Chapter Four
"And remember to drop by my place when you're free! I wanna be the first to know what those… You know, mystical arms of yours can do, alright?!"
"Hah~ yeah-yeah, I'll make sure you'll be the first to know what my sparkling arms can do..."
"Hmm… I don't like that wary attitude of yours—it's not I'll bite you or anything—but I'll let it slide this one time."
'No not bite. You're just gonna do much worse than that.'
It's not like the Firelight would ever say that out loud: he likes not being in a 'world of pain,' thank you very much.
On the outside, Ekko blearily waved Kay off as he forced the slouch out of his form and began towards his next location.
He sighed and numbed his senses—sinking into the Sanctuary's droning liveliness.
'... Who would've ever thought...?'
Self-chide—about his misgivings on trusting his comrades—aside, Ekko was still prepared for reservations of some sort concerning his Mage status.
Yet what Ekko got in response was not what he had expected.
It started with the unsettling quiet mixed with confusion and alarm—but shortly after, came the murmurings of curiosity... And awe.
Unsurprisingly, it was Kay who commenced with the seemingly unending questions before it spiraled with everyone joining in as the small hall became a mini Undercity market.
Not even the call of (FIRELIGHTS!) seemed to calm them down.
It was like Ekko had become some kind of circus main attraction everyone wanted to see... He had mixed feelings about that line of thought even though it was in a good way.
... Maybe… Just maybe Ekko should have informed them in a more controlled manner.
But then again...
'Nah~'
He smiled. 'Even if I were to go back in time, I still wouldn't change a damn thing.'
Ekko's trust in the Firelights had been renewed—no, strengthened— by this. His people's actions only served as an assurance that their emotions and decisions were not ruled by suspicion or prejudice but by intentions and actions.
Despite everything they still saw Ekko as Ekko.
'And I won't let them down...' Ekko determinedly clenched his fist, 'I'll show them that I am not what those books say I am... As soon as I get to figure out what I can do with my Magic.'
Suddenly, memories of smoke, ashes, burnt flesh, and blue eyes sprung up causing the Firelight to flinch and almost miss a step.
Scowling at the annoyingly familiar memory, Ekko picked up the pace as he headed for one of the few open tunnels in the Sanctuary that lead to a certain open ground—where a certain Professor must have been waiting for him for quite a while.
'Don't you DARE go down that road, Ekko—remember what it cost you the last time—focus on the ones before you and them alone...'
Powering through the phantom itching that suddenly blossomed at the side of his face, Ekko in his little world quietly whispered.
"… They've already made it clear that there's no other path for them to follow... No matter how hard you wish for them to."
ᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥ
Some minutes later,
"Hey, uh, sorry for... Dropping... In... Late?" Ekko trailed off as confusion filled his next words, "So, um... What's that you got there, Prof?"
"Hmm~ hmm~ hmm~ hmm...? Oh, Gadzooks!" The Yordle flinched before relaxing at the sight of the Firelight, "Had me stiff for a second there, lad."
Ekko blinked in bewilderment.
"But I was just—you know what? Forget it. Sorry, I dropped in late—the meeting took longer than I'd thought—but forget about me..."
He raised a finger and pointed towards a certain spot.
"What the hell are those things?"
Strewn across the open field in groups of 3s where constructs 'twelve' in number. They appeared to be standard target silhouettes-only these constructs had a more esoteric look that screamed practicality rather than simple aesthetics.
In short... They look kinda creepy.
"Oh, that..." Heimerdinger shook his scruff and straightened his small frame, "This's a little something I had picked up from a magically attuned country called Ionia. In any case, I'm sure you are aware that this is a standard target practice—only that I merely tweaked it with a few modifications fit to handle... Let's just say a bit more Arcane stress uses..."
Ekko hummed in—well, not total—understanding.
While he did have an idea of what the Professor was on about, he was still lost on why they all looked so eerily different from each other.
One of the sets had their frames covered in something that looked like tin-foil, and the other…
Seriously…
'Did he have to make one of the sets look like mannequins stuck on poles? What part of that has anything to do with magic testing?'
Although one of the other was a bit familiar with how their structure looked like...
The Firelight tilted his head in bemusement.
'Hmm? Doesn't those look like the kind I used to practice with—'
A familiar memory of toy guns and giggles flashed past his mind.
'Tsk... What's with all the random memories today?'
Thankfully, Heimerdinger had not picked up Ekko's scowl as he continued without pause.
"While this certainly isn't my best work—seeing as I am not an expert in the fields of the Arcane unlike some of my former pupils—I still feel confident that this will enable us to explore the extent of your gifts to whatever standards they may be. So with that said..."
The Professor trailed off and gestured towards the targets.
"… Ready when you are, lad."
It took a few seconds before Ekko processed the fact that the professor was addressing him as he quickly nodded and took a deep breath.
"Here goes nothing."
Willing his Magic into being was easy—almost too easy if Ekko had any say about it.
'It could be that I'm getting used to it.'
The air buzzed with a static sound as nine spectral arms emerged from Ekko's back—each set carrying diverse colors with strange runic etchings on their forms.
Upon closer observation, Ekko realized each set of arms had a unique 'feel' to them starting from the upper set that—to describe it quite mildly: felt dangerous.
Back when Ekko had revealed his Magic to the Firelights, Kay had asked him if she could touch the purple arms in particular.
But then, a strange gut feeling warned him that touching those ghostlike arms without knowing what they could do was simply asking for trouble to happen.
Maybe it was his nerves talking, but until he knew what does arms could do, Ekko wouldn't risk it.
The middle set glowed in an orange hue that seemed to increase and decrease in its luminesce—at low intensities—in conjunction with the upper and lower arms.
If Ekko were to describe it in technical terms—thanks to both his know-how and otherworldly knowledge—the middle arms felt like a sort of regulator that manages the upper and lower arms set.
Finally, the lower set was of a light bluish-green.
Unlike the purple arms that emanated a destructive aura or the middle arms that radiated control, the final arm felt more like the first's opposite: which means it has something to do with creation.
A term suddenly came to mind; it was something associated with a certain religion and mythology from the Arcane-barren World the other Ekko had come from.
The Trimurti: a fundamental concept in Hinduism that associates the aspects of a Supreme Being; the Creator, the Preserver, and the Destructor...
Nevertheless...
'That's some stupid coincidence...'
"Jiminy Cricket..." The Professor stood frozen as he regarded the ethereal appendages with surprise in his eyes.
"In my long life, I have seen all kinds of mystical abilities… Gifts granted to Mages by the arcane—but never have I seen anything like this… How curious, it doesn't seem to be an elemental type of Magic—at least not at first glance—but in any case, how are you feeling at the moment?"
"Well…" Ekko took a moment to check himself, "While I do feel strange that's for sure: I don't think it's negatively…"
Ekko trailed off as he mentally commanded the arms to move—and they did—the magical attachments waved, clenched, punched, and even clapped like a normal hand would.
"… It's like moving my arms—sure it feels strange moving limbs I've never had before, but I'm sure with a little practice I can get used to the sensation."
"Curious indeed." Heimerdinger muttered in observation, "In any case, you can begin whenever you're ready."
The arms moved forward the paused as Ekko turned to look at the Yordle Professor.
"You got any advice for your Mage student, here."
"Hmm… Advice…"
Heimerdinger cupped his furry chin in contemplation.
"Like I said before; I am not the best person to give guidance on anything about Magic in general. However, if there was one thing I've learned during my travels concerning Mages is that they—like Inventors—tend to rely heavily on 'Imagination' when manipulating the Arcane."
"…Is that it? I should rely on my imagination."
The Yordle sighed apologetically as his shoulders stooped down.
"I am truly sorry, my boy. Unfortunately, this is the best I can offer you within my limited capabilities… One would think with how Magically-attuned my race is I ought to hold more knowledge in the workings of the mystic arts, but I have never been one for Magic and…"
Heimerdinger picked a long bolt from the ground and deftly twirled it.
"I'm much at home with screws and nuggets than I am with wands and staves…"
"Professor Heimerdinger…"
Ekko trailed off as a sudden thought crossed his mind.
'Why did the Professor come to the Undercity in the first place?'
True he had said it was to offer his 'services' or something like that… But what if there was more to it than simply a Topsider trying to help out?
It did not take a genius to see how uncomfortable the Yordle was when dealing with subjects relating to Magic—he was uncomfortable with it—and with how Topsider went all lecture mode when he had brought up Hex-Tech one time brought up a certain question.
'Does Heimerdinger's coming here have anything to do with the Hex-core problem going on at Topside?'
Was there something at play between the Professor and Piltie's Man of Tomorrow?
Of course, Ekko could simply air out his suspicions and ask—but he wouldn't do so (at least, for now)
Firstly, it is not like Heimerdinger's situation was affecting anyone and it would be hypocritical to start asking questions now—especially when being accepted as part of the Sanctuary means the start of a new beginning and leaving the past behind.
Nevertheless, the Firelight would keep this subject in mind—one can never know the future.
Besides, there was something else Ekko should be doing now.
"Okay… I got this." Ekko psyched himself as he headed towards the tin-foiled statuettes, "Imagination, huh? Sure I can do that…"
The purple arms stretched towards the targets and drew close to each other in a—superhero—charging motion as Ekko closed his eyes and imagined.
In a way, the Firelight did have an idea on what he should be aiming for when using the arms—courtesy of his otherworldly knowledge—which now that he thought about it, was more helpful on the workings of the Arcane than his knowledge despite being the one to live on a planet with genuine Magic.
'Like that ain't a bummer.'
Then again, it would be a crime if one had watched as many movies and animations as well as read as many fantasy genre books as Ekko of the OtherWorld has and still have NO idea what to do when given a magic wand.
In any case…
'Thankfully, the Magic of this World seems to run on a SOFT MAGIC system if it's this easy to use it… Not like I am complaining about it. At least, I don't have to go looking for a Magic Teacher or something like that.'
With that in mind, Ekko's thoughts shifted back to his spectral arms as he let instincts take over.
He saw himself holding the atoms of the objects—the bonds of the targets—and pulled them away from each other as they CRUMBLED, and FRAGMENTED into smaller subatomic particles, and further PULVERIZED into quarks.
Ostensibly, the arms responded with an ominous purplish glow that made the spectating Professor unconsciously take a step back in trepidation.
"Are you alright there, lad?" Heimerdinger asked in concern.
"Yeah..." Ekko replied with his eyes still closed.
"Getting ready any moment now."
It seems usage of this particular arm ran on the essence of destruction—as expected—and with Ekko's otherworldly knowledge of atoms and molecules as well as his technical know-how, using this should be a piece of cake.
… At least in theory.
Suddenly, Ekko's eyes snapped open revealing a purple glow. The first set of arms clenched with intent and instantly, the targets vanished in thin air.
There was no sound announcing its destruction—no theatrics that revealed how it was eliminated.
It was a simple case of 'something there and now isn't there anymore' leaving only a clean meters deep hole that showed SOMETHING had once been there before.
"Holy schnooks!" Heimerdinger cried as he slowly edged forward—albeit stopping a few distance away,
"Total annihilation of object's physical matter… How did you do it?"
"Magic perhaps." Ekko shrugged and took a deep breath, "I'm just doing as you said... Going along with my instincts."
"But still… This is a very dangerous power, Ekko." The Professor regarded Ekko for a moment and sighed, "This certainly isn't elementary magic and it doesn't have the same feel commonly associated with the infamous dark arts… Nevertheless, your gifts don't seem to allow you to interact with the World as most Mages do... It sure felt like…"
"I was controlling it." Ekko finished the sentence, "Or at least, that was how it feels for me."
The Yordle had an ambivalent look on his face as he sighed and rubbed the space between his brows.
"Haha… I suppose despite my age I still can't claim to have seen everything." Heimerdinger quietly chuckled in resignation, "In any case, you sure you're still good to go?"
"Yeah…" Ekko nodded and heaved—somehow that felt longer than necessary. "I'm just getting started."
The Firelight began towards the next target—and abruptly fell to his knees.
"H-Huh?"
Slowly standing up, he looked down to see his hands slightly shaking as if they had been under stress for a while.
"The Hell?"
Heimerdinger, who had seen that, fretted in concern.
"You sure you're a 100%, Ekko?"
"I said I'm OK!" Ekko replied a bit too heatedly for his taste, "Ugh… Look, I'm still not used to this whole Magic thing. But if I'm to go somewhere… Anywhere with this then I need to start by understanding what I'm dealing with…"
"If you say so…" Sighing, Heimerdinger reluctantly acquiesced. "But please-PLEASE. Promise me you'll stop if you're not 100%"
"… No worries, I can look after myself." Ekko thumbs up with a beam, "And no offense when I say this. But I don't see you as someone strong enough to carry my ass out of here if I do pass out."
The Yordle shook his head in laughter.
"True enough… Well, go on and surprise me more, lad."
Nodding, Ekko proceeded to the next target as the orange arms raised in response.
If his instincts were correct—which going by precedence, are—then the orange arms set had something to do with modulation…
Now here comes the problem.
Ekko's face slowly clenched as if constipation to summon the arm's power.
'Huh? Nothing is coming up.'
His eyes opened in confusion and inspected the arms.
"What am I doing wrong?"
He traced a finger across its spectral form—which felt normal to touch—and noted that it had more runic-like etches compared to the other two: unlike the other sets where the etches were more stylish and centralized, the orange arms were patterned like circuits that traced up and down.
Watching as it pulsed once again in conjunction with the other arms, Ekko nodded and then shrugged.
"That's it." the Firelight grandly concluded, "I got nothing."
"Care to share what you've got with the class…?" Heimerdinger called out from the sides.
"Yeah… See even before you told me about imagination, there was this sensation I'd been having from these arms right from the very start."
The ghostly arms opened and clenched into fists.
"The purple arms felt destructive. The blue arms felt like they had something to do with creation/manipulation—something of that sort… The orange arms though feel like… Some like a conductor or should it be modulator (?) and I can't seem to figure out what it truly is."
"And what if that is how it's meant to be?"
"Huh? What's that supposed to mean?"
"Well, going by your description, those arms of yours seem to be some kind of magical engine." The Yordle pointed starting from the top. "Device. Control board. Device… It's like I'm looking at a Hex-tech anomaly… Ahem-Anyways, maybe you shouldn't expect much from the orange set as it already seems to be doing its job: managing the other arms for easy and SAFE usage."
"It makes sense when you put it that way…"
But… Ekko still thought there was something more to it.
Something he wasn't seeing.
[The Trimurti]
"The foundations of a Supreme Being…"
Ekko froze in thought.
Could it be…?
It was an ideology that made no sense—even at the moment, Ekko still couldn't come up with a reason to explain why that term suddenly came to mind: it was like grasping straws from something that does not exist.
'But that was what Ekko from the Otherworld would have said concerning Magic, and here it's as real as one can imagine.'
Creation. Preservation. Destruction; is a systematic ladder and a harmonious cycle that goes hand in hand with each other.
In Ekko's case, the Trimurti could be an answer to the current conundrum he was facing.
'So instincts tell me I can only use each of the arms of Creation and Destruction one at a time… But what if the Conductor allows me to use all at once.'
Imagining all the things he could do was enough to make the Firelight giddy in anticipation.
'Creation and Destruction in the palm of my hands… Pun damn well intended.'
With that in mind, Ekko willed the arms of Preservation forward as both palms converged and stopped a few distance from each other.
It was like an unspoken signal as the other arms—Destruction and Creation—mimicked its movement in their way: the left arm of Destruction moving to meet the right arm of Creation with the other limbs doing the same.
Suddenly there was a dangerous thrumming in the air.
"Ekko? What are you doing?"
"Something, Professor. I wanna check out a little theory of mine."
"Far be it from me to stop you, but going by the tumultuous sound and increase in luminance those arms of yours seem to radiate… Pardon me but I still have to iterate that if you're feeling unwell at any point just STOP… Nothing is more important in all this than your safety."
Ekko smiled at Heimerdinger.
"Relax. I know what I'm doing…"
'… I hope.'
Truth be told, Ekko did feel a bit strange… Well, strange was an understatement: more like there was a weight pressing against him that slowly got heavier. His eyes threatened to close and he was having difficulty catching his breath—not to mention the boiling sensation bubbling from within him.
This should be time to stop…
But he won't be doing that.
Ekko always had one thing going for him—it was an annoyingly yet according to Scar: one of his good traits.
He was a STUBBORN idiot who didn't know how to give up if there was a way before him.
Truly, Ekko did feel a bit guilty for lying to the Professor, but if given the chance he would still do it again.
Something like this meant an opportunity to better the lives of the Sanctuary, to increase the chances of his Firelights returning home no matter the odds, and to make the Undercity a place where Scar's kid could walk without fear.
… To tell the truth, Ekko was getting all kinds of desperate.
Things weren't getting any better even with Silco off the streets (rather things just got a whole lot worse), and with the upcoming gang war at the corner, Ekko could already feel the ache from trying to explain to parents that their kids weren't going to be coming home or partners that their significant others were gone for good.
Well, screw that shit.
He was willing to give anything to stop that from happening—even his LIFE.
It was the least he could do.
Ekko felt his teeth practically glue together as his body's temperature increased to hazardous levels, and it was at that moment, that the arms responded to his will.
They glowed and lost their physical forms as Destruction, Preservation, and Creation melded together and—
…
… …
… … …
—BECAME ONE.
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Trying to describe it felt like was an exercise in futility.
To say I was HIGH would be quite the understatement and in a way—dirty…
Hmm… It seems putting that feeling into words would be harder than expected.
Yeah, I won't deny the pain: despite the wondrous sensation, I was still aware of the situation my body was currently going through: I was shivering like crazy due to pain—it was like my veins were being injected with lava.
Nevertheless, even that could not mute the euphoric sensation coursing through me.
It was like I had become ALMIGHTY.
I couldn't help but wonder if this how was what shimmer addicts used to feel each time they put that harmful substance in their body—it would explain why people love it even though it slowly destroys them.
Then again, the sensations weren't enough to describe what happened next…
… … And the honest to goddam MIRACLE that unfolded before my eyes.
⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙
ᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥ
The transition was instant: one second Ekko was at the nearly barren fields, the next, he was at a whole new location.
Ekko had found himself standing on a crystalline lake that spanned as far as the eyes could see surrounded by beautiful stars that hung frozen in the air.
No… Calling those shining lights 'stars' could be jumping the gun as they were too small to be stars—thanks again to otherworldly memories—they seem more like stationary white firelights… Only more mystical in a way.
With a gut feeling still leading him on, Ekko sighed and took a step forward.
"Hah… I guess I'm crazy for saying this. But my instincts seem to be on the roll lately… Oh, screw it all! Okay, look. Your sparkling lights are my powers, right? I don't know what kind of magical abilities you all can give me. But… Please, I need something—anything to protect my family. If not for me then for them… And also can you speed it up a bit…"
Ekko's eyes instinctively twitched.
"I don't know about you, but my body seems to be going to be going through some pretty rough motions… In other words: I ain't got much time."
A twinkle in his peripheral turned Ekko's attention to see what appeared to be a shooting star—no a firelight—streaking toward him at startling speeds.
WHOOSH…!
BOOOOOOM…!
Without any further theatrics, the strange light painfully smashed against the boy from the Undercity, violently throwing him to the wet ground.
'Oomph… I-I know I said I want it qu-quick… But I didn't want it like THAT…'
The pain thankfully lasted for a moment as what happened next shocked him to the core.
(Hmmph… Then be sure to be clear when you ask kid)
Ekko's eyes snapped wide.
"Okay, what—?!"
And then…
A stream of unfamiliar memories came flooding in.
ᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥ
His name was Ekko: a member of the S.T.D (which to be clear does not mean Sexually Transmitted Disease but Superhumans Tech Development) in S.H.I.E.L.D—the name's a work in progress—it was a branch that suddenly gained notoriety and increase in FUNDS after the New York Invasion fiasco.
With people capable of cracking mountains or wrecking cities in minutes, the United Nations—the U.S of A really—had lost interest in what lies beyond the stars: they've seen it and they don't like it.
What they don't like even more is the fact that there are possibly hundreds if not thousands of unknown individuals with capabilities compared to the newly formed AVENGERS lurking around and they can't do anything about it.
In Ekko's opinion, it was more of the ones in power did not like the fact that they are powerless against these kinds of people—like what is the point of the almighty chairs if the people you are expected to lord over can just toss a building at you or end you with a fucking thought and call it a day…?
Yeah, so no surprise there's going to be a quick response to that.
Just the other week, his HoD had set up think tanks to come up with ideas—which in his line of work means weapons—to combat the upcoming threat of the super-powered ilk.
Luckily for his group, Ekko got just the thing to showcase.
Let the others think of their guns, missiles, and all sorts of weapons of mass destruction—he had something else in mind.
Something innovating.
After all, what good is a weapon if you don't have the armor to protect yourself?
ᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥ
When Ekko came through he found himself on his knees with a hand on the ground. He had merely glimpsed the flash of GOLD before it unfolded and separated back to the three spectral arms.
"Ekko! Ekko! Speak to me, lad! Are you alright?! Oh shucks, what am I saying? You look terrible!"
Ouch, well that was one way to describe how he was feeling at the moment.
The Firelight could feel the Professor's small hand weakly but firmly shaking his shoulders all while shivering.
"… …Hrm!"
He wanted to reply but couldn't as his head felt like it had been pried open and struck with a mallet—not to mention that his vision was all blurry and reddish.
It was like that damn lucid dream all over again.
Wiping a hand across his face, Ekko looked down in horror at the sight of red coating his hand.
That was his blood right?!
Dammit, what the hell happened to him back when he was in his mindscape?!
"Hah…! Hah…! Hah…!"
With heavy breaths, Ekko tried to stand up only to flinch and fall back down as his whole body reacted to that motion with pain.
"Urgh… Dammit…"
"Try to move too much…" Heimerdinger said chidingly, "Whatever it is you've done seems to have damaged your body, and I don't want you moving carelessly until we know how bad it is. So please try not to aggravate things further."
"Pro… Fessor Heimerdinger."
"… You disregarded my warnings, didn't you?"
The disappointment in Heimerdinger's voice was so palpable it stung.
"Ignored my pleadings and dived head-on into the Arcane without any regard for your safety… Of the lives you could have left behind if—God forbid—this was worse than it currently is. So tell me, child. Was it worth it?"
The sound of footsteps moving away a moment later was an unspoken sign from the Professor that he did not want to hear what Ekko's reply would be…
Because he wouldn't like it.
Grunting, Ekko ignored the clog in his chest and regarded what lay on the ground: it was a sleek grey vambrace adorned with pulsing runes and intricate silver circuitry that seemed to shift and shimmer in the dull light.
He smiled in relief.
"Damn… It worked."
The Firelight knew what it was as he—in another life—who had built it.
To Ekko—who was a member of the S.H.I.E.L.D—it was simply amongst the successful weapons meant to combat Superhumans.
But to him—son of the Undercity—it was HOPE.