Chapter Text
As Jinx's consciousness stared to fade as the result of the bomb she pulled, she wondered if she could change anything. If she could go back in time and reverse the past.
She wondered if she would stay back at home instead, or never take the blue marbles. What would happen? Would her family be alive or would she still mess it up like always.
She figured she would never get her answer. How wrong she was.
"Pow-Pow, wake up," Jinx heard a familiar youthful voice say softly.
Jinx groans, she wanted to die. Of course Silco wouldn't have let that happen. Or maybe it was a god who helped.
Jinx cracked open her eyes, ready to see the familiar painted ceiling of the lab she usually slept in. But what greeted her instead was the bottom of a top bunk. She frowned, where was she? Did Silco bring her to her childhood bed at the Last Drop? But why would he do that?
"Powder come on. You were begging to come with us," now that Jinx was more awake she could register that the name being called was her old name.
Jinx's head whipped towards the side of the bed, where a young Vi was crouching with a soft smile on her face.
"I- Vi? What are you talking about? Where am I?" Jinx asks in confusion, her voice a higher pitch than usual. VI had left her, abandoned her on the bridge to be with a Piltie, why was she here? And why was she young?
Vi's smile slips and she frowns in confusion, "Pow, you're at home. We're going on the mission topside, remember?"
Oh. Did the gods actually answer her wish? Give her the restart she wanted? Or was this her mind playing tricks? Or a nightmare? What's going on?
"Pow-Pow are you okay? You know you don't have to come with," Vi says as she cups her little sister's cheek.
Jinx twitches at the nickname, resisting the urge to correct her sister, "No, I'm fine. Let me get ready." If this was some sort of dream or nightmare, she was going to find out in some way, shape, or form.
The four siblings climb topside as Claggor worries and Vi reassures him. Jinx staying silent the whole time.
"We're not gonna get caught, now come on, we have to cross this way, follow me," Vi says as she gets ready to do her parkour.
"Wait!" Jinx cries out before Vi can jump. Her brothers and sister look at her curiously.
"Can... I go first?" She asks.
Mylo scoffs and smirks smugly, not believing that his wimpy sister could do such a thing as jump across a roof. But Jinx wasn't Powder. She spent a lot of time on roofs, jumping from one to another, getting rid of her fears.
"Powder, are you sure?" Vi asks hesitantly, also doubting her sister.
Jinx feels a ping of hurt and anger, making her frown as she steps forward, sliding down before her child brain could stop her. She executes the jump perfectly, unlike last time. She smiled proudly as she turned to her older siblings who stared back at her in shock and awe.
As they got to her side, Vi hugged Jinx tightly, "When did you learn to do that!?"
Jinx shrugs as she smiles, and they continue on their way to the house they were going to rob, Claggor still worrying.
As they rummaged through the house, Jinx found the case that had the blue marbles. And debated whether to take them or not. In the end she did, making sure her bag was closed tightly.
As the person who lived in the house arrived, trying to open the door to no avail, the siblings ran away, this time without an explosion.
As they walked back to the Last Drop, Deckard and his crew crept up on them. Deckard talked on and on, just like last time, and Jinx was bored the whole time. Then the fight started.
Vi tossed the bag to Jinx and continued to fight as Jinx stood there, waiting for the guy who was going to chase her. As he finally noticed her and went to grab the bag, she gave him a side kick to the gut.
He grunted as he doubled over, giving Jinx a way to roundhouse him in the face, making him fall. He groaned in pain, but Jinx wasn't done, kicking him hard enough in the face he got knocked out.
The rest of her siblings finished fighting and Deckard ran off, to Silco. Jinx frowned, what would she do with her father? Would she fight him? No, she couldn't stand to hurt the man that raised her. She decided she would figure it out later.
"Wait, you didn't run?" Mylo asks as he stares at her, his brows furrowed.
Jinx blinks, "Yeah, figured it was time to stop being a coward," she shrugged.
Vi frowns but nods and pets Jinx's head, "Well, I'm proud of you Powder. Now let's go home."
At home, instead of going to the living room in the basement to wait for Vander to yell at them, Jinx hides the loot under her bed and gets to work on her bombs.
After That Night, Jinx understood what was wrong with how she made her bombs, and immediately started upgrading them so they would work. She made as many as she could before Vi got to her room.
"Hey Monkey, how are you?" Vi asks as she sits on the edge of Jinx's bed. Being called Monkey is much better than Powder.
"I'm good. Did you get yelled at?" Jinx asks as she draws on her last bomb and glances toward her older sister.
Vi smiles tightly, "Yeah, convinced him we lost it."
Jinx could tell Vi wanted to her ask her something, so she gave Vi a clear look, and the other sighed.
"When did you have to time to do... all that you did today? You didn't even trip while jumping to the other side of the roof, you somehow know how to fight adults, and you're lying to Vander," Vi listed all that happened.
Jinx racked her mind for an excuse, "I wanted to prove to you guys I wasn't a jinx. So I put in some work."
Vi stares at her, trying to see if she was telling the truth. Years of Jinx being a business partner to Silco made her good at masking her emotions, so she looked like she wasn't lying. She was.
Vi nods, "Okay, well, wanna go to the arcade?"
Jinx smiles, as Vi leaves the room the younger girl stuffs her bag under her bunk. She didn't want to get caught with the marbles.
After the arcade, Vi went to get taken by the enforcers, but Jinx couldn't let what happened last time, happen again.
As she told Vander, he went to get Benzo to help him, but Jinx asked for Benzo to stay, knowing the outcome if he didn't. Benzo agrees and takes care of Mylo, Claggor, and Jinx while Vander goes to collect Vi.
Jinx knows Vi will come back with Ekko so she readies her bombs, making sure they're usable for when they go to the factory. Whether they bring her along or not.
As expected, Vi comes home distraught, along with Ekko, and she tells everyone what happened and that they need to get Vander.
Benzo tells Ekko and Jinx to stay back, and Jinx insists they take her bombs, everyone else is skeptical on if they will work, so Jinx uses a glitter bomb.
"That doesn't mean that your actual bombs will work!" Mylo yelled in panicked anxiety.
"Please just trust me, I want Vander back as much as you guys do," Jinx urges the older boy, making him sigh and reluctantly agree.
They leave with the bombs.
When the go, Jinx makes more bombs with Ekko's help, even though she still feels uncomfortable around him after the bridge, remembering his violent punches and the hatred in his eyes. But she puts that aside, he hasn't done that yet, and looking into his eyes show nothing but trust for her. She can only hope they stay that way.
They get ready near the entrance of the Last Drop in case any of Silco's goons come to take them.
The others come back and Vi hugs Jinx tightly, "Your bombs worked!"
Jinx smiles, she knew they would, she hugs her sister back as Claggor and Ekko join the hug. Once they pull away Mylo gives her a small smile and nudges her on the shoulder gently. Jinx takes that as him saying he's proud.
"This is great and all kids, but we need to leave. Silco will come for us," Benzo says as he adjusts Vander, who he is carrying.
"I mean, I found a good spot," Ekko offers.
Jinx looks over confused before she realizes he's talking about the Firelight hideout, which she never saw.
"Great, kids pack whatever you can, and let's go," Vander grunts in pain.
The kids nod and get what they need and what is important to them, Jinx makes sure to pack her favorite cup and straw.
****
As the group enters the hideout everyone marvels at the beauty and the way the air isn't stuffy for a change.
Jinx smiles. She really did change the past. She hopes it was changed for the better.