Chapter Text
Powder was in the kitchen again. Much like a few days ago, she'd been sent to get something for everyone to drink whilst Vander tried to diffuse the chaos at hand. Except this time, things were a little different. She'd been sent first to retrieve Silco, and Ekko had gone to get Benzo at the same time. Vander had the idea to gather everyone, set all information straight, and maybe have some support through everything. Powder understood the sentiment, especially after her conversation with Vi a few days prior. What those two had gone through… Powder was still trying to make some sense out of the whole thing. Starting from that day in the apartment, everything had gone so wrong, and so quickly too. She was still trying to wrap her head around her other self too. Jinx… Even with Silco by her side, Powder could only imagine how lonely she must have been, and how scared too. And Ekko too, how he must have seen that change happen, and that there was nothing he could do to change the inevitable outcome of it all. It was a lot to say the least.
But Powder was determined to not let any of that change how she thought of the strange pair, whether that was because of who they were in the other world, or who she was. Either way, she couldn’t let her mind dwell on it too long; she had to get back to Vi, Vander and the others soon, else it’d end up like last time too. With a gentle creak from the floorboards, Powder tilts her head up to see Ekko walking into the room. “You nearly finished up in here?” Maybe some things were already different from the last time. Powder grinned in response to Ekko’s entrance, “ I was just about to head back, you coming?”
Ekko nods in return and the pair begin their walk back to the workshop.
“So…” Ekko begins. Powder hums in response, acknowledging Ekko’s pending question. “How'd you think Mylo and Claggor are gonna take this? I mean, are they even gonna believe anything we tell them? Are they gonna keep this quiet for now as well? What if-”
“Calm down Ekko. I’m sure things are gonna go great. Maybe.”
“Maybe? Oh god this is going to go horribly wrong isn't it. Mylo’s gonna go mad before we get back and-”
“I don’t think he’ll go mad… He’ll be confused for a little while but Mylo learns to go with most things after a while. And if he gets the full ‘keep it quiet’ look and speech from Vander, then no one will be able to pry the information from Mylo, even if he was blackout drunk. And Claggor, well he’ll be skeptical for a while, but I know he’ll warm up to Vi eventually. He misses her too, even if it's not as obvious”
The two continue their walk in silence for a little while, Powder constantly checking on Ekko, trying to read his expression and guess what he’s thinking. “I know that might not have been the most convincing speech ever, but trust me Ekko, it’ll be fine.”
“I know, I believe you, I’m still worried. A bad habit if you will.” Ekko smirks at the remark, hinting toward his life in the past, but it pulls on Powder’s heart. Knowing all that she does now, it hurts to see that look on Ekko’s face.
“If it makes you as king and caring as you are today, can you truly call it a bad habit?” Ekko falters at the remark, but Powder doesn’t let his reaction affect her, and she continues on to her workshop. She walks a little faster this time, if only to hide the flush on her cheeks from Ekko. She does not see how in his hesitation, Ekko hides the same flush on his own cheeks.
After a few moments or so, she hears his quick footsteps as he catches up to her, and the two walk together in a comfortable silence the rest of the way.
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Vi thought that the silence in Powder’s workshop was unbearable. After Vander’s arrival, he sent Powder and Ekko to find Silco and Benzo, which made sense to Vi. Have everyone here, get the story straight, and answer a flurry of uncomfortable questions. What she didn’t understand was how no one had said anything since the two had left a little while earlier. Even after Silco and Benzo had come in, all Vander had done was offer some seats to them, and explain that they would continue when the others returned. And so the insufferable silence had begun. Silco and Vander sat off to the side, staring off to the side, and occasionally sharing concerned glances. Mylo had been staring at Vi for an uncomfortable period of time, before she occasionally caved and smiled back at him. He looked horrified, and promptly looked down at his hands, where he had stayed looking since. Vi hadn’t even caught him looking back up at her since. Claggor’s gaze generally hopped between Vi and Vander, staring at her until she made eye contact, at which point he’d look over at Vander for a while. If they made eye contact, Claggor would look back at Vi.
She was starting to wonder what would happen if they were both looking directly at him. Would he look in a whole new direction, or would his head explode? Vi never got to know her answer however, as Ekko and Powder returned. About fucking time, Vi thought. She felt like she was only moments away from melting through the floor from all the tension.
They set out the drinks they brought with them before taking a seat. Vi looked down into the reflection of herself on the surface of her drink. Her hair had grown out a little more since the last time she’d seen it. The edges definitely needed a trim, seeing as how the length was now much more than she was used to. Before she had left a few days ago, Cait had said she could take Vi to her stylist, but Vi didn’t know what to do with it now. And Cait…
Did time move the same in this world as her own world? If so, she and Ekko had been missing for days now, not far off a full week. Vi knows that Cait can get caught up in work and lose track of time, but she would have noticed their absence by now. And after everything that just happened to them, she couldn’t imagine what Caitlyn must be thinking and-
“Well? Is anyone going to say something? Or are we just going to keep awkwardly staring at each other?” Claggor’s sharp tone pulls Vi out of her thoughts. Maybe for the better. One thing at a time right? I’ll get back to her soon, I have to.
“We just- There’s a lot, Claggor. And the last thing we want to do is throw too much at you at once.” Silco’s voice rings out from beside her, much to Vi’s surprise. She expected Vander to be the one to lead the discussion, but when she glances over to him and sees him…
His knuckles are white from how hard he must have been clenching the cup in his hands, and he quickly wipes them off on his shirt. Vi can see him trying to maintain his usual calm expression, but the way his other hand fidgets with some of the scrap from the workshop says otherwise.
“Well why don’t you start from the beginning. How did she end up here? And Ekko? Given the fact a person who I’ve- no, we’ve all known is dead for eight years just appeared, I don’t think there’s much else you can say that’ll shock me.”
Vi speaks before her mind even registers her thoughts, “Are you sure about that? ‘Cause it ain’t pretty.” Claggor looks shocked at Vi’s sudden interjection, but his resolve only deepens from every rebuttal.
“I don’t care,” He looks at Mylo before turning back and holding Vi’s stare, “We just don’t want to be left in the dark anymore.”
Vi sighed, this was going to be another long night. But the faster she got through all of this, the faster she could figure out how to find Cait. So she obliged her brother’s request and started from the beginning. From the day they robbed their apartment, how Vi survived, and how the aftermath killed her brothers. About Silco’s betrayal and her time in Stillwater. Ekko helped to fill in the gaps from while Vi was in prison, about Shimmer and how the Undercity changed. And how Powder changed into Jinx. Then it turned to how Vi got out of prison, the chase for Jinx and the Hextech crystals with Caitlyn. How Silco died, and the explosion of the Piltover Council. How she and Jinx found Vander again, how Ekko came to this world for the first time. The war against Ambessa, the battle in Piltover, the fight against Viktor and how she lost her sister and father again. The conclusion to the story was swift, how Vi and Ekko ended up back here, and how Claggor and Mylo had found them.
The room was quiet for a while after that. The older men and Powder had heard this all once before, but still it hurt to hear how tragedy after tragedy had befallen Vi and Ekko, and in the end they barely had anything to show for it. Mylo and Claggor had varying reactions throughout, mostly shock, grief and pain. They interrupted rarely, and even when they did, they struggled to fathom the outcome of it all. Claggor broke the silence first, “I think I need some air. I- I’ll be back soon.”
He stood up swiftly, leaving the workshop before anyone could stop him, Ekko following him soon after.
“So uh- you got any cooler tattoos?” It took Vi a moment to realise it was Mylo speaking to her, and when she did she turned to look at him. “I mean, the name on your face/ is cool n’all, but surely you’ve got something better than that.”
Powder swatted at his arm. “Mylo!”
“What?”
“After everything she just said, that’s what you ask her?”
“Well what else am I supposed to say! Did you miss me?”
“That’s even worse!”
“Yeah, why do you think I asked about the tattoos then?”
As Vi watched the situation unfold she could only laugh at the absurdity of it all. “Yes, I have cooler tattoos. Wanna see?” Mylo nods his head in response, and Vi turns around, taking off her jacket to show the ones down her shoulders and arms.
“Woah, they’re awesome!”
“Oh my Gosh, they’re so badass! And so cool!”
Even Silco nods his head in approval at Vi’s display. Vi turns back around, “And to answer your other question, of course I missed you Mylo.” Vi walks over to Mylo, swinging her arm over his shoulder, ruffling his hair in the process before smirking back, “Real question is did you miss me too?”
Mylo’s eyes start to gloss over, and he pulls Vi into a hug. “Of course I missed you. You’re my sister.”