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Powder and him had another argument. This time over him knocking out her sister. At least this time he got her to admit she too was unsure that they could trust Vi after all this time. Suddenly appearing with an enforcer after Powder took the gemstone was not a good look for sure. After a small argument he did get her to agree that it was best he interrogated Vi and had even given him the gemstone to show her sister. Honestly the poor girl had seemed grateful to get rid of the gem. Not for the first time he wished he could hear the ghosts in her head so he could yell at them for making her so upset. Sometimes he wishes he had yelled at Milo when he was alive.
Now though he couldn’t worry about his girlfriend or the ghosts that plagued her mind. Right now he had to protect her by making sure her sister wasn’t just another Silco goon for them to deal with. Scar was securing Vi on a beam as he looked on from his chair. The bat vastaya was not happy that they brought both Vi and Caitlyn back, but he had a soft spot for Powder so he didn’t verbally complain. None too softly Scar yanked the sack that was on Vi’s face off of her, no doubt causing a little bit of a burn. Slowly Vi blinked to adjust to the light, while also glaring at Scar. Scar just gave the pink haired girl a snarl and walked where Ekko was sitting with his mask still on. Gently he tapped Ekko’s knee to see if he needed anything, but Ekko just waved him off. It was best if he did this alone.
“You shy or just ugly?” Vi spat at him. Ekko had to actually bite his lip under the mask to keep from chuckling. Some things never change and that was always a little nice to see. Still, he couldn’t let the past let him go soft on her. He had people to protect and if she was going to threaten them then he wouldn’t hold back. Leisurely he got up out of his chair and sat his bat down, secretly hoping he wouldn’t have to use it on the other. He walked into the light in front of Vi before he took off his mask, wanting to see the shock in her face when she saw who took her. Maybe Powder’s dramatics had rubbed off on him a little bit.
Vi was in stunned silence, so Ekko cut through the silence with, “You look pretty good for a dead girl.” Though him and Powder had never found her body, the two had silently agreed she was probably dead. To the point Powder had included her on their mural herself, refusing any help from anyone else to draw her sister.
“Ekko?” Vi finally spoke up. He didn’t confirm her suspicions, but he was glad the other could still recognize him after all this time.
“What do you know about this?” Ekko questioned the other, opening his container that Powder had put the gemstone in. Powder had been adamant that he carry it somewhere secure. It struck him as slightly odd, since she had just put it in her pocket, but he didn’t want to argue anymore.
“Nothing! What the hell is this all about?” Vi questioned. If she was acting she was a damn good actress. If Ekko remembered correctly she had never been the best actress of them all. Still, times change, he supposed.
“What were you doing with Jinx?” he finally asked the question he truly wanted to know the answer to. Powder had not really given any specifics on what happened, he guessed Milo was still vocal considering she kept flinching at something, so he didn’t push her.
“Her name is Powder!” Vi sounded outraged. She must have been outraged because she actually stood as she defended her sister. That was a good sign at least.
“Not when I am upset at her, it's not,” he grumbled. Most of the time Ekko was the only one who called her Powder anymore, claiming to go by Jinx to keep the memory of her family alive, but he changed his tune when they were fighting. Nowadays Powder felt more like her nickname than Jinx did. It was obvious Vi wanted to question him more about that, but Ekko cut her off before she could, “You didn’t answer me.”
“I just found her when you and your goons showed up,” Vi explained. When Ekko was silent Vi continued, “Come on, it's me, Vi. Same person who used to take you down to the junkyard and hose you down when you got covered in grease!” As she spoke she tried to get closer to Ekko, but he stood his ground.
“That was a long time ago,” Ekko told her, “People change.” If the look that came across her face was anything to go by Powder had told her as much as well.
“Yeah, I’m getting that,” Vi mumbled, looking down. Part of Ekko felt bad just then, but he schooled himself again. Now was not the time for emotions to get in the way.
“Are you working for Silco?” he finally just straight up asked. There was no point beating around the bush anymore when he felt his walls starting to crumble in the face of the person who had once been like an older sister to him. In the face of the person who was the only family his girlfriend has left.
“Fuck you,” Vi said, she sounded so tired when she said it.
“We thought you were dead!” his anger started to bubble back to the surface, “Now you show up with a piltie, an enforcer to boot, and give her a tour of the Lanes! What am I supposed to believe Vi?!”
“You were following us?!” Vi sounded outraged once again, “Why didn’t you say anything?” The look on her face told him she felt betrayed, but she had no right to feel betrayed right now. Not after what just went down and not after bringing an enforcer down into the Lanes.
“I didn’t know if I could trust you,” Ekko said honestly. Well half honest, he had firelights follow her so Jinx wouldn’t find her first. Seemed they had failed at their job though. “I didn’t know if you were just here to hurt Jinx!” he said more honestly that time.
“So you just come out swinging?!” she questioned the other. That one actually caused Ekko to smile a little at the irony of Vi telling him that.
“Gee, wonder who I learned that from,” he told her sarcastically, giving her a smirk. Maybe he shouldn’t try to antagonize her, but maybe she should watch her words next time.
“Well you should have learned more. You still punch like a little boy,” Vi taunted him. It wasn’t his proudest moment, but he fell for her taunt.
“And you still block with your face!” he got right into her face as he yelled that at her. This was getting him nowhere. Though it seemed like she really wasn’t working for Silco. Why she decided to come back now was a mystery, but it didn’t seem like it was to hurt Powder after all. Yeah, people change, but it seemed Vi really hadn’t changed all that much.
“I remember when you wouldn’t stand up to me,” Vi said softly, backing off. It seemed like just yesterday, the days she spoke of, yet it also seemed like lifetimes ago. Either way it didn’t do anyone any good to dwell on the past. As he thought that he heard her cuffs falling to the ground. Shocked, he turned to look at her just as she brought him into a tight hug. “I missed you little man,” she said softly into his ear.
“How long have you had those off?” was all he could think to ask as she held him. It wasn’t until that moment that he realized just how much he missed her hugs.
“How long have you been whining?” she teased him. Part of him wanted to argue with her, he had not been whining, but he couldn’t bring himself to do so. Instead he let himself hug her back and shut his eyes, ignoring the tears that fell down his face as he did so.
“You still are going to have a lot of explaining to do to Powder,” Ekko told her, not breaking the hug just yet. He had tried to sound stern, but he knew he failed at that. Other than Powder he didn’t get a lot of hugs so he thought he could indulge at least a little bit just this once.
“I have a feeling that you and Powder have a lot of explaining to do to me too,” Vi said, her tone still teasing, but he knew she was being dead serious. In his mind’s eye he could practically hear Powder complaining that she shouldn’t have to explain anything to Vi and that it was her life she could do what she wanted. He also could imagine that smile that would betray her words over the fact she finally had her sister back. No doubt Vi would tease them and probably threaten him within an inch of his life. Still, having Vi in their life would be worth all that.
Letting go of Vi he wiped his eyes and looked at her. Even Vi had gotten a little misty eyed, but was trying to play it off. Chuckling, Ekko grinned at his girlfriend’s older sister, “Yeah, I think we do.”