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Ekko sat on the ledge, looking out over the rooftops of Zaun. Beneath him, windows glowed with golden light to ward off the growing evening darkness. His eyes wandered over the vista without seeing any of it.
He fingered the piece of paper in his hand. Thought about the name written on it. Contemplated the emptiness that gnawed inside him, how it was tied to the name on that paper, hating how familiar the feeling was to him.
The other Ekko didn’t know loss like he did.
How he wished he had lived his life mourning only one death. Losing one person in a single tragic accident was nowhere near losing countless friends, loved ones, acquaintances, followers, even strangers to senseless violence and a pointless war. It was nothing compared to losing a friend to the darkness within herself, having to face her as an enemy, trying to save her anyway -- and then losing even that.
His heart ached. It ached for Zaun and everything its citizens had suffered over the years. It ached for the Firelights and everything they’d fought for; for the ones who hadn’t made it to see the new, tentative peace that was growing with Piltover. It ached for Benzo, who had given him so much and then been extinguished like he was nothing. It ached for Powder and Jinx and everything they’d had in that other universe where everything was brighter. He had tasted that small sip of happiness and then turned away from it, never to return, forever feeling haunted by it.
He knew Jayce had gone through hell to come back home; Ekko had given up heaven.
It was right that he had, of course. That world had reminded him of what he had been fighting for. It had rekindled his hope and his drive to make things better in his own world. He couldn’t help but long for it nonetheless.
He trailed his fingertips over the dirt-encrusted stone of the ledge. The last time he’d sat here, legs hanging over the edge, looking over the rooftops, it had been with her . With Powder. He’d asked her to pretend like it was the first time, and even though that hadn’t been pretend for him, in that moment he had pretended - pretended her world was real and he was allowed to stay there, pretended he’d never lost her to her own demons. Now that single moment of fantasy would have to last him the rest of his life.
Glowing pinpricks of light started to rise from the bridge between Zaun and Piltover. Within moments more followed suit, columns of embers drifting upwards from all across the city. Ekko’s eyes finally focused and he reached into his pocket.
Taking his lighter, he ignited the paper in his hand. It caught immediately and he let it slip from his fingers and float upwards, riding tiny currents of air on its way up to join the stars. He followed its progress with his gaze, watching its simple, stark contrast against the night’s sky.
He’d made sure the names of the fallen Firelights had made it to the right Zaun memorials. Some of them still had friends and family left to mourn them, but not all did. They only had him. Heimerdinger’s name would be burning from somewhere in Piltover, no doubt several times over as his colleagues and admirers mourned his disappearance, but Ekko had still put his own token in too.
Ekko was sure Vi would have put Jinx’s name up there. He was sure plenty of Zaunites would too; such was the effect she’d had on her home. No-one would be forgetting Jinx any time soon.
Which left him to remember a name that, more likely than not, wouldn’t be remembered by anyone else. A name that was, to him, now more than a childhood friend and crush. More than a little girl forced to grow up too soon, who got swept up in class conflict and power struggles. It was now also a woman raised by loving fathers surrounded by a happy family, mourning her sister, and left behind to live in paradise.
Somehow, he’d lost both of them.
Ekko didn’t know how many other Powders lived in how many other universes but he was sure they all shared her traits: a brilliant mind; a tenacious fighter; a fierce protector.
A big fat hero.
He watched Powder’s name join the countless others floating into the sky and his heart ached more than it ever had.
“I sure hope that didn’t have my name on it.”
The voice cut through his inner turmoil like a clear bell chime ringing over a crowded street. Ekko leapt to his feet and spun around, stumbling on the lip of the ledge in his haste. A hand shot out to grab his arm before he could topple backwards.
“Careful-”
“Jinx!” He cut off whatever she’d been about to say by lurching forward and wrapping his arms tightly around her slight frame.
“Does this make us even?” she mumbled into his shoulder. Even as she spoke, he felt her relax and return the hug.
He pulled back enough to look into her eyes. “How are- how did you- what happened?”
“It’s actually a pretty boring story. Blah blah shimmer, blah blah ventilation shafts - I’m here now.” She shrugged before shooting him a sly grin. “Don’t get all mushy on me.”
There were too many things he wanted to say anyway. He was content just to drink in the sight of her.
“It’s good to see you.”
“Same to you. And that’s actually… why I’m here.” She looked down, cropped blue hair falling over her face as she scuffed one of her boots against the floor. “I’ve spent so long being what other people made me, but when you showed up when I-” She swallowed. “You looked at me and you saw me. Even when you were talking about that Powder from that other universe, you were still seeing me , the real person underneath. I - I want to see that person too. I want to find out who I am away from all this. I want to travel, see more of the world than just Zaun and Piltover. But… I also don’t want to be alone.” She took a breath, and then looked up to meet his gaze. “So I wondered if - if you wanted to come with me.”
Ekko blinked, trying to process her words - and her presence - while unable to look away from her eyes. “What about Vi? Does she even know you’re okay?”
Jinx shrugged again. “She’ll know soon enough. But Vi needs to figure out who she is when she isn’t being everybody’s big sister. She needs to live for herself for a bit. So, what do you say?”
He could see the uncertainty in her eyes. He smiled and took her hand.
“I’m in.”
Her smile alone was worth it.
“So, do you have a plan to get out of here?”
Jinx’s smile turned crafty, and Ekko felt something within him stir in response.
“Oh, I have an idea about that. There’s this thing I’ve always wanted to do…”