Chapter Text
“Don’t cry, you’re perfect."
It was Slico’s last words to Jinx. Even now, she couldn’t understand how he could say such a thing after being what killed him.
Jinx was perfect, but not perfect enough for him to stay.
Powder, she was perfect, and yet she wasn’t worth coming back for.
Jinx wasn’t perfect enough, and that was why she destroyed the council tower. That’s why Vi can’t choose her. That’s why she’s found herself here, the same rooftop from years ago, memories from a different person.
She did this
‘You did this.’
I did not!”
‘You killed him..”
“Aaggh!” She shouted, kicking into a brick wall.
She was angry, frustrated, sad, and scared. She didn’t know what she was scared of. Maybe the voices, maybe of the world. She needed silence and she wasn’t getting any.
You destroyed the tower, what now?
“I don’t know.”
You’re reckless.
“Shut up.”
Everyone's gone now. Everyone.
"Stop it," She heard murmurs, her head telling her something was there, causing her reflex to pull out her gun and point towards it. Of course, there was nothing there. She smacked the side of her gun against her head, laughing.
Of course, there’s no one there. No one’s there for her. Not anymore, at least.
“Would you look at that?” She laughed to herself. “Isn’t that just pathetic?! Aren’t I pathetic?” She laughed again.
A bird landed on the edge of the roof, as Jinx pointed her gun and stared, shooting it dead.
Her mind flashes to the gunfire as she killed Silco, as she drops the gun gasping, horrified.
“Nononono, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.”
You say that all the time.
“No, I’m sorry.”
You blew up the building.
"I-It was a mistake, it was a mistake..."
You killed them all. You killed us.
“I- I just need to think!”
You’re already thinking about it. What’s another explosion?
“SHUT UP.” She screamed at the top of her lungs, her hands hitting her head.
She looked down at the ground, where her gun lay flat. Her bag was slung over her shoulder and hanging off to her side. Inside were bombs made for destruction. They're built to get rid of obstacles in her path.
She didn’t seem to have any obstacles in her path. Not one. Not anymore. What's the point?
Jinx reached inside her side bag, pulling out a release-trigger bomb. She’s always wanted to go out with a bang.
Just like everyone she’s lost.
She pulled the ring out of the bomb and held onto it tightly. All she had to do was let go.
And suddenly, there was quiet. There wasn’t anything, or anyone to contest her. There wasn’t a voice, or a sister, or a father figure. It was just her. It was just Jinx.
Only she was left to decide.
There were faint footsteps, but Jinx couldn’t care less. She had a decision to make. Right here and right now.
“Powder?” Someone called out. Not Vi. A male voice. Definitely not Silco. Jinx turns around. Of course, of all people.
-
Ekko had just been out, seeing the Under-city as he would once in a while. Make sure some things were in order, to see what’s changed and what hasn’t.
It was maybe the second time he’s been out since what’s happened at the bridge when he and Jinx fought. She got her shit rocked and even she was the one to finish herself off, blowing herself up, and hurting Ekko in the process.
Whilst he was recovering, he couldn’t stop thinking about the scared look in Jinx’s eyes. He could’ve ended her life then and there, yet he hesitated. Maybe because he still saw Powder through those eyes. Or maybe he just couldn’t take the life of someone who meant so much to him a lifetime ago. He loved her and was devastated when he thought she had died in the explosion before she had become someone he barely recognized.
That didn’t matter to him. She was gone. She died in that explosion. He grieved and he moved on. At least, he thought he did.
When he heard an ever so familiar scream, he couldn’t help but follow. He couldn't help but make sure his best friend was still alive. Even if she was someone else.
-
-
Jinx immediately recognized the boy with white hair and white face paint. The hands that had hurt and beaten her not too long ago. She was surprised he didn't have the mask he typically wore.
“I thought you were dead,” Jinx said.
“I thought you were too,” Ekko replied.
Jinx scoffs, “Look at that. Tell me, were you glad? Was that what you wanted? Me dead?” Ekko thought she lost it.
“Powder,”
“No, admit it. You were gonna kill me on that bridge anyway.”
Ekko looks down at what Jinx was holding. The bomb was exactly like the Self-Destructive device that caused them both to believe the other was dead.
“I didn’t want you dead Powder.”
“Don’t call me that.” It didn’t dawn on Ekko until now that he had been calling her Powder.
“I didn’t want you dead.”
She noticed it. She noticed it so well. He didn’t say her name.
"You didn’t want Powder dead. So you just don’t give a shit if I do? Huh?”
“I never said that.”
“So what if I did? Would you be glad then?”
“Pow, Jinx,” he corrected himself. “I’m glad you’re alive. I don’t know how you are, but I’m glad.”
“Bullshit! You tried to kill me.”
“And then you tried to kill both of us, but look at where we are now.”
“Yeah,” she laughed to herself. “Same fucking thing.”
"Jinx,” it hurt Ekko to even address her by that. But it’s the only way she’d listen. “…What happened to you?”
Jinx laughed again. Ekko’s never heard such a sad laugh come from the girl. “Everything… Everyone I’ve hurt and everyone that’s left me.” She reminded herself of Vander, Claggor and Mylo, Silco.
“Silco’s dead. Everyone left. That’s what happened.” Ekko didn’t know Silco was dead, and he didn’t feel any remorse. Not for him. As for Jinx, he knew how much he meant to her. No matter how much he hated it.
More laughs came from Jinx. "I just keep hurting everyone," she lifted her hand to wipe the tears she felt roll down her cheek.
“I guess maybe some people are only made for destruction.” The girl stepped closer to Ekko. “So why don’t we try again? Maybe this time I’ll actually kill both of us. Maybe even just one of us."
"Wait."
And she let go, the bomb dropping on the ground. It took 5 seconds to detonate.
5...
Ekko realizes what she’s done. What decision she’s brought herself to, as the bomb chattered on the ground.
4...
He runs to the girl. He’s fast, and he's rarely too late on accident.
3...
He picks up the device. The doodles and artwork reminded him of when he and her would graffiti walls, her doodles being much cooler to him.
2...
He throws it far into the air from him and Jinx.
1...
A loud bang, followed by a massive ball of smoke fills the air above them and just as he expected, he made it on time.
Jinx stood there, staring at him. Her eyes were full of pain and hatred.
Look at that
“What did you do?”
“Powder,”
The boy saviour, yet again.
“What’s wrong with you?”
Ekko responded with nothing. He was quiet. The boy couldn’t handle the fact his childhood friend had just tried to blow herself up.
Jinx’s fist clenched, and she threw a full-force punch at the other, screaming. He hadn’t expected the punch, he was unable to block his chest from it.
Destructive, like always.
“You. You just had to play hero didn’t you?!”
She threw another punch, this time he was able to block it.
“Powder, stop.” Ekko pleaded. Not because her punches hurt, but it hurt seeing her like this. Jinx was consumed by herself, her thoughts and rage, each punch slightly harder than the other.
“Powder, please.”
She wouldn’t listen. She heard everything and everyone at once. Like they were surrounding her. Attacking her. It was only when she grasped her hands to her head, that she stopped violently punching the other and began hitting her head.
The unhealthy coping mechanism of hers had been on and off for years on end. Even when Silco had tried helping her with it.
Ekko grabbed her hands by the wrists so she wouldn’t be able to hit herself, Jinx immediately tried pulling her arms back.
“Let go.”
“Powder, stop. Stop hurting yourself.”
“Let go.”
“No.”
No matter how hard she pulled, she couldn’t escape the other’s hold. She couldn’t free herself.
She couldn’t go anywhere, she couldn’t do anything.
Maybe after just a few minutes of her constantly trying to escape, her arms gave out in frustration. During that time, Ekko did nothing but hold on, hoping Jinx would wear herself out soon.
She fell to her knees, the concrete scraping her skin just the slightest. Her eyes were spewing tears as she sobbed.
Ekko looked down. The girl had broken down in front of his eyes. She was not trigger-happy, violent, psychotic even, not right now.
She looked…tired.
And she was. She was tired from everyone, from the voices, from herself. She’s done everything, destroyed everything, and what’s left?
She doesn’t know. And the voices taunted her for it, even as she whisper constant pleas for them to stop.
Ekko didn’t know what to do. Jinx could come out of this the same way she was before. Or she could grab another bomb and try blowing herself up again, or something worse. He couldn't tell who she was pleading "stop" to, but he knew she was hurting.
Maybe this was his opportunity to help her. To help her be better, feel better. He wanted to help her, he wanted to try. So that at least the guilt of not knowing what could’ve been wouldn’t eat him alive.
The boy kneeled down in front of Jinx, letting go of her arms and wrapping his around her, pulling her into an embrace.
Jinx didn’t protest or try to resist. She kept her strained, limp arms at her side and cried into Ekko’s shoulder. The voices in her head quieted down after a while. They stayed like this until Jinx stopped crying and passed out.
“…Powder?” Ekko called out quietly. Once there was no response he looked down to see her asleep. She looked peaceful.
He lifted her into his arms. Carefully, as to not wake her.
He’s not losing her. Not again.