"Look at her," the vision said in a much harsher tone. "Look at her face and think of what she would say if she was here right now!"

She turned towards the drawing. Two blue-haired idiots, smiling at each other.

We drew this together, a few weeks ago. She was so happy after I dyed her hair… And now…

Something fell.

She turned back towards the vision, surprised to see the blood it spilled all over the fan. The shape that resembled her childhood best friend suddenly looked tired and had to lean on the railing to stop himself from collapsing. She could have sworn that his clothes had not been that tattered a second ago. It looked like the body paint on his head also became more… unclear.

Is it really…?

"Always a dance with you," Ekko said, letting go of the rail, slowly sitting down on the central platform. He sounded… desperate.

"I… I think I'm just gonna sit here a minute, you know, catch my breath. See if I can talk an old friend out of blowing us up."

If you are really here right now, then…

She looked down on her grenade, and then looked down below, into the nothingness. It was a mere footstep away.

In the exact moment she would have begun to move, Ekko stood up.

"You know, I learned from someone… very special… that no matter what happened in the past, it's never too late to build something new."

She noticed the device hanging from his shoulder for the first time. Something strange floated in its center, illuminating it. It was decorated on its side with… monkeys. Monkeys with cymbals in both of their hands, floating around on the inside.

My design.

"Someone worth building it for."

She looked into his eyes and saw the same desperation that carried in his voice. She looked past him once more, towards Isha's smiling face.

Then, after what seemed like an eternity, Jinx eased up and let her arms down, hanging the grenade on her pants.

"I don't know how you're doing it… But you're not going to let me go without a talk, right?"

"How I'm doing… what?"

"You tell me. First I took you for another one of my voices, but then you suddenly start bleeding and almost fall down to your death. One second you look like you're walking on eggshells talking to me, the next you scold me for something you don't even know anything about."

"What do you—"

"She couldn't say anything if she'd been here, because she was mute, dumbass," she pointed towards the drawing.

"…Oh."

"You don't actually know anything, right?"

"I… don't. But you were right. I'm not going to let you go, with or without a talk."

Always the Boy Savior.

She moved her hands to grab the grenade hanging on her side and instantly saw Ekko tense up, his hand grabbing some sort of handle on the device that he was carrying.

So it's that thing on his shoulder. With my monkeys in it.

"You don't know anything, but you certainly feel like you know a lot more than somebody who's been gone for months should. It feels like you know what I'm thinking, what I'm going to do or say next. Almost as if…"

"I came from the future? Yeah, that makes sense."

"And here I thought I was supposed to be the crazy one. So…" — she eyed him suspiciously — "...did you?"

"No. I mean, not really."

"You're gonna have to explain that, Little Man. But first…" — she took out the grenade once more.

"Don't, please!"

"Don't worry, I understand now. I can't win against you like this," she said, leaving Ekko with a puzzled look. She opened the lid, took out the hextech crystal and threw the grenade down into the bottom of the fissure. She moved past Ekko, stepping up to the main platform, walking towards the crates where she stored all her ammo and trinkets.

It would take me one second to kick your butt with how distracted you are, and then I could do anything I wanted. But I want to know first…

She placed the crystal in her stash, then sat down on the floor, facing the tent she… they… used to call home. Her legs barely reached the blade of the fan that housed most of their graffiti. There was enough room for someone else to join her.

"So what's your secret, if you're not from the future, Little Man?" she turned back towards him.

"Alright, I'll tell you. But you gotta stop calling me Little Man. It's been almost a decade."

"Sure thing, Little Man." She patted the empty space on her right, then crossed her arms in front of herself, letting them rest on her legs.

"What is wr— " He stopped mid-sentence, realizing the futility of this one particular quest. "Whatever."

Ekko sat down to her right, leaving enough space not to intrude on her… for now. He was relieved that they got this far already. He leaned back slightly, supporting himself with his arms as he put one down on each side of his body.

"So?" She tilted her head sideways in a questioning manner.

"I can basically… rewind time."

"With that hunk of metal over there? That's impressive. The way that exterior looks I would have thought you used it to hold your Big Number Twos! Who designed that, anyway? The lack of colors are honestly disappointing."

"Uh…"

"Never mind that, then you are from the future!"

"Not exactly. The time limit is only four seconds."

"Four? How come?" she asked, clearly disappointed. That can't fix anything meaningful.

"I don't know. Any more than that and things start…" — he could have sworn he felt Professor Heimerdinger's fur on his face — "…bad things start happening, let's just leave it at that."

"So if I think of doing or saying something, and only do it five seconds later, you can't stop it?"

"Sort of. I would only be able to rewind to a time when you already wanted to do or say that thing. Hence why you would feel like I am reading your thoughts." He looked over his shoulder, concerned about what she would do with this information.

I just gave out the biggest drawback of my Z-Drive. If she decides to just knock me out here, then I can't do anything about it.

He removed his hand from the handle.

He trusts me not to do it. But why?

"Prove it," she said suddenly, in a voice so stern it sent shivers down Ekko's spine.

"How?"

"I'll think of something, then I'll say it out loud after like, six seconds. If you can truly do what you said, then rewind and say it out loud to me before I do."

"Okay". That's easy enough.

He grabbed the handle again. Inside the monkeys were silently waiting to rotate around the light once more. Jinx concentrated hard as the six seconds passed, and then—

"My name is Little Man, because I am little both in size and in—"

"I am NOT saying that out loud!" — he retorted.

"Sorry!" she said, clearly not feeling sorry, laughing.

His anger quickly subsided as he looked at her smile. He never thought he would be able to speak to her again normally, let alone joke around like this.

She must have been like this ever since then. She suppressed all the pain with laughter. But this only works until it breaks you and eats you up from the inside... Just like now…

He looked around, taking in his childhood friend's home for the first time.

When was the last time you smiled for an honest reason? When you were with this kid?

"Tell me her name. I will prove it to you with her name."

Her laughter stopped quickly as she hanged her head down again. For a long time, nothing happened. And just as she got ready to say it out loud, Ekko beat him to it.

"Isha."

Tears started gathering in Jinx's eyes that she quickly shoved away.

"This is getting a bit creepy, you know. You knowing everything in advance and all that. Promise me you won't use it on me again?" she formed a fist with her right hand and held out her pinkie towards Ekko.

"Okay, but—"

"Okay, okay, I'll stop calling you Little Man in exchange, sheesh."

"No, not that." She looked at him, surprised. "I mean, that too, but, I was going to say… That I will have to use it if you try that stunt again," he pointed back to the part of the fan shrouded in darkness, where they stood a few minutes ago.

"Okay," she accepted.

He gave her a small smile, and locked his pinkie with hers, as they did so many times in the past. She was astounded.

"You're… really here."

"Well, let's hope you don't sign up to be a detective any time soon," he replied, trying to ease the mood further, but she was too shocked by the confirmation of his existence to register his efforts. Their fingers separated, and for a few seconds, only the sounds of their breathing and the crackling of the candles broke the silence between them.

I shouldn't bring the kid up right away, she seems extremely shaken by whatever happened to her. I need to talk of something else first. Like—

"So you didn't come back here from the future, where you heard of my death and wanted to make yourself feel better by undoing it?" She spoke first.

"No."

"I thought you would say, that I managed to mess even this up and whatever I did here made the future even worse than it is right now."

"I don't need to come from the future to be able to tell you that, Jinx," he sighed heavily.

"How would you know?"

He tensed up and looked away from her before answering her question.

"Because I wanted to do the same."

She looked at him with a shock in her eyes. Ekko seemed shaken too, as if he was forced to remember an old memory that he locked away a long time ago, in the hopes that he would never have to search for its key ever again.

"You… you did? The Protector of the Undercity, the Last Hope of the Lanes, the Boy Savior, you… you wanted to do this?"

He let out a sarcastic laugh.

"I never called myself any of those things. And one could ask the same of you, anyway. The Terror of Topside, the Enforcers' Worst Nightmare, the Symbol of Zaun—"

"People actually call me that?"

"Surprisingly enough."

She took a few seconds to process this information.

"Why did you want to… you know?"

"You believe it's your fault that your folks died, right? I… had the same mindset back then. I gave you the tip to rob that place topside. The tip that got you those damned blue crystals. The tip that got all of topside chasing after you. The tip that got Benzo killed and Vander taken away. Had I not done that… "

Understanding dawned on her face.

"I was there, on the night when… it happened. I followed Silco to the warehouse where he took Vander and came back to tell Vi about it. She told me not to follow her and the others because it was dangerous, but I did it anyway, from far away."

Just like me.

"But I was too scared to go in, so I just waited outside. And then came the explosion… It took me five minutes to convince myself to go in there. I was… afraid. I already lost Benzo, and I knew that if I went in there, I would see more of that. I knew that I would find all of you… like him. And in the end, that's what made me lose even those who survived."

He turned to her with a sad expression on his face.

"After I went in there, I heard someone cry from the other side of the building. Vi told me that she left you at home, so I didn't expect you to be there. But there you were, alone. I tried to get to you, but it was too late. Silco and his goons reached you first and took you away. And all I could do was cower in fear behind the rubble, my body freezing and refusing to move. Some Boy Savior, huh."

He hanged his head down in shame much like Jinx a few minutes earlier.

"After that, I couldn't find you for a long time. I thought you had died too, that they had executed you or something. Months passed and Silco moved in to The Last Drop, taking Vander's place. And that was when I finally saw you again. I remember it as if it was yesterday… you were all alone, none of Silco's henchmen were around you. I thought they took you as a prisoner and you managed to escape. I ran to you and told you to come with me, but then…"

"I told you that I did not need you anymore," Jinx said, looking away from him. "That I was with Silco by my own choice. And that my name was Jinx."

"I didn't believe you. I tried to just drag you away, but you resisted. In the end—"

"I beat you up and you ran away."

"Yeah. I lost myself after that. I was just wandering the streets without any goal in mind. It took me three days to try and end it all."

A lone raven found its way down into the fissure, its croaking voice providing the time and distraction needed for Ekko to collect himself.

"So… what stopped you?" she asked.

"My number two."

Her eyes opened wide.

"You didn't do it because you had to take a—"

"No, not like that you idiot." He let out a small laugh. "It was Scar, my second-in-command, you know him?"

"Ah… okay. Sorry."

He looked at her with a sad smile.

"I was about to jump when he just asked, casually, if I wanted to see something amazing. I don't really know why, but I followed him, and he led me to this huge, beautiful tree that stood there like it didn't care about being in the underground at all. A symbol of hope growing out of the despair and wasteland surrounding it. After that, we met there every day. It became our headquarters."

"You became the first two Firelights."

"Yeah. We built up the Firelights together. We vowed to take in anyone who needed a place to belong to and to protect them from anyone who would harm them. I wanted to take you there someday, too. But we started receiving news of your… work. We started seeing you work. And somewhere along the way… I accepted that you would never come, no matter what I said to you."

She looked away from him.

"In the end, I realized that the only thing blaming myself was good for was to drive myself crazy. There was still something I could do. Something good I could build."

They sat there without saying anything for a long while. Jinx copied Ekko's pose, putting her hands down next to herself, and turned to him.

"How many times did you… use that here?" — she asked, pointing at the Z-Drive.

"…Too many."

"How many times, Ekko? While I was standing there."

She saw him struggle as he forced himself to count, the pain visible in his eyes.

"Nine."

She sat there for a second in disbelief. I guess you can change a lot in four seconds after all.

"So you saw me die… nine times?

"…Yeah."

"And… how did you feel?"

An uneasy silence fell upon them as Ekko thought about his answer.

"I felt like my heart was torn into a million pieces each time."

She remembered the sudden changes in his demeanor. The desperation in his eyes and in his voice.

"Did I… pull the trigger every time?"

"Almost. The last time… you just jumped."

She remembered how Ekko stood up the moment she decided to do just that.

"I believe you. But that doesn't change anything. There is no way out of this, not for me, it's too late. Everybody around me keeps dying, and I have to break this cycle. I can't fix anything that I did, and I can't move on either."

"You can."

"I can't. There is no undoing what I did. I can't start a new life, turn over a new leaf, or however you want to put it."

"You can."

"I can't. There is no good version of me, Ekko."

"There is. I saw it."

"That was a lifetime ago, and I—"

"I saw it today, and I can still see it, right here!"

She recoiled.

It's now or never.

"I don't know anything about this kid other than her name, but just looking around makes it obvious that you cared about her deeply."

She fell into silence.

"I mean, I know that perhaps you liked your toys longer than usual for a girl, but some of these are crazy even for you at your age."

She closed her eyes. He braved placing his hand on hers, to let her know of his support. She didn't pull away.

She's so cold.

He asked the question he had been preparing the last few minutes, knowing full well it could result in an outburst that he would not be able to handle. Even so, he stayed away from the Z-Drive's handle.

"What happened to Isha, Jinx?"

The outburst did not come. Instead, Jinx started speaking softly and slowly, in a trembling voice.

"She was just… a kid… a random kid from the street. Couldn't have been more than… seven or eight… She was chased by some lowlifes, I don't even know what for. It's not like she could have told me… She just suddenly… fell on me from a pipe or something, and she was in my lap, scared and trembling. So I took those guys out. And then… and then she just stuck to me like grease."

She stopped for a few seconds, catching her breath.

"She was obnoxious. I tried to lose her, but she always found a way to just… be where I was. This was not long after I… " — killed the Council — "…fired that rocket at the Council Hall. Vi and… — Caitlyn — …her girlfriend, that enforcer girl were coming after me to kill me. I was tired of everything. I wanted them to get their revenge."

Purple tears started forming and dropping from her eyes, as she started sobbing. Ekko gently squeezed her hand as she continued.

"But she didn't let them. The little punk stood between me and Vi as she was preparing to land the final blow. She… she took my gun and almost shot Vi with it. When that enforcer girl shot my gun out of her hand, she just hugged me and refused to let go. My sister stopped chasing me after that. I think they broke up over it, she and her girlfriend. Isha and I… we just came back here."

I loved her.

"After that, we just… we just spent every day together, staying out of trouble. Doing… stupid things. Dancing, playing hide-and-seek. Doing mock insect battles. Shooting each other with water-pistols. Dying her hair blue. Running around town, decorating the walls. Decorating this place. Our home."

I loved her so much.

"Until… until three days ago. There was a big fight, down at the bottom of the fissures." Vander. Not the time talk about him right now. "We were there. And she… she died." The tears now slid down Jinx's face in uninterrupted streams. "She sacrificed herself… So I could live."

Ekko slid his left hand beneath hers with his palm facing up, and she instantly took advantage of it, locking their fingers. He placed his right hand on top of hers, and waited a few seconds to regain her composure.

"And… how did you feel?" he asked the same question she did a few minutes earlier. It was dangerous, but he had to make her see his point, make her say it out loud. Only after a full minute did her answer arrive.

"I felt like my heart was torn into a million pieces."

"Do you understand now? Death doesn't break any kind of cycle. It just creates a gaping maw in everyone's heart who is left behind. A hole that never closes. It shatters us forever."

"Why do you even care? You said it yourself, you gave up on me," she said, still sobbing, but she didn't pull away. Instead she squeezed Ekko's hand even tighter, her nails pushing into his skin. He didn't mind. It was as if she was telling him to say the right words.

"I made a mistake. One that I can't ever fix. Not even with this," he looked down at the Z-Drive. "I should have been there for you after… everyone died. I should not have given up after you refused my help the first time. I should have given you a chance when Vi came back to… talk things out. And I should have been there three days ago too."

He raised her hand in the air between them and looked up at her, waiting for her to do the same.

"I should have tried harder. I am sorry, Jinx." He locked his eyes with hers, awaiting her response.

"It's the same as back then… on the bridge. The way you looked at me. It… triggered something in me. A flash of the past." She stopped sobbing, but tensed up in exchange. She squeezed his hand even harder, and her nails now cut so deep, he started bleeding in places. He still didn't mind. "For a single second, I felt… happy. That you could still see something in me. I knew there was no chance of going back to how life was before…" — She looked away from him. — "…before I became this. But I didn't want to lose that sliver of happiness either. That's why… I… I wanted to go like that. That's why I—"

She was interrupted by Ekko's arms enveloping her in a fierce embrace, and all of their pent up emotions were let loose. She put her arms around him as well, crying harder than ever before, even worse than when Vi left her. When she was abducted. Ekko couldn't keep it together either, as tears of both sadness and joy left his eyes at the same time.

She's here.

He pulled her over to his side, and a few seconds later they were facing each other in their embrace, as Jinx sat on Ekko's thighs, her legs crossed behind his back, as if she was making sure to prevent his escape by any means possible.

"I won't make the same mistake again," Ekko promised her. "I won't let go of you ever again. I swear."

They sat there for minutes, bawling their eyes out, doing nothing but appreciating each other's warmth. When their tears finally dried up and their breathing calmed down, it was Jinx who continued where they left off.

"So… what happens now?"

"Well, uh… do you want to see something amazing?" Oh, that came out way too wrong didn't it, I should—

"You… you still want to take me to that tree?"

"Yeah. If you want me to."

She increased the strength of her embrace. That was all the answer he needed.

"After all this, I would have probably taken you there even if you said no."

She let out a small laugh.

"I would have liked to see you try, Mr. Firelight."

"I… uh… kind of like your new haircut you know." Wait, what the hell am I talking about?

She pulled back from the hug, with an incredible look of disbelief, as if she demanded either an explanation or an apology to whatever curse had just left his mouth.

"Little rough around the edges I admit, but uh… short looks good on you. Not that I thought there was anything wrong with it being long—"

"Thanks," she said, and a smile spread across her face. It was small and still penetrated by the sadness dwelling inside of her, but nevertheless, it was genuine.

It warmed his heart.

"There's one question that still irks on my mind, Big Man."

"Can we be done with the nickna—" he paused as he noticed the smile on her face turn into a smirk, overjoyed that she came this far already.

"You don't like it? You're all grown up now!" He still looked annoyed, but he couldn't keep his smile from showing. "You fulfilled your promise, so I had to fulfill mine," she said, looking at the Z-Drive.

"How do you know I didn't use it?"

"Because I saw you when you used it earlier, and I know how you look like when you do. And also, let's not forget the not-so-minor fact that you, sir, are… a terrible liar."

"Okay, okay, I get it. So what's the question?"

"Sooooo. I remember you saying, what were the exact words, let me see here…" — she looked upwards and grabbed her chin with her right hand — "…that you wouldn't let go of me, ever again."

Oh, boy.

"Thaaaat… might present some problems in the not-so-distant future. Like, for example, what if I have to go to the bathroom? I mean peeing might not be that embarrassing—"

"Jinx…"

"— but what if it's Big Number Two? I mean I could borrow your metal thing here, it still looks like—"

"Jinx!"

"Yes?" She turned to him, smiling.

He pulled her back into his embrace.

"Thank you for hearing me out."

"Thank you for stopping me."

They sat there for another minute, enjoying the peace they have found themselves in.

"With that life-threatening question settled, I have a real one as well." She pulled back from his arms again and looked at him with a serious face. "Would you mind telling me how you got this and what my monkeys are doing in it?" she asked, pointing at the Z-Drive.

"Oh…"

That would be a hell of a story to tell.