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The depths of Zaun never slept, and neither did Jinx’s restless mind. Amid the glow of chem-lamps and the hum of machines, she found herself in Viktor’s lab—a place she never thought she’d feel comfortable. But there she was, tinkering with one of his inventions as Viktor watched with quiet intensity.
“You’ve got a knack for this, Jinx,” Viktor remarked, his voice low and measured. His mechanical arm adjusted a wire on the contraption she was working on. “I underestimated your... genius.”
“Duh! About time someone noticed,” Jinx replied with a wild grin. But there was something different in her voice—softer, less manic. She didn’t want to admit it, but Viktor’s calm demeanor had a way of grounding her chaos. It was… nice.
She didn’t see the shadow lingering outside the lab window. Ekko, hidden in the darkness, watched the scene unfold, his heart twisting with anger and betrayal.
A Bitter Rivalry
Ekko had spent months pulling Jinx back from the edge, her madness both infuriating and intoxicating. He believed she was his responsibility—or maybe he just couldn’t admit how much he cared for her. And now, she was slipping away from him, drawn to Viktor’s calculated intellect and the cold allure of his perfection.
“He’s using her,” Ekko muttered to himself, gripping his bat tightly. “She’s just another experiment to him.”
It wasn’t entirely true. Viktor’s fascination with Jinx had grown beyond the academic. Her unpredictability intrigued him, her creativity a raw force that complemented his structured mind. Together, they created weapons, machines, and mayhem—but they also found a strange sort of understanding.
Ekko couldn’t stand it. He stormed into Viktor’s lab one night, Z-Drive sparking at his wrist.
“Jinx!” he shouted, his voice echoing through the metallic chamber. “What the hell are you doing here with him?”
Jinx turned, surprised but not displeased. “Oh, hey, time boy. Thought you’d be off sulking somewhere.”
“Get away from him,” Ekko demanded, ignoring the jab. His eyes darted to Viktor, who stood calmly, his mechanical body casting a sharp silhouette in the dim light. “You don’t know what he’s capable of.”
“On the contrary,” Viktor said smoothly, stepping forward. “Jinx understands me better than anyone. Something I doubt you can claim.”
Ekko’s anger flared. “She’s not a project, Viktor. She’s not some cog in your machine.”
“Funny,” Jinx interjected, crossing her arms. “You talk like I’m some damsel who needs saving. Hate to break it to you, time boy, but I make my own choices.”
“And you chose him?” Ekko’s voice cracked, raw with pain. “After everything we’ve been through?”
Chaos and Revenge
The air grew thick with tension. Jinx shifted uncomfortably, caught between the two men vying for her attention in their own ways. But Viktor wasn’t one to back down.
“Leave,” Viktor said, his mechanical arm sparking. “This is not your fight.”
Ekko smirked bitterly. “You think you can just take her and get away with it? I’ve seen what happens when people trust you, Viktor. They get consumed.”
Jinx rolled her eyes. “Oh, for the love of explosions, will you two just stop? You’re both so dramatic.”
But Ekko wasn’t listening. Fueled by jealousy and heartbreak, he lunged at Viktor, Z-Drive flaring to rewind time and strike with precision. Viktor countered with a blast of hextech energy, the lab erupting into chaos.
Jinx, caught in the middle, shouted, “Hey! This was my favorite lab, you jerks!”
The fight raged on, Ekko’s agility clashing with Viktor’s calculated efficiency. Sparks flew, machines crumbled, and Jinx watched with a mix of annoyance and fascination.
“Boys and their toys,” she muttered, finally pulling out Fishbones. “Guess it’s up to me to break this up.”
With a deafening blast, she fired a rocket that landed between them, sending both Ekko and Viktor sprawling. Smoke filled the lab as Jinx strode forward, her wild grin back in place.
“Enough with the macho posturing,” she said, planting Fishbones on her shoulder. “I don’t belong to anyone. Got it?”
The Aftermath
Ekko stared at her, chest heaving. “Jinx… I wasn’t trying to control you. I just—”
“Just what? Thought you could save me?” Jinx cut him off, her voice sharp. “I don’t need saving. And you?” She turned to Viktor. “Stop acting like you’re some misunderstood genius. You both need to get over yourselves.”
Viktor adjusted his mask, his expression unreadable. “You deserve better than either of us.”
Jinx laughed, a sound that echoed with bitterness and freedom. “Finally, something we can all agree on.”
She turned and walked out, leaving the two men behind in the ruins of the lab. Ekko and Viktor exchanged a look, their rivalry momentarily eclipsed by mutual defeat.
But as Jinx disappeared into Zaun’s labyrinth, neither could let her go entirely. For Jinx, chaos was the only constant—and love was just another explosion waiting to happen.