Chapter Text
A tree.
There was a tree right in front of her.
Huge. Fucking towering.
There weren’t a lot of things in this world that made Sevika feel small, but this was definitely one of them. She had her suspicions regarding their hideout, but never in her wildest dreams did she imagine a place like this could exist. Not in the undercity at least.
“This is the sanctuary. Home of the Firelights.” Scar gestured towards the community in front of them as the light from the sun gradually dimmed.
When the Chirean came to her house, knocking on her door at dusk, she didn’t know what to expect. The Firelights had always been ambiguous on their stance in the resistance. They came to every Zaun rally, never missing a single one, but they never pledged their allegiance to anyone. At least, not like the Jinxers and the Chem-Barons. The former wanted Silco’s protégé leading the fray, while the later still believed handing over the symbol of the resistance to topside was the best option.
We found Jinx.
That was the first thing out of Scar’s mouth the second Sevika’s hand landed on the doorknob. And now she was here after a long trip, riding a slinky ass hoverboard with a bag over her head. She rolled her left shoulder, itching for the familiar weight of her prosthetic arm. It was part of the deal, of course. She had to be unarmed, quite literally.
The boss doesn’t want to risk it.
That one explanation from Scar told her a lot about this so-called commander of theirs. Cautious, deliberate, calculating – smart. The quality she hated the most in an enemy. The ‘swing now think later’ types were easier to deal with. Whoever this person was, she could tell they were a seasoned veteran.
She’s racked her head over and over in the past, driving herself crazy over who could possibly have this much influence, power, and resources to be bold enough to start a war against Silco. Before the Firelights, no one could stand up against the former head of the undercity. Not the Chem-Barons, and not even Vander. Whoever the leader was, she bet they didn’t come from Zaun. She had her money on it being someone from topside, perhaps a spy, or a conscientious do-gooder who wanted to play hero.
“Boss is this way.”
Sevika began to follow Scar’s footsteps, but froze just as quickly, stunned by the images that greeted her.
Vander.
Benzo.
Vi.
Jinx–No... Powder.
The wall full of lifelike faces rooted her in place, surprised by the onslaught of emotions that resonated within her.
“These are all the people we lost.”
She could see Scar scanning the mural with a far off look in his eyes, as if taking time to remember each and everyone of them. “Who made this?”
“The boss at first, then the rest of us pitched in.” He shrugged. “Come on. Can’t keep him waiting.”
Sevika raised a brow at this. So it was a him. She began the process of narrowing down who this man could possibly be, but all her thoughts quieted down the moment she entered the inside of the tree. It felt ethereal, like a completely different world. Having only been surrounded by concrete walls, toxic sewers, the Grey… she couldn’t even begin to fathom how a place like this could exist right in the heart of the undercity. Not in her lifetime at least.
A knock, followed by three quick ones against a wooden door, and they were faced with a kid wearing a mask. Scar nodded at the child who simply tilted her head, shifting the rest of her ponytail to one side. “Come on. Run along.” The Firelight’s second-in-command ordered, taking a step back to give the little girl more space to leave.
Sevika raised a brow at the eerie way the brat kept her gaze directed at her from behind the mask. “What?” The kid huffed insolently before skipping out of the room.
Scar walked in, gesturing for her to follow suit. “She’s here, boss.”
“I told you not to call me that.”
Whatever theories Sevika had about the resistance’s mastermind were thrown out the window at the sight of white dreads at the end of a long wooden table. “You’re… Benzo’s kid.” She said it more to herself than to anyone else in the room.
“The name’s Ekko. In case you’ve forgotten in your old age, Sevika.” He nodded at Scar who moved to leave the room.
What. The fuck?
The head of the operation… was that snot-faced kid Benzo kept doting on back in the day? The scrawny little child who didn’t even reach her hip? The sassy little shit who always gave her attitude for no fucking reason? The whiny brat who walked like he owned the place when he was barely three feet tall?
“Scar says I can trust you.”
Whatever good-natured demeanor he had earlier disappeared the moment he addressed her. It seems only his second-in-command deserved that honor. He gestured towards the chair in front of her, not bothering to get up from where he sat comfortably. She scoffed both in amusement and disbelief.
Gone was the midget who pretended to be more than what he was. The boy in front of her exuded so much command and charisma that it took her back to Vander’s glory days. She shook her head at the thought as she claimed the seat. What would those two old dead farts say when they see what the little man had become now.
“They say you’ve been rallying the undercity and leading the resistance. You even broke some Firelights out of Stillwater.”
“And?” Sevika challenged. When dealing with authority, it was always wise to act like one as well.
“The people think we can work with you.”
“And?” She reiterated. She could tell he wasn’t too keen on revealing his cards too quickly, but she’s done this dance before. Vander, Silco, the Chem-Barons, the resistance fighters in Zaun. She’s played the game of politics for so long she could make new rules at this point.
“And…” Ekko mirrored, his tone darkening further. “I need to know if you’re in this with us. Not just the war, but in the future of Zaun too.”
Sevika didn’t think he had it in him to look that far ahead. She and the rest of the undercity were drowning at the thought of this being their final stance. It was a fight for survival at this point – kill or be killed. But Benzo’s kid was standing here actually believing this nation had a future.
“No more drugs. No more child labor. No more violence.”
“Then how do you propose we win a war without any of that, boss?” Sevika could tell the offhanded use of the title had irked him, but all she got in return was a twitch of an eye.
“I’m not talking about the war. Whether we win or lose isn’t the issue.”
“What the fuck do you even mean–”
“Trust. That’s what I need. I need to know you won’t stab us in the back in the middle of a fight, or rat us out to Pilties to save your own ass! You’ve done it once before, haven’t you?”
She had. And the cost had been Vander’s life.
There was a beat of silence where no one spoke. Only the weight of their breaths echoed through the empty room. The wooden table between seemed to have shrunk as they argued, but now, as the silence dragged on, it appeared to have grown even longer.
Sevika could rationalize it in so many ways – her betrayal. Vander had become dull, complacent, weak. But most of all, he dared to put the lives of his kids above the rest of Zaun. The moment he took in those orphans was the moment he forfeited the right to be called the hound of the undercity.
But what would those excuses do for her now?
“I’d give you my word, but that wouldn’t mean anything to you.” She pulled out a small knife hidden in her boot, alarming the only other person in the room. “I’ll give you the choice.” She slid the blade across the table before stretching her remaining arm out to the side, a clear offering. “Take your pick.”
Ekko struggled to comprehend the meaning behind her words, until finally, the realization dawned on his face. “W-What the hell are you talking about?”
“So which is it?” Sevika insisted. She needed every single able-bodied person in Zaun to fight in this war, and the Firelights were a faction she couldn’t afford to lose. “A finger? An eye? My tongue–?”
“I’m not taking anything!” He threw the knife back at her for emphasis. “Are you crazy?!”
Sevika chuckled at his sudden loss of composure. Just like that, he revealed himself so easily. “You sure? You might end up regretting it.”
The leader of the Firelights was soft. Too soft. He valued life and people too much. He was going to get himself killed having a heart like that in this city.
He sauntered up to her, fearless and unyielding. Up close she could see his head barely reached her shoulders, nearly making her eyes roll. Those dreads were fucking misleading.
“Your word. Swear on your life that everything you do from this point on will be for the people. Protection, safety, and a chance at an actual life… The people of Zaun deserve this much.”
“I swear.” Sevika didn’t even need time to think about her answer. She reached a hand out, steeling her resolve further. “No more suffering. No more needless bloodshed.”
“Needless?”
She sighed at his nitpicking. “Think of it as insurance in case one of the Chem-Barons act out.”
He scoffed, but he shook her hand nonetheless. “If you go back on your word, things won’t end with me just taking an eye.”
Sevika smirked. Now he was talking her language. “Then we have a deal.” Though she doubted he could ever follow through with that threat. “Now, if there’s nothing else, where’s Jinx?”
Sevika rolled in bed, still frustrated at having been denied visitation rights. Sure she wasn’t exactly family, but living with the kid since Silco’s death should have at least granted her the title of de facto guardian. She snorted at her train of thought.
Since when did she care so much for the blue-haired menace anyway? She was of legal age at this point and was no longer in need of a custodian.
When the Firelight’s commander told her no one was allowed to ‘bother’ the big fat hero because she was ‘sleeping’, Sevika wanted to flick the midget away and just head off to find Jinx on her own.
She needs to rest! She looked like she hadn’t slept in days!
Maybe it was the desperation in his voice, or the strange look in his eyes that stopped her, but there was clearly something going on between those two. Whatever it was, she had no clue. Benzo’s kid even went as far as offering her a room for the evening so she could see Jinx in the morning instead. She shook her head.
He was too lenient. Even if they agreed on an alliance, she was still an enemy. They’ve been at each other’s throats the entire time she worked for Silco. Sevika pushed herself off the bed, and out of the room. There was no point in staying here if she couldn’t–
Ginger.
Spring onions.
And… broth?
The smell of something good was the first thing that greeted her the moment she stepped out of her room. She remembered the kitchen being a few doors down from here, so she made her way to it, careful not to make any noise. She wasn’t sure if her unplanned stay had been announced to the rest of the Firelights, so the last thing she wanted was to end up in a brawl with one of them in the middle of the night. The door to the kitchen was ajar, making it easier to take a peek from the outside.
Minced ginger, sliced green onions, garlic cloves, and chicken bones were laid out on the counter right next to a boiling pot. A hand with a ladle reached out to stir, followed by the sight of familiar white dreadlocks.
Make sure she at least eats something when she wakes up, got it kid? She doesn’t have much of an appetite in the morning, but if you make something easy to eat, she complies. Porridge works all the time.
Sevika didn’t know what surprised her more – the fact that the Firelight’s commander actually listened to her, or the fact that he was in the kitchen way past midnight making the damn porridge himself. She watched him grab a bowl, carefully scooping in rice gruel before placing a spoon in it. A pitcher of water and a glass was on a tray alongside it soon after.
She ducked behind a corner, waiting for Benzo’s kid to make his way out of the kitchen. He was heading up a set of circular stairs that crawled up at a corner of the tree’s trunk. He kept going and going, making Sevika wonder just how tall this damn plant was, until she finally heard a faint knock. She held herself back several paces to avoid getting caught– Wait.
Why the hell was she even following the kid in the first place?
“Jinx? It’s me… It’s Ekko.”
The shift in his tone was jarring. The talk she had with him a few hours prior made him sound like a hardened general. Right now, however, he sounded every bit like a young, anxious teenager.
“I–uh, got you some porridge left over from dinner.”
She nearly snorted out loud. Dinner was stale bread, boiled potatoes and dried meat that tasted like ass. Why the hell was he lying? He clearly made the entire thing from scratch.
“Can I come in?”
Was he seriously asking if he could go in a room inside his sanctuary? Wasn’t he the top dog in this place? He shouldn’t have to tiptoe– Wait.
Wait a damn fucking minute.
The sound of the door closing shut clicked everything in place.
His loss of composure at the mere mention of Jinx’s name, his strange protectiveness towards her, the unnecessary effort he put into making her meal, the change in his voice, his kind consideration…
Sevika let out a low whistle. So that’s what it was all about. She snorted out a laugh as she walked back to the kitchen, helping herself to some porridge. “Damn. Little man can cook.” She marveled at the taste as she poured herself a bowl.
Whatever it was that was going on between those two kids, it wasn’t her business. And it definitely wasn’t her problem.