EKKO & JINX
The prior knowledge of the spot Jinx mentioned on that message, given Ekko and a previous group of Firelights had been before, made it all the easier for Ekko to set up an attack plan. That platform, at the Lanes, where he engaged Jinx and Vi paired together with that Piltover enforcer, Caitlyn, was large enough to dodge her shots, allowed for flying maneuvers as well as some possible melee with Jinx herself. It mostly favored him.
Perhaps that's why he was feeling some dread out of it. It was too obvious, too easy. Jinx usually was the one to take advantages, as his previous encounters with her demonstrated, and this didn't feel like it.
But then, when did Jinx ever act with any sense?
He hovered down and across the ventilation duct where he could see the platform and it's stair access. As he approached it, he noticed something too strange.
Jinx, fully armed, especially with her machine gun and some sort of bazooka shaped as a monster fish.
And simply standing there, at the center of the platform...
Ekko couldn't just know what to make of it.
Something was wrong.
But then he shook his head. She was always one to make acts, theater out of things. She loved doing that.
And still, he couldn't get that dread out of him.
He shook his head again. This was not time for doubt. He didn't give an edge to her before, he wouldn't now, especially after what she just did. He hovered to where he could land and stepped off the board, strapping it to his back.
"Took your time...", Jinx said, almost ironically.
"Turn around, Jinx.", Ekko ordered, not up to the mood, unsheating his weapon, the Clockhand, behind his back. A thick, broad wrench-shaped bat with a sturdy clockwork cog at it's tip.
Jinx took a breath before turning around, where Ekko immediately noticed the difference in her, that almost took him back.
The skin even more pale than in their last fight. And the purple eyes.
All the evidences of the drug that were the bane of the Lanes.
But she wasn't ever one to ever use them, in spite of being the daughter to it's manufactor...
Jinx glanced at Ekko for a moment and then started looking around for a bit. "What of the rest of'em?", she asked.
"What rest of them?", Ekko asked, attempting a bluff.
"Little man...", she started, shaking her head slowly. "We both know you ain't a dumber..."
Ekko grunted as he closed his eyes in frustration. Of course she'd see through it.
"You can come out now!", he shouted, staring dead-eyed at Jinx.
Jinx witnessed some green lights coming out of the pipes, which soon came out in the form of other riders in their boards, hovering above. Others rose from the corners of the platform, flying to join their comrades, all aiming towards her. She started counting the numbers, in curiosity.
"Twelve?", Jinx asked, letting out a light smile. "Not bad a number... Will fit just right for today's lesson."
"This ain't no lesson, Jinx.", Ekko retorted.
"Sure, was hoping for more. But, gotta keep your crib safeguarded, right?", she continued, snickering at it, as if she didn't listen, staring at Ekko. "Nice treehouse, by the way. Oh, and how'd you like my artwork? Not my best, but-"
"Don't you dare talk anything about that!", Ekko interrupted, Jinx noticing she clearly struck a nerve. "You know how much time we spent on it!?"
"I know, I was gonna ask the same!", Jinx answered, excited. "Almost an hour on that, and I nearly ran out of crayon! Still quicker than you guys, you should've spent more time planning security...", she snickered.
"How could you?", Ekko asked, disgusted. "All those faces we missed so much! And you just...!"
"There, another question I was gonna make.", Jinx replied, now looking at him as if wanting approval. "Please, tell me you noticed the addition I made... I mean, he's gone now, and I'm gonna miss him so much too, so it made sense to put him in there."
'The halo was a bit too much, I think...', the Silco within her spoke.
"'Course it had to be there!", Jinx replied, looking elsewhere, almost confusing everyone including Ekko. "With all you did..."
"THAT one crossed the line, Jinx!", Ekko raised his voice, angry. "Silco was a monster! He was THE monster, unlike what you've drawn!"
Jinx felt that, lightly grinding her teeth, but she couldn't let her anger get the best of her. Her voices reminded her of that. More by annoying than restraining her, except the Silco. The one she'd always listen to. The one reminding her to stick to the plan.
"But then...", Ekko continued. "You're making me hate to admit it, but he wasn't as gone enough to do what you did..."
"Hey, he never figured out where your hidey hole-", she started.
"I'm talking topside, now!", Ekko interrupted, livid. "You realize the shitstorm you just brought up on us!?"
"Oh, that!", Jinx answered, laughing out loud for a while, while Ekko's angry expression remained, and she noticed. "What, crying over Pilties, now? You? They *had* it coming!"
"We had one of ours checking on it, Jinx, after the blow!", Ekko retorted, furious. "Word is they were voting for independence, and I guess it was true! The Undercity was going to be officially free, no more enforcers, and you blew it! Literally!"
'If only he were with us having some tea...', the Silco voice in her muttered.
"And did anyone ever tell you the price for that?", Jinx asked.
"I don't care!", Ekko retorted.
"Statement of the year!", Jinx shouted, her shout echoing across the nightly Zaun sky. "He doesn't care!"
"We were going to be free, at long last!", Ekko shouted, trying to keep his moral footing. "Were!"
"Yeah, right, like if the top stupids would EVER keep their word!", Jinx retorted, angry. "It's the same old schtick they do, dumbass: First days it's like 'Oh, hurray, we're free now, no more enforcers!'. But then a time passes and the Pilties do, like, say a sanction or suction or some politic loophole mumbo jumbo. And then another, and then another! On, and on, and on! You realize it the least, we're back at Manure Heights and it's back to business as usual!"
"Oh, and so you just blow everything up!?", Ekko asked, almost laughing at the absurdity. "Regardless of consequence!?"
"They won't be doing it ever again, that's for sure.", Jinx replied. "They'll be more busy cleaning the rubble..."
"Y'know, for a crazy, sick person, you never looked like caring about politics that much...", Ekko said, in disgust, after a second of silence.
"I don't, but I'm honest.", Jinx replied. "You're the one crazy and sick, Ekko. Hiding in the tree, the sun and the shiny colorful world, away from the big ugly things out here... Running to the past whenever the right now hurts you, back to the good ol' days of Vander the Boot Lick... Whining on not being free as if you ever needed ink on paper for that... And now Boy Savior pretending to be Boy Hero...", she continued, lightly shaking her head. "You're worse than I thought..."
Ekko grinded his teeth, noticing the wounds she's been poking. "Why we're even talking?", Ekko asked. "Let's just get this over with!"
In an instant, most of the Firelights drew out their weapons, preparing for the engagement ahead.
Jinx simply remained, shrugging. "Won't you at least wave'em goodbye?", she asked, out of nowhere, gesturing towards the flying Firelights.
"Because you'll kill them, right?", Ekko mocked, in sarcasm.
"Oh, no, I'm not gonna kill them.", Jinx answered, non-chalantly. "You did."
"What?", Ekko asked, caught off-guard. "Purps messed your brain even more, didn't they, Jinx? You're the one with the guns!"
"That's right.", Jinx let out a snicker, and then a predatory look. "But why they'd be here when they didn't have to?"
Ekko seemed confused, until suddenly, as Jinx tilted her head and shrugged, he felt a dawning realization, creeping on him, the dread finally catching up to him.
The attack on the hideout.
The act of damage and vandalism that'd draw ire.
An obvious choice of a field that supposedly favored him in numbers.
"You wanted me to bring'em...", he muttered, in shock.
Suddenly, it all happened in a second.
In a fast move, perhaps too fast, Jinx drew out her sidearm, firing two shots at two Firelights she picked, hitting them at lethal spots to fall off their boards into the deep below. Into their fates.
Caught like dogs are when fireworks are blown next to it, the remaining ten Firelights scrambled into evasive maneuvers, flying all around the platform where Jinx could look at a shaken Ekko.
"Lesson number one.", she said with a smile, savoring every word as she spins and holsters her sidearm back. "Heroes, they're real. Problem is, they make things worse and get others killed."
Jinx immediately grabbed Pow-Pow with both hands and started setting it to fire.
"NO!", Ekko roared out of instinct and fear as he dashed towards Jinx, whom noticed him charging.
The same old game, the same old pattern. Only this time she was waiting for it, her reflexes triggered. That's why she didn't bother to fire and waited for him to get close as he jumped towards her with his blade. As he jumped, she was fast to dodge aside and then bash him on his back with Pow-Pow, sending him hurling towards the platform's edge, where he nearly let Clockhand fall.
"Class in session!", Jinx shouted, restarting Pow-Pow and starting shooting at the Firelights whom immediately started flying faster to dodge the neon purple hailstorms being lobbed at them. Hailstorms of fire barely masked by an insane cackle of laughs.
"GO! MOVE!", Scar roared.
It became total mayhem. Most of the shots were misses, but those whom Jinx got right hit right through a Firelight boy as she moved Pow-Pow slightly ahead. The boy, wounded, hit by the wall and fell to his death as well. That made it nine left.
It went down to eight after Jinx fired up Pow-Pow at one Firelight for a while and immediately afterwards switched targets, unholstering her sidearm and firing a lucky shot at another Firelight, hitting the knee, which made it hit the board as well, collapsing at a fatal height.
One of the Firelights dove in towards her right as Ekko recovered and tried charging at her again, attempting to force a melee. Jinx, whom was planning to greet the Firelight with a Chomper, sensed Ekko coming at her and, annoyed, was forced to dodge his attempted attacks again as the Firelight passed by her, almost hitting her, as she headbutted Ekko and grabbed him.
"Back to your seat!", she roared, lobbing Ekko this time towards the stairs of the platform with just her arm.
Ekko, hitting the rails of the catwalk below, felt the pain of the fall. The strength he often forgot of what Shimmer could do.
And yet Jinx never took it, when did she...
Then he recalled. The Bridge. How it ended.
He realized what Silco had done.
His heart raced.
Jinx noticed another Firelight attempting to strafe her, but this time there was no 'boy savior' to interrupt this time. And she got a better idea than a Chomper. She spinned counter-clockwise as she unfastened Fishbones, timing it up and using it as a bat to hit the Firelight out of her board. Jinx finished that one up with the sidearm as she fired Fishbones against a wall without looking. Though it wasn't as potent as a warhead would be with a Hextech gemstone, the rocket's azure explosion was enough to shockwave a Firelight flying by, throwing him off balance and having him hit on a wall, but he bounced towards the rails of the platform, grabbing it and dropping it in time before Jinx could shoot him with Pow-Pow. The Firelight whom fell could resume his flight.
"AJ maneuver, now!", Scar shouted, diving towards Jinx and lobbing one of the crystalline bombs at her, which she shot with her sidearm, but Scar immediately flew upwards.
That's when three other Firelights in formation immediately lobbed their crystalline bombs at her, she getting too late to dodge. The bombs did their work detonating and pinning her to the ground under a large crystal formation.
"We got her!", one of the Firelights shouted, diving towards Jinx.
"NO, WAIT!", Ekko roared, but apparently he didn't listen.
It happened fast. The crystal formation caving in as Jinx' eyes within started to shine brighter.
The Shimmer injections used to 'heal' her were in effect.
She bursted her arms out of them like if the crystals were the cheapest glass, using what remained on her hands as a boxing glove to punch through the charging Firelight whom was too late to dodge. The impact hit that Firelight like a boulder against a human being, enough to spin him against the platform's rail behind Jinx, and the Firelight hit and fell off the platform.
Jinx bashed her crystal covered hands, breaking what trapped her fingers, letting out a maniacal smile. She then pushed her feet free of the remainder of the construct. She grabbed Pow-Pow to prepare it and start another hail of fire.
Scar's heart was racing. Less than five minutes into the fight and the Firelights, precluding Ekko, were down to half, now.
Ekko charged once again, this time taking a spare crystalline bomb he carries with himself and launching at Jinx to get himself an opening. This forced her to grab a Chomper, release the pin and throw it close to her as she backed off. The Chomper detonated in a ball of fire, destroying the crystalline bomb as well, forcing Ekko to look away.
When the fireball ran it's fiery course, what was ahead of him was empty. Jinx was gone from the platform.
The Firelights slowed down, hovering above the platform. Ekko remained dumbstruck and then on high alert. He knew she was up to something fishy again.
"Where is she!?", shouted a Firelight, a girl.
"I can try and scout around!", another Firelight shouted, getting Ekko's attention.
"NO!", Ekko shouted, staring at the Firelights, waving his hand to stop. "Regroup and get outta-!"
A sudden fast figure flew past the platform as did a hail of neon purple muzzle that hit over three Firelights, making them fall and the remaining three, including Scar, fly backwards.
Ekko looked upwards, and froze at the sight. And so did the others.
Jinx was hovering upwards, Pow-Pow slowing down, on a stolen Firelight board.
"RETREAT!", Scar roared, and the Firelights flew into the air ducts.
"Where do you think you're going, kids!?", she asked, feigning anger as she started diving on her board to follow them, on a vicious smile. "Ain't recess, yet!"
Ekko roared in panic as he unsheated his board and hopped on it to take flight and follow Jinx, whom was already a short distance away, following her across the ventilation duct that led towards the Undercity's Lanes.
The city itself was pretty much on it's own everyday life, except there were now some neon light trails above it, green ones flying by. And neon purple muzzle raining down across the buildings, civilians in the way scared off as Jinx chased and attempted firing on the fleeing Firelights, flying like they never flew before, for their lives.
"Spread out!", Scar roared. "Race back to the haven!"
Ekko, being slightly behind and desperate as he chased her, was forced to set his thinking in overdrive as he flew his board towards an alley. Denser air, which allowed for a speed boost, something fortunately Jinx wouldn't catch on now. As he crossed that alley he noticed he was barely ahead of Jinx - a chance to intercept her.
Ekko flew towards her as she chased one of the Firelights towards a main street, Clock-in-hand, to attempt at best a swipe. Jinx simply spinned the board full circle, avoiding the blade at the nick of time, making Ekko fall far behind again as he turned around to chase her.
Jinx herself just laughed at that. "Bat in a dogfight! You really are something, Little Man!", she shouted, continuing the pursuit.
Didn't take long for Jinx to find her prey again, trying to fly back to the waterworks through the obvious route. She fired Pow-Pow at the Firelight, whom tried to dodge across the tight street, but a stray shot hit the board, causing it to malfuncion, making the Firelight girl dive to a catwalk bridge, grabbing into the rails and pulling herself up.
Jinx was relishing it. Maybe she could dispatch this one when Ekko was passing by. More salt to the wound. She flew to the catwalk bridge as the Firelight made into the bridge, stopping to hover herself above it, where the Firelight could see her, noticing the wicked smile as Jinx aimed Pow-Pow at the young girl.
A sudden Firelight flew towards her, coming out of nowhere, ramming at Jinx, whom noticed it too late, causing both to fly off balance and down into the street. Ekko, whom was behind, noticed the downed Firelight and Jinx at the street.
"Artyr!", Ekko roared.
"Go! Get her outta here!", the Firelight waved at Ekko, whom grinded his teeth but followed suit, flying to the Firelight girl and picking her up to leave.
Artyr unsheated his weapon, an improvised bat with some barbed wire, and then facing Jinx, getting up on her feet, smiling at the supposedly brave Firelight. He knew this was it, but it was worth it.
"Well I'll be, Firelight with a pair!", Jinx teased.
"Come on, come on!", Artyr taunted, charging at her, attempting to hit Jinx with the bat. He missed the first two swings before Jinx punched him in the face and kicked him back, making him fall. Artyr was quick to pick himself back up before Jinx could jump with both feet on top of him, and grabbed her and pushed her against a wall, taking the bat again and hitting her on the face, and another hit to her body before she kicked him to the wall opposite, of a closed butcher shop.
Jinx rubbed the spot where the bat hit her, noticing the blood. As Artyr tried to charge her, she grabbed and headbutted him, taking the momentum of his daze to grab the arm he was holding the bat with and punching the elbow upwards, breaking it and having Artyr howl in pain. Jinx then kicked Artyr's right knee to bring him down and immediately grabbed the head and snapped the neck.
Artyr collapsed to the street and stayed there, motionless.
"Decent.", Jinx said, breathing, staring at the corpse, pink eyes burning brighter for a while before grabbing the board back. "What a waste..."
Upwards, Ekko, the girl he was carrying and Scar were already far ahead of Jinx by the time they cleared of the Lanes and reached the edge of the industrial section. Just some more seconds and they would be home.
Suddenly, neon purple muzzle started raining again.
The Firelight girl screamed in instinct. Jinx kept firing, wanting at best to take one more before they reached the hideout.
She focused so much on that she didn't realize a green flash hit her, making her fall from the board, hitting the ground uncerimoniously.
Jinx could only feel pain as she lied down on the ground amidst an open intersection of the abandoned industrial district, trying to wonder what just happened and why her body went so numb. As she picked herself on her feet after a few seconds, she noticed the nearby sounds of an incoming flying board as one landed in front of her, from a distance.
A hooded figure, carrying a makeshift weapon of sorts, green electricity sparking out of it. And definitely small, removing the hood to reveal a very familiar, furry face, which took Jinx geniunely back, totally shocked. That face always plastered most of Piltover's posters, outdoors and newspapers up until a few days ago, when the snobbish 'Man of Progress' replace them.
'Impossible.', the Silco within Jinx spoke, with an akin shock to Jinx.
'The heck!?', the Mylo asked.
'Isn't that the guy of the Council?', the Cleggor asked as well. 'Professor-face-what's-it?'
'He should be in Piltover, not here!', the Vander spoke as well.
"Okay, okay, everyone, shut up!", Jinx shouted, trying to recover, before the sound of another board flew close by.
Ekko, flying towards Heimerdinger's side and landing. "You had that, Heimerdinger!?", he asked, angry. "Coulda used that a few minutes ago!"
"I assembled that in a hurry!", Heimerdinger retorted, firmly. "Because someone was in too much a hurry! And you are welcome!"
"ALRIGHT!", Jinx shouted to them, pointing both hands at the Yordle. "The furry topsider head honcho as a Firelight, that's new!"
"Shoot her, now!", Ekko ordered.
"Ekko! We don't just shoot people like that!", Heimerdinger retorted, turning to Jinx, standing there. "And you must be this Jinx everyone mentions..."
"Nice to meet ya.", Jinx replied, waving her hand.
"Likewise, young lady.", Heimerdinger said. "Apparently you have a talent, though unfortunately a destructive one, as you... demonstrated topside."
"Don't talk to her, shoot her!", Ekko warned.
"Young man!", Heimerdinger snapped.
"Yeah, good you mentioned, you were supposed to be there!", Jinx said, pointing upwards.
"I was.", Heimerdinger nodded, his eyes darting away with some regret. "No longer."
Jinx looked confused before catching it up. "Sheesh.", she said. "Those Pilties suck even in firing people?"
Heimerdinger looked down for a bit, understanding a bit of her empathy, however messed up it was.
"I'll do it.", Ekko said, dashing towards Heimerdinger and yanking the weapon out of the Yordle's hands before he could notice it.
"WAIT-", Heimerdinger shouted, but it was too late, as Ekko pointed the shock invention at Jinx and pulled the trigger, at the same time Jinx herself launched a Chomper towards Ekko. The electric current hit the explosive, detonating it.
However, the invention short-circuited, with Ekko dropping it to the floor just in time.
As Heimerdinger, feared. Assembled in a hurry.
The Firelight leader and the Loose Cannon stared at each other for a second, before Jinx let out a snicker and turned around to leave.
Ekko roared and charged at her with Clockhand like a novice warrior, despite Heimerdinger's protests, but he didn't care. He'd fight her to the last.
Jinx, when he got closer, turned around and bashed him off with Pow-Pow and pinned him to the ground with her feet as she pointed the machine gun at him, him keeping a fierce expression, telling her to shoot him.
Seconds passed and nothing. Not even Pow-Pow spinning.
"Boy Hero... Boy Savior...", she said. "Boy Failure. Class dismissed."
She turned around to walk away, leaving both Ekko and Heimerdinger behind. Back to the Undercity.
Ekko got on his feet to notice her leaving.
The shaken rage building over him.
"Leave it, lad.", Heimerdinger said, approaching him.
"She...", Ekko started. "She can't..."
"She has.", Heimerdinger said. "She has, Ekko."
Ekko grunted to himself and headed back with Heimerdinger to the haven, joining Scar and the Firelight girl survivor, both with weary, defeated expressions. Exchanging glances, he felt himself small before those people whom fought for him.
Bled for him. Died for him.
All for nothing. Not even a chance of bringing the fallen home.
They all crossed that tunnel, with Scar banging at the door. The door opened, with the very last thing that Ekko wanted to see at the moment.
All those quiet faces, staring at them. Noticing the expressions of the returning brothers in arms. But only fewer than those whom left.
"The... the rest of them...", a young Firelight whom remained behind muttered.
"Daddy?", a young, childish voice called, a voice that drew Ekko's in dread, stopping in his tracks. "Daddy?"
He knew that five year-old kid. Artyr's kid.
"Where daddy?", the kid insisted.
Ekko tried looking away, but couldn't tip off the child. Wanted to say, but how to say to such an innocent as he?
"Daddy hurt?", the kid asked.
"Yes.", a voice, almost soothing, answered the kid, reaching to him for comfort. Scar. "Yes, daddy is hurt."
Ekko fell down to his knees. That was the lesson and he learned it. From the one whom had no right teaching him.
Heroes made things worse. Heroes got people killed.
No longer Ekko the Savior. Ekko the Hero.
He took the blow for a long while before his mood changed. A fierce mood, scarred. Of a person who would make things right.
Regardless of cost.
Regarless of time.