Chapter Text
Jinx skipped down the hallway, humming a little tune to herself. Today was going to be interesting, she could feel it. She’d even dragged herself out of bed early, rare for her, to perfect the smoke paint bombs tucked under her bag. Totally worth the effort. The weight of the stares from the other students didn’t bother her; she was used to it. If her current self had told her younger self she’d end up in an academy full of topsiders, well, except for a certain someone, she’d have laughed and called herself nuts. But here she was, clear as day. Funny how things turned out.
She’d told Vander she’d behave. She’d really meant it when she said it, kind of. But they both knew that promises like that didn’t stick for long. The teachers here thought she was too smart to let go of, and she wasn’t their token zaunite student like a certain someone, so why not have a little fun? Besides, it wasn’t like it was new to her. Not long ago, she’d been sprinting through the undercity streets with her siblings, enforcers chasing them after a “harmless” prank. She'd thought her chomper bomb wouldn't actually explode when she tossed it to scare them off. But it did, and it gave them just enough time to escape and a whole lot of chaos in the process. Vander found out, of course. He always did. Who had decided Vander needed to know everything they were up to?
But that was the thing about being Jinx. Sometimes she jinxed herself, sometimes she jinxed everyone else. It used to bother her, how things often didn’t go her way, but now, she was okay with it… more or less. She’d left “Powder” behind a long time ago. Except Vi still couldn’t resist calling her that. It was annoying, sure, but she couldn’t bring herself to hate it. Not entirely.
It didn’t stop there though. Being infamous for messing with the enforcers had its downsides, like being ridiculously easy to recognize. Looking back, slapping her name on her chomper wasn’t her smartest idea, though she was still proud of her babies. Before she knew it, some random guy hobbled up, all limping and looking like he had a speech planned. Serious as ever, acting like he had something important to say.
She simply stood there, trying to look as uninterested as possible, planning to complain to Vander once she got out of this. When he told her to leave the room she shared with Vi, she figured he was going to lecture her again, like always. But then he threw in that reassuring line while they were going down the stairs "Don’t worry, I’ll be waiting behind the door" and she rolled her eyes. What was she supposed to worry about? She didn’t think much of it until the reality of the situation hit her.
“You created this? The form is crude, but the engineering is… inspired” the man had said, holding her chomper in his hand.
“Well, I could say yes,” she said, not trying to brag, though she really wanted to. Her jaw nearly dropped at what she heard next.
“I’ll be direct. At Piltover Academy, we’ve been looking for more young talents from the undercity. I think you could be a great addition, if you, of course, accept. We’d cover everything, you just need to show up to class.” the man said, his voice smooth, like he was offering something too good to refuse.
Jinx raised an eyebrow, feeling the corners of her lips twitch into a smirk. Oh, this was rich. They wanted her, a kid from the undercity, in their precious, polished academy? She couldn’t help but laugh inwardly. What did they think? She’d just waltz in there like a nice little girl, sit in their neat classrooms, raise her hand, and play nice with her perfect little topsider classmates? Yeah, right. He had to be messing with her. But the serious look in his eyes, along with the exhaustion weighing him down, he looks like he hadn’t slept in days , told her he wasn’t joking about the whole proposal. Damn, maybe topside was just desperate if they actually wanted someone like her infesting their stupid academy.
“Apologies for not introducing myself sooner. My name is Viktor. Like you, I was born and spent most of my early years here until I was noticed by one of the Council members. From what I’ve observed, you possess a brilliant mind, one that could truly reach its full potential with the resources available topside, much like I did.” he continued.
Normally, Jinx could rip through a conversation with her snappy comebacks, but now she was at a loss for words. She had grown up creating, and yeah, there were times most of them wouldn’t work, but they would eventually. She didn’t need help from topsider trash.
“Well, good try, but I’m pretty happy here,” she shot back, taking a second to straighten up, her confidence bubbling up. "I’ve got everything I need right here. No need for your polished little academy or whatever you’re offering."
"I'm not trying to pressure you, simply offering it as a proposal," he said, his gaze steady. "But, of course, the choice is yours."
She suppressed a groan. Could he just leave already? Maybe she should freak him out a little, just for fun. She wasn’t about to waste her time with anything too complicated. The last thing she needed was a lecture about "potential." She got enough of that from Vander. If he couldn’t take a hint, well, that was his problem, not hers.
“Yeah, I’ll decide. Just... don’t make me think too much.” That was a lie, of course.
She had heard of Piltover Academy, the kind of place where people like her didn’t stand a chance. Not that she’d ever wanted to go there. Who needed their fancy classrooms and having to interact with stuck-up rich topsiders? Just thinking about it gave her a headache. She was perfectly fine with the chaos and mess of the undercity. It was her home. The trash, the noise, the danger, it was fun. Topside? Yeah, that wasn’t her scene. She wouldn’t fit in there, and she didn’t want to. They’d probably think she was a freak anyway. Which, fair enough, since she thought the same about them.
"I’ll be leaving, then," he said, his tone steady. "I trust you’ll consider it, Miss Jinx. Tell your father I said farewell," he added, before turning and quietly exiting.
She stood there numbly, trying to process the entire situation. Yeah, she couldn’t tell Vander. Maybe telling Uncle Silco would do, or Vi.
On her way to the door, she bumped into Vander like he’d been trying to eavesdrop. Nosy. He wrinkled his nose and asked, “What was that about?” She shrugged, muttering, “Nothing,” and put on a blank expression before heading straight to her room. She had forgotten Vi wasn’t there, and she couldn’t hold it in any longer. So, she told Claggor, making him promise not to tell Vander. But of course, Mylo found out through Claggor, who passed it on to Vi, and soon enough, Vi told Vander. Her sister was furious that the topsiders thought they could just take her away to their little glass cage, assuming their father would share the same anger.
But unlike her sister, he actually liked the idea. As soon as he learned that his precious daughter might have the chance to attend a "prestigious academy," he was giving her one of his usual talks about how she was too smart to waste her life in a bar or whatever.
"Just give it a chance. If you don’t like it, you can always return to us," Vander ultimately said.
And that's how, a few days later, she reluctantly decided to accept the offer. She still thought it was a waste of time, that she wouldn’t fit in, but hey, at least she could have some fun with it. Mess with them a little before coming back to her beloved home.
She hugged her sister, laughing at her ugly crying. Vi had thrown a fit at first, complaining that her little sister was just going to walk right into the claws of topside’s shiny, perfect bullshit. But after a lot of yelling and some real teary-eyed sisterly bonding, Vi calmed down, sort of. She still made her promise not to let the topsiders take advantage of her, like that was even a possibility. Claggor, always sentimental, was a mess, wiping his eyes like he was losing his little sister forever. Mylo, though, had a tear or two in his eyes, but Jinx knew that bastard was probably just relieved to get rid of her for a while. She rolled her eyes internally, making a mental note to get back at his ass once she was back for vacation or whatever that academy had going on. Not like she was going to Stillwater. Not like she was going to Stillwater. That tired-looking man couldn’t have been joking with her.
As for Vander, she knew he’d have been proud of her for even considering the opportunity. He always believed she was meant for more than just the chaos of the undercity. Uncle Silco, though, was another story. He hadn’t said much about the whole thing, but his silence spoke volumes. He didn’t like the idea of her being so far from the undercity, but he wasn’t going to stop her either. He understood the game, the lies, and the corruption that lay beyond their home, though theirs wasn't perfect either. He’d seen it all. He was just letting her go because he knew this was a path she had chosen herself. It wasn’t about pride or offering comfort, it was about making sure she had the strength and skills to face whatever came next, even if it meant diving headfirst into topsider’s fancy little world.
And just like that, she was on her way to the academy, with Viktor, yeah, that was his name, tagging along. Sure, she could play the good girl, get good grades, whatever. But in the end, that wasn’t going to stop her from causing a little chaos and pulling some harmless pranks on her classmates.
Thinking back, she still remembered her first day, a year ago. She kept walking while glancing at her reflection in one of the Academy’s mirrors. If Vi could see her now, she’d be laughing her ass off. Even though she’d tried to make it more "her" style, she still thought it looked ridiculous, this clean-cut uniform that felt so wrong on her.
Having left her room, which she had all to herself, because any piltie would probably have a panic attack if they had to share a room with someone like her. She didn't mind at all. She could decorate it however she wanted, and it’s not like she was going to respect anyone’s personal preferences if she had a roommate, of course. She was greeted by Viktor, who was waiting outside the dorms. She was a bit late since it took her a while to finish braiding her long hair, and by the time she was done, she was already missing Vi, who would usually help her when she got lazy. Anyway, that tired-eyed man had given her a little tour of the place, passing by others who looked at her like she was a circus freak.
And as if the situation wasn’t depressingly funny enough, he had informed her that she would be introduced in the auditorium. Being called a circus freak was an understatement at that point.
"I hope you don’t feel too uncomfortable. It was the same for me at first, a crippled poor boy from the undercity," he said softly. "So don’t be nervous. I’ll call your name, you walk in, smile, and that’s it." She nodded like a good girl, hiding her hands behind her back, clutching a little surprise.
What? If she was going, it might as well be a grand entrance. Non-lethal, obviously. She had made a bet with Mylo that she wouldn’t be kicked out on her first day.
Once standing behind the stage, she set her plan in motion. She casually dropped the smoke bomb just outside the stage, making sure it was placed just right. As she walked toward the stage, the smoke started to rise, and she could hear the auditorium fill with confused murmurs from some of the students. By the time she reached the podium where Viktor stood, the smoke had mostly cleared, revealing her with a proud smile. The students in the first two rows were fanning themselves, glaring at her. Viktor gave her an unimpressed look, as if he had expected nothing less. It wasn’t as grandiose as she had imagined, but then again, it could be a good way to test the waters.
As it ended, Jinx walked out, she couldn't help but notice the annoyed looks from the students. The professors barely seemed to react, though. Was she going to get some kind of freedom here as long as she stayed "innovative" or some crap? She wasn’t sure, but she wasn’t sticking around long enough to find out. If she got kicked out after a month, fine. At least she'd get to go back to Vi, her brothers, Vander, and uncle Silco, and rant about how stupid and boring topside was, and the people too, of course.
As Jinx walked down the hall looking for her first class, she saw a big crowd ahead. The noise and movement caught her eye, and she couldn’t help but wander over to see what was going on.
In just a few moments, she found herself standing beside the group, trying to catch a glimpse of whatever had everyone so gathered. What’s all this about?
Turns out, it wasn’t some weird freak show, just some guy. He had white hair and dark skin, standing a few inches taller than her. His face was all calm and collected, like he was some kind of high-and-mighty authority figure. His eyes were brown, focused, and intense, as if he wasn’t easily distracted. His posture was straight, proud, and relaxed, as though he was used to being observed. So, what, was he some kind of cult leader or just really into himself?
As if sensing her gaze, though she wasn’t the only one watching, he turned his head slightly, his eyes locking with hers. She felt a strange jolt, like a spark igniting somewhere deep inside her, but she didn’t flinch. She wasn’t about to let him see that. He paused, just for a moment, and she noticed a subtle shift in his perfectly controlled demeanor. Then, just as quickly, he snapped back into that stoic, unflinching stance, like nothing had happened.
“You must be Jinx,” he said, his voice calm and even, with no sign of surprise. "Are you looking for something?"
His crowd, or cult, or whatever they were, watched her with curiosity, their eyes flicking between her and the boy as if waiting for some kind of signal.
First of all, yeah, she just wanted to see what was going on. Second, her fucking classroom.
But she couldn't utter a word. She was too busy trying to connect the dots, to be more exact, a childhood friend who had randomly disappeared. But that childhood friend couldn't be the snooty guy standing near her, right? She just stood there like an idiot, staring. Ah, she was supposed to be the one making people uncomfortable, not the other way around. But then again, he didn't seem interested in talking, so she just smiled.
"Nothing" she muttered under her breath, a sarcastic grin creeping onto her face. She spun around and started walking away, her mind already buzzing. What the hell was that? First, she had managed to annoy the hell out of the Piltover kids with her harmless prank, and now she had looked like a fool in front of one of them and his little cult. She walked at a brisk pace, her mind racing, until she passed by a tiny creature. She remembered reading about Yord—what were they called again? Yord something? She locked eyes with it, and the little guy just froze.
"Miss Jinx, if I'm correct, your class is not this way," the creature said, looking at her curiously.
"Well, I guess I got lost," she replied.
The tiny creature introduced himself as Professor Heimerdinger, his voice full of curiosity. “I believe I’ve seen you talking with young Ekko,” he said, adjusting his goggles as he looked up at her. “He’s from the undercity, like you.”
Jinx froze for a second, her mind racing. Ekko? From the undercity? So she wasn’t crazy when she first thought he looked familiar, feeling that strange pull in her chest.
“Ekko?” she muttered under her breath, her tone a little softer than usual, to her own annoyance for that slight show of weakness.
But the creature didn’t seem to notice. “Yes, Ekko. A brilliant student of ours, actually. One of the few from your city who made it here,” he continued, clearly proud of him. “Quite the promising individual.”
Jinx blinked, trying to shake off the unexpected rush of emotions. Why was she thinking about that kid, the one always in ragged clothes, always tinkering, always full of ideas? Back then, they’d been inseparable. Same age, scavenging scraps and making their own fun along with her siblings. He was always working on something new, always dragging her into it.
And then, one day, he was just... gone.
She remembered it so clearly, walking into Benzo’s workshop, expecting to see him hunched over some half-finished gadget, excited to take part. Instead, the space where he used to sit was empty. No tools. No scraps. Just silence.
She’d asked Benzo, of course. “Where’s Ekko?”
He didn’t look up from his workbench. “He’s… off working on something,” he muttered, his tone steady but detached, like he was choosing each word too carefully.
“Without telling me?” she pressed, her voice rising with frustration.
Benzo paused, finally glancing her way, his expression unreadable. “Some things, Powder..” he said softly as if he felt bad for her.
That was all. No real answer, just a brush-off. She kept asking, but eventually, she stopped.
Ekko never came back, and nobody ever told her why.
Now, here he was, years later, surrounded by topsiders like it was his natural habitat. Her lip twitched in something between a bitter smile and a sigh. Why was this bothering her? Why was she feeling weird about this? Forget it, she told herself, brushing it off with a shake of her head.
What if he didn't recognize her?
Or maybe he did, and he just didn’t give a damn.
Whatever. She wasn’t about to torture herself thinking about it, not here, not now, and definitely not in front of the hamster.
So she just switched to her usual sharp attitude as if she hadn’t just been hit with a wave of memories. “Right, cool,” she said, voice flat. “Ex-trencher, huh? Yeah, sure. I’ve got better things to do than talk about some boy.”
Professor Heimerdinger studied her with an almost knowing expression. “It seems you’ve gotten a bit lost. I can help guide you to your next class. Just follow me.”
“Yeah, sure,” Jinx replied, her voice dismissive. She mentally kicked herself for being a bit rude, after all, the old hamster was just trying to be nice.
She followed him down the hall, but her mind kept drifting back to Ekko. She shoved the thought down, trying to focus on where she was going. She wasn’t the type to dwell on that kind of stuff. But, if she was being honest, she was pissed off. Why the hell did he brush her off like that? Did he even recall who she was, or did he feel bad for just leaving without an explanation?
“Forget it,” she muttered under her breath. She wasn’t even that excited to attend class, but it could be a distraction. No time for that crap right now, she’d deal with him later.
She had plenty of time.