"Where the hell did I put it?" Ekko muttered to himself under his breath as he rummaged through the junk in the dusty abandoned chapel that he called his "Laboratory."
"I couldn't have lost it. Where the hell is it!" Frustration was taking its hold. His veins were popping under his skin. He threw his Time Winder at the wall in a furious rage. Shattering one of his most prized inventions.
"DAMMIT!"
He threw himself into a chair beside one of his desks. The boy stayed in that chair for about three seconds before smacking his Zero Drive and fixing his Time Winder.
I need to be more careful. If I waited another second that would've been a whole 'nother month that I would've had to work on making a new one.
He stepped outside for a breath of fresh air. If you could call it that.
Zaun already smelled like toxins and choking gas from illegal Hextech inventions that, more often than not, fail or have been left unattended so long that they decompose. Ekko had the wonderful privilege to live in the slums of Zaun. Not only did he have to deal with toxins in the air but he also had to deal with the stench of urine, filth, and, on lucky days, rotting flesh.
Ekko never really smelled these stenches and didn't really pay much attention to them much but it always trailed through his mind that when he takes a breath-full of air that he's breathing this shit.
"Piltover ass-hats must be living it up in the 'City of Progress.'"
He took a deep breath and began walking swiftly down the cracked road of his part of the town.
Ekko was walking down the street with his hands wedged into his pockets and his shoulder squared. He had already gotten to Singe's laboratory and was about to pass it. He hates the place and it gives him chills walking past it. Ever since Singed left Zaun for Noxus his already toxic chemicals decomposed and now are even more deadly. He covers his face with his scarf that Ajuna gave him a week before…
"Hey you!" An arm swung around Ekko's neck and a long blue braid came into his field of vision at the same time. He stumbled, dropped his scarf from his face and took a deep breath. His lungs began to burn and he felt like he was about to throw up.
"What the hell? *cough* What are you- *cough* *cough* -doing back?" Ekko said through squinted eyes as he looked at Jinx covering her mouth with a cloth and about to burst into tears laughing.
"Aw, did I catch you off guard, baby Zilean?" Jinx probed
"Don't compare me to that old geezer." Ekko laughed. He doesn't really despise Zilean, even though he resides in Piltover.
"And I'm not a damn baby anymore." Jinx is two years older than him and she hasn't seen him since he was about twelve. She's always seen him as a little brother. He's sixteen now and has been living on his own ever since.
Jinx giggled. "Are you suuurre? You still seem like a baby to me." She poked him in the face and made Ekko blush. He buried his face into his scarf even more.
"Can we just get the hell away from Singe's old lab before I throw up?"
"See? You can't even go two minutes without complaining"
Actually it was three minutes and twenty-seven seconds. But I guess you can say it was two minutes.
"You zoning out again?" She peered into his face. "Come on. Let's go." She shoved Ekko along.
They were walking through the strip district now. Jinx was striding with her hands behind her head and with a gleeful smile on her face.
How can she be so happy in this dump? She's pretty cute though. I wonder if she has a…
He shook his head violently.
What the hell am I thinking!? She wouldn't like a kid like me. After all, she still sees me as some little brother who can't take care of himself.
"Heeeyy." Jinx snapped her fingers in front of Ekko's face. He comes to his senses and looks up quickly and Jinx. "Did something happen today? What's your deal kid?" She says with a concerned look in her face.
"What do you mean did something happen!? Nothing happened. Nothing's wrong. I swear!"
She squints her eyes and peers at him. "MmmHm. Yeah sure." She says in disbelief. "Hey I'm starving. It feels like I haven't eaten in days! You wanna grab somethin' to eat?"
"Yeah I guess I'm hungry."
"I don't care if you're hungry dummy! I'm hungry! I know! Is Jack's Shack still around? His sandwiches were the best!"
"Yeah, he's still he-"
"GREAT!" She grabs his arm and pulls him down the street.
"Aaaah. I'm stuffed. I haven't eaten like that since I wasn't a criminal." She gives Ekko a goofy smile. "So how are all the guys doing? How's Ajuna? You two hung out all the time when yo-"
"I don't wanna talk about it."
Jinx gave a confused look. "Okay... Rude... Come on. I haven't seen you guys in fore-"
"I SAID NO!" Ekko slammed his fist on the table in a rage, grabbing the attention of the three other people sitting in the restaurant.
Jinx's face got super red. "Come on." She got up, furiously grabbed Ekko's arm and yanked him outside.
"Hey what are you-"
"Shut up."
She pulled out back behind the restaurant and slammed him against the wall. His head smacked against the wall.
"Ow. My head-"
"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!?"
"Whaddyou mean?"
"Oh don't give me that bullshit. You know what you did. What's your problem? Is this something that has to do with Ajuna? I just got back and you just made a huge seen back there in front of those people. Can't I be shown a little respect?"
Ekko looked at her with an open mouth and wide eyes trying to search her face for a sign that she's joking. When he found none he dropped his head down.
"Ajuna's… Ajuna's dead." Ekko replied.
"Wait… Wait what? Did I hear you right?"
"Do I have to spell it out? Ajuna's dead."
"How could Ajuna be dead? It's only been-"
"Four years? Yeah. A lot of shit went down those past four years. While you were having fun blowing the shit out of Piltover, I was busy watching my best friend die in my arms. I was busy watching another friend become just another painting on the wall." Tears were streaming down his face. "I tried to save him. I really did. I tried, but it didn't even matter. All I could do is give that Piltover bastard what was coming to him. I could have saved Ajuna. If only I was there a bit earlie-"
Jinx pulled him close to her and embraced him. "I had no idea… I'm so sorry…"
Ekko put his arms around Jinx's waist. She was shaking. Then he felt wetness on his shoulder.
*sniff* "Aw come on. Now look who's the baby." Ekko looked up to the sky chuckling.
"Shut up…" Jinx said and squeezed him tighter.
Ekko laughed to himself again as he studied the sky.
Clouds are turning purple again. Looks like acid rain.
"Jinx." Ekko said softly, getting her attention. Jinx pulled herself back from him and wiped her mascara and tears from her face.
"I'm okay." She said as she pulled her hands from her face and smiled at him. Ekko couldn't help but smile right back at her.
"Hey, it's gonna rain soon, and I doubt you want to deal with chemical burns later." He said through a smirk.
"Then what the hell are we standing around for?" Jinx exclaimed and punched him in the arm. He clutched it.
"Aaaah the pain! It's unbearable!" He said sarcastically.
"Oh well aren't you just so funny huh, punk?" Jinx said and pushed him. Ekko laughed.
"Come on! I know a shortcut!" Ekko said. He grabbed her arm and started running. Jinx was taken off guard so she stumbled a little but eventually regained balance.
"Hey, slow down you maniac!"
"You're one to talk." Ekko said back to her.
"Hey, what's this thingy do?" Jinx asked innocently as she poked one of Ekko's gadgets.
"That," Ekko said as he strides over to where Jinx is, "is a Time Winder. And I would very much appreciate it if you stopped touching my things."
Jinx looked at him and gave him a pouty face. "Pleeeeaaassseee show me how it works."
Ekko's face was expressionless until he began to blush, he looked away.
"Fine. I'll show you how it works. But you gotta promise not to mess with my stuff.
"Kay!"
Ugh. This is stupid. "Let's go out the back of the chapel and I'll show you what it does."
Jinx skipped ahead of him with glee. Her braids swung back and forth with each bounce. Ekko examined the tattoos along the side of her body. He understood that she was really into guns but she never really explained why she chose clouds and bullets.
"Why clouds?" Ekko asked out of the blue.
"What do you mean why clouds? You talking about the weather? What are you saying?"
"No I'm talking about your tattoos. Why clouds?"
"Oh…" She was quiet for a bit. She stopped skipping and was now just walking. "Well I picked clouds because in Piltover I cause a ton of trouble and when the police think they've got me I DISAPPEAR like the clouds after its stopped raining." She turned her head to face him and gave a half smile. Ekko didn't quite believe her but he decided that he'll drop the subject this time.
"Okay now show me what the thingamaboopey does." Jinx said with her hands folded behind her back. Ekko smirked.
"Weeeellll…" He walked up to her and pulled the Time Winder out of his pocket. "When I press this button the time winder will activate a time-line. When I throw it, it will spin blades out the sides of it and slow down within half a second. It stays in its slowed down position for about one second and then it reverses its time-line and goes back to where it had its button pressed. That being my hand."
Ekko pressed the button and threw it. It whipped through the air and slowed down right when Ekko said it would. After a second it came back.
"Woooaahh." Jinx said with a sparkle in her eyes. "Lemme try!" She held out her hands. Ekko was hesitant. "What? Don't trust me?"
"I trust you its just-"
"Fine. I'll let you hold Fishbones."
"What? But why? I mean I-"
"AHP! Shoosh! Lemme try Time Whiner and I'll let you hold Fishbones. You can only hold him though. Don't use him."
"Kay…?"
"KAY!"
Ekko dropped the Time Winder into Jinx's hand and Jinx slammed Fishbones into him. He stumbled a bit, unsurprised by the weight, he was surprised that Jinx was able to carry this all day though.
Jinx pressed the button and lobbed it in the air as if she were throwing a snowball.
"HEY WOAH NOT LIKE THAT!" Ekko yelled, but it was too late. The Time Winder spun out of control and whipped back too fast. Jinx's hand was sliced open and had Hextech particles emitting from it.
"Ahh! What the hell!?" Jinx screamed while cradling her hand. Ekko rushed over and quickly kneeled down beside her. He pulled his scarf off and wrapped it around her hand. Jinx blushed.
"Sorry. I screwed up again didn't I…?"
"No, it's not your fault. I should've given you better instructions before giving it to you.
Ekko had Fishbones hanging on his back. He knew that Jinx would kill him if he put it on the ground. Jinx kept her head down and was red-faced while Ekko wrapped her hand.
"Thanks." Jinx said softly when he was done. Ekko smiled subtly at her. He stood up and offered his hand to her to help her up.
"Come on. Let's go back inside." Ekko said. Jinx smiled back up at him and took his hand.
Author's Note:
Hey everyone. This is my first really ever story for me to write and its not really put together the best. There were some words and phrases that I could've replaced for better ones. If any of you would be nice enough to give me some criticism towards my work and give me pointers on how I could do it better next time that would be awesome.