Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

In every world, in every universe, where something isn’t meant to exist — the ending is always tragic.

With every experiment, every scientific exploration and development, there is always an anomaly in the answer. Something that just cannot be explained. It was known by Viktor that something wasn’t quite right with hextech, that something wasn’t quite right, but he could never understand what.

Heimerdinger says it’s dangerous, that hextech must be destroyed. And maybe he’s right? Hextech is powerful. A very powerful thing. What much of what it can do is still unknown. Hextech could potentially end in the death of us all — a little absurd, of course but it’s possible. Or maybe, perhaps if a magical item like this can travel loads of things from one area of another without problem, then could it…?

Viktor chuckled to himself at that thought. What a silly idea. There’s no other world than this one. Why would hextech be able to bring something from one universe to another? Science is always full of strange and wild ideas.

But what if that idea wasn’t so far off? And what if the Arcane was waking up, bringing in people that should not exist?

Viktor hunched over his desk, staring at his wall. His eyes were fixed, his expression unchanging. He scanned and searched for answers in his mind, biting the skin in the insides of his cheek. There’s an anomaly. He can see it in his numbers. He just doesn’t know what it is. But a big inconsistent gap is telling him, his and Jayce’s next moves must be concise and careful.

They cannot risk the unknown. Or the results could be explosive.

Chapter Text

Zaun. The underground haven, the undying city of iron and ash, had become busier than you could have ever imagined in these last few decades. Sure, it had only been twenty one years since Zaun had gained its independence, but it felt like hundreds. It was louder now, much louder than it had ever been. The streets that were once consumed in dirty air, choking its people out slowly as their lungs became layered with musk from the atmosphere, were now covered in beautiful, colourful lanterns. Trade became a common thing in Zaun. The middle class citizens who lived in Piltover often came down to spread their wealth, purchasing cheaper items from the market. Children darted between stalls, unharmed and unwatched as they almost forgot they had curfews. Chatter almost drowned out the sounds of machineries nearby, humming as factories worked overtime. 

This was the life that had spoiled everyone for the better. The struggle hadn’t ended, but neither had their determination for true freedom. Their independence was more of a peace treaty between the two cities, one that many were dissatisfied with but accepted. It had brought them even cleaner air, access to better quality food, and investors sought to open up stores or sell their goods in smaller stalls. Even the water became cleaner and safer to drink, sourced straight from pipes that led to Piltover. Crime still ran in its veins – some were stuck in their old ways. But progress was healing it.

Near the bar, where Vander had been working with Silco and Powder for many years, four children roamed around calmly. They had been out playing, but of course had to call it a day since Isha couldn’t keep up. She padded slowly behind them, clutching something small and blue in her hands, although she wasn’t sure what it was. She had found it in the drawer of her mother’s room, but in a rush, shoved it into her pocket and hadn’t put it back. Anxiety filled her silent lungs, but she dared not to tell anyone what she had done. None of them are supposed to go through their parents' stuff. If anyone found out, both Isha and her big sister, Vivian would be in huge trouble. 

Vivian led the way, her chunky boots stomping onto the concrete with force, trailing the dust behind her. She ran her hair through her pink dreadlocks, her gaze fixated on anything around them that could be potentially dangerous. After a while, she stiffened up, placing her hands in her pockets, “Keep up!” She barked, “Zaun doesn’t wait for the weak, remember?” 

This alarmed Isha to take a few quick steps forward. She hurried to stand by her siblings, but in her rush, found that the steps she took were too wide. Her ankle twisted, and her body flew forward. The gem in her hand was released onto the ground. 

Vera was the first to notice before Sienna stopped to see what was going on. Her eyes went wide as she saw the crystal bouncing on the ground, rolling towards them. Its glow was mesmerising – she couldn’t help but grab hold of it and pick it up. Her blue eyes staring straight at it. “Cool! Where did you find this, Isha?” She asked, bringing it closer to her. “Isn’t this from mum’s room?”

Vivian stopped when she heard that, her head spinning around. “What are you guys–” 

She stopped, and her heart lurched. Before she could react, Vera, with a wide grin on her face, had already launched it into the air unprompted. There were a few moments where it felt like the world had paused, a few moments where Vivian thought she could move fast enough to do something. The crystal spun in the air, everything was almost in slow motion, but nothing was slow. Nothing.

Vivian had heard this story before, many times, each year on Vi’s birthday. She had seen the crystals before Powder locked them away. She knew what to expect. 

“Vera, NO–!”

When the gem collided, it had thrown everyone away from each other. Sienna screamed in pain, her hands covering her ears when she had landed on the ground. Isha was blown into a wall, barely a gasp escaping her lips when the wind was knocked out of her. Vivian landed a few metres away from them, almost unharmed, though the palms of her hands had skidded along the concrete. And Vera? Her blood was splattered cleanly on the walls. For Vivian, this was like reliving her own mother’s trauma all over again. Vera laid there, still and not stirring, for what felt like years. But then, after a long pause, she started breathing again.

There wasn’t much time to react until the aftermath. Shards hit their skin, mostly Isha’s, who suffered many scratches to her skin. Her legs and arms stung from it all over, like aggressive  wasps invading her personal space. The heat of it could be felt by all four, not scorching, but very warm. Vera especially, who almost wanted to succumb to such brilliant, comforting warmth. Blood poured from Sienna’s left ear, wailing in pain. Vivian watched, her expression contorted into a fearful expression. She saw the state of her sisters – the state of Vera. A nauseated feeling overcame her. Vera’s face looked as if it had been smothered with her own blood, her face twisted and practically unrecognizable. The sight of her clawed at Vivian’s chest, and she only had one thought left. She bolted past Sienna, sprinted past Vera, and scooped Isha up. Isha was hardly conscious – she probably hit her head. Vivian cradled her in her arms and left the scene, leaving Vera to fall unconscious on her own.  

As Vivian darted to the back of the bar, Powder stepped out with Ekko and Milo following close behind. And for them, the flashbacks had already begun.

Chapter Text

Almost a year had passed, yet you could still hear Sienna’s bloodcurdling screams when you walked past that alleyway. Everyone knew what had happened. People stopped going out for a little while after that, damaging Zaun's reputation. Enforcers raided Vander’s bar, searching for the remaining crystals that should have been seized decades ago. What had been a traumatic event for the children, had been the focus of gossip for everyone else for years. 

Isha decided the best thing to do was what she did best. Lay small, be quiet and stay unnoticed. Never be a burden and stay out of the way. As a mute, this was already fairly easy for her. But for her sisters, they took on a different lesson. Vera knew not to speak much, because her guilt was talking for her enough. Instead she isolated herself, only coming out when she was forced to. Sienna navigated the world, not holding any grudges against anybody, but living as carefree as possible. She still looked up to her big sister, Vivian, despite not being able to hear very well. Vivian became more harsher on her sisters, more bold and cunning, in the hopes that people wouldn’t mess with them. 

Tonight, the bar was busy. Despite the past scandals, Vivian’s tenth birthday had lured everyone out of the comforts of their homes, and Isha felt the vibrations of the loud music pulsing throughout her body. It was an uncomfortable feeling, one that couldn’t be pushed aside even with her clinging to her mother’s body. It didn’t help that Powder kept running off to greet some people, as if they were more important than Isha was. That’s how Isha felt at least. When her mother moved too far from her, and Vander was busy cracking jokes with Silco, Ekko, Milo and Claggor, she slipped away and headed upstairs. 

She went into the bedroom her sisters shared, and went through one of the drawers. There, she pulled out one of Vivian’s shorts and switched the skirt she was wearing for the oversized bottoms. She tied them as tight as she possibly could, tugging at them lightly to check if they were secure. 

In her peripheral vision, she could see Vera sitting there on the bottom bunk, hunched over. Her palm grasped tightly at the pen, scribbling calmly at her notebook. Her face was startling as ever, though it was only just starting to heal properly. Isha couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sympathy for her sister despite her unease. It couldn’t have been easy living with such a disability, leaving you partially blinded. Especially one where the shoppers from piltover stare at you like you’re a mangled dog suffering from rabies.

“Is mum coming upstairs to drag me downstairs, or are you here because you need attention?” Vera’s voice was low, almost a whisper, her eyes not leaving the page. Though her head was tilted slightly towards Isha. 

Isha simply shrugged.

“Theoretically,” Vera narrowed her eyes at her younger sister, straightening up, “If we were able use magic to destroy something, we could use it to restore things too, right?” 

The brown haired girl gave her older sister a blank stare for a moment, confusion glossed over her amber gaze. After a few heartbeats, Vera handed her a different notebook. It was open on a page with sloppy handwriting, and well done sketches. Everything labelled, everything signed. This wasn’t Vera’s writing – it couldn’t have been. Some of the words there belonged to The Piltovian Dialect. 

Vera crawled off her bed, and headed to the drawer. It was the same one Isha had gotten the shorts from. In there she retrieved a sack and opened it, a blue light was emitting from it. The sister reached into it, and pulled out a gem.

“If I’m understanding the book correctly, these crystals should be the same ones that killed Aunt Vi.” She stated, going back into the drawer to take another notebook. “These two notebooks, this belongs to Councillor Viktor and that one –” She put down the notebook and gestured to the open book, “it belonged to a man, who lived and died long before us. These crystals were his until some kids stole them. In their heist, one exploded. Aunt Vi died in that explosion.”

Isha’s eyes widened, and suddenly it made sense. That’s why Vivian was so scared when Vera threw it, she knew what was going to happen! A small gasp escaped her lips when she realised, glancing down at the notebook. On one corner of it, Isha could just about make out the words ‘Unstable gems, cautious’.

“It’s said they’re dangerous,” Vera continued, sitting beside her sister. “But these notes… They say they’re magic. ‘Hexstone’ the man called it. They have the ability to create anything. We can make the world into anything. I can make the world a better place!” There was a hint of obsession in her voice, a look of pride glimmering through her eyes. A wide grin spread on her face as she stared down at the crystal, closing her hands into it. “Weapons can be made, power and respect! More power than Vivian could ever–”

She was cut off by Isha nudging her frantically, signing, ‘These stones almost got us killed once! Do you think we should be playing science with them?’ 

Vera hissed, leaning in. “They almost got me killed. Sienna just got… Unlucky! But me, oh, I’m hideous. And that Vivian, when I was bleeding out on the floor. She just left me there.”

Isha placed a small hand on the white haired girl’s arm, offering her comfort silently. Vera reopened her hand to look at the stone, her anger softening. Her shoulders fell as she relaxed, and she placed a hand on Isha’s head. “Well, that’s why I’m stuck in here now. No one can see me like this. But one day, they’ll respect me. And they’ll all love me.”

Isha signed to her, ‘I respect you’. 

Vera hummed, nodding her head and patting her little sister’s, “So, you’ll help me then?”

Outside the room downstairs, the bar continued being alive. Shouts and cheers, the scraping of chairs, the clinking of drinks. The air was heavy with the scent of smoke and alcohol, heavy with the sort of chaos that made Isha wish she stayed in the bedroom. She weaved through the crowd of people, hoping that no one had seen she was gone for too long, her bare feet sticking to the ground that was covered in spilled drinks. As she got to the door, she ducked and dodged the people coming in, and that was when she saw the older, bigger children that she dreaded running into. Her heart sank at the sight of them. She stopped in her tracks, causing a gigantic figure to barge into her, causing her to topple over directly in front of them, almost slamming head first into them. 

She landed on the ground, shrieking in pain as she hurt her shoulder on the wooden floorboards. She clutched it in her hands, the kids giving her an odd look, but choosing to step over her. The person she collided with, a girl of around fifteen years old, dusted herself off and muttered something under her breath, stepping away.

“What the hell, Isha?” 

The younger looked up to see her pink haired sister looming over her, scowling down with her eyes narrowed. Isha felt a feeling of embarrassment come over her. Vivian leaned down to pick her up, tugging her by her injured shoulder with more force than gentleness. Her gaze had just about softened when she saw Isha wince in pain again, tears forming in her eyes, though her mouth twisted in irritation. 

“Can you do anything right?” She huffed, tilting her head to one side. “Where are your shoes? Why are you wearing my shorts?” 

Isha wobbled on her feet, pouting as the throbbing of her shoulder was distracting her from Vivian’s scolding. She lifted her chin, trying to hold back the tears to not be told off any more – Vivian hated it when she cried. She pressed her lips together, biting the skin off the top of her lip. 

Vivian grumbled under her breath, dusting her clothes with brisk, harsh pats and fixing her hair. When she was somewhat satisfied, she took a step back to check her baby sister’s appearance, crossing her arms. She didn’t meet Isha’s eyes; she felt bad for how harsh she was. But it was all for Isha to adapt. It was just a lesson for her, that’s all.

“Ev’rything alright here, girls?” Vander’s voice carried through the noise, steady and calm. He shifted closer, his broad shoulders filling the narrow space as he ushered the two away from the door. His gaze passed from Vivian to the fragile child, softening at the sight of her, especially when she straightened up. 

“Go to your mother, Isha. She’s in the back. And put on some boots if you’re gonna walk out here. Floor’s dirty.”

Isha nodded, and trotted hastily back into the crowd, disappearing almost instantly.

Vander watched her go, taking a deep, slow breath and exhaling in slight exasperation. He then focused on Vivian, seeing how she stood tall with her arms crossed with defiance. Her shoulders carried too much weight for a child her age, like she had lived ten years longer than her physical body did. There was a burning in her eyes, restless, challenging anyone who dared to try her. Of course, she was only ten. But Vander couldn’t help but feel bad for her – she had gone through so much. There was a long, thick silence between them.

“What’s on your mind, kiddo?” Vander’s voice was soft, seemingly unbothered though his expression was glazed with worry.

Vivian exhaled sharply, turning away from him. “She needs to toughen up. The lanes beat up babies like her.”

Vander let out a chuckle, “funny, coming from you.” Vivian’s head snapped towards him, though he didn’t give her time to argue. Vander rumbled, lowering his voice, “You’re already carryin’ yourself like the entire world’s on your little shoulders. Your little boots are twelve sizes too big. But, you can’t walk in them yet. You’re just a kid, Little Vi.”

Vivian tensed up, scoffing defensively, “Yeah, and?” She spat, “Someone has to do it? Dad’s too busy with Mum taking over the bar and their science-y work. Isha just drifts, Sienna can’t hear when danger is rapidly approaching, and Vera…” Her gaze grew depressed and distant, as if she was becoming lost in her thoughts. “It’s like she’s not even here.”

“Your parents are trying to make you guys’ lives better, they’re trying their best but with all of the things goin’ on, the council trying to take back Zaun, they can’t afford to do anything but work.” Vander paused, “You’d rather carry the weight than let anybody near it, but that weight is gonna be the weight that crushes you to death.”

“And so what! If I don’t, Isha is going to get herself killed, and Vera is already enough of a mess as it is. Those two are actually close–”

“That’s why we can’t lose you. And if you use these–” He grabbed her fists, waving it in her face, “ –To solve all your problems, you’ll punch yourself right in the stomach and end up behind bars. Or in a mine, working the rest of your life while we can’t find you. Or worse, dead! Do you want to end up like your Aunt? Unable to protect everyone else because she wanted to prove herself to me?”

Vivian stared at him, stammering, “N-No, I–"

“They’re your sisters, not burdens.”

“They are burdens! All three of them! Sienna’s growing up alright, but she’s still half deaf. Vera–”

“I know, but you’ve got to let them learn in their own time. If you want to keep them safe, you have to trust them. Let go of them a little.”

“And what if that gets them hurt?”

“Then they’ll just have to get themselves up, ten times stronger.” He paused, "Enjoy yourself, it's your birthday."

Vander passed Vivian, ruffling her hair. He left her alone there for a moment, with her thoughts, before she reluctantly began following him.

“By the way, I hear there was a child breaking into the council – one from our sides.” Vander stopped in the middle of the bar to turn to her, his gaze shifting to be disappointing. Vivian remained confused, “Know anything ‘bout that?”

Chapter Text

Powder spent most of her time at the bar when she wasn’t with her children or Ekko. It’s what passed the time, got her mind off of things. She didn’t have to worry about anything else, because her mind was solely on making things run smoothly. Sometimes she felt as though she was neglecting other things in her life, not doing enough to maintain a good work-life balance. Truthfully, she didn’t feel useful anywhere else. Since the explosion, she grew more protective of her children. She confiscated the gems, and kept them locked up in her room, knowing that they’d be safer if they couldn’t get to them. Although Ekko disagreed with it, she didn’t like the idea of Isha or Sienna leaving the bar with her older sisters. They needed an adult with them.

Well, that’s why she spent most of her time in the bar. It wasn’t a rule she could enforce without everyone worrying about her being paranoid. She couldn’t lose her daughters, especially not how she lost Vi. 

She couldn’t cope with having to hold her babies in her arms again, one unconscious, the other one screaming her lungs out until she couldn’t breathe, writhing in pain. That whole day was a blur for Powder, but even Vander didn’t have the strength to hold her down when the two girls were taken from her. Milo, Silco and Vander had to force them to separate. Claggor took Isha and Vivian away to comfort them. Ekko spent as much time with Powder as he could, dropping all of his important research to console her. He checked what condition Vera was in before letting Powder see her, worried the sight would be too gruesome for her. 

Powder could hardly breathe when she saw Vera. Her throat closed up. Seeing how much Vera was bandaged up, but you could still see some of the blood seeping through the bandages. Her eyes were slightly open,  rolled to the back of her head, her chest rising and falling. The girl was stable — but there wasn’t much of a chance of survival for her. 

It reminded her too much of how she saw Vi. Her body was limp and still, much like Vi’s. 

“Mama,” a soft voice gently pushed Powder out of her mind, and she turned to see her daughter, Sienna, tugging at her shirt. In Sienna’s other hand was an unopened bottle from one of the boxes.

That’s right, she was supposed to be helping her restock. Powder was kneeling in front of the crate where the bottle must have come from. She hummed and smiled, turning to take the bottle from her. “Thank you, Sienna.”

“Are y’crying?” Sienna’s words were slurred, but Powder understood what she meant. She shook her head. 

“No, I’m fine.” 

Powder felt even worse at that moment. Sienna’s personality hadn’t changed. She was still as childish as ever, her speech hadn’t developed much. It was almost as if she had stopped growing completely.

Sienna reached out to give Powder a hug, grinning widely. It was like Sienna was hardly affected by what had happened that day. At first, she was quiet, adjusting to not being able to hear as well as she used to. But now, it seemed like she was doing just fine.

“Love you, mama.” 

Sienna pulled away from Powder to pick up some bottles and put them into the crate for her. Powder sighed — she wasn’t like the Sienna she knew, this Sienna was younger and more reliant. Powder helplessly watched her youngest clumsily walk back and forth, humming off key, each note being faint and broken as though she couldn’t hear herself. Every so often, when a bottle would clink, Sienna would grow slightly louder for a brief second, as if being surprised by the noise. Powder’s heart twisted, her smile faded as her daughter’s screams replayed in her head all over again, and she went to go get a second crate.

The door slowly opened, creaking. Soft footsteps could be heard entering, slow and light. Powder didn’t turn around, she knew those footsteps from anywhere. “Isha,” she sighed, reminding her gently,“you’re supposed to be upstairs.”

Isha hovered at the door, swaying from side to side while her eyes darted between her mother and her older sister. She released a hum, different to her usual hums. Powder understood every sort of hum Isha let out. Whether it was a hum in acknowledgment, sadness, happiness or contentment, Powder knew what she was saying. But this one was different, it wasn’t anything Powder had heard. But it was a hum of defiance. Powder turned to look at her while she walked into the room. 

Isha crossed to Sienna, kneeling beside her. She was careful not to disturb the bottles.

Sienna’s face lit up, and she looked at Isha, “‘Sha, look! We’re al’ost done!”

Isha smiled, mimicking Sienna when she clapped her hands in excitement. Both hands were off beat and faint, and they grew faster when they saw fun in the makeshift game. Powder smiled, seeing how adorable her children were. Isha’s eyes brightened up at feeling included, her smile growing even wider.

Powder’s gaze lingered on them both, watching as Sienna ran to a box to pick up another bottle. Isha hurriedly followed, getting one for herself and they both headed back to the crate together. Sienna placed it in, using both her hands. Isha clumsily followed, accidentally tipping it, but Sienna fixed her mistake quickly. 

“Are they bothering you?” Ekko chuckled as he entered the room. His gaze swept the room, only interrupted by Isha jumping to her feet and lunging into him. 

“No, not at all.” Powder smiled at him, “they were being quite helpful actually.” She moved the empty crate besides the filled one, careful not to bump into Sienna.

“Good,” he said, “Now, both of you. I need you both in the room, okay? Your sisters are waiting.” 

Without protest, Isha stood up and began walking out of the room. Sienna, however, was more hesitant. She was staring at him as if she couldn’t understand, before getting up to fill the empty crate.

Ekko sighed softly, trotting over to her with light steps, tapping her shoulder. He signed to her, ‘Upstairs, now, please?’. He watched as Sienna watched intensely, pausing and repeating his signs as if translating in her head. 

“‘Kay,” she replied, putting the bottle she had picked up down on the ground and running past him. 

Ekko released a soft chuckle, which had a slither of sadness to it, but he clearly pushed that emotion down. He turned to Powder, who had barely made any eye contact, but instead continued putting bottles into crates by herself. He could see the sadness in her eyes, glossed over as if they were full of tears. Her bottom lip trembled slightly. She kept her head low and as still as possible, trying to hide the fact she was close to tears. Ekko headed towards her, placing a hand on her shoulder and going down to her level when she kneeled, stopping her from getting back up with one hand.

“You okay?” He said softly, “you don’t have to stay down here alone, you know. You can come upstairs.”

“No, not while Vera is there—“ She paused, her fists tensing. “I mean, not like that. I just… I can’t.”

Ekko leaned in to kiss her cheek, tucking her blue hair behind her ear. He smiled, nuzzling her with the tip of his nose. “It’s okay, PowPow. Take your time.”

She leaned into him for a moment, growing relaxed by his touch. Then, he pulled away and she watched him leave. Powder fell to her knees, alone. Her tense shoulders eased into resignation as she accepted the lonely feeling growing onto her. She didn’t want to cry — it felt pathetic to cry when there was nobody around. It felt even worse when there was someone. So, she choked back her tears and took deep breaths.

And she listened to the silence, she could practically hear her own heartbeat. The fizzing of electrical wires filled the room. Silence.

“Alone again, huh?” Of course, Powder already knew who it was. But she didn’t want to look at her. She couldn’t.

“Leave me alone, Vi.” 

Vi tutted at her, “You jinxed it. These kids, they’re not going to stay around forever. Vera almost lost her life because of your failures, the same failures that—“

“I know, Violet.” She snapped and spun around, seeing her fifteen year old sister behind her. Her face was morphing strangely, stuck between her dead body and how she vaguely remembered her growing up. Her skin was grey, her eyes never really focused on Powder, but was almost bulging out of her head. Her dried blood ran down her face from her skull. 

It was mortifying — Powder could barely contain herself. Especially when Vi started approaching her, her movements jittery and strange. It was like she was glitching in real life, only she wasn’t real, was she?

“One of your children will end up like me. You’re a Jinx, PowPow. Milo was right.”

“No, No! I’m not a Jinx!” Powder covered her ears, yelling at the top of her lungs, stammering. “Don’t call me that! My name is Powder. Jinx fell down a well.”

Vi laughed, and it was quite maniacal, though her lips didn’t move while she spoke, “Ah, you think the younger version of you is a Jinx? You will always be the powder I knew, the powder who ruined everything—“

Powder bit her lip, so much that it started dribbling with blood. She cradled herself tightly in her arms, whispering quietly under her breath as she shook her head. There were soft sobs, her palms sweating as her body shook.

“—that we have ever come close to achieving. And now, your babies hate you. Could you Jinx anything else?”

“My babies love me…” 

“They can’t. You’re a jinx.”

“I am not a Jinx!” Powder screamed again, this time much louder. Footsteps could be heard approaching the door which Isha and Sienna ran out of. Powder picked up a bottle, seeing that Vi had disappeared from in front of her. “I am not a Jinx! I am not a fucking Jinx!” With her eyes closed, she threw the bottle as hard as she could, hearing it smash instantly. At the same time, the door had opened and there was an incredibly loud thud.

“Jinxed it,” she heard Vi’s voice again, but nothing could prepare her for what she saw. 

Ekko sprinted down the stairs. From the door behind Powder, Claggor and Milo ran in. On the floor, right in front of Ekko laid Vera. The bottle impact had knocked her unconscious.

Chapter Text

Ekko entered hastily through the door, seeing his four children gathered in the room. Vivian was sitting on Isha’s bed, her body hunched over while she seemed lost in thought. Sienna tipped over the toy box, not acknowledging the mess she had made, going to play with the trains excitedly on her own. Isha sat and watched her closely, copying the way Vivian was sitting. Meanwhile Vera was on her own bed, backed into a corner with her knees up and a notebook resting on them. The sound of her pencil could be heard scratching at the paper, while she glanced cautiously at Ekko.

“Vivian,” he said, making her turn her head sharply. “Vera, Isha, Sienna.”

Isha narrowed her eyes, tilting her head in curiosity. Vera hardly acknowledged him with a stiff, quick nod. Sienna kept playing, giggling to herself, oblivious to her father who was staring directly at her. He sighed, his shoulders dropping almost in defeat, moving forward to crouch beside her. He placed two fingers on her shoulder, giving her a light tap. Sienna jumped a little, a surprised gasp escaping her lips. 

Despite this, her brown eyes beamed. She smiled up at him, briefly waving, before she went back to playing. Ekko’s gaze softened, returning the smile — this time feeling completely defeated — and he simply continued what he was saying.

“Someone was seen breaking into the council — or rather fleeing the scene, one child in a cloak. Any ideas?” Ekko questioned as his eyes darted between his children, analysing each one before his eyes fell on Vera. She seemed to be barely paying attention.

“From our side?” Vivian squinted a little, her eyebrows furrowed with her head cocked to one side, while she spoke defensively, “Why would it be any of us?” 

He sighed, “I don’t know. But this doesn’t mean that I can’t rule you guys out. This is serious.” He turned back to Vera, whose pencil was loud and distracting. The fact she wasn’t paying attention irked him more. He moved over, taking the notebook out of her hands. He watched Vera seem annoyed, but he didn’t care. He let Vera snatch it back while he continued, standing back up. “Someone stole some very dangerous items and they’re giving us a week to figure out who and where it is or they’re coming for our bar first.” 

Isha released a whine, pouting and leaning into Vivian. Sienna however was babbling to herself, like a baby who just learned to speak.

“Here?” Vivian jumped up, almost knocking Isha over. “they can’t do that!”

“Well, they’re going to!” He turned to her, matching her aggressive body language. “This is serious.”

“But it’s not us! I haven’t got any business stealing expensive items. The most Isha can do is run away, Sienna is a lost cause and Vera—“ she looked past Ekko, making eye contact with Vera intensely, “—She’s just there, all the time. They’d notice her in a crowd. It’s not like she blends in—“

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Vera spat, finally focusing on what was going on as her jaw clenched, sitting up. 

Ekko turned to look at Vera, about to speak until he was cut off by Vivian.

“Look at yourself! You’re covered in scars. No amount of disguise can hide the damage done to you—“

Vera scoffed, her lips turning to a snarl as she got off her bed. Her body was tense and her arms were crossed. She took a large step besides Ekko, looking up at Vivian. “Oh so you think I can’t do anything.”

Sienna looked up at Vera, a little anxious as she fiddled with her toy in her hands. No longer giggling, no longer smiling. She looked at Isha, who was biting her lip, leaning backwards slightly.

Vivian blinked “You’re blind… why—”

“Vivian, it’s enough.” Ekko scolded as soon as he saw Vera taking an extra step, as if ready to fight. He grabbed Vera and pulled her back. “We don’t know who it was. I trust you all. But if there’s any dangerous items, we need to know. I need to know.”

Vera rolled her eyes, grumbling under her breath. She strutted to the door, keeping her eyes on her sister. They did not leave her. Not until there was a distant scream, which made Vera spin around in alarm. She looked at the room to see if anyone else heard it, but it seemed like everyone had left Ekko in silence. Vivian had withdrawn, sitting back on Isha’s bed and crossing her arms. Isha was listening to the conversation and Sienna had stood up to wrap her arms around Ekko’s leg for comfort.

“What did they take?” Vivian questioned under her breath after a very long pause.

“I don’t know, Vivian. They didn’t say.”

She bit the inside of her cheek, zoning out once more as her gaze grew more harsh. “So they’re just gonna come on our side and cause trouble? And no one’s gonna stop them?”

“Important items were stolen from councillor Viktor’s room.”

Vera tried to listen to their bickering, but she couldn’t. She tried to shake the scream she heard, but the bloodcurdling scream was too much to shake. She cracked the door to look out and down the stairs, before being met with another chilling shriek. She froze. The person screaming had screamed something, but Vera didn’t know what. She couldn’t make out the words. All she knew was whose voice it was.

Ekko and Vivian’s heads spun around too, and Isha jumped at the sound. Sienna looked up at Ekko in concern, as if she had not heard it.

“Mama,” Vera whispered, horror striking her face as she bolted out. 

“Vera, wait!” 

Vera didn’t hear Ekko’s words. She darted down the stairs, jumping off a few to get down faster, almost knocking herself into the wall. Then, she hurried to the door, shoving it open and almost stumbling over once again. Before she could straighten up, there was a sharp sting on the side of her face, right before her legs gave in.

Vera crumpled up on the floor in shards of glass, her vision completely disappearing completely as she lost consciousness. 

Well, shit.

It’s well believed that I stay in that room because of my appearance, and well, you’d only be half correct.

To be honest, I’ve noticed how different everyone has been treating me. They treat me like I’m… Useless. Dad pretends to not notice, he acts like this has all been a normal thing for him. He still checks up on me, tries to listen to my concerns. And I will admit, it sometimes does feel like he sees me for me. But I know most of the time, he feels bad for me. That’s all people do, feel. I don’t want to feel anymore.

My mother doesn’t even like to look at me. She avoids me — I know she does. I don’t know why she avoids me. I just know that she can’t look me in the eyes. Her head is always down, she doesn’t talk to me like she talks to everyone else. Her smile and tone is loving, but her eyes and behaviour say otherwise. I don’t think I’m a child worth loving. No one loves someone like me. Ever since I hurt Sienna for good, making her brain go crazy and making her deaf, everyone has been punishing me. I understand what I did was wrong but is it fair for me to be suffering forever?

She treats everyone else so well. Isha is so loved, adored even, by mum. Sienna doesn’t get scolded like everyone else does, almost as if she’s a toddler. Vivian gets her full attention. And what do I get? A brief glance? 

The side of my face is all bumpy and wrinkly and weird. It looks melted. I’m blind on the right side of my face. I can’t feel anything there, though sometimes it feels like it hurts. I can’t even feel anything on the inside of my mouth on that side. Moving my neck isn’t as easy as it used to be. What’s worse? The burns move from my face down my neck, and vein-like scars run across my body to my fingertips.

Everyone stares. But no one really stares because they’re worried, they’re staring because I’m.. me.

Well, if my mother won’t love me, I’ll learn to love myself. I’ll just have to prove myself.

Such a strange feeling. It’s like the current of the river is thrashing me around to no destination — I’m drowning and yet, I can’t die. The blood of my face mixes with dirty water, hands are holding me down to stop me from reaching the surface.

They’re not my mother’s hands — she doesn’t hate me that much.

Vivian on the other hand. She’d get rid of me in a heartbeat, just like how she left me for dead that one day. 

I will never find peace until I win the war they didn’t know they were fighting.

But until then, I’ll suffer alone. 

Chapter Text

I’m damaged, but I’m not broken.

I’m not as slow as they make me out to be. No, I’m so much more than that. I see all, I hear all. I sit back and observe, that’s just who I am. I am everywhere and nowhere all at once. I may stay up in the room alone, but I’m never truly alone. I always hear it, hear my sister’s screams ringing in the back of my head, dragging me further to the edge.

 I don’t know why my mother hurt me, but I do know one thing. 

I will be the one on top. 

Even if that means playing dirty. 

I know how much she dwells on Vi, how much she wishes she could bring her sister back. I know the story of how Vi died, and I know that my mother can share some of my pain. If I can figure out how to bring my aunt back through magic…

I win.

Isha had always had admiration for her sisters. Even though Vivian was rough and pushed her around a lot, she still wanted to someday be strong like her. Sienna was different — she was fun and exciting to play with, so Isha loved spending time with her. But most of all, Isha was curious about Vera. 

Isha had a million questions she’d ask her sister if she could talk. Her inability to talk frustrated her immensely. So much to say, but not a word can be expressed without her arms getting tired. But Isha always wondered, why was she so secretive and why did she hide so much? 

She knew some of it. The whole ‘magic’ thing. The way Vera guarded the things she tucked away. Isha had noticed them a few times, something glowing in the room they all slept under Vera’s bed. It lingered in the back of her head that Vera was hoarding magical explosives, but it wasn’t in Isha’s nature to get her sisters in trouble if she were to maintain their relationship. She didn’t care about respect, power, strength or anything. She just wanted them to like her at least.

In the day, when Vivian was training with Vander, and Sienna was playing with Claggor around the bar, Isha snuck up to the bedroom alone. Her soft feet had barely made a sound on the weak, noisy floorboards. At the door, there was some reluctance. But after a few breaths, she headed in anyway to crawl under Vera’s bed. 

It was thick with dust. Isha coughed a little, smacking her lips as she breathed some in. She pushed aside some boxes, her eyes lighting up at the sight of three notebooks and a small sack tied with a string. She hummed softly, pushing them out and shuffling out with them close to her. She wiped her nose, flaring her nostrils to ease the itchy feeling. Then, she narrowed her eyes at what she had found. She picked up a notebook, sucking in a breath as her eyes lingered at them. With a soft exhale, she opened it, flattening the page.

She read the first page of Viktor’s notes,

“In the trial of Jayce Talis, I found myself intrigued by his speech, his idea of magic. Of course, it was a little reckless — extreme, even. And disastrous. It caused a child to become deceased, and cost the innocent girl her life. But, I’ve been sick for so many years. Perhaps, as mad as it sounds, if we can really create magic, I want to take the chance and make myself the man I want to be.

Isha frowned. It seemed sad that the man who wrote this wanted to fix himself with magic. Surely that can’t be what Vera wants for herself. Her eyebrows pinched together, then lifted slightly in surprise at that thought, but she kept reading.

Magic is against our ethos. I am taking a great risk by practicing it in secret. If anyone found out, well, I fear I’m taking a great risk here. They may not support such unlawful experiments and that may threaten my position. But maybe, if I prove it to be safe and useful for Piltover’s future, they may just endorse it.

I am using Jayce’s notes to work on this project. I call this… Well, I am not quite sure what to call it. I know in his notes, he wanted to call it Hextech. It’s a rather strange name. Hex…  I suppose the crystal is called a hexstone, and he intended to make technology. Not too bad — it does have a nice ring to it. 

And in the event that I do not succeed, or I succumb to my illness before I can succeed, I do pray that someone will after I am gone.

~Viktor”

Isha blinked, her fingers lingering on the page. The little girl wondered to herself if it was really possible. Her small heart thumped in a strange kind of excitement, one that she knew she should not be feeling. Maybe she should show it to her mother? It was clear to Isha that a lot could be done with this ‘Hextech’ thing. It’s no wonder Vera was so engrossed in all this. She could become the strongest person ever with magic! Stronger than anyone!

Isha opened up the sack, and her heart stopped. In there sat seven glowing crystals; her lips fell open while they bathed her in their soft, blue light. They were so pretty despite their jagged, rough edges. Her eyes were completely locked on them, unmoving. It made sense that Vera was the one to steal the stuff. She was the one with Viktor’s notebook after all — but to also have the crystals? Should she tell someone? To tell someone would be to betray Vera, and Vera didn’t trust very easily. 

She whined, unsure of what to do. ‘Mama might understand, but then again, mama doesn’t like these things. She finds them scary’. 

Isha closed up the sack carefully. Her fingers fumbled with the thin string, but she’d managed, creating a tight knot. She pushed them under the bed again, behind the boxes. ‘As long as no one finds them…’ . Her eyes drifted and lingered over another notebook. She chewed at her lip, before carefully flipping it open. 

‘I must find a way to stabilise these crystals. I’ve attempted to make something of them already, but they’re dangerous now. I was injured. They almost killed me. I can work with just one at a time; it’s the safest approach. Two is chaos, three is bound to be destructive.

-Jayce Talis.’

Isha closed it up. It wasn’t as interesting as Viktor’s. She stretched, her mouth falling wide open as a long, yawn escaped, her arms stretching above her head. She glanced down at the next notebook and sighed. She was curious, but she best not open it. That one was Vera’s. She was sure of it. Isha chose to respect her privacy, and put everything she found back.

But, then she paused. Vera was still being treated for her injuries, and the enforcers could be coming to this room any day. If they find her stuff, oh they’ll be in huge trouble. 

Without a second thought, she grabbed the sack and notebooks, and skipped across the room to pick up her bag. She knew just where to hide the stuff for her sister. Her father’s lab.

Chapter Text

The curtains hung shut, with only a slither of light able to pass through. The room was lit up with candlelights instead. Vera had propped herself with the tough pillows, hardly able to get comfortable. The faint, bitter smell of ointment lingered around her, clinging to her throat whenever she breathed. Bandages were wrapped around her head where the wound still stung. Her arm lay stiff beside her. An IV drip brought small amounts of a mysterious purple liquid, burning her veins steadily from her elbow to the tips of her fingers and shoulders. They had given her numbing cream, but she still continued to scratch and hit the area desperately.

In the hospital, it was fairly silent. So silent, Vera had begun rocking back and forth in the hopes her movements would make the room feel less empty. The loneliness gnawed at her skin. Although the doctor had told her family they were permitted two visits a week, she still felt like they would never come at all. She could hear the sounds of her own heartbeat in her head half the time. Her thoughts were louder than ever. And so, she scratched at her skin even more, out of frustration, until her nails broke her skin. Everything else had been drowned out by her wandering mind, until, finally, she caught the heavy, deliberate sound of footsteps approaching from the hall. Her head snapped towards them as the door opened. 

Powder put her head through, before opening the door wider to let Isha in. She shot her daughter a little smile, stepping to the side to close the door. Her eyes were soft, and filled with guilt. In her hand was a bowl, wrapped in cling film. Powder adjusted it twice, before unwrapping it. The sound was sharp in the quiet room. She didn’t meet Vera’s eyes, even as she walked over and knelt beside her. She simply waited for her daughter to speak, her hands trembling as she fumbled with the bowl. 

Vera gave her sister a weak nod as she stopped to stand beside her. Isha’s wide eyes stared at her for a moment, then she crawled onto the bed beside Vera, watching the two carefully. She shifted as close to her sister as possible, but stopped moving when she saw Vera wince. Her IV hurt her. She stared at Vera, searching her expression to see if she was alright. There was nothing said, just silence.

Powder broke the silence first. “How are you? You need to eat—“

“I’m not hungry,” Vera said quickly, “and I’m fine.”

“You’re not fine,” Powder argued, yet her voice remained soft and smooth, picking up a spoon. In the bowl was a warm soup, with potatoes, carrots and meat. 

Vera glanced at it in disgust. The scent of it was overwhelming, the broth’s sour scent mixed with the pungent smell of ointment in the air. Vera crossed her arms in defiance, ignoring the sharp prick from the IV.  

Powder looked at her arms, her lips parting in slight worry when she saw the scratches. She chose not to comment on them, and looked down at the bowl in her hands. “You look so thin, have you been eating well?”

“If you consider prison food as real food then yeah, I guess. When can I come home?”

“Tomorrow.” Powder hummed, forcing a layer of confidence in her voice, “the doctor said your wounds should have healed by now.”

Vera groaned, slumping back into her pillows with a heavy sigh. “thank god. That guy was a creep.”

Powder lifted the spoon to Vera’s lips, and she reluctantly accepted it, her mouth pushing upwards as she cringed in disgust. 

“It’s bitter.”

“Complain to your uncle about it.” Powder replied dryly, giving her another spoonful.

“You let Milo cook? Do I mean anything to you?” She looked at Isha, “and why is the bunny here?”

“She wanted to see you.”

Isha swiftly avoided her gaze when Vera looked at her. Isha shifted a little when Powder moved her hair away from her face. A smile formed on her face, and she went to feed Vera again. 

“I can feed myself, you know.” She grumbled, snatching the bowl from Powder, and attempting to drink it all at once. The soup spilled down her chin, onto her chest and clothes, burning her a little — though she didn’t mind it that much. Anything to get it over and done with.

“Slow down! The food isn’t going anywhere!” Powder pulled her arm back, and Vera slammed the bowl down. Then, with a sharp inhale, she released a long, deep burp, wiping her mouth with her arm. 

Isha giggled, of course, finding the whole scene amusing. Powder, on the other hand, huffed in defeat.

“God, you made a mess.”

“At least I survived whatever that was.” She turned back to Isha, “I suppose you on the other hand, you’re more like a mouse than a bunny nowadays.”

Isha scowled at her. She signed, ‘I’m not that small!’

“Nope, just nosy. You went through my things didn’t you?” Vera smirked widely, her tone sharp, but still playful.

Isha seemed surprised, and pouted. She didn’t say anything more, but her shoulders slumped and her gaze fell, looking away from her sister.

“Be nice to your sister,” Powder scolded, grabbing some tissues to clean Vera. When she returned, she immediately began wiping down the eight year old.

“I’m very nice to her.” She retorted, leaning forward to ruffle Isha’s hair. “I even keep her secrets.”

Powder sighed, almost defeated. She threw the tissues into the bin, “I bet you do.”

When Powder stood up to go get more tissues, she smirked, looking at Isha who was glancing between them innocently, unsure about what was going on. 

Vera sighed, leaning back, “I mean, sometimes it’s hard.” She tipped her head back, sighing once more, this time more dramatic than the last while shaking her head. She watched as Isha watched her back, the younger shifting onto her knees as she became more intrigued as to whatever Vera was on about. Vera looked between Isha and Powder briefly, before she spoke once more.

“That’s why Isha over here found the stolen items from the council.”

Powder spun her head around, “what?” She squeaked, her voice cracking as she looked at the baby.

Isha looked back at Vera, her mouth falling open as her eyebrows furrowed. She pointed at herself, amazed she was being accused of such a heinous crime. Her hands were practically shaking, and she was ready to sign, though like a stammer, they just wouldn’t move for her. 

Vera’s smirk faded, and she attempted to hide her grin. “Alas, I did attempt to tell you. I mean, she has far too many crystals for it to be safe for a six year old. But of course I was assaulted,” she turned to Powder, whose nose twitched as she tried to hide her guilt once more. “Isha here was telling me about bringing back Aunt Vi.”

Powder choked out air in shock and her nostrils flared. She looked Vera up and down at the mention of Vi’s name, drawing her hands away from Vera completely and almost dropping the tissue. She took a quick deep breath to regulate her emotions. “Is that a joke?” She spat, her hands trembling.

“Hey, it’s in Viktor’s notes,” she shrugged, waving her hand dismissively. “the magical potential to bring anyone back to life, heal the sick, make machinery that brings us wealth, advancements in technology. It is all Viktor’s notes.”

Isha’s body tensed. She looked between Powder and Vera, so certain she was about to get told off. But instead, she was met with a gaze in her mother’s eyes that she had never seen before. It looked like disappointment, but it wasn’t quite there. Perhaps, hope? It was hard to say. Her blue eyes hovered over Isha for quite a while, before she turned away to leave the room, shutting the door behind her.

Isha glanced back at her sister, before reluctantly crawling off the bed, and chasing after her mother.

Chapter Text

Powder had paused where there was nothing but silence away from Vera, and suddenly, she was back to the night Vi had told her she was enough. The same place she gained the confidence that she was ready. There was still a hint of nativity in the air, long dead, but its spirit lingered around her. She could feel a sort of presence, one that she had long forgotten. Just outside the old bar — the home they grew up in, now destroyed — memories flooded back to her. All that remained was ruins.

“It’s not possible,” she whispered, her body tensing. If it wasn’t for the fact she hated being heard, she would’ve been hysterically sobbing. But she choked her tears back, staring at the destruction.

There were whispers around her. They came from all sorts of directions, but none had any sort of distinctive speech. But every voice sounded like her older sister. Vi never left her, but Powder could feel the disappointment in how little she had achieved and how much she had screwed up. If Vi saw what Powder did, what she almost did to her children, Vi wouldn’t have hesitated to hurt her.

Vivian was no older than four, frolicking around the place. She darted from place to place, chewing on whatever she could get her hands on. She was restless, but otherwise happy. Freckles had began scattering around her face, which softened her features. Within recent weeks, she had been looking more like her mother than anything. And every time she showed her adorable toothy grin, it revealed a chip tooth — one she got from climbing and jumping off a shelf trying to attack Milo.

Keeping Vivian in check was never easy for Powder, so she supposed the best thing to do was wait for Vivian to tire herself out. And she did —  eventually. She was curled up on her mother’s lap, her soft gasps muffled a little from her thumb being in her mouth. Powder could finally get some peace. She placed a hand on Vivian’s head, caressing it gently with her thumb. She leaned back in her seat, bringing Vera close to her nurse. Her eyelids fluttered shut, and it wasn’t long until she drifted.

When Powder had awoken, she was in a different place. It was the bedroom she shared with Ekko and their children. Powder wasn’t sure what time it was. She turned her head to look for any indication of daytime, but she was only met with darkness from her curtains, and silence all around. Powder felt a heaviness on her arm. When she looked down, she saw Vivian cuddled closely to her mother. Her head was wrapped in a silk scarf, and she had her fist at her lips.

Powder lifted her head to see where Vera was exactly, and saw her beside Ekko in the large bed they all shared. His breathing was heavy, his lips parted while his ivory locs fell over his face. He had pushed the blankets off himself, but kept Vera covered to the tip of her chin. Her hair was braided in large, thick plaits done in four parts. The scarf which she must have been wearing had fallen off and slipped beside them. Vera was laying on his chest, her body slowly rising and falling with him. A smile formed on her face while she babbled in her sleep, her leg kicking slightly. She looked around, before seeing that Sienna was also asleep in the small cot Ekko made for her, which was rocking her back and forth, gentle creaks filling the silence. 

Then, there was a long feeling of emptiness. Powder sat up, pressing her hand on her stomach, but felt nothing — no movement, but pure softness. With reluctance and after a few heartbeats, she gently shifted Vivian’s body off her arm. Powder paused when Vivian let out a whine, but was relieved to see her roll over and curl into a ball. As she slipped out of her bed, she lightly wandered to her desk, her fingertips caressing the wood before it led her to the birth certificate of her fourth born child — signed with her time of death.

She sighed softly, “I would’ve loved to meet you, baby girl.” 

In the corner of her eye, there was a sparkle of light, something that immediately caught her attention. She knew what it was, but was hesitant to go near it. Not after that day. 

But she did, anyway. And an idea sparked in her mind.

She had studied these crystals, only briefly — but even with minimal study, she discovered that they weren’t normal. They had so much energy, so much power, held inside them, and for what? Her eyes loomed over them. Her expression remained dull and depressed, but she exhaled heavily. She thought for a moment, before she slowly took the crystals, lifting them carefully. They were light in her hands, but warm and oddly soothing. She glanced back at her family, before she turned away and left the room completely. 

It was quiet. She used one of her own keys to unlock the door to the bar, twisting rapidly with the fiddly door until she got in. She ended up going to the regular part of the bar, turning on the light and placing the crystal on a table. Then, she took a deep breath.

“I’m going to bring back my baby, one way or another.” She muttered to herself, leaving to get more of her contraptions. When she came back, she held a small device. It was made of gold, copper and other scraps she could find, especially the ones she stole from the heist all those years back. It wasn’t particularly huge, but could be held comfortably in her hands. It was round, and in the centre of it was four antennas. There was a dial she had created, stuck intricately on the side of it. When she turned it on, the jagged gem shot up to it immediately. It created a small gravitational pull that would drag Powder’s hand in and sting when she got close. Powder took a deep breath. She left once more, and this time, she returned with a tiny bag full of blood in it and a notebook. She looked into the notebook first, before bringing the blood to the crystal. And it sucked it in, without hesitation.

The crystal ripped through the plastic, and the red liquid dived towards it, circling vigorously. It grew faster as the crystal trembled more. The room began to shake, the crystal grew brighter, making the room blue. Powder staggered back, her arms raised protectively in front of her, her eyes widening when the blood disappeared into the crystal.  Its edges turned smooth. Soon, when there were no traces of it — not even a droplet of blood left, the gemstone turned a deep, crimson. It emitted a red light — but didn’t stop there. It glowed brighter and brighter, making her shut her eyes tight.

A deep, pained roar could be heard distantly. When she reopened them, she was on the floor, rolling in pain. Her heart ached as she grinded her teeth together. She wasn’t sure why or what was happening, but all she knew was that this whole experiment had to have been a failure. Powder didn’t feel like herself anymore — like she had failed at something once again.

 It wasn’t supposed to go like this. It should be able to change time and fix the past. It’s what her and Ekko’s research said! So why is she not home? Why is she here writhing in pain? Is this her punishment for not caring for her children as well as she should’ve? For the death of her newborn child?

As she struggled to get herself back up, her eyes wide and sobbing, a small figure darted past her. A tiny girl, with short blue braids and messy hair, was sprinting. And when Powder’s gaze lifted beyond her, she gazed straight into the path of a violent beast, with what seemed to be lava and molten fire escaping from every crevice of his body, running wild. And, this child was running towards it with no hesitation. 

Powder’s vision went black for just a moment. And when she regained her vision, she couldn’t help but chase after the little girl, but she wasn’t sure why. Blood shot through her veins, adrenaline screaming at her to just go. Gasping for air, she tensed her jaw, praying she’d get to her in time. Her eyes wide and bulging out of her head as desperation fueled her.. There were gaps in her memory. Every time she got closer, it felt like she was skipping parts of her life. Until she saw the girl with a gun in her hands, pointing it at the sky. 

When she pulled the trigger, there was a flash of white light, and Powder was blinded.

There, she found herself alone. She didn’t know where she was, but she could somewhat recognise the place. It looked like the Zaun she knew, but the place was painted blue. Blue paint all over the place, on the ground, dull and washed out. 

Surrounding her, figures like dead statues were scattered all around. They were all in their own frozen, as though stuck in time. Some were on their knees, as if praying — or begging — while some were caught mid run. A few were toppled over, cracks on their ashy blue grey shells ran from every part of them. It was eerie. It sent chills down Powder’s spine to look at them. 

As she walked through slowly, she passed some people that she didn’t recognise, but many she did. Her close friend, Gert, was on the floor, sprawled out with her head tipped back at an unnatural angle. It was as if someone had broken part of her head off by the neck, and attempted to stick it back on. A crack ran across her neck, and dry, purple liquid came from it. It spilled out onto the ground around her. There was a flicker of fear in her heart, one that made her stomach churn.

 Then, Powder saw Vander. Her hands went cold, her body tensed and she paused for a second to study him. His face was contorted in defeat, his eyes partially closed. There was a look of acceptance in his expression. He had fallen to his knees, his head down in defeat. Purple tears fell from his eyes. It was like they froze mid air, because they hung from his face. Some were suspended mid air, like time refused to let them fall.

She forced herself to keep walking, analysing all the statues and their expressions. It was too much to take in. Seeing her adoptive dad in that state, not knowing where she was. Staggering, she stopped at a statue in the middle of… Well, wherever she was now. There stood a girl in a cloak. Powder couldn’t make out her face. But she spoke with a low and raspy voice,

“You can’t save the world, but you can at least enjoy what’s left of it.” The girl held out her hand, stone-like and rigid. The ends of her fingertips looked as though they’d been painted pink. It felt as though time had stopped for a moment when Powder held out her own hand, and that’s when the girl dropped a stone — or a crystal. 

It looked like a gem, but it wasn’t. What was it? It was tear shaped, and had a weird engraving on the front. Powder looked down at her hand, but when she looked back up, the girl wasn’t there anymore. 

And so was the place.

Ekko shook her awake frantically, his arms wrapped tightly around Sienna, whose cries were muffled into his chest. Vivian and Vera both stood beside their father, clinging onto him. Their eyes were fixated on her mother, who for a moment, laid motionless. 

After a few delicate breaths, Powder stirred and blinked awake. She released some coughs, and sat up. The smell of smoke filled her lungs. The haze lifted as she looked at her family. Vivian was quick to leap into her mother’s arms, hiding her face into her. Ekko simply sighed in relief and leaned forward to kiss her.

In the distance, Vander could be heard approaching. Powder knew it was him, because he had distinctive heavy footsteps.

“Is everything alright?” He shouted, immediately focusing on Powder. Claggor and Milo hurriedly followed from behind.

Powder gave them a small nod, still fairly delirious as her head spun. She didn’t say much, but knew from their expressions that something was wrong. She placed a hand on her stomach, and that’s when she realised that it had worked.

The gems gave her baby back — but at the expense of the bar she had her childhood in being set on fire.

Chapter Text

“What’s on your mind, PowPow?”

Ekko sat beside Powder, who stared sadly at the baby photos of Isha on their wall. He was slow and gentle with his movements, placing a hand on her shoulder before moving it down her arm, his thumb dragging and caressing her gently until his arm wrapped around her lean frame completely. Her eyes softened, her tense body relaxed, and she instinctively leaned into him. Ekko placed a kiss onto her forehead, a smile appearing on his face.

“I don’t know, Ekko.” She replied after a little while, “I’m just thinking.” 

“About what?”

“About that day. The day I got Isha back.” Her voice cracked a little, and he immediately grabbed her hand.

“You need to let go. Nothing is your fault—“

She pulled away, cutting him off. “I should’ve let her go, Ekko.” 

Her sudden words took Ekko aback. His shoulders fell, and he leaned from her. He licked his lips, searching for the words, but couldn’t find one to respond with. In that moment, conflicted, he looked away from her. She narrowed her eyes at him, her eyes flickering and her jaws tensing while the familiar feeling of guilt flooded her, and he gave her a small nod.

Ekko sighed, his tone staying soft and smooth. “Why’d you say that?” 

“Because she wouldn’t suffer! I fucked up— I know I did! I fucked up with all of them!” Her tone became harder, cracking as she grew louder with each word spoken, and she fought hard to choke back tears. She threw her hands on Ekko’s shoulders. As her nails dug into his skin, she continued, “She wouldn’t have to deal with not speaking. Vera wouldn’t have to be so insecure! Sienna would be a normal child—“

“Sienna is a normal child.” He said firmly, though his voice remained gentle, and he moved his hands up to steady her.l Vera made a mistake, and she’ll learn to accept what she has done and realise it wasn’t her fault,” He leaned forward to kiss her again. This time, it lasted a bit longer. And when he pulled away from the kiss, he didn’t pull away from her. His forehead rested against hers. A hand fixed her hair, pushing it behind her ears, just for it to fall again. “Isha is already so smart, and so brave. Vivian is just like Vi, just like we said she’d be. Sienna might not ever become the adult she was supposed to be because of an accident, but that’s alright. Her sisters will take care of her—“

“And what if they don’t?”

“Isha will. Out of all of them, she would be the most willing to help.” Ekko smiled widely, pulling away to look at her more closely. “You did an amazing job with her.”

Powder remained silent for a moment, a half smile appearing on her face. There was a long moment of hesitation. Her eyes fluttered as she turned away from him. “What if Milo was right..?” She became lost in thought for a second, her eyebrows pinching together. “What if I am a jinx?”

Ekko scoffed, “Milo didn’t know what he was talking about back then,” he nudged her gently, “He’s the one looking up to you now.”

She hummed, “I suppose you’re right.”

His hand reached up for her hair, pulling a strand of her blue hair behind her ear. After, his fingers traced down her jawline, guiding her to look at him. His eyes were soft, his shoulders lowered while he admired her, watching her cheeks turn a soft pink colour.

“Even if you were a jinx, I’d still love you.”

Powder snorted, shoving him away. “God, do you ever stop being corny?”

“You chose me, so now you’re stuck with me and my corny phrases,” he pushed her a little, teasing her, “not a single universe where I wouldn’t love you.”

Her smile grew wider, and she laughed gently, shaking her head. Powder looked away from him once again, biting her lip.

“Did the enforcers come here yet?” She asked, “have they found anything?”

“Nope, we’re all clear.”

“Good.” She replied, shifting herself to straddle his lap. She observed him carefully, seeing his expression shift completely into a look of being surprised and flustered. His breathing halted for a moment, rapidly blinking while Powder leaned in to kiss him.

But just before their lips met, she placed a hand on his chest and stopped him. She grinned, “Then I suppose you don’t mind closing the bar tonight?” She got off him, trying to hold back laughter from his bewildered expression.

“Yeah, sure,” he stammered, hearing his heart in his chest. “I’m just— I…”

He touched his face, moving his hand back to scratch the back of his head. He muttered to himself as he shifted a little as though he were uncomfortable. Powder couldn’t understand what he said, but she was satisfied with his reaction at least.

As Powder walked to the door, his voice trailed off. She turned back to glance at him, “I need to talk to you after that, it’s important.” She spoke lowly, acting almost as if she had lost interest in him, though the look in her eyes had said otherwise. There was a brief flicker of concern after her eyes were filled with lust, for just a moment. Her smile faltered a bit, for just half a breath. She nodded at him, looking him up and down as she continued,  “and sort yourself out before you come down.” 

She left the room completely, leaving Ekko alone. He fell back into the bed, releasing a heavy sigh. 

“She’s gonna kill me one day.”

Chapter Text

While the bar was alive and well, Powder had started pouring drinks for a group of men from Piltover, who tipped her double than what she expected. She took it with great gratitude, and thanked them. As they walked off, she leaned against the cold, sticky wood. Her eyes scanned the area with pride — it wasn’t this busy on a Thursday night. They were becoming more and more successful as days went on. Powder went to grab a cloth and some sanitizer spray, wiping down the bar before putting it on the shelf underneath. As she knelt down, she got the sudden feeling of being watched. Like someone was observing her from behind. She didn’t feel like she was in danger, but the discomfort was enough for her to stop what she was doing. She looked back over her shoulder, and there stood Ekko at the door. He simply smiled at her, and walked past like it was a normal day for him.She stood back up, watching him move beside her to the bar. He picked up some used glasses that had just been put down, and placed them into the small sink behind them. She could tell he was still flustered. It must’ve been why he wasn’t saying anything. But she didn’t mind it. 

While he washed the glasses, she kept his eyes on him. She watched as his sleeves rode up his arms with even the most subtle movements. Powder strolled to stand beside him, leaning against the counter where he placed down the wet glasses. She rested there a little longer than necessary, briefly looking past the bar to see if anyone else was looking to order. Then, she let her gaze linger on him. She noticed the corner of his mouth perked up into a smirk, but he continued to pretend to ignore her.
“You’re taking your time,” she uttered gently, her voice soft and low.

His eyes flickered up at her, and he raised an eyebrow. He remained quiet, still washing the glasses. She nodded when she didn’t get a response, and leaned over to grab him a small folded towel. He paused for a moment, not moving yet staring at her. When she glanced up at him, almost innocently, he scoffed. 

“Are you just looking for attention?”

Powder hummed softly as she began drying the glasses, giving him a small shrug. “What I’m looking for isn’t any of your business.” She snarkily replied, and he placed the glass he was cleaning back into the sink, straightening up.

Before he could reply to her, there was a loud crash from beside them, with a squeal following a long. Both their heads whipped around to see Sienna had fallen off a stool, with a plastic cup rolling beside her, and a crate with glasses spilled beside her. To their relief though, nothing had shattered. Powder, being the closest, darted to her, with Ekko falling slowly behind. She scooped her up, holding her close.

“Careful, baby.” She chided softly. 

Meanwhile, Sienna was still focused on the drink. She pushed herself from Powder, and picked up the plastic cup, before redirecting herself to the tap where the juice came from. Ekko and Powder gave each other amused looks, before Ekko stepped in. 

“Let me do it for you,” he said, pouring the drink and handing her a straw.

She turned to him, grinning widely. “Thank you, Pa.” She began sipping while Ekko lifted her, placing her to sit on the counter. 

“I told you she’ll be alright,” Ekko mumbled to Powder.

Powder hummed in acknowledgement, “it’s been so long since we’ve been able to just be like this.”

“Because you worry too much,” Ekko told her, placing a hand around her waist. “You need to slow down, PowPow.”

The noise of the bar faded a little, with more and more people placing their drinks down at the bar. A few even greeted Sienna, ruffling her hair like she was a celebrity while she sipped on her drink. 

Powder leaned back under the counter, where the juice was, to bring up some crayons for Sienna and a few napkins. She watched her daughter’s eyes light up, immediately forgetting about the juice and going to draw with her favourite colours.

Powder smiled, “I know.” She murmured, leaning into him, “it just feels nice to feel so… normal, you know?”

“Normal suits you.” He leaned in to kiss the side of her head, a thumb grazing her side. The warmth of his body made her relax even more if she wasn’t already, and she closed her eyes for a moment, admiring the feeling she felt for once in her life. She listened in on Sienna’s out of tune humming, the sound of people finally leaving and of course, the loud beating of Ekko’s heart.

Then, the door opened from behind them. 

“Eugh,” Powder’s head turned to see Vera walk past, with Isha following closely behind. “Do you guys not have a room?”

Ekko chuckled, moving away from Powder and passing her, “I got this.” He reassured her. “Now that you two are here, you girls wanna help out with the bar?”

Isha nodded enthusiastically, a smile appearing on her face.

Vera gave him a blank stare, “not really.”

“Well, you guys don’t have a choice!” Powder said, moving the dirty glasses scattered along the bar into and beside the sink. “Vera, come wash these for me please.”

The eight year old’s shoulders slumped, and she rolled her eyes. Without arguing, she stomped to the corner of the room, grabbing the stepping stool and flinging it to the floor in front of the sink. Then, she lazily began washing them, not bothering to check if they were clean.

“If it’s not done properly, you’ll do it again!” Ekko stated, making her groan and redo the ones she’d washed. He turned to Isha, who stared up at him expectantly. “You wanna go around and grab some glasses?”

She nodded and ran off, but Powder side eyed him, a little unimpressed. “You think it’s a good idea to have her run off like that when the bar is this busy?”

“She’ll be fine. Everyone is looking out for her…” 

His voice trailed off as he looked past the crowd of people that were slowly decreasing. Outside, he saw something metallic moving and shifting, reflecting the light from inside the bar. His heart lurched for a moment, seeing the familiar looking people walk into the bar.

“Enforcers.” He mumbled, “why are they back?”

Ekko screwed his voice, his gaze searching for Isha anxiously, but not wanting to make a scene. He listened to their heavy footsteps as they walked in, the clanking of the metal every time they shifted. They wore helmets that covered their faces. Their guns were latched by their side. This wasn’t an ordinary visit. This wasn’t for a small conversation — they were ready to make arrests.

Powder spun to Vera, who was still washing dishes. She yanked her back by the arm, forcing her off the stool she was standing on. Before Vera could protest, she spoke harshly, “Go find Vivian, now.”

Vera glared up at her, and was about to resist until she saw the enforcers approach the bar. They leaned over to look at her. Her heart lurched, and she bolted off.

Isha returned to the bar. She didn’t seem afraid of the enforcers, but more curious of their uniform. Yet, she kept walking, going to follow Vera in their search for their older sister.

Powder picked Sienna up and smiled, “What can I do for you, officers?” 

The man hummed, “Strongest drink, if you will.”

“Ah, Marcus.” Powder chimed, gesturing to Ekko to make it. “I’d recognise that attitude anywhere. Still ain’t retired, eh?”

He scoffed, taking off his helmet and slamming it onto the table. “Still Vander’s kid alright,” he grumbled bitterly, watching Ekko pour a glass full. “You know why I’m here, don’t you?”

Without a heartbeat, she took the drink and replied, “How’s your daughter?” 

Marcus glared at her for a moment, his face contorting in annoyance, “She’s alright. A detective, now. For the council.”

There was a flicker of pride in Powder’s eyes as she gave him a subtle nod. “So I’ve heard, she’s done well. You must be so proud.” She took the drink from Ekko, and placed it in front of Marcus with a straw. “I’m sure she’d be glad to know her old man is still as corrupt as the old system in Piltover.”

Marcus narrowed his eyes at her, before chugging the drink. Behind him, his other enforcers began inspecting the area. They could be heard shifting slowly, making the people in the bar uncomfortable. They didn’t touch anyone, but their presence was unsettling.

He wiped his mouth and barked, “I know you and your people are hiding something.” He stared at Sienna, “I want to investigate her first.”

Powder looked between her and Marcus, scoffing, “Well, I’m sure you can’t get much out of her. She doesn’t talk to strangers.”

“Then make her! I don’t have all day.”

“She’s also deaf,” Powder gestured to her ear, where her hearing aid sat.

“She must not be too bright then.”

Ekko’s head whipped around, but Powder spoke first, “and yet, you resort to violence every time you don’t get your way. That’s a sign of low intelligence—“

“I don’t have all fucking day, Powder!” He snapped, “Some blue gems were stolen from Viktor! They’re dangerous! All of your children have suffered injuries involving explosions, with blue flashing lights and static!”

Powder tilted her head to one side, raising an eyebrow. She scoffed, trying not to laugh at him. “And you think that a ten year old is capable of stealing from the council?”

Marcus leaned in, gritting his teeth. “I think that you Zaunites are the same, dirty criminals as you were before your sister was killed.”

Powder’s expression shifted slightly. She bit the inside of her cheek as she fell silent, unsure of what to say or how to respond. She tried not to show that the comment got to her, but the silence said much more.

Behind her, Ekko walked to her side and placed a hand on her shoulder. His voice was hard, yet stable and relaxed, “Maybe you should tell us what you’re here for?”

“I need to investigate this place further. The council has ordered it.”

Powder exhaled slowly, her hands tightening around Sienna. “Investigate?” She echoed, hiding the warning beneath, “You’re in a bar, Marcus. There’s nothing to investigate other than drinks and the mess upstairs.”

“If we find anything in here,” Marcus’s voice deepened as he leaned over the counter, “I’ll have all of you, and your children, arrested.”

Powder’s eyes faltered a little. A pang of worry hit her again. She knew the last time they searched, nothing was found — but what if they find the gems again? She couldn’t imagine Isha being arrested. I mean, would they really arrest a six year old? They don’t arrest little kids anymore, but Marcus would find a way to lock her up.

Her shoulders fell slightly as she kept her mouth shut. Then, her eyes flicked towards the door as the familiar scuffle of small footsteps echoed through the back door. Vera trotted in, her arms crossed against her chest, then Isha who mimicked Vivian walking in behind them with her hands in her pockets. Vivian’s face was heavy with irritation and wariness.

“Hello, Marcus.” Vivian greeted slowly, barely acknowledging her parents. “D’you get my letter or something?”

“To join us? Yeah, I did.” He replied firmly, “What’s a kid like you doing, wanting to join the enforcers?”

Powder raised an eyebrow, “you still want to be an enforcer?”

Vivian shrugged, nonchalantly rolling her eyes, “Don’t argue against it mum. I just want to prevent Zaun.”

Marcus sighed, shaking his head. “Well, if you want to protect Zaun, you’ll tell me where the stolen items were.”

“No clue. I cleaned out upstairs — I would’ve found it already. And that would mean either mum or dad has it in their bedroom. So, ask them. Otherwise, they’re not here.”

Powder shuffled uncomfortably, handing Sienna to Vivian, who immediately began giggling excitedly.

“Take your sisters and go upstairs,” she said gently. 

Vivian hesitated, “wouldn’t it be better if they went up and I stayed down?”

Ekko chimed in, “this is adult business, I’m afraid.”

“But I’m not a kid.” She narrowed her eyes at him, her voice sharp, but there was a moment of doubt in her posture as she glanced at Sienna in her arms.

Her mother took a step forward, placing a firm hand on Vivian’s shoulder. “Viv, listen. This isn’t about you being grown up. It’s about keeping everyone safe. Upstairs is safer right now.”

Vera rolled her eyes dramatically, muttering under her breath, but she moved to the stairs anyway, pulling Isha along.

Vivian hesitated for a heartbeat longer, her gaze shifting to Marcus. “Is Ren here?”

Marcus’ expression was steady on her for a second, before he rolled his eyes and turned to an enforcer that was talking calmly to a customer. He whistled at her, and gestured for them to come. They walked slowly, their posture tall yet movements graceful. As they approached, they greeted Powder and Ekko calmly and politely, before looking down at Vivian.

Then, they took off the mask. 

“Oh, Vivian! I’ve been meaning to see you!” She said, her ginger hair spilling onto her shoulders once the mask came off. 

Vivian stared at her, straightening up as she stammered, “me? Oh, right! Because of the letter, right?” Her face grew slightly red, and Powder immediately sighed and rolled her eyes, trying to hold back a gentle smile.

“Well, I spoke to my dad here and we’re thinking about giving you a place in the Cadets!” She smiled when Vivian’s eyes lit up, “Of course, you’ll have to get your parents to sign on an application form and you’ll have to go through the trials to see if you’re suitable—“

“The cadets?” Ekko echoed, raising an eyebrow. “Don’t you gotta be like sixteen?”

“Well, she’d be in the Junior Cadets. Once she turns, fifteen, then she’d move up to the Cadets and then if she wants, join the enforcers.”

Marcus grumbled under his breath, crossing his arms. Ren shot him a scolding look, before turning back to Powder and Ekko. “Technically she should be eleven to join the Junior Cadets. But I spoke to my dad and I don’t see why she shouldn’t be let in. I’ve seen her in action, she’s fully capable.”

“Capable of being arrested, maybe.” Marcus muttered, “how many times have we had to escort her home?”

Ren rolled her eyes but ignored him, “just think about it. For now, I’ve got to search this bar. I know it’s not ideal, I don’t intend to do a full scale search today. But I do want to ask locals questions if that’s alright. It’s very important. You guys know I don’t like targeting your family.”

 Vivian squealed before anyone could respond, almost dropping Sienna who was already squirming and giggling excitedly. She ran upstairs, leaving the adults alone.

Ren chuckled at Vivian, shaking her head. She straightened up and gave Powder and Ekko a measured look. “That’s all for now. Again, I’m not here to overstep or make anyone uncomfortable. Just need some information.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of paper, “contact me for anything — even if it’s to let me know if there’s anything that may lead to me finding the stolen items.”

Marcus grunted, shoving the empty glass off the bar and letting it shatter on the floor. He stood up and stormed off, leaving Ren bewildered yet not surprised. 

She turned back to them, giving them a small nod, “thank you for your time. I’ll check back in a few days.”

As she left, following her father, so did the other enforcers. Powder leaned into Ekko with a heavy sigh of relief, and her husband’s body finally relaxed too. 

As the door shut, Powder heard small shuffles and looked down beside her to see Vivian watching the door, this time without Sienna. She was surprised at how silent she had been, but chuckled gently, looking up at Ekko.

“She still hasn’t given up on Ren, has she?”

Ekko shrugged, speaking low. “An enforcer and a Zaunite. Only in a mad world could that happen,” he chuckled, shaking his head. “Vi would be losing it if she were here.”

Chapter Text

Night had fallen upon the Zaunites. Just a walk away from the bar, Ekko sat in his workshop, his eyelids heavy as  he sat back in his chair with a bag of screw in his hand and a bandaid wrapped around his index finger. His eyelids felt heavy, though he didn’t want to let that stop him from completing his work. The inventor wanted to have his work done by the next evening, so there wasn’t much time for rest.

He sighed in relief at that thought. Not because he didn’t enjoy his work, but because it meant he could clean up his workshop. It was cluttered, full of gears, scraps and half finished contraptions. It felt like the room was bound to collapse at any moment from all the things in there. 

He leaned down onto his desk, pressing his face into his arms. He released a loud yawn, and didn’t hear the door creak open

“…What’s that s’posed to be?”

The voice was soft, yet shaky and raspy. Ekko jolted up, not expecting a visitor at this time, especially not one that could break in. He was so sure he locked the door! He turned his head around, his eyes wide when he saw his little girl standing at the door way.

“Vera?” He spun around on his chair to face hair completely, “Are you lost?”

She didn’t move, her arms crossed tightly over her chest, “No.”

“Oh!” He said, stammering a little while he tried to find the words. “It’s a bit late. Does Powder know you’re here?” 

Vera shrugged, looking off to the side for a moment. “Well, Isha does, I suppose.” 

“So, are you coming to like, ambush me?” He chuckled, “Or do you need something?”

She scowled at him, but her eyes were glazed with a look that didn’t seem like she was upset or anything. Her gaze shifted to his hands, “What is it?”

He looked at what he was holding, and hummed. “Just a bag of screws.” He looked back at her, noticing she was staring very intensely. Then, after a while, she reluctantly walked over, getting a chair from the corner of the room and dragging it over to sit on 

He looked down at his desk again, in front of it, two pieces of metal with what looked to be ‘crazy stuff’ in Vera’s mind. There were a few wires, some shiny brown material and raised bumps where too much glue had been applied to random areas and dried. 

Vera leaned closer to get a better look. Her eyebrows pulled together and she pursed her lips as she tried to get a better understanding of what she was seeing or looking at. She glanced between her father and the small weirdly shaped things on the table, her shoulders shrugging before her lips pressed together 

“What is that?” She asked again, tilting her head as she began blinking slowly. “It looks weird.”

“It’s hearing aids. I’m making them for Sienna but I’m not sure if they’ll work.” He stated softly, “hopefully these are better than the last ones I made.”

She straightened up, humming and nodding slowly, “can I try them?”

Briefly, he looked at them, before nodding slowly. “Sure, but not for long. I don’t want to damage your ears,”

He gently picked them both up, and placed them carefully in her ears, pressing gently before there was a small click sound on both sides. But, as though on cue, Vera flinched and pulled one of them out — the one on the left side.

Ekko couldn’t help but snort, “Well I suppose it does work.”

Vera put the left bud on the table, her head turning slowly towards him. She clicked a finger at her ear, her eyebrows raised slightly while her mouth opened.  She had a perplexed expression on her face once again, though her look was frozen, Ekko could tell she had a lot of things going through her mind.

“Woah, it’s so clear!” She gasped, “can I get one?”

Ekko stared at her blankly, “it’s clear? What do you mean it’s clear? You couldn’t hear in that ear well this whole time?”

Vera shrugged, “I never really noticed it.”

His shoulders dropped and he sighed, turning away, “we really need to spend more time with you.”

The statement caught Vera off guard a little, and suddenly, her excited expression faded. There was a long moment of silence. The little girl’s gaze shifted to the wooden desk, her fingers gliding over each scratch made in the thick oak. She didn’t look back up at Ekko, but her eyebrows slowly pinched together as she bit the corner of her lip.

“Vera—“ Ekko began.

“So, you need to fix my ears then?” She spoke softly, “because no one noticed me before?” She looked up at him finally, and her gaze hardened, “What else needs to be fixed? What can you fix?”

Ekko paused, unsure of how to answer. He rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes shifting to look at her. He noticed how tight her jaw had gotten, and how her bottom lip had fallen out into a pout. “Vera, it’s not about fixing you, it’s about making your life easier.” 

She raised an eyebrow, “I don’t think my life is gonna get any easier just because I can hear better.” She retorted, taking the hearing aid out of her ear and placing it to one side. “Of course, whatever is easier for you — I guess.”

Her father took in a deep breath, “Vera. You have to understand, I can’t help you if you lock yourself in the room all the time.” He spoke slowly and softly, leaning in closer to place a hand on her cheek, “Everytime I try to talk to you, you write me off. Same with everyone else—“

“You guys only talk to me out of pity!”

“We talk to you because we care.” He brushed some of her hair out of her face, and smiled, “because we love you, Vera.”

Her throat tightened a bit, her gaze softening at his last statement, though she chose not to respond. Instead, she slumped back into the chair. 

After a few heartbeats, she mumbled. “Can I just watch you work?”

Ekko’s lips curved into a small yet very understanding smile, “of course you can.” He returned his focus back to the hearing aids on the desk, inspecting them gently. Then, he continued, “just don’t touch anything.”

Nodding her head, Vera remained silent as she watched her father tinker with the hearing aids slightly. He then pulled out some more metal, ones that had been molded into the shape of the aids on the desk. He leaned to the side to enter the drawer, and pulled out some markers. Vera wasn’t sure what he did, but it was quick and seemingly precise.

Neither spoke for a while. Ekko just focused on his work, almost forgetting Vera was there. When he looked down at her a few times, she would always have her hands on her lap, eyelids drooping as if she was falling asleep but fighting it. Her gaze still followed his hands though, undisturbed by the loud whirring noise as Ekko began to screw some things together.

“Look,” he said softly, making her jolt out of her drifting. He showed her the hearing aid, which was almost completed. “Now all I need to do is solder on the back, and it’s finished!”

She hummed, taking it from him to inspect the inside. The wires and whatever else had now been covered by a brown, metal sheet screwed on. She handed it back to him when she was done. 

As Ekko got back to work, her shoulders had begun to relax, and her head was tilted to one side. He continued with what he was doing, getting a packet of glue and spreading it across the metal, where he put the cover on the hearing aid.  It wasn’t long until he checked his daughter again, and to his surprise, saw her completely knocked out, with the slow rising of her chest accompanied by gentle breaths.

He chuckled gently to himself, shaking his head as he set down the glue and placed the hearing aids into a small cardboard box. He took a pen, then wrote ‘Sienna’ on it in bold letters and placed it on top of a pile of books that had just been left there on the corner of his desk. He looked back down at Vera for a moment, then leaned to a sheet of paper stuck to his wall, writing, ‘Build Aids For Vera — URGENT’.

While he cleared up his desk, he dimmed the lights slightly so Vera could sleep better. Her fingers twitched in her sleep, and she kept scratching at the scarred side of her face. Ekko hummed gently, seeing how much it irritated her. She was clearly uncomfortable. And so, he reached into the drawer in his desk and put some ointment onto his hand, gently spreading it across Vera’s face where the burns were most dry. 

He then lifted her with ease, cradling her in his arms like she was a baby again, and she curled up, her head shifting closer to his chest as he began to exit the room. 

She felt a strange warmth, a familiar heartbeat could be heard when she woke up. And as she blinked her eyes open, she didn’t see a bed above her head. Instead, she was curled up beside Powder. Resting her head on her mother’s chest, a hand clung to Powder’s shirt. Powder had her arm wrapped around her daughter too, though she was asleep.  Her arm rested on Vera’s head, and although Vera’s initial reaction when she realised was to pull her away, she fought against it.

It was unfamiliar to her, but the feeling made her relax for just once in her life. She shifted slightly, letting the warmth envelop her as she released a heavy sigh. A nostalgic feeling hit her. She wasn’t sure why, but the scent of her mother was pulling her right back to sleep.

She hadn’t realised it, but she had been missing this feeling for so long.