Jinx didn't know they were inside Zaun and the Lanes until the smell hit her. She had assumed it was dark because of the night, but honestly her health pointed towards possible overexertion making sight a problem.
In reality, she was tired. Tired of the problems she caused to her friends, if you could call them that. Her enemies; not as much.
It would be the Firelights that chose where they stood amongst those problems. She couldn't be surprised if they decided they were her enemies, maybe they were also tired though. Tired of all the problems that came from resisting her. Their base couldn't be too far, given how long it felt like they had been walking.
The Firelight base had always been well hidden, a collection of the young minds of Zaun that thought they could combat the unstoppable force that held the city in its clutches. It was an admirable goal, but they had lost a good chunk of their forces from Jinx's counter operations (really just defending herself from novices on hoverboards).
She probably owed them an apology, at least if this bettering herself thing had to happen. If not to make a good example for Isha.
Their largest loss of manpower had certainly come from their final battle anyhow. Considering there had been substantial losses all around the cities it had to infer that there might not even be a Firelight presence to find. Granted, the only ones Jinx ever encountered were the fighters. Who's to say there wasn't a whole community of them.
"Things really have changed since I was a kid you know." Isha's robotic voice broke Jinx out of her thoughts. It had been programmed to sound female, and for something likely thrown together in a workshop did pretty good at producing tone and inflections.
Jinx cocked an eyebrow, giving as much sass and intention as she could. Still following doctor's orders to stay quiet of course.
Isha grunted, shifting Jinx's weight around. Their feet shuffling as they redistributed their balance, "We worked hard enough to get it to the point it looked like the universe Dad went to. The one that everyone was happy in, before he came back to find you. Said it was his goal to make it a place you would come back to. Really believed you had made it out of here, said you were on an airship to Bilgewater to start a new life."
The chatter of the surrounding area was beginning to dim. The night life was still there, dimmer, and less chaotic, but it was the environment that was different. Jinx could swear that it was almost hopeful, that maybe, just for a second the collective city thought they could make a difference. She pulled Ekko's hood further over her head, attempting to hide herself.
It might be hope in the air, but if word came out that she was around then the air would turn poisonous quickly. She turned to Isha, "I...was...dead?"
Her daughter smiled ruefully, switching to signing, "Dad looked for days at the beginning, each tunnel and alleyway that you two had been to since childhood. Could never find you, but assumed that you had made it out. It took me coming around a few years later to convince him to make medicine. He had a mostly working porotype of the medicine with my help in a year. We got it to what I have now by the time I was ready to make it here. Only will work on you, had a hypothethesis that your body could only take certain medicine that was infused with shimmer."
That...actually made sense. Jinx had never attempted to seek any sort of medical help after injury. Ignoring the fact that no one would likely help her anyway, she always ended up healing fast enough because of the shimmer coursing through her veins.
Other than the litany of scars that were scattered around her body, Jinx didn't have much idea how shimmer affected her healing processes. Out of anyone, she wasn't surprised that Ekko found a solution. If he was able to break time, fixing a broken body like hers must be cake.
The alley had become another tunnel, hidden from the surrounding maze of buildings and trash. Even if Jinx was lucid she doubted she could remember the route that they had taken, only supporting that the Firelights had never been found. If Jinx had to guess, there might have been a slight subconscious magic incantation that helped enemies become lost.
Much like forgetting what you were doing when you went through a doorway, one wrong turn completely changed where the affected would end up. Targeted at whoever wasn't allowed in, and no one could make it unless the Firelights wanted them to. It did beg the question, how did Isha have the capability to know the route if she hadn't been approved by the magic system yet?
Genetics? It had to be. Jinx looked at Isha, signing because talking was too much a toll currently, "How you know the route? Too hidden for outsiders. Have key to castle?"
So her sign language was rudimentary. Sue her.
The surrounding tunnel had turned from dirty, trash filled and broken buildings to opening into hourglass marked walls and a fitted stone pathway. They were close, and Isha still owed her an answer before they arrived.
"It's a special trinket, each one Ekko hand makes for each of the Firelights. It's a big ceremony where they're finally allowed outside the compound, well more like they're allowed to come back in. There's no rules to leaving, but you'll never find your way back." Isha halted their steps, massive double doors barred them from entry. "Scar, his right hand man, knows a bit of magic and can imbue objects. Pairs that with a simple spell, some of your genetics to make it a unique identifier, and doors that only open when you present it; then you get a group of survivors who never were found."
Isha took her hourglass necklace off, hovering it near the crest that centered in the middle of the double doors. Slowly, with a bit of screeching that implied they needed to oil the hinges, the doors opened to reveal the hideout. It was impressive to say the least.
Towering above all the small shacks, tents, and degrading houses stood a proud massive tree. Jinx was so enraptured by the tree, she almost missed the stares that came their way. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a couple Firelights move to intercept them.
The first one to get to them stood a good foot above them, their bat-like ears stood out just as the rest of him did. Their companion did not, though the staff attached to their back was noticeable.
"Uncle Scar!" Isha signed excitedly, grinning as she turned to see the other person next to him. "And Carter! You look so young!"
Scar scrunched his eyebrows together, "How do you have access to a Fire-key? I don't remember making one like that. And I don't understand sign language, sorry."
There was a moment of silence as Isha broke out of a reverie, looking like she forgot she wasn't at her home. Jinx caught Carter moving out of the corner of her eye, the man looked to be in his mid-twenties and too curious for that age while he attempted to shuffle to see her face.
Jinx turned her head, hiding her face even more while Isha attempted to explain their situation, "It was made by a Firelight, I promise Scar. We need to see Ekko right now, he'll be able to explain more when we talk with him."
"With us present." Scar grunted, tilting his head toward the tree.
Isha sighed, giving Jinx a shrug, "Only you two, no more."
The now group of four climbed the winding stairwell hugging the tree, silent except for Isha sneaking facts about the changes that she noticed. No, Jinx didn't care that some Firelight named Jax fell off one of the limbs after trying to impress her. And that he was the son of Carter and some other Firelight named Jennifer. And that Jax had asked Isha out right before she had left; they had a gondola date and dinner when she came back.
Wait. Maybe she did care.
"He's over here." Scar interrupted her thoughts on grandchildren to usher them through a doorway carved into the trunk of the tree. Carter stayed outside, guarding the doorway from likely too curious children. Jinx blew her long bang to the side, attempting to hide her annoyance at the escort. She knew what he looked like, he was the only damn person in the whole workshop.
Not that she would admit it looked pretty cool, obviously not as cool as her once proud shop. The circular room held everything the genius could need, sectioned by necessity. Bedding, and other associated amenities were grouped together with a shelf of various books and lounge nearby. His workshop, an outright fire hazard, was placed against the walls of the trunk as well. Taking up the last third of the room was a kitchen of sorts, or at least where he looked to be able to make meals.
Jinx hated that she could see Isha here perfectly. Without her, running beside Ekko to give him tools, reading on the beanbag near the bed, or coloring on the circular table in the middle of the workspace. She hated it because of how alone it made her feel. It reminded her of what everyone told her she could have, but was yanked away when she attempted to grasp it.
"Ekko, have some people looking for you." Scar grunted, gesturing to the two of them. He stayed back and the two moved forward.
The Firelight leader turned around at the statement, initially catching the eye of Isha. But halting completely once he saw Jinx. There was no question to who she was, his jacket was covered in enough grime that it had gone unnoticed by the masses, but it didn't for him.
His eyebrows jumped in surprise, quickly coming back down as he regained his composure. "I've...been expecting them. My bad Scar, I forgot to tell you."
Scar's face scrunched up in confusion, "Sure, but how did this girl get a Fire-key to the entrance? Only I know how to make these."
"I'll explain it later, I promise." Ekko planted a hand on Scar's shoulder, "For now, just know that they're harmless. Should be all right here."
Ekko waited until Scar exited his workshop, "Jinx."
Jinx smiled, letting her hood down gave a small smile. "Ekko."
Leaning against a nearby desk, Ekko rubbed his hands against his face. "I...how are you alive?"
That was a fair question. There was plenty that Ekko had for sure, but she thought Isha could explain everything better. Jinx turned, looking around the room for Isha. Who currently was shifting through the kitchen cabinets.
The time-traveler looked up from her activities, snacks in hand, gave a quick wave and made her way over. Falling into the bean bag, she looked back and forth between Ekko and Jinx. "What's up Pops?"
"What?" Ekko looked like he was slowly loosing control of the situation.
Jinx sighed, throwing him a bone. "I'm alive because Isha came back from the future to save me. Turns out you raised her here for the last like decade and a half and you two helped Piltover and Zaun become one. Yippe, I'm too tired and burnt out to explain the rest, just let Isha explain it. We'll get to our sappy reunion after my nap."
"Wait!" Ekko yelped, stopping her shuffling to his bed. He pointed to past the bed to a door next to the area. "Shower. Please clean off first."
"Well, Little Man, I know my other self came on strong..." She flicked her boots off at the end of the bed, laying Ekko's jacket on the bedpost. "But I can guarantee you that you'll have to try a lot harder with me than with her."
Jinx glanced behind her to see the reddening face of her target. Isha beside him was less amused, her robotic voice filling the room over Jinx's own snickering. "I came here to get Mom back, not any siblings please."
Her laughing could be heard through the shut door.
Several minutes later, Jinx returned from her shower. She slumped onto the bed, a muffled moan of contentness slipped its way out before she turned her head to the other occupants of the room. Ekko sat on a nearby chair, Isha still on the beanbag, smiling as Isha told stories of her time with Jinx. Mostly chronologically of course.
Within a literal blink of an eye, Jinx felt refreshed. She locked eyes with Ekko, who gave a small smile in return after noticing her alertness. "Jinx, you're awake. Isha's caught me up on everything you should know. Said she wouldn't explain anything else until you woke up."
Ekko looked like he was ready to hear everything, and she appreciated the patience. As little as she tended to have, she could at least acknowledge when he was trying. His eyes looked tired, like he had no one to help hold him up when he needed it.
The Firelight leader had no equal, only subordinates and followers. Maybe that was how he had succeeded getting Zaun back on its feet, having Isha by his side. Gods knew it was how Jinx had the same happen to her. The bundle of shenanigans always knew what to do to keep her moving, to look forward to waking up the next day for once.
Would this Isha be willing to stay? Not to get Zaun back on it's feet, she could care less. But to have Jinx function past surviving. Sure, Ekko had been willing, and potentially still was. There was no mutalism there though, she couldn't feel anything nor had anything for him. All she had done was take, yet with Isha, for once, she had been able to give.
Jinx took a deep breath as she swung her legs to the side of the bed, "Well, lets hear it. How'd you get here Lil' Sha?"
Her inner monologues could wait. For now she had to work on figuring out why Isha was here.
And maybe if she planned on staying.
Another set of points for this chapter:
-I view the Firelights vs. Jinx during the series and fanfiction to be an interesting plot focus. But for the sake of brevity, and that I kinda see them taking it as an end state of being on different sides. Their animosity toward each other will likely be short and low.
-Next chapter will follow Isha and her first journey to a different dimension. Which should give some explanation to her relationship with Ekko in the future. She's visited several before arriving where she is now. We'll also get some more talk about Isha with Ekko before or after.
-I think Jinx's situation with shimmer had to be added to with the handicap that normal medicine doesn't work. She might have faster healing rates, but everything needs some help at some point and that resulted in the current addition to her situation.
-Added Carter to give the Firelights another name to their group. We'll see if he pops up more, I have an idea of who they might be. But for now, just something to give more dimensions to the surrounding world.
Don't want to give away all the who, what, where, and why's for everything yet. Isha will have plenty of time to explain everything and help. Jinx and Ekko will have plenty of heart to heart moments as well. For now, the close future is the first place Isha visited on her journey to the past.