Don't screw up...again

Chapter 1

It was finally ready, he thinks, maybe, hopefully. No, don't overthink it now, Ekko. It's ready. It has to be. Ekko had been working on this capsule for what felt like only hours, in reality, more like weeks. He knew it hadn't been ready, he knew they needed more time, but they were working with limited time here. Heimerdinger had been  surprisingly helpful. He would still rather drop dead than fully trust him. Just because he was an ex council member doesn't change the fact he was a council member at some point. Still, he didn't have much of a choice, did he?

It had been a few days since the attack on the council. He had no whereabouts on Vi or her enforcer girlfriend, yea he could tell, and a great suspicion Jinx had been responsible for said attack.

In all truth, not knowing where Vi was scared the living shit out of him. It hurt so much the first time he lost her. Then again, he did lose Benzo, Vander, Clagger, Mylo, and Powder all in that same night, so the pain he felt then was more than most likely a mix of losing everyone and everything he's ever known and loved, but still. The moment he saw Vi strutting around the familiar, yet vague streets they grew up in together, he felt a deep sense of hope wash over him. Something he hadn't felt in years. Yea, sure she was with an enforcer, seriously what the hell was she thinking, but she was alive. There in the flesh. He knew Jinx was a lost cause. As much as he didn't want to believe it, Powder was gone. His best friend was gone. But maybe there was still a chance of at least a little bit of his old life making its way back to him. The nostalgia hit him like a brick the moment Vi pulled him close and called him little man. He obviously wasn't a little man anymore, but that didn't matter. All that mattered was that there she was, his practically older sister there, in the flesh, back from the dead so to speak.

But, just like that, she was gone again. Maybe she was just hiding out with the Piltie? As little as he liked the idea of her being around topsiders, I guess I can't really be talking working with Heimerdinger and all though, it exceeded the alternatives by a mile. The alternatives being Jinx. Did Jinx get to her? Hell, before the council incident, he didn't even know if Jinx was still alive. He refused to believe that the explosion had been caused by anyone other than Jinx herself. As much as he wanted to be relieved by the idea of a possible end to Jinx's reign, to hope that that had been what happened, he couldn't bring himself to. The look she gave him, yknow, before she tried to blow them both to pieces, that, that, was Powder. Maybe there is a small part of her left after all? What am I thinking? Powder is gone, long gone. She died the night the rest of them did. That's what he kept telling himself, over and over again. Just let her go. The girl he used to know was gone.

Ekko had spent the last 7 years trying to put the past in the past, building up a new life for himself with the Firelights, but Vi coming back just encouraged the occasional thoughts he had been having all this time of his old life and how much he truly missed it. Flipping off enforcers with Ji-Powder, with Powder. Small talk with Benzo as he fixed the many, many things in need of repair at that shop. Watching in pride as Vi put Mylo in his place for being a brat to Powder, Clagger calmly attempting to hold her back as she reached to rip those big ol' eyebrows off his smug face. Vander teaching Vi fighting techniques, and Vi proceeding to teach the rest of them as he went off to run things at The last drop. Those memories only caused him more and more pain, knowing things could never be the same. How things went from giggling and pillow fights, despite their not so pleasant setting, to Ekko looking through the window of Benzo's at his dead and bloody body, waiting for hours for Vi, Powder, someone, anyone, to come back for him, but nobody did. All he saw were enforcers, messily dragging away the body of the only family he had left. And just like that, he was alone. At just 12 years old.

Heimerdinger hesitantly waved a hand in Ekko's face, snapping him out of his trance. "Sorry to startle you my boy, but are you ready?"

Ekko took another glance at the capsule resting in his shaky hands. "Yea, sorry. I, er... it's ready." A spark of doubt flickered in his pupils as he stood up from the rusting bench he was seated on.