Chapter Text

Ticking Timebomb

“Vi!” Jinx called down, her voice an echoey cascade of worry. It didn’t meet Vi’s ears. Nothing could.

The broken walkway creaked and waned, indicating that it’s one, maybe two, risky steps from breaking.

“Vi, hurry, you can make the other ledge!” Jinx shouted. Deaf ears make for an impenetrable reason. She couldn’t take her eyes off Warwick. Judgement blinded by emotion. The platform shuddered again.

“Vi! What are you—…”

She wouldn’t turn around.

“Vi..”

Why wouldn’t she just turn around?!

“Vi?”

Violet sobbed as Jinx tried to make of the situation at hand. Vi didn’t know Vander was already dead.

“You can’t save him,” Jinx wished she didn’t have to say it. Vi, nevertheless, tried anyway. Her hand smoothed over his cheek as she cried. He was right there, yet not at the same time.

A hand came down, knocking her on her side as a thundering roar deafened her.

“Vi!!”

He was getting too close and she needed to do something.

…

Before she knew it, her body came crashing down as Warwick’s hand nearly missed Vi. Her body moved on its own.

A hand caught hers as claws wrapped around her waist. She didn’t expect to be caught. The platform made a fuss once more.

Vi pleaded with her eyes when she caught her stare.

The platform warned. It wasn’t gonna give her no more time.

Jinx smiled as best she could and reassured, “Always with you sis.”

Vi couldn’t make out what that meant until it hit her, but as it did, Jinx punched the power source of the giant hand keeping her from falling. She really was sorry, but she couldn’t hurt Vi anymore. Vi deserved more. God, Isha deserved more.

They don’t need her??

At a distance she heard a cry that sounded familiar yet far, but it all went silent as she closed her eyes. Atleast she did one thing, one good thing, for a change.

Tears fell up through her lids as she turned to the thing that hosted her father for a moment in time. It was the closest she’ll get to closure. She always hoped he didn’t fault her, wherever he was, to the place you go when you die.

She-

“What’s this obsession of yours in dying, huh?”

What??

No, no. That can’t be right. She was supposed to-

“I’m not letting you got this time.”

It was a struggle to breathe. Why was he doing this? This wasn’t how it was supposed to go!

“Leave- Get away from me Ekko!! Just let me do this!” She screamed as she struggled. His gripped grew as he maneuvered up towards Vi. He wasn’t gonna let her go for a second.

“Vi!” He called out and she slowly turned to him, then to Jinx who was devastated. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go…

“She-“

“No time, jump!” He said and she got up, slipping a bit as she got up using her broken arm. She ran towards him as he passed and jumped on the back. The hover bike faltered at the weight limit being overturned.

He rushed to stable ground.

“Shit,” he cursed as they all tumbled off to the ground. He brushed himself off as he looked towards Vi then Jinx. But he had to do a double take as he saw her scrambling to get away. He rushed up and pounced her. She pushed him off and wrapped her arms around her knees that were up to her chest. She shielded herself from his gaze.

“Why..”

“…what?” He asked. He looked to Vi who found her bearings and came up beside him, looking at Jinx.

“Why!! Why would you- sniff why would..Why?! Every time I do something for anyone it never turns out the way I want it to! This isn’t how it was supposed to happen!!” She cried as she pulled on her hair and knocked on her head.

“Powd-“ he stopped himself. This…wasn’t Powder. But it didn’t feel right calling her Jinx. Nothing ever feels right anymore. And if it did, if it felt perfect, it never lasted long. “Powder.”

She flinched.

“You-“

“Why can’t you see that you’ll do more damage leaving us, leaving me, if you just die?? You can’t die, I can’t lose you too. Not either of you,” Vi struggled through her words as she talked to Jinx, but her eyes landed on Ekko. “I know I messed up. Again. I know- but…if I’m sure about anything. It’s that I need my sister more than anything in the world right now. So please.. please.”

Jinx peered up slowly.

“You…need me??” She questioned.

“More than anything,” Ekko repeated Vi’s words in response.

“N-No you don’t..! You don’t need-”

“Just shut up and come here,” Vi said as she dropped down and pulled Jinx into a hug. Ekko didn’t waste time to join and Vi put her hand around him as well. Once they separated, Vi felt a bit better so she turned her attention towards Ekko.

“Where were you?!” She asked as she pushed his shoulder. She smiled solemnly and had a bittersweet look on his face.

“IIIIts a long story..” he smiled sheepishly before turning to Jinx. “Don’t worry.”

“What..?” Her voiced cracked.

He looked to Vi, then her, then Piltover. Where they were was still inside the tower, but there was a big opening where the crash was. That’s where he looked out over where everything looked empty. Somehow though, he knew it was gonna be okay.

“Don’t worry,” he said again as he turned back. “It’s gonna work out.”

________________________________________

The sky was painted an ashy black while the moon was shining bright in the middle, one big spectacle. It shined over the entirety of both cities and its people, all joined as one to memorialize the ones they lost. The sun set a few seconds before, finally leaving them in the moon’s company.

Each slip of paper burned perfectly in unison in the sky. Like little firey fireflies lighting up the atmosphere to they could see just a bit better. And for some, it was their closure. For others…they were still finding theirs.

Some ways away sat Ekko. He was a capsule of thought. It ached to be found and released. One would say, with all he got to experience, he was lucky. A chance to get a glimpse of what it could’ve been like. A chance to stay where everything was perfect.

No, it wasn’t perfect. And, no, he wasn’t lucky. What he saw made him only more aware of his reality. He couldn’t sit there happy while those who he loved were back home struggling. It made him realize that he had to go back. But not only that. It made him even more desperate to find that peace in a place he called home where there wasn’t. And he will. For the ones he loved, the ones who sacrificed for him to keep going…he will.

“What are you thinking about?” He heard. It caught him off guard. Yet it was one of, if not, the only voice that calmed him. If you could believe it. With all him and Jinx gone through, he still finds solace with her.

“Just, thoughts..” he smiled to her as she found her place next to him near the ledge. She didn’t sit though. His heart stopped a moment.

“One would think you’re contemplating with how close you are to the edge right now,” he gave her a halfhearted joke, half concern. She kept her eyes to the view out, before to him. Then she sat. His heart resumed.

“Shut up. I don’t think I would make it half way down without you using your body as a shield to stop me,” she punched his shoulder softly. He huffed a laugh before scooting a little bit more close. She noticed yet stayed still.

“You wouldn't even make it half way. I would pull you away before anything,” he responded. She didn’t say anything else, so he just stayed quiet as they look in each other’s eyes. “What?”

She opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it. Her eyes landed on the gadget next to him. She’d seen it before, when he…

“What’s that?” She opted for instead of what she was originally gonna say. It took him a while to register her words and not just her eyes. He looked down at his time loop. He found it near where he thrown it to Jayce and Viktor. It wasn’t broken, funny enough. It’s as it it went back on itself and repaired itself. He turned back to her.

“My time loop. I can turn back time with it by four seconds,” he said. Her eyes seemed to light up at that.

“How’d you find it?! Can it..could it go back farther than that?” Her heart raced. But her excitement was immediately shut down as she saw him shake his head.

“No, only four. Any longer and it it’ll cause harm. Like-…anyway, I built it with heimerdinger. In another timeline..” his eyes took that of a traumatized war vet. She caught this and asked,

“Another time line?” She tried to pull him out of his thoughts. She knew better than anyone that it wasn’t any good to be stuck there. He blinked and gave her a weak, sorry, smile before nodding.

“I got pulled into by the Hexcore. The thing that we were tryna stop Viktor from getting to. Next thing you know, I’m in an alternate world. One where…where everyone lived..but Vi.”

Her brows creased as she processed this.

“..And you didn’t stay?” She asked slowly. He shook his head.

“Nah.”

“Why?”

“…Well. As perfect as it was, I knew it was home. B-Benzo was, he was alive and so was Vander and Silco. You, me, Claggor, Mylo…all alive. It was so beautiful too. But I knew I wasn’t meant to be there. That was someone else’s life I would’ve been living and that wasn’t fair. As unfair life was, I couldn’t do that to that Ekko. Plus, I had to get back to…you,” he finally said. She looked taken aback at his words and looked away. While she processed what he said, he took in her person. She no longer had her braids, chopped off but the front bang remained. Her arms and body was littered with temporary painted tattoos of art. In every timeline, he thought, she’s beautiful.

“Pow-“

“Jinx,” she said. Their eyes met and he looked. He corrected himself.

“Jinx, what happened when I was gone?” He asked and she immediately took up a defensive look. Her eyes looked as if they were glazed over as they turned more pink. She brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her ups around them like before, staring off into space. “Jinx..?”

“N-Nothing..!” She turned her body away as she didn’t want him to see the tears threatening to spill.

It was a silent for a bit until,

“You can’t do that anymore,” he said and she paused.

“What?” It was her turn to ask now.

“Keep me out. Or Vi. You can’t. Not anymore. Not when we’re right here. When I’m right here…you can’t blow things up, or jump off the next ledge just because you can’t stand feeling what you’re feeling. That’s what I’m here for. To talk. So tell me, what happened?” He asked.

It was silent again. He waited. Until he just sighed, about to get up.

She turned to him finally, but not slow and contemplative. It was a whirl wind of emotion. She tackled him and didn’t let go as she cried. Harshly. He was shocked, but was quick to hold her. She cried into his chest as he tucked his face into her hair. He waited for her.

She’d given up. She couldn’t act like she didn’t need them anymore. She wanted to cry for so long now. She needed to. And she could. So she did. For a very long time. Except she was cradled with warmth that felt familiar. He was never gonna let her go.

Chapter Text

She first started with Isha. Because for her, Isha was the beginning of her change. They’d spend days running around, leaving their marks on the city and what not. Those days felt infinitely better than what Jinx had experienced in her past. And Isha, her poor Isha. She reminded Jinx of herself. Maybe methat was why Isha wasn’t someone who could stay by her side for long. Because anything remotely close to Jinx meant destruction. And it killed her. It killed Jinx in the process. She’ll never forgive herself for what she did to Isha. But she’ll also never forget what Isha did for her.

“Do you remember the last thing she said to you?” Ekko would ask.

Jinx laughs at it humorlessly.

“She didn’t speak much. Or, at all actually. But I’d understand every last word,” Jinx said solemnly, leaning against Ekko’s chest while listening to his heartbeat. She’d trace her fingers across the rough paint she’d painted before the big finale. Bright splotches on his coat with small accessories in his hair to complement it. She’d always think before, way before they’d fathom this present moment, that his outfit was so dull. It’d bored her to death looking at it. And that made her fingers ache to add life to it.

“We also…found Vander,” she said. He almost hummed a simple acknowledgment, only because the moment was so intimate. But he was quick to pause the brushing of his fingers over her hair and looked down.

“V-Vander?” He stuttered out. But that..wasn’t Vander dead?

She looked up at him and nodded.

“Without him, I don’t think Vi would want anything to do with me. But for a moment, I felt like I had my family back…” she trailed off.

“He’s gone, isn’t he?” He asked. She nodded and cuddled into him again.

“It honestly makes me wish he didnt come back at all…because now I miss him more than ever. I miss her too. I miss everyone.”

“I’m still here, Jinx, and Vi…she-”

“Vi has her little girlfriend now. She doesn’t need me anymore than a dog needing treats. I’m just a convenience. I will always want my sister and love her, but it’s better if we stay apart,” she lowly admitted. But quickly added, “don’t tell Vi that.”

“I won’t,” he said. He looked at her and thought. Yeah, Vi would be devastated that Jinx avoids her, but she’ll understand. They both need to heal, and will have to find a way to do that, whether it’s with or without each other, as sad as it sounds. “Come on.”

“..?” She looked up as he made moves to stand up. He pulled her up as well, nodding to behind him. He didn’t say anything, just guided her. She followed him until she figured out where they were heading.

“Ekko, I-”

“Since you’re out of a home, I was thinking, maybe you could live….with me,” he said as they finally made it to the entrance. He knocked, to which the entrance slid open after a couple seconds of waiting. The tree immediately caught her eye. She turned to him and saw a sad, yet relieved look in his eyes. “I thought I was gonna lose it…”

She turned back to it and analyzed its leaves. Some of them littered the ground, poisoned with the effects of the Hexcore. But with it now gone, it could finally start healing again. He started pulling her again. The area around the giant tree was lively with people. Some kids, some adults. Some even neglected their current task to turn towards her. She immediately put her head down to avoid their gaze, whether they were harsh or welcoming. She didn’t wanna find out.

“Ekko, I don’t belong here..” she spoke as she resisted his pull. He paused as well. She waited for him to speak but when he didn’t respond, instead letting go of her hand, she started peering up. When she found his eyes, something dropped on her shoulders. His jacket.

“I say you belong. Don’t worry, they’ll love you. If you just-”

“They all fear me!”

He looked around, nodding for people to ignore them. They did.

“That’s because they never got to know you. You only showed them what you wanted them to see. But now, now you don’t have to be alone. Look, I gotta show you something..” he grasped her hand again. But instead of just pulling, he pleaded with his eyes. She found this impossible to say no to, so she sent a cooperative look his way, allowing him to guide her.

He led her to a mural. And it had everyone’s face on it. Vi, Vander, Benzo, Ekko, Claggor, Mylo, and….Powder.

“It’s so we don’t forget everyone we sacrificed to get here,” he said as he put his hand on a woman’s back who was silently praying with her eyes closed. Under the mural was a couple items that were given to people lost. The woman added a teddy bear before looking to Ekko and nodding, then walked away. He turned back to her. “Because if we forget, then it would’ve been for nothing.”

She rubbed her arm as she looked away. When she did, she felt something, er, someone softly grab at her hand. She jumped slightly into Ekko. He steadied her as they both looked down to two kids, one with a mask, another with white paint similar to Ekko’s. They held up some fruits in a bowl of some sort. She stepped away from Ekko and looked at him. Not for reassurance, Jinx wouldn’t say it was because of that. Maybe, permission? For something so basic as an exchange of items, she was at a loss. Nonetheless, he reassured her with a smile and nodded to them.

“What is it?” Jinx asked while taking the bowl. She felt a small smack on her arm, so she gave Ekko an unappreciative glare, only to find him expectantly clearing his throat.

“Say thank you,” he uttered to her. Her eyes grown wide and she rushed out a ‘thank you’ bashfully. They nodded with smiles on their faces.

“It’s an Apricot. Kinda sweet. Try it,” he said as he started walking again. She looked at it before biting into it. As she walked beside him, he had a hopeful glint in his eye as he side eye her, hoping she’d like it. She hummed in delight before taking another bite.

He smiled in satisfaction.

She followed him up the tree and inside a room built within the tree. It was warmly lit up by a lantern. He ran his hand along the table he would work at, thinking intensely of his time with Heimerdinger. The memories came fast, but he quickly closed his eyes and turned his attention to Jinx. He quietly observed her as she took it in.

“You sleep here?” She asked humorously. He huffed.

“It’s better than a pillow fort,” he quipped back as he tried to take an Apricot from the bowl. She quickly moved it away from him. They both stared at each other before he tried again. “Jinx, you can’t just-”

“It’s mine! They gave it to me!” she said seriously.

He just chuckled at her stubbornness and settled. How could he take her seriously now? He walked farther inside and guided her to a bed.

“You can stay here,” he tidied it up.

“Where are you gonna sleep then?” She asked as she watched him. He paused and scratched his neck before saying,

“Mmm, I’m good. I don’t really use this often anyway,” he told her calmly. She didn’t believe him for one second. When she didn’t let up, he opened his mouth to reassure her more but Scar came and interrupted. He paused, seeing Jinx before saying,

“Vi’s here with that Kiraman girl,” he said, then looked to Jinx, “looking for you.”

Jinx backed away, then looked to Ekko. He just told her to stay put and walked out with Scar.

“Ekko,” Vi said as she pulled him into a hug. He hugged her back. They haven’t really talked this entire time, but still, he could tell they had love for one another. They should make time for each other more.

“Vi, what’s the matter?” He asked.

She looked towards Caitlyn, to which he followed her gaze.

“We need to tell Jinx something, something important, but can’t find her. Is she with you?” Caitlyn asked. He swallows and looks down and thought about what Jinx told him.

“What’s this ‘something’? What’s going on? Is she in trouble? You can’t just stick her in Stillwater after she helped you-”

“No, no not that. Without you or Jinx, I don’t think we would’ve had a chance. So, for that, we need to-”

“But what is it?” He asked. They didn’t look scared, but it did look urgent.

“Ekko, do you know where she is? I promise you, you won’t do her any good if you keep what we’re about to say from her…” Vi states.

He furrowed his eyebrows and upturned his lip in contemplation.

“We aren’t gonna fucking hurt her. She’s my sister, why won’t you just-”

“Vi.” Caitlyn spoke. Violet let out a huff, irritated enough. She just didn’t need a messenger to send a message to her sister for her. She could tell her face to face.

“I’m sorry, Vi,” Ekko tried. It didn’t help much. Vi was still pissed.

“Just tell her Isha is alive. She can either keep hiding here or-”

“I wasn’t hiding,” Jinx spoke, finally making her presence known. “I know I was bitch, but making a joke like that…it- it isn’t funny Vi.”

“I’m not- why would you think I’m joking about this? I’m serious..!”

Jinx’s face went from disdain to urgency in a second. If Isha was…and she’s just standing here…

“She…You’re lying! I saw her! She couldn’t have..!”

“Jinx, you can either stand here and accuse me of lying, or go see for yourself. She needs you and you’re just finding an excuse to save your heart, but I promise you I’m not lying. We aren’t lying. I promise, sis.”

Ekko turned to Jinx and took in her posture. It was rigid and her eyes were blown wide in shown and disbelief. She mumbled nonsense whilst picking her damaged cuticles, a dangerous coping mechanism coming about. Ekko was about to touch her but stopped himself. Instead, he blew into her ear, startling her still but not as much as it would’ve if he put his hand on her shoulder.

He gave a bored expression when she turned to him angrily. But it worked, pulling her attention to something else. She was brought out of her metaphysical world in her mind. Her heart pumped in her chest.

“Isha, take me to Isha,” Jinx finally begged with a sorrowful look.

__________________________________________

Jinx rushed towards the bed that held Isha’s frail body. She had dark circles under her eyes as if she hasn’t been asleep for days. Her skin, pale. And there was a vivid burn mark on majority of the right side of her face, pass her hairline up to head. Her hair was cut in order to make it easier to treat. Her face, despite being unconscious, reflected discomfort.

“Isha…I’m here. Im so sorry, I, I’m here now,” Jinx’s voice broke as she whispered, hovering her hands above the fragile body. She didn’t wanna hurt her, but she…God, she wanted to hug and cradle Isha so badly it hurt!.

“We had to give her a sedative because of the pain. She wouldn’t stop crying. I’m so sorry Jinx. I should’ve told you sooner, but it was urgent to stabilize her first,” Caitlyn ushered out. Jinx couldn’t hear her. Not anyone, but Isha’s soft breaths.

“Will she live…” Jinx pleaded more than asked. No, demanded. She was telling her. She had to live. She couldn’t take Isha leaving her after she had her in her arms.

“I don’t……know,” Caitlyn said as she looked down.

“You don’t know???” Jinx asked irritably.

“Jinx,” Ekko huffed. She gave a sparing glance before turning her full attention back to Isha, forgetting the outside world.

“I’m sorry,” Caitlyn said as she made her way out. Vi tried to make eye contact with her, but Jinx deliberately avoided it. So Vi sighed and followed Caitlyn out. When Ekko tried to leave as well, there was a barely audible voice, pleading for him to stay.

“Don’t go.”

His steps halted. He turned to her and caught her eyes, before they went to Isha.

“Okay,” he said just as softly. “I’m here.”

He watched as she brushed Isha head and held her hand. She’d whisper into her ear how she wasn’t leaving her and that she was safe now. She done this up until she felt Isha stirring awake. It had her heart pumping. She…she’s okay!

The first Isha did was stare off into space for a while. Like she didn’t know where she was. But she eventually caught Jinx and immediately started whining.

“Isha…” she’d call out.

Hurts.. Isha signed.

“I know. I’ll get you out of here and-”

“Jinx, no. She has to stay here in order to recover. You taking her away would be a selfish decision. Plus, they have medicine here you can barely find in the Undercity…” he argued. Jinx gave him a hard stare. She knew he was right. She hated how he was so, very, right.

She bit her lip as she looked down to Isha again who was still in pain.

“What do I do, Ekko??? She’s hurting and I can’t do anything! I feel so helpless..!” She was starting to cry. He stood up from where he was sitting and kneeled down beside her. Isha’s eyes drifted to Ekko, then back to Jinx.

Who is he? Isha asked. He sighed back,

Ekko.

Jinx sniffed before releasing a breathy laugh, “You don’t have to sign back. She can hear. Just doesn’t speak.”

Still, it was sweet he could communicate with her like that if she really was deaf. She leaned her head on his shoulder as she analyzed her bandaged body. Isha had a high tolerance to blows, but this…anyone would be in so much pain. For that, Jinx couldn’t help but be proud of her for withstanding it all.

“I’m so proud of you…” a tear trailed down her face. “But if you ever did anything like that again, it’d kill me, Isha.”

Im sorry. Isha pouted.

“Don’t be. Y'know what would make me even prouder though?”

Isha upturned her brows in confusion, indicating she didn’t know. She shook her head ‘no.’

“If you got rest, healed, and came home with me. I have so much to show you still, it’d probably take us until we grow old and bald,” Jinx joked. Isha smiled and giggled. She stopped when she saw Jinx’s eyes well up with tears. “I’m sorry. I hope you still think I’m cool, despite me crying all over the place,” she gave a weak smile.

Of course you’re still cool! Isha insisted. She then reached over the best she could to wipe Jinx’s tears away. Jinx closed her eyes and leaned into the touch.

“Thanks..” Jinx let out a wispy response. It’s like the words were stuck in her throat with how much she wanted to say. She was over spilling with worry and guilt and protectiveness and…

When she looked back, Isha was already asleep. Jinx smiled.

“That’s my girl,” Jinx held the tiny hand to her face before falling asleep like that too. Ekko was left to wallow in this new found Jinx he just witnessed. It was so gentle and foreign, he wanted to get to know her more. Of course he loved the snarky Jinx, but this vulnerable one made him want to get her to trust him as well.