A/N: I thought I'd try something new with this fic since it's my first for this fandom and I was getting pretty tired of my writing style. Plus... Timebomb. I just HAD to get something out after season two to cope with Arcane officially coming to an end.

Anyway... updates will probably be sporadic as hell after this. Either way, thanks for reading through my mess of words. My words and writer's heart appreciate the exposure.

Till next time,

Drama :D

PS. This is also a modern AU cause... I wanted to make some real life parallels to actual events.

Chapter One: Blow Their Minds

Sitting up here on the roof was their tradition. Every Friday night, without fail, Ekko and Powder would find themselves looking over the neon haze of their city - their home - while the faint undercurrents of the revelry downstairs drifted up to their ears. At this hour, The Last Drop would always be filled to the brim, every face for miles around crammed into the bar and vying for another refill from Vander's vast arsenal of drinks.

Music and light and laughter would always leak through onto the streets, into the night sky, and for a second they could understand what Vander and Silco and Benzo meant when they spoke about the goodness The Lanes had. How things used to be.

Camaraderie, unity, used to connect all of the people stuck within Zaun. Things used to be different in the before. People used to be different in the before. Only, Powder and Ekko hadn't been born in the before. All they knew was the now, the coldness and the harshness and the cruelty of The Lanes, the present day city of Zaun which was perpetually cast in Piltover's looming shadow.

So, every week, when Friday night rolled on by, and the adults all grew busy with their own plans, they would slip up to the roof. At this time of night there was no-one to disturb them: Vander would be too busy handling The Last Drop; Mylo, Claggor and Vi would be heading off to a match; and Silco would be out, dealing with business. That only left the pair of them available for company.

For years, ever since Vi and the others were old enough to pass with a fake ID, Powder and Ekko had been left behind to entertain themselves with their own devices, to fill the emptiness of a mundane Friday night. And so came the tradition of sneaking up to the roof, pinching a bottle from Vander's stash and brainstorming a new idea, a new invention, that they could pitch to the universe, see as being possible in this peaceful, perfect world that the adults always yammered on about.

"Do you think..." Pursing her lips, Powder frowned as she passed the smuggled bottle of spirit to Ekko, "That it was ever real? This great Zaun that Silco always goes on and on about all the time."

Taking the bottle from Powder, Ekko swallowed a small sip. Burning, the alcohol within it warmed his senses, summoned a flush up his neck. Usually, they only had a little bit to stave off the cold winds on the roof, loosen their minds a little.

"I think at one point it was," Looking over the city, the dark and jagged skyline forever bathed in the shadows of Piltover, Ekko grimaced. Thoughts about the great divide, the clear disparity between the top and bottom, weren't always the best to think about. So many people died in those riots. So many families were torn apart. "Silco's not really the kind of guy to lie about something like that. He's pretty serious about history."

"And getting into some fancy schmancy academy in Piltover," Powder chimed in, snagging the bottle back off him. She leaned against his side as both of her legs dangled in the open air, her worn boots scuffed at the front from years of use. Turning to face Ekko, some of her bangs flopping to the side, she hummed, "Thing is, I don't know if I wanna go there. Is there any point? I mean, if they hate us, why bother? Going there won't change anything but us. It means..."

We have to leave for good. Change for good.

Neither of them had to say it. For months, ever since they'd received the invitations to attend interviews, both of them had been avoiding the topic of their futures. So many people wanted them to head Topside. Getting into an academy in Piltover was a surefire way of escaping this hellish place, waving goodbye to scamming and robbing and cheating for the rest of their miserable lives. They could change their lives for the better. They could leave this place behind.

Who wouldn't take that chance? Who wouldn't gladly say goodbye to living in the scraps of society?

"It's not worth it, is it?" Laughing slightly, Ekko shook his head. For weeks he'd been thinking it over, passing the option over his mind, and every time he came to the same conclusion: it felt wrong to just up and leave when given the chance. No-one should be given such an easy pathway to luxury while others lived so horribly. "On the surface, it seems like they're doing us a great favour. But when you actually look at it, they're just trying to keep the peace."

Just like when they were children. Just like when the riots were ended, harsh gases and other chemicals burning the air. Restoring order, providing the right ways to live, had always been Piltover's specialty. Controlling their part of the city, the scummy and grime-filled undercity, had always been Piltover's calling - their supreme reason for constantly monitoring and putting up the Enforcer checkpoints at the bridge.

On paper, they cared about the leftovers of Zaun. On paper, they wanted the children of their enemies to thrive. But only on paper.

"Like always," Releasing a sigh, Powder closed her eyes. For a moment they were silent, the faint melody of a song drifting up to their ears in the cool breeze. Then, with a smile, she opened her eyes, "So I guess it means we just have to surprise them."

"You're still going to the interview?" Eyes wide, Ekko blinked. Now that was something he hadn't been expecting. If there was one thing Powder had always expressed, then it was her desire to stay at home, to stay close to her family, because nothing mattered more to her than them. When Vi had first spoken about leaving home, giving another city a try, Powder had put up a fit and cried for days. But apparently she didn't mind the idea going to Piltover herself.

Uncontrollably, Ekko found himself frowning. Was she thinking this through clearly? Was she actually considering what it would mean to go Topside?

"We're going to the interview," Hooking her arm around Ekko's shoulders, Powder grinned as she pulled him into her side. Close, they had always been close like this. Growing up as the youngest of a brood of five, they were used to being paired together. As kids, they used to help the other up off the ground when the others raced ahead to the golden finish line. But this felt different to Ekko, much more important. "And we're going to dazzle them. You and me."

"Dazzle them?" Ekko repeated, staring her right in the eye. Serious, almost stone-faced, he raised an unamused brow, "Didn't our last invention put the judges to sleep? You know, the air purifier?"

"Yeah, but we didn't have something cool and edgy with that," Powder rolled her eyes, rummaging deeply in her trouser pocket. After a moment, she pulled out an object, wrapping her pale fingers around it. Quietly, she murmured, "Now we do."

Slowly, her fingers uncurled to reveal a bright blue orb in the middle of her open hand. Sparkling, bright, it emitted a ring of light onto her palm as she rolled it up and down. Smoothly, the ball traveled and its surface swirled with an ever-changing pattern of light and dark blues. Moving, mesmerizing, almost... magical. Ekko had never seen anything like this before. Usually, all they ever had access to were a few dangerous chemicals and scrap pieces of metal.

"What is it?" Ekko found himself speechless as she dropped the orb into his hands. Carefully, he poked at the thing and watched as its dark blue surface almost rippled from the point of contact. "Where did you find it?"

"I may have stolen it from Silco's box. Apparently it's something super valuable and can provide a fuck ton of energy," Watching as he played with the orb, Powder pulled her legs back onto the rooftop and crossed them. Excitement sparking in her eyes, the mischief within her wasn't at all hidden as she waved a hand dismissively, "Either way, I'm sure he won't miss it. We can always pay him back if we make something sell-able."

"Yeah right," Ekko scoffed, but he didn't hand the object back to her. Instead he held it up to his eye, watched as the deep blue continued to move and swirl by itself, "But I think you're right. This actually might impress them."

If they did this right, they'd definitely make a big splash at the interview. The only problem was doing this right.

"So we're actually doing this?" Powder asked as he gave her back the orb. Carefully, she studied his face, looked for any sign of hesitation, "We're gonna go Topside?"

For a moment, Ekko was silent. Then, with a nod, he told her, "We're gonna go Topside," His arm wrapped around her shoulder, "And we're gonna blow their minds. You and me."

You and me.