Between Laughter and Shadows
The late morning sun cast a warm glow over Ravenhurst, and the line outside the old garage stretched farther than usual. A mix of townsfolk and even a few visitors from the nearby city waited patiently, clutching broken blenders, heaters, and radios. Some chatted while others leaned against the weathered walls, shielding their eyes from the sunlight as they waited for their turn with "the mechanic."
Inside, Ekko worked tirelessly, the buzz of his soldering iron humming through the space. He was hunched over a stubbornly malfunctioning heater, the wires and circuits refusing to cooperate. Around him, the people Powder had taught were hard at work. One boy polished a repaired radio, while another tested a lamp’s flickering lightbulb. They watched Ekko with awe, eager to learn from him as much as they had from Powder.
“Come on…” Ekko muttered, leaning closer to the heater as he soldered a wire back into place. Sweat clung to his forehead, and the faint tick-tick of a nearby clock reminded him just how much time had slipped by.
“Need a hand?”
The voice made him pause mid-motion. He glanced toward the doorway and saw Powder leaning casually against the frame, the sunlight spilling behind her like a halo. Her messy blue hair caught the light in just the right way, and a playful smile curled at her lips.
Ekko’s gaze dropped to the necklace she wore—a green gem encased in metal, hanging delicately around her neck. It was the same jewel they had found just the previous day in the forest while searching for the rare beetle. Seeing the jewel repurposed as a necklace, it seemed to radiate a quiet beauty.
But that wasn’t what left Ekko speechless. For a fleeting moment, Powder didn’t just look like the girl he used to know—the Powder from his childhood in Zaun. No, she resembled the Powder from the other universe.
For a moment, the garage faded away—the ticking clock, the long line of people outside, even the cluttered tools around him. It was just her and that glinting green gem, like a fragment of a story they weren’t supposed to stumble upon.
“Ekko?” she said again, raising an eyebrow. “Need a hand, or are you just gonna gawk all day?”
He blinked, snapping out of his daze. “Uh, yeah! Yeah, sure. Thanks.”
Powder grinned and stepped inside, crouching down across from him. The faint scent of axle grease and metal surrounded her, clinging to her like a second skin. As she leaned closer to inspect the heater, Ekko caught the familiar smell. It wasn’t perfume like most girls would wear—it was the earthy, unpolished scent of a woman who spent hours working with machines. Unbeknownst to Ekko, it was the very same scent Powder’s mother used to carry, a subtle echo of a legacy she likely didn’t even realize she shared.
She began tinkering with the appliance, her nimble fingers quickly finding the problem. Ekko tried to focus, but the weight of a long morning without a proper breakfast was catching up to him. He had already repaired more machines than he could count, and his hands ached from the constant work.
Powder worked with a quiet confidence, her movements precise and efficient. Ekko leaned back for a moment, letting her take the lead as he wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. It wasn’t that she was better at this—Ekko knew he could’ve fixed the heater just as easily—but right now, he was running on fumes.
“You’ve been at this all morning, haven’t you?” Powder asked without looking up, her tone light but knowing.
“Yeah, something like that,” he admitted, his stomach grumbling faintly.
She smirked and gave the heater one last twist of her screwdriver. “There,” she said, pushing the repaired appliance toward him. She didn’t miss a beat as she reached out and tapped him lightly on the nose, leaving a tiny smudge of grease behind.
“All fixed,” she announced with a grin. “Try not to break it again, grease-boy. Machines have feelings, you know.”
As Ekko blinked in surprise, Powder reached into her pocket and pulled out a slightly bruised but perfectly edible apple. “Here,” she said, tossing it to him with a small grin. “You’re not gonna fix anything else on an empty stomach.”
Ekko caught the apple, his lips quirking into a tired smile. “Thanks,” he said, taking a bite as Powder sat back, looking pleased with herself. The faint sweetness of the fruit made him realize just how hungry he was, and he silently appreciated her gesture more than he could say, and her words had that playful Jinx-like flair.
As she stood and stretched, Ekko finally spoke up, his eyes drifting to the necklace. “That necklace… it looks familiar.”
Powder glanced down, her fingers brushing the gem lightly. “Oh, this? It’s the jewel we found in the forest. Turns out, it’s a lot like something my mom used to have. Vi kept it after… well, you know. I don’t know how it ended up here, though. Maybe someone else had one like it. Weird coincidence, huh?”
Ekko nodded, deciding not to press further. Powder smiled, her expression softening. “Anyway, I’m heading to the city. Wanna come?”
For a moment, Ekko considered it. But his eyes drifted to the long line of people outside, their hopeful faces waiting for his help. His grease-streaked face and messy clothes made it clear he’d been working nonstop, but there was still so much to do.
“I’d love to,” he said honestly, but his tone carried a hint of regret.
Powder followed his gaze and sighed, the playful light in her eyes dimming slightly. “Guess you’re always the boy savior, huh?”
Ekko shrugged sheepishly, but before he could reply, Powder rolled up her sleeves and grabbed a wrench from the table.
“Looks like I’ll have to lend a hand again,” she said with mock exasperation. Then, grinning, she added, “Let’s get this line moving before the city forgets me.”
With that, they dove into the pile of broken appliances, their laughter and easy banter filling the garage as the town clock chimed noon.
The garage hummed with life. Powder and Ekko worked side by side, their movements synchronized like the gears of a well-oiled machine. Powder grinned as she tightened a bolt on a broken fan, while Ekko soldered a loose connection on an old toaster. Around them, a group of children bustled about, eagerly handing them tools and learning from the duo.
“Hand me the pliers,” Ekko said, glancing at one of the kids.
A boy quickly passed the tool, watching intently as Ekko made the final adjustment. “That should do it,” Ekko declared, handing the toaster back to a grateful customer.
Powder, meanwhile, was helping a girl fix the wiring on a battered gramophone. She playfully tapped the girl’s shoulder. “Careful there, don’t cross those wires unless you want to start a fireworks show,” she teased.
The girl giggled, steadying her hands as Powder guided her. “See? Told you gadgets can be fun.”
Ekko glanced over at Powder, catching her in a rare moment of focused calm. Their bond was growing stronger with every shared laugh, every problem solved together.
Outside, the line of townsfolk was steadily shortening, their chatter mingling with the sounds of laughter and the occasional clink of tools. Inside, the warmth of their teamwork made the garage feel like the heart of Ravenhurst.
Somewhere in the pristine white sands of Kalstead’s coastline
Two Demacian soldiers were on patrol. Suddenly, one of them paused, squinting at something unusual on the ground. A red stain marred the pristine sand. He crouched down, dipping his finger into the stain and bringing it to his nose. His face tightened.
“Blood,” he muttered, standing abruptly.
The two soldiers exchanged wary glances before noticing a faint trail of crimson leading into the dense forest beyond the dunes. Their swords gleamed as they drew them, their postures tense with caution.
They followed the trail deeper into the woods, where the smell of iron mingled with something foul and rotting. The further they went, the thicker the blood trail became, painting the ground in gruesome streaks.
A rustling noise shattered the tense silence. Both soldiers froze, their grips tightening on their swords. The sound came from a nearby bush, shaking as if something—or someone—was hiding within.
“I’ll check it out,” one soldier whispered, stepping forward with his blade at the ready.
The other soldier nodded, keeping his back to him and scanning the surroundings. The first soldier thrust his sword forward, parting the bush with a shout. His blade sliced through empty air before his eyes fell on the source of the disturbance—a mutilated deer carcass. Its body was torn apart, half-eaten and reeking of decay.
He let out a shaky breath, lowering his sword slightly. “Just a damn deer,” he muttered, his voice thick with relief. “Probably some predator—”
He turned around to speak to his companion, but the other soldier was gone.
“Rolan?” he called out, his voice wavering. The only response was the distant rustle of leaves.
A sudden, chilling voice broke the silence. “I fucking hate Demacians.”
The soldier whipped around at the sound of the voice behind him, but before he could fully react, a dagger was already buried deep in his abdomen. He gasped, his sword slipping from his fingers and clattering to the ground.
Standing before him was a man dressed in the crimson and black of Noxus, his face obscured by a mask. One of his eyes was scarred, glowing with malice, and his voice dripped with venom as he snarled, “Fucking Demacian.”
The soldier’s knees buckled as the man twisted the blade, his vision swimming. His gaze fell to the crimson glow of the Noxian insignia embroidered on the attacker’s cloak. It was the last thing he saw before darkness consumed him.
He crumpled to the ground, his lifeless eyes staring into the void as blood seeped into the forest floor. The masked killer stood over him for a moment, wiping the blood from his dagger with the soldier’s cloak.
From the shadows, more figures emerged, their movements silent and precise. Each one was dressed in the same crimson and black attire, their faces obscured by masks, their weapons gleaming faintly in the dim light. They formed a tight circle behind the killer, their presence exuding an aura of cold, calculated menace.
The scarred man glanced over his shoulder at his comrades, his expression unreadable beneath the mask. He sheathed his dagger with a smooth, practiced motion before speaking, his voice low but commanding.
“Inform the others,” he ordered, his tone sharp and resolute. “The east coast is secured.”
The assassins nodded in unison, their movements eerily synchronized. Without another word, they melted back into the shadows, their forms disappearing into the dense forest like ghosts.
The scarred man lingered for a moment longer, his gaze fixed on the bloodstained ground. Then, with a final glance at the fallen soldier, he turned and vanished into the darkness, leaving only silence and the faint scent of iron behind.
Back in Ravenhurst
The last of the townspeople left with smiles and freshly repaired appliances in hand, their gratitude echoing in thank-yous and cheerful goodbyes. The sun hung low in the sky, casting long golden shadows across Ravenhurst. Ekko and Powder stood amidst the aftermath—a workshop littered with scattered tools, grease-streaked rags, and a pile of discarded parts. The kids who had helped them, the ones Powder had taught to make gadgets, sprawled on the floor or leaned against walls, exhaustion written on their grease-smudged faces.
Ekko wiped his forehead with his arm, leaving behind another streak of black grease. He looked around at the tired yet contented faces and couldn’t help but smile. They’d made it through another busy day.
Powder, sitting cross-legged on the floor, leaned back on her hands and stretched her legs. A streak of grease crossed her cheek, and her wild blue hair was a mess from the day’s work. “Well, that was a day,” she said, glancing over at Ekko.
“No kidding,” Ekko replied, sinking onto a nearby stool with a groan. “I don’t think I’ve ever fixed that many heaters in one go. I’m not even sure I remember what lunch tasted like.”
Powder grinned, leaning her head back to stare at the ceiling. “So,” she said, her tone casual but with a hint of playfulness, “what do you say we head to the city?”
Ekko blinked at her, caught off guard. “The city? Now? Powder, it’s late. The last bus has already left.”
Powder sighed, looking momentarily defeated. She glanced at the fading sunlight spilling through the workshop windows. Then her eyes lit up, and a mischievous grin spread across her face. “I guess we can go anyway.”
Ekko raised an eyebrow. “How, exactly?”
Powder sprang to her feet and disappeared into the garage. Moments later, she reemerged, wheeling out Ekko’s hoverboard. The metallic surface caught the light, reflecting its well-loved wear and tear. Powder stopped in front of Ekko and held it out to him with a triumphant look. “Here you go.”
Ekko stared at her, half amused and half skeptical. “I mean, yeah, it can hold two people, but it’s not exactly built for it. Balancing will be tricky, and driving it like this…” He trailed off, eyeing the hoverboard like it was about to challenge him to a duel.
Powder tilted her head, the corners of her mouth tugging into a mischievous grin. “Tricky, huh? And here I thought you were the hoverboard master.”
Ekko smirked, shaking his head as he picked up the hoverboard. “Alright, fine. But if you throw us off-balance, it’s your fault.”
“Deal,” Powder replied cheerfully, stepping up behind him as he set the board down and powered it on.
Ekko hopped on first, steadying the board with practiced ease. Powder followed, her hands lightly brushing his shoulders before she settled in behind him. Then, with no warning, she wrapped her arms firmly around his waist.
Ekko froze for a split second, his pulse spiking as he felt her warmth against his back. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to focus on the road ahead. “Alright,” he said, his voice quieter than usual. “Just follow my movements, okay? Lean when I lean. No sudden shifts.”
Powder chuckled, resting her chin lightly against his shoulder. “Got it, captain.”
Satisfied, Ekko tilted his foot, and the hoverboard sprang to life with a low hum. Powder adjusted quickly, her arms tightening around his waist as they began to glide forward. Her laughter, soft and bright, bubbled up behind him, carried by the wind as they picked up speed.
The cool evening breeze swept past them, tousling Ekko’s white hair and sending strands of Powder’s electric blue locks brushing against his shoulder. He could feel the warmth of her against his back, her steady grip sending a mix of comfort and nervous energy through him.
The road stretched ahead, surrounded by the quiet of the countryside. The golden hues of the fading sun painted the landscape around them, fields bathed in warm light and shadows growing longer with every passing minute. For a while, it was just them and the hum of the hoverboard, the stillness of the moment making it feel like the world had melted away.
Ekko found himself smiling, not at the thrill of the ride but at the thought of Powder behind him, her presence steady and reassuring. It wasn’t something he had expected, but there was something about her that made this simple moment feel extraordinary.
Powder leaned slightly forward, her voice soft and teasing as it broke the quiet. “You sure this thing can handle us both for an hour? Or are you about to toss me off halfway, hero?”
Ekko chuckled, leaning slightly into a turn. “Relax. I’ve got this. Just follow my movements, remember?”
Her laughter chimed behind him, and for a second, Ekko glanced over his shoulder. The golden light caught her features just right, making her eyes sparkle in a way that made his heart skip a beat. Powder’s smile, wide and carefree, was infectious, and he couldn’t help but grin back.
The hoverboard hummed along quietly as the path through the forests stretched before them, the golden light of the setting sun painting a serene picture. Powder's laughter rang out, light and free, and Ekko couldn’t help but smile. He glanced over his shoulder at her, her grin wide and her hair catching the light like a vibrant flame.
That’s when Powder’s sharp eyes caught it—a glint of metal in the trees to their right. Her smile vanished instantly as her instincts kicked in. Her pink eyes shimmered faintly, her voice urgent and commanding.
“Ekko, STOP!”
Ekko, startled by the sudden shift in her tone, slammed his foot down, the hoverboard skidding to an abrupt halt. Just as they stopped, an arrow whizzed past, inches from where Ekko’s head had been.
Ekko’s eyes widened, his heart pounding as the reality of how close that had been set in. He opened his mouth to say something, but Powder was already in motion.
From seemingly nowhere, she yanked out a small grenade she’d been hiding in the waistband of her pants. Without hesitation, she tossed it into the air and detonated it. The device exploded with a sharp crack, unleashing a thick, billowing cloud of smoke that quickly enveloped the area.
“Stay quiet,” she whispered, her voice barely audible over the sound of the grenade’s hiss. The hoverboard fell silent as Ekko powered it down, the two of them crouching low amidst the swirling fog.
The world was quiet, save for the faint rustle of leaves. Ekko’s mind raced as he scanned the smoke-filled area, his grip tightening on the metal pipe he had brought along on the hoverboard. Powder’s sharp senses were on full alert, her body tense but her movements deliberate as they moved silently through the dense cover of smoke.
A shadow shifted ahead, barely visible through the haze, and Ekko’s sharp eyes caught the outline of a figure crouching low, poised like a predator. The assassin was clad in the crimson and black attire of Noxus, his face still obscured by the mask he wore. This was no random ambush—it was deliberate, and the killer moved with deadly precision, scanning the smoke for his targets.
Ekko and Powder exchanged a glance, their silent understanding rooted in years of surviving skills. Powder gestured subtly, signaling that she had his back, while Ekko positioned himself to flank the assassin.
As they crept closer, the assassin tilted his head, sensing movement but unable to pinpoint their location amidst the thick smoke. Powder’s lips curled into a confident smirk as she crept up from the side, her gun drawn and trained on the figure. Ekko emerged behind him with silent precision, the pipe resting casually on his shoulder as if daring the man to make a move.
The assassin froze as Powder’s voice broke the silence. “Move an inch, and I’ll repaint the forest with your brains.” Her tone was playful but deadly, the sharp glint in her pink eyes unmistakable.
The assassin turned his head slightly, just enough to glimpse the duo out of the corner of his eye. Ekko stood tall behind him, his expression calm yet commanding, while Powder crouched to his side, her weapon pressed close enough to the man’s temple that he could feel the cold metal.
“Now,” Ekko said coolly, tapping the pipe against his palm, “why don’t you tell us what some masked creep is doing out here, taking cheap shots at travelers?”