been gone.

The blue hair stuck to him, like they always did.
He tried to suppress the tears, to hide them. This time he couldn't. How many years of their encounter? Four?
He couldn't remember, he didn't want to remember.

Scar was watching him from down where he was playing with some kids. When he saw him looking at the memorial again he climbed up.

“Hey, little man”
Ekko flinched at the nickname
“Oh, hey Scar”
Scar noticed the slight flinch
“What is it? Because I know I didn't scare you.”
Ekko met his gentle eyes
“I was just thinking…about the past”
Scar knew exactly what that meant
“You can't save her. She's not the person you knew.”
Ekko didn't answer. He didn't want it to be true but it was, and that was what hurt the most.

Someone was calling Ekko from just below.

He got down to see that a little girl with blue hair was calling him.
“Ekko, come play with us.”
She said as she was tagging his hand.

He wasn’t moving, he could only notice the blue hair.
Scar saw his gaze and bumped his shoulder
“Come on, Ekko. The kids want to play”
Ekko finally smiled. He saw the people, his people, children laughing and running.

Ekko saw, in this moment, once again, what he was fighting for.
He was fighting for a future. For a future in Zaun, for everyone… even for her.
She was always in his mind. The little girl with the best smile in the world, not even the most expensive gems in Piltover could compare to her smile.

Ekko finally snapped out of his thoughts and went to play with the kids a bit.

The day was refreshing, and emotional, to say the least.

When the night finally settled, Ekko was restless.
His mind kept getting back to Jin- Powder. He wanted to see her again, maybe this time he could…

He grabbed his board and left without saying a word to anyone.

He went back to that fissure… Thankfully he remembered how.
He was careful not to be seen by any of Silco's goons. He wasn't a kid anymore and he surely had made a name for himself.

He stood at an edge,hiding in the shadows, scanning the place.
She wasn't there. At least he couldn't see her. His mind was torn between staying and waiting or leaving and never coming back.

After a long stay in the shadows he chose the second one.
He left…but he looked back one last time

a long blue braid moved behind him like a flash.

She was here, she was here all this time waiting for him to make a move.
Waiting for him to do something.

Ekko teared up but stopped looking back. He wanted to believe that she wasn't waiting for him.
She didn't…she didn't want to be saved.
He couldn't look back anymore, he had to look at the future and at his people.

Ignoring the tears burning his eyes he quickly left the place.
As he was running with his board he slowed down when he passed an old workshop…
What was he doing? Why was the past fighting him today?

“Fuck, fuck, fuck”
He stopped in front of the workshop
“Get out of my head.”

He stood there fighting with his thoughts. They had overwhelmed him.
He closed his eyes to calm down, unable to do so.

The last thing he remembers is a blast of smoke and then black…

Notes:

If you like it pls leave kudos :)
Feedback is always welcome.

Chapter 4: Go on

Summary:

Ekko and Jinx meet again. Well, kinda.
Some talk about the past.

Notes:

I think it goes somewhere.
Bare with me once again.

Where was he?
He only felt a buzzing in his head as his eyes tried to focus on his surroundings.

Wait, he knew this place. The workshop…Benzo’s…

He tried to move and couldn't, a rope around his body was keeping him to a chair.

This wasn't Silco. If it was Silco he would be already dead. Maybe he was. But no, he knew that it was her.

Suddenly he heard a voice, one he hasn't heard in years.

The voice came from the shadows, Ekko couldn't really place it.
“You're stalking me, boy? “
“I'm the one tied to a chair”
She laughed. Why was she always laughing so maniacally?
“You were the one in my place”

Well, that was true, but he wasn't stalking, he just wanted to see her… one more time.

“And let's be honest, you can easily break through those binds”

That was true as well. Ekko noticed that the rope wasn't tight enough for him not to let them lose, but he wanted to see where this was going.

“Why are we here?”
He asked with a bit of anger in his voice.
“I choose a common ground”

That made Ekko furious
“This is not common ground…”
He was practically yelling
“This is Benzo’s shop…m- my dad's shop.”

Jinx laughed again, but this time the laugh was like it had some tears.

“You came here to find parts for your trinkets, you came here all the time. To help me build things, to help you build things… You came here to see ME.”

Ekko was in tears again, he always ended up in tears when he thought about the past.

“That wasn't me. This girl is dead… I told you.”

Ekko heard soft tears and a voice full of emotion

“Stop talking about the past.”

Ekko wanted to run, to comfort his girl whose tears sounded the same from when she was a kid.

“The past is what keeps us sane, our past is what makes us who we are.”
“I am not that person anymore. I'm someone else,I'm not worth saving, little man.”

Her voice was still full with emotion, she was speaking through the shadows, not revealing her face.
Ekko broke down inside him from hearing the nickname, trying to hold his tears that were peaking once again.

He got angry, angry with her for saying such things about herself.
He broke the binds so forcefully that the rope snapped all around him

“You called me little man, you remember me, you remember us. The past still holds you.”

His voice wasn't rough but he was yelling. His voice was louder than the voices inside Jinx's head, and for a moment time stopped for her.

And time stopped for Ekko as well, when he heard a loud throb.
What was that? A grenade? But nothing exploded. Only silence was heard inside the shop, not even a breath, except his.

Ekko lit up a lighter so he could see around the shadows, but nothing was in sight, not even a string of blue hair around. She disappeared, as suddenly as she had appeared.

He stood there in the shop for a bit, taking in the rumbles and remembering the times he had spent in here with Benzo.
Suddenly he remembered Benzo’s laugh, a beautiful laugh that was saying he was proud of his little boy.

A tear picked behind his eye and when Ekko opened the door to step outside, he felt a push , a push that was giving him strength.

“Go on, my boy. Keep fighting.”

Notes:

Hope you like it.

Feedback is appreciated<3

Notes:

Ekko and Jinx are in love and no one can say otherwise.

Anyway, I don't even know what that is.
I know it's small but it's good
If you liked it pls let me know :)