Choke On It
It had taken a truly unholy amount of napkins to clean the ice cream from Lora and Argus’s faces. Pow continued licking happily at her double scoop of pistachio, her new neon green tongue stud shimmering in the light of the morning sun, and Ekko had bypassed Caitlyn’s offer of a treat. He still felt void inside, a walking, breathing chasm that could never be filled. He had laid his life out bare before Powder and Vi, and they hadn’t seen him differently, not slightly. He knew they wouldn’t; he knew they’d each had their own traumas and had seen who Ekko grew up to be, and knowing his history wouldn’t have changed him. But the idea of there being people alive in this world who knew his past, who had paid secondhand witness to his ghosts, scared him. It was a well kept secret, something he had choked and buried for so long that setting it free felt like indecent exposure. But it had happened, he had lost his shit, the way he had in front of Scar on multiple occasions, and there was no undoing that.
Vi and Caitlyn walked ahead of Ekko and his family, lost in their own little world. Ekko valued Cait as a person, and respected all that she had done to help him and Zaun, but he also couldn’t forget about her assault on the Undercity. Ekko had only been with the Firelights months after her attacks, but there were hundreds of Zaunites, innocent people, who were still violently ill after the gas. Many hadn’t survived it; Scar reported that it had been a highly potent batch of the Gray. Caitlyn had done loads of good, and Ekko could respect that, but no amount of good would bring his people back. Bring Mila back. He wasn’t quite sure what Vi had seen in her, but after a long time apart, he could look at the two of them with fresh eyes and tell that they were good for each other.
“What’s going on in that big head of yours? You doin’ alright?” Pow asked, bumping his hip playfully. Despite her tease, he could hear the undercurrent of worry in her voice.
“I’ve been better, but I’m here, I’m making things work.”
“You should’ve told me sooner,” she said. She laced her free hand with his, rubbing it with a gentle thumb. “I didn’t realize coming back here bothered you that much.”
“It’s not entirely that, I’m sure these things would have come up sooner or later, as much as I hate to admit it.” Ekko shook his head, trying to get his scrambled thoughts in order. “It was a whole bunch of things, I think. I haven’t been able to sleep easily, I’m seeing people that I thought I’d never see again. Going places I thought I’d never go again. It’s just stirring up some bad memories. And I guess all of those things led me down a dark hole, but I promise you won’t have to see me like that again.” He wouldn’t let her.
“None of that,” Pow replied. “Do I want that to happen again? Definitely not, you really scared me last night. But if it does happen, I want you to find me. We can work through it together.”
“Hey Pow Pow!” Vi shouted from before him. He hasn’t noticed Vi and Caitlyn stop. Besides the four of them, and their kids as oblivious as ever, was a brightly lit, spruced up arcade that was closely reminiscent of the one they’d frequent as kids. “It’s been a while since I’ve kicked your ass. Let’s see if we can still keep up.”
——————————
Ekko hung back while his wife and sister in law competed in every game they came across. There were no advantages or cheats; this arcade turned out to be nothing at all like the one in Zaun. It came with games that were quite literally games. Designed for lighthearted entertainment rather than punching or fighting. He was still exhausted, despite the extra sleep he’d gotten, and the walk around the city had his ankle throbbing like lightning danced within it. Caitlyn was near silent beside him, only letting out the occasional humph whenever Vi beat Pow at a round of skee ball. The kids had taken to themselves, given tokens to play freely so long as they stayed within the building. Ekko was content enough here, he could have fallen asleep if not for Rashi on his leg, babbling idly.
“I was going to tell you sooner, but I could tell your mental state was not quite ideal for this conversation,” Caitlyn said, rather out of the blue in Ekko’s opinion. Her choice of words worried him, what could she have to say that would upset him? “You have every right to say no, but I will ask since I’m sure Violet would be too embarrassed to say so herself. Piltover custom demands a father to walk his daughter down the aisle to marry her off, but with Vi’s fathers both…no longer here, she confided in me that she wanted it to be you. So, would you be interested in that?”
Ekko had expected lots of horrible questions to leave her mouth, but that was not remotely close to any of them. This was almost nice, being considered by his closest friend, the woman who was like a mother to him—a real mother, the woman Raya never was—who wished for him to play such a crucial role in the most important day of her life. It was overwhelming, in the idea of being in Piltover’s spotlight for an evening after years of hiding, but he wanted nothing more than to be the reason Vi smiled. She hadn’t done nearly enough of that in her life, at least the parts Ekko had been there for.
“Of course. Just tell me what to do and I’ll do it.”
“There would be a chair for you at the front of the seating area, all you would need to do is accompany Vi on her walk down the aisle.”
Ekko could do that. He could. He could take her arm and walk her to her new beginning, watch her marry the woman of her dreams and start a new phase of her life. One that didn’t involve Zaun, didn’t involve hell on earth. And he could sit back down at the end of it all, and watch as one more piece of his past falls perfectly into place in a different puzzle. And he would love it, because that meant one more ghost would fade from his memory, as he watched her smile so brightly that the light burned away any trace of her shadow in his head. He would gladly do this for her. There was only one matter to question.
“Do I have to dress up?” It would not be a dealbreaker, of course, but he begged inside to hear a no, or at the least a not extravagantly. But he was not so lucky.
“I already have a suit set aside for you,” Caitlyn replied. “I took a guess at your measurements, but we will have it tailored for you tonight. I plan on taking Powder out later to find a dress to wear, since I wasn’t sure what would fit her.”
Ekko nodded. He knew from shopping back home that women were much harder to clothe than men, with every added curve and dip comparable to the straight and flat. He supposed he could use that time to clear his head, to take the chance to piece himself back together in time for Vi’s big day. The last thing anyone needed was for him to be any less than his best. Especially Vi and Pow. This would be a big day for his wife as much as it would be for Vi and Cait. It would be a show for Piltover, that she was changed, it would be a show that despite every odd, the two sisters, enforcer and changed criminal, could love each other again. It would be a load bearing brick in the bridge between Piltover and Zaun.
“Are you feeling alright?” Caitlyn asked. “I know last night was hard on you.”
“Is it too much to ask that we just don’t talk about that?” Ekko huffed. He was tired of people wanting to hear him talk. He understood Vi and Pow's perspective, they were family to him, but Caitlyn was hardly more than a stranger who happened to be marrying his sister. She had been there for all of three moments in his life; and all surrounded Jinx. Outside of their shared connection to her, they were nothing to each other. And here she was, wanting to know his secrets. “I’ve done plenty of talking for one day.”
“I understand. I just wanted to offer.”
The two returned to their silence, watching their girls continue their competition. Argus wandered slowly back to Ekko’s side, evidently out of coins. Not far from the women, Idina and Lora marveled over a table hockey game, more focused on getting the red numbers to light up than the true gameplay. It was nice, seeing everyone in his family so carefree, so happy. It made the lead in his chest lighten up just a little.
“Hey Ekko!” Vi yelled from across the room. “You wanna play? I’ve got an extra coin!”
Ekko shook his head. “I’m good. You have your fun.”
Vi did not. Instead, she approached him, sitting beside him as Pow went in search of Idina and Lora. “Is there anything you do want to do? You’ve been pretty down all day, I don’t like seeing you so quiet.”
“I’m not sure. I guess I’m just…I guess I just need to adjust a bit. I might head back to Zaun, pay some people a visit.”
“You’re not going by yourself, if that’s what you’re suggesting,” Vi said. “Pow or I could go along, but I don’t think you being alone is a good idea.”
It didn’t take a genius to know why Vi had been so adamant. Ekko agreed with her; while he wasn’t sure he was eager for company, he knew that being alone would not be good for him right now. But he didn’t want to separate the two sisters, not after seeing how much fun they’d been having together. He would only be going to the old Firelight base, just to see what had become of it now that the Firelights were no more.
“Caitlyn could join me. I don’t want you to have to give up a fun day to play babysitter.”
Caitlyn turned to Ekko, eyes wide. Confused? Nervous? Shocked? All of the above seemed accurate. His decision barely wavered. She would be company that didn’t interfere with Pow and Vi having a good day, she was distant, unbiased company who wouldn’t question his every move and decision. And maybe, through an hour or two with her, he could familiarize himself with the woman his sister was marrying.
“Are you sure you want that?” The Piltie woman asked. She seemed as apprehensive as he may have been, had this been ten years ago. “We don’t know each other all that well.”
“Then you should have no problem keeping me in line if needed. Pow came here to spend time with Vi. I’m not getting in the way of that.”
“Well then,” Vi said, taking Rashi from Ekko, even as he began to fuss at the change of hands. “Have at it. We’ll have dinner ready when you get home.”
“Is that really a good idea?” Ekko asked, remembering the night before. The kitchen had still smelled smoky when he’d passed through it that morning.
“I’m sure Pow Pow can actually use a stove,” Vi retaliated. “Or at least be taught how to.”
“Yeah, whatever. You burn one chicken wing and suddenly everyone’s up your ass.”
“You set it on fire!”
“Can’t hear you, I’m off to Zaun with your fiancée, bye!”
———————————
Caitlyn lingered close behind Ekko as they walked the streets of Zaun. The second they had left the arcade, Ekko only had one thought in mind: Scar. The man who had been one of the only Firelights left after the Noxian war, and a close friend who he had neglected to keep contact with after leaving. Maybe he could update Ekko on the state of Zaun, maybe distract him from the events of the past 48 hours. Either way, Ekko knew for sure that he had missed his best friend, and was eager to reconnect with him now that he was back in Zaun.
Cait seemed to barely pay Ekko any mind once she realized he had no intentions of getting shitfaced or worse, instead gazing around the streets as if she had never seen them before. Even with the rebuilding, Ekko should’ve known the councilors would never actually step foot down here. Aside from Sevika, of course. As long as Caitlyn didn’t start asking questions that Ekko wasn’t in the mood to answer.
The Firelights base, from the outside, was still covered in ash and charred stone. Ekko shifted his weight to his good leg before pushing the boulder over the door out of the way just enough for he and Caitlyn to shimmy in. Inside, the sanctuary was vibrant and so full of life compared to the last time he was there. Green firelights flew about overhead, lighting the place in emerald, and Ekko recognized many of the kids who once called this place home, now adults bearing Firelight masks of their own. The path to he and Scar’s shared room was all too familiar, despite the years away, and while Caitlyn was left to meander about the base, he made his way up the tree towards his friend.
The door was cracked open barely two inches, as it always had been. Ekko peeked through the slight opening, hoping to see Scar sitting as his desk by the wall. Instead, there sat a young kid, a boy of about 10, doodling away on a blank paper. Behind the boy, there was Scar. Much older, wearing a very proud but weary look in his eyes, but so very Scar, in the way he stood and carried himself. Ekko quietly knocked on the doorframe.
“I hope I’m not interrupting,” Ekko said with a smile, watching the confusion, the shock and raw joy on his friend’s face as he recognized who stood at the door. Scar made his way over in barely a blink, hugging Ekko tightly enough to steal the air from his chest.
“Ekko, it’s been so long!” Scar said upon releasing him. “Where have you been?!”
“Eh, you know. Here, there. Far away from Piltover.” Ekko teased, following Scar into the room. “Just needed a fresh start. The war did a number on us all.”
“I get that. Well, I’m glad you’re back. I hope you’re here to stay?” The two quickly sat down on Scar’s bed, the latter seeming to notice the mangled state of Ekko’s bad ankle.
“Unfortunately, no. My sister in law is getting married in a few days, I’m just in town for the wedding. But I’d love to stop by every so often while I’m here. I’ve missed everyone.”
“Sister in law?” Scar grinned brightly. A little suspiciously. “When did you get married?!”
“It’s been six years now. I’ll have to bring my wife over at some point for you to formally meet her. She’s visiting her sister right now,” Ekko replied. Was it a good idea to bring Pow here to visit the Firelights? Likely not, but she’d done that game enough times in the last few days that he was sure she’d be okay. And Scar had always been a much more forgiving man than he.
“Ah, your wife huh? Here I thought it would be you and that street con Ezreal that you kept making eyes at during our Shimmer operations. Mila and I even had a bet going, if she were here I’d owe her quite a hefty sum.”
“You two bet on me?!” Ekko buried his head in his hands, his face heating up rapidly. He couldn’t say he was shocked. It had always been Pow for him, from the beginning, whether she be Powder or Jinx, but he couldn’t deny that Ezreal was an attractive man. And Scar had always been good at reading his every mood, including lust, which embarrassed him to no end on many occasions.
“She was adamant that you’d end up with that little green haired girl she saw you wandering the Lanes with that one time, but I swore there was no way you were even into girls. So we did…sort of…bet on it.” Scar teased. “Whatever happened to her anyway?”
“Zeri?” Ekko asked. He couldn’t say he’d thought of her once in a long, long time. She had come to him, inquiring about the Firelights, but he was too oblivious to notice her crush on him. “I’m not sure, to be honest. I don’t think I’ve seen her once since that day. I know she was some Chembaron’s daughter, and we know what happened to all the Chembarons, so who’s to say?”
“It’s tragic, seeing kids caught in the crossfires of war,” Scar agreed. He shook his head. “I can’t even be sure of what side to take in that particular situation. The Chembarons caused us nothing but problems, but the Enforcers were also wrong to gas out our streets and kill them. All for what? To find Jinx, just one more big name thug who was always causing problems for us?”
“It’s definitely wrong, but it’s over now,” Ekko agreed, thinking back to that morning, the proof of what comes when children are exposed to violence too soon.
“Whatever happened to Jinx anyway?” Scar asked after a silent minute of watching his kid doodle. “The rumor mill hasn’t stopped spinning after all these years. I figured you might know something. She was with us at the start of the Noxian fight, but after that I never saw her.”
Ekko looked down at his hands, folded in his lap. “She died. Sacrificed herself to save her sister from the Beast.”
“Oh, Ekko I’m so sorry,” Scar said, and Ekko could tell he meant it. He had been slower to accept Jinx that day, in comparison to some other Firelights, but upon realizing how much she meant to Ekko, reluctantly allied with her. “Have you been okay?”
Ekko couldn’t help but chuckle a bit. Part of him enjoyed messing with people a little. He could see the appeal in Pow faking her death; it was eye-opening, hearing what people had to say when they believed there was no risk of the person in question catching them, and also quite funny to see them sulk, knowing Pow was alive and well.
“Oh, I’ve been great. She survived the fall. Jinx is dead, Pow took her place. Same woman, whole new lease on life. She’s my wife now.”
Scar laughed. “Should’ve known. You should take me to see her at some point. I’ve missed that spitfire.”
“She’d be happy to see you. How’s the kid doing?”
“Carlos? He’s been great. Growing way too fast, that boy.”
The young kid at the desk turned at the sound of his name. He was a mini Scar, with the exception of eyes a vastly different shape and shade. Last Ekko had seen him, he was still in diapers. Now, he reminded Ekko a lot of his father, not just by his appearance.
“I see that. How’s it going, little dude?” Ekko asked, smiling gently at the kid, who ignored him in favor of his drawing.
“He’s shy with strangers, but once he gets used to you, he’ll open up.”
“Sounds appropriate for a kid his age.” Ekko said. He laughed sheepishly as he held a hand over his neck, scalding with shame. “Hey, why don’t you come with me to just wander around for a while? Powder has me on some sort of crisis watch and won’t let me anywhere by myself. Caitlyn Kiramman is the one supervising for now, she’s outside with the kids.”
Scar’s face fell slightly, a sad but knowing look in his eyes. “Define crisis?”
“I went on a walk alone yesterday to clear my head and may have accidentally ended up shitfaced, then had another fit last night and it has her all worked up. She’s worried, and I know she has every right to be, but the babying is a little overwhelming.”
“You’re still having them?” He asked instead of answering Ekko’s question. It annoyed him a bit, but his friend, too, had every right to worry.
“That was my first one in three years. They aren’t as common anymore. But being back here stressed me out a bit. I’m doing better now, mostly, and I just want to walk around and see Zaun. It would be fun to catch up while I did, and we can keep Pow happy too.”
“That’s a good idea.” Scar stood, offering a hand to Ekko, who took it gratefully. “Car, I’m going to leave you here with Cameron and his partner while I spend some time with Ekko. Get what you want to play with while I’m gone.”
“Can’t I just stay in here?” Carlos whined, not budging except to throw his head back in childish exasperation.
“I’m not leaving you by yourself, and you know that no one but us is allowed in this room.”
“You let your friend in here!”
“Yes, because this used to be his room too and he was my boss for many years before you came to exist. Now, up you go.”
Carlos listened, though quite reluctantly. And once the door to the room was locked, Ekko and Scar made their way down the tree on the latter’s hoverboard while Carlos took his own. Ekko noted that he rode well for someone so young. At the base of the tree stood Caitlyn, talking to a young brown haired woman.
“There you are, Ekko, I was beginning to worry,” she said upon his landing.
“Just getting caught up with Scar,” he replied. “I assume you two have met?”
“We have not, actually. I do remember you from that night Ekko brought you and your woman here, but I don’t believe we’ve been properly introduced,” Scar said, looking inquisitively at Caitlyn. “You’re councilor Kiramman, I take it?”
“I am, yes,” Caitlyn replied. She seemed a bit overwhelmed, exactly as she had years ago the last time she was here.
“I’m going to walk around with Scar, so you can go back to Vi if you want. I promise I will be properly supervised,” Ekko teased. As much as he hated being babied, he could at least try and make light of the situation. Better the others don’t know how embarrassing this is, lest they worry more.
“Oh, good,” Caitlyn replied, which admittedly left Ekko shocked and a little wounded. Was he that much of a chore? “Vi told me a few minutes ago that Powder found the old firing range and is having a little too much fun. I need to go before she lands herself behind bars.”
Ekko cackled, that was so like her. He could easily imagine she’d already dropped a gun or five in Idina’s hands and had her doing target practice while Vi stood off to the side just shaking her head in loving disdain. Caitlyn ran off quickly, back to Piltover to stop a juvenile insurrection.
Ekko followed behind Scar as he walked around the sanctuary with Carlos, seemingly looking for the Cameron he had mentioned a few minutes ago. He looked around the base at all the people who milled about, many unrecognizable. Maybe he was wrong all those years ago, when he’d thought the Firelights dead and gone. They had built themselves back up from nothing, become what they once were, and Ekko hadn’t been there for any of it. But rather than feel guilty, he was proud of what it had become. The Firelights were his legacy, and he was glad to see them thriving.
It took a few minutes, but Scar finally found the man he had been searching for. A tall, lanky man of pale hair and paler eyes. Carlos ran up to him with a smile, launching himself into his arms as the man had scrambled to catch him, unprepared for the attack.
“You heading out?” The man asked Scar. His eyes traveled to Ekko, and Ekko was struck with an odd sense of deja vu. Something about this man, this Cameron, seemed oddly familiar. The man seemed to think the same, as his eyes lit up with a confused but excited shine. They quickly dimmed, looking back to Scar. “I got the kid. Just me today though.”
“He still sick?” Scar asked. Cameron nodded. “I’ll bring back some medication. I’m just heading out, catching up with an old friend.” He patted Ekko’s shoulder, about as much affection as Scar would outwardly express.
“Sounds like fun. I don’t believe we’ve met, I’ll have to get to know you soon,” Cameron replied. “Scar doesn’t make a whole lot of friends, always good to meet the ones he deems worthy.”
“Ha ha,” Scar replied dryly. “Cam, this is Ekko, our former leader. Ekko, this is Cam, a rather new member of the Firelights. You can get acquainted later. I don’t want to taunt my son by lingering here after I ruined his day by making him leave our room.”
Scar left without any further conversation. It seemed for all that had been upended here, Scar hadn’t changed one bit. Ekko followed him out of the commune, feeling eyes on his back, but choosing not to acknowledge them.
———————————
Ekko hadn’t even realized that two whole hours had passed since he and Scar left the commune. It felt like they had never been apart at all, the way they had melded back into casual conversation just as they did years ago. He had learned about the years of rebuilding in secret, so that any remaining Chembarons stayed off their trail; the partnership with the Piltovian council, courtesy of Sevika. He learned about the expansion of the memorial wall that Ekko had started, coated with names rather than portraits; the dead had been too many to paint, and half were mangled beyond recognition when their bodies were recovered. The thought made Ekko sick, but he was grateful that his work had been continued after he was gone. He learned about every practical joke, every gag and tease, the friendships that had been kept alive despite everything. He had missed out on so much, but he wouldn’t trade it for anything. Not if this was the outcome.
Pow, Vi and Caitlyn waited for him and Scar back at the Firelight commune, admiring the wall Ekko had been told about. Sure enough, beneath the collage of faces, among which his had been added, was a long list of names painted in white. Ekko approached the three unsteadily, two hours of walking leaving him off balance.
“There you are!” Pow exclaimed, hugging him tightly. “Good to know you weren’t lying just to get Caity here off your back.”
“Never call me that again,” Caitlyn replied hotly. Ekko got the impression this was not the first time the two were having this conversation.
“Now why would I do that?” Ekko smirked. “I told you, I have no ulterior motives.”
“Now I’m getting the feeling you did something you shouldn’t have.” Vi, ever the suspicious one.
“Well, we did make a quick pit stop,” Scar admitted.
“Dude, way to be a snitch!”
“Ekko, where did you go?” Pow asked, a dark look on her face.
Ekko sighed. “I’m not walking all that way again. Scar has pictures, go bother him. I need to sit down.”
It was only a few paces to a ledge, as the painting was right beside them, so Ekko got to sit and watch each woman individually look to the Polaroid photo in Scar’s hand and cackle. The two had gotten halfway through their walk when they came across the Guzzle Hut again. Scar had told stories of times there that ended in sick days, and how no matter which drink he tried, they all tasted worse than Zaunite rainwater. Not even to mention the nasty owner, who had caused many a problem for the Firelights in particular. So Scar, upon passing by and noticing Ekko’s sudden spike in anxiety, simply pulled out a can of red spray paint, and the two together left a large, red dick right on the cobblestones, along with a nice message to the owner to choke on one. It brightened his day considerably.
“Scar?”
The man from earlier approached again, Carlos in tow. The boy ran for his father while Cameron hung back, looking again back and forth between he and Ekko. The sight of him continued to unnerve Ekko.
“Thanks for watching him. I owe you one,” Scar replied half heartedly as he passed off a bottle of something he’d picked up during their walk, still focused on Vi and Cait, seemingly engaged in a deep conversation with the latter. Pow had taken the kids for a walk, sensing how antsy they had gotten. She probably also wanted to keep them from asking any inappropriate questions, as half the people here were non-human and Idina’s curiosity tended to get the best of her.
“Of course.” Again, the man’s eyes lingered on Ekko just long enough to be uncomfortable, before he turned on his heel and returned to whatever he had been doing.
“Does he seem a little odd to you guys?” Ekko asked, watching the man as he hurried away.
“That’s just Cam for ya, he’s always been odd,” Scar replied.
The name struck a chord deep in Ekko’s memory, a little story buried deep in a box in the furthest corners of his mind that hadn’t been dug up in this life. Despite hearing it before just hours ago, seeing the man in a new lens brought the truth to light. Cam. His friend, the one who inadvertently named him those many years ago. His old name had been all but lost to time and tragedy, but with the sight of his old friend, came many memories of soccer in alleyways, of walls vandalized and pockets pilfered. Of the good days of his youth, where all that mattered was who was winning whatever competition was on that day, rather than Raya’s stoned escapades or putting dinner on the table.
Ekko had done enough digging in his past for a long while. But he supposed that this would be one chapter of his story he wouldn’t mind rereading.
———————————
Ekko followed behind Cam slowly, not wanting to stress his leg. The slow walk also gave him time to think. What would one say to a friend who they haven’t seen in twenty one years? And things didn’t exactly end on the best of notes. Ekko had simply been there one day, gone the next. He didn’t have Mila to bridge the gap anymore; she was often the one he held to the tightest, the first to find him and the one who introduced him to the two boys. But he supposed he would find a way. Maybe Cam recognized him too? He had been staring at Ekko every chance he got, it seemed.
He found Cam perched on a fountain that had not been there years ago, beside a man with hair dyed burnt red and clothes not unlike Scar’s. This particular area was sparsely populated, everyone milling about in other corners of the commune. It was just Cam and this man, and this beautiful jade painted fountain.
The thumping of his cane likely gave him away when Cam turned. The other man followed suit, equally familiar in his own way, though unrecognizable. While Cam had looked quite similar to his teen years, this man struck no bells in Ekko’s head.
“I hear the Firelights are still growing?” He asked. Best not to give himself away just yet, he wanted to gauge the situation, see what Cam thought of him before outing himself. “There weren’t nearly this many when I stepped down years ago.”
“I suppose so,” Cam agreed. “Can I ask, Scar said your name was Ekko?”
“That’s right. Ekko Daley, I’m the one who built this place. Not without help, of course.”
The redhead nudged Cam gently, a look in his eyes that seemed to say I understand. “It’s good to meet you. This place has been a Janna send.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
Ekko sat down beside Cam, leaving several feet of space between them. The atmosphere around the three was painfully tense, and Ekko would not be the one to break the delicate rhythm. If Cam had no memory of him, Ekko could lay that piece of himself to rest for good, content in the life where no strings tied him to Jamie. But if by some odd chance, Cam knew who he was, still remembered him after all these years, he could rebuild that bridge, watch the painful parts flow below it as he reveled in the joy and nothing else.
“Jamie? That’s you, isn’t it?”
Ekko winced slightly at the old name, shocked to hear it spoken aloud after so long. It felt foreign, like the last fleeting sight of a dream before becoming lost to forgetfulness. He wasn’t Pow, he hadn’t abandoned the name in favor of choosing a new one, in hopes of better reflecting his negative character, rather choosing to cling to a name assigned to him affectionately, by friends rather than enemies, an anchor in the storm of his innocence stolen. It was something that gave him purpose. A reminder of why he lived. A reminder that even when things have gone to shit, there are still those out there who loved him. But the old name was a punch back into reality, that his past did happen. It likely would’ve hit him way harder than it had in that moment, if not for the emotional vacuum that the previous night had been.
“My name is Ekko, but…yeah. That’s me.” Ekko watched the dirt floor intently. It was better than having to see the looks on their faces.
“Dude, where the hell did you go?!” The redhead man exclaimed, leaving little room for Ekko to do so much as breathe before opening his mouth.
“I don’t even know who you are.”
The man sighed. “Didn’t think I looked that different, Little Echo, damn.”
“Jesse. Right.”
“Yeah, right! Now, care to tell us where you’ve been all this time?”
“Here, Jesse. I’ve been here. Then when I stepped down I moved away with my wife and gave myself a chance to enjoy my life. Any other bullshit questions?”
Cam leaned forward, keeping one hand on Jesse’s shoulder. “Listen, Ja—Ekko, you were there one day, and the next we find a goodbye note and no indication of where you went. We just want to know what happened.”
“I’ll tell you what happened: I woke up and realized the world didn’t give a shit about us. About Zaun, about the ones society leaves behind. The ones that have nothing. So I took matters into my own hands and built a place where all those people the world ignored got a chance to mean something. Addicts found recovery. Starving kids found food. The homeless had a roof over their head and clothes on their back. And many of us decided we needed to take it one step further and fight, because this shelter was only a bandaid. We needed to stick it to Silco and to Piltover if our people ever stood a chance.”
Cam shook his head. “I’m glad you did all this, but I never thought I’d see you so…angry.”
Ekko shrugged. “People change. But tell me about yourselves. What have you guys been up to?”
“Well, I guess a good starter is that we’re together now,” Cam said. “Four years now. After Mila passed away, we were all each other had, and that kinda turned into something serious.”
“We’ve just been living here, helping Scar with the rebuilding efforts,” Jesse added. “But I mostly stay and watch the kids since I’m too sick to really be out much.”
“Scar did mention something about that,” Ekko recalled. He gathered that Jesse must’ve been the one Scar picked up medication for during their trip. “Is everything okay? You used to be out all the time.”
Jesse sighed. “Yeah, it’s just the shitty air down here. When that Council bitch came down here with the Gray years ago, I was living on the streets, didn’t have any way to escape the fumes. From what I’ve gathered, the chemicals must’ve done some weird shit to my brain, melted it or whatever, not quite sure. I’ll get these stupid shaking fits sometimes, they’ll put me on my ass for days more often than not.”
Ekko was over his hatred for Caitlyn, he really was. But there were moments that he just wanted to hold her upside down and shake her until her brains started working. This was one of those moments. Knowing that the ones who by some miracle survived her chemical attack were now plagued with lifelong diseases was infuriating. Viktor was one example, with bad lungs. Ekko believed his case was a one-off; most of the Undercity had adapted to survive the toxic air. But Caitlyn’s batch had been even more toxic, so he supposed it made sense that more people were affected. But seizures? The fact only proved that the Gray had devastating neurological effects, on top of the disastrous physical ones. Ekko wanted to shake her.
“Now don’t go having a coronary on me,” Jesse teased, jabbing Ekko’s shoulder to get his attention. “It’s not so bad once you’ve lived with it long enough.”
That was bullshit, and Ekko knew it. He’d seen it happen enough for himself to know how bad it could truly get. Pow had had her fair share of fits during each of her pregnancies, the Shimmer reacting to a new presence in her body. Then each kid in turn, born with Shimmer in their own veins. Pow didn’t seem concerned either, as she had experienced it during her initial drugging and that, while painful, was a normal experience with whatever batch of Shimmer she had been dosed with, and should only happen once for the kids. She had been correct. The fits were devastating, for both victim and witness, and to think that Caitlyn’s assault had caused a permanent injury to likely many people bothered him deeply.
“It’s definitely not good, dude.”
A sigh. “I know, but what can you do? The only option is to just go along with it and try to be as positive as possible.”
“Yeah, I guess I understand that. I could say the same about my leg.”
Cam nodded. “I didn’t want to be the one to ask, but I noticed that.”
“I was on the front lines of the Noxian war. My wife and I did some hefty damage, but it’s safe to say I’ll be using this thing,” Ekko waved his cane idly. “For the rest of my life.”
“That war was brutal, man,” Jesse commented. “Props to you for fighting, I was hiding here, helped put the fires out when it burned.”
“You kept this place safe, that was an important job as well.”
“Tell me about this wife,” Cam said. “Shit, can’t believe you’ve grown up, Little Echo.”
“Yeah yeah,” Ekko shook his head fondly. “She’s here, over with Scar. You would’ve seen her, actually. We were pretty rough with each other for a while but it all worked out. We moved to Ionia after the war. I thought she had died when the Hexgates collapsed; she and her sister were trapped inside. But in typical Powder fashion, she snuck her way back and into my life again.”
“You still haven’t answered my question” Jesse said. “Why did you leave so suddenly?”
Ekko turned his head, a silent refusal of the question. He wasn’t about to discuss that night again. Once was enough. He instead grabbed his cane and stood, noticing Pow on her way over. He thanked her silently for her good timing.
“I think I need to be heading out. Things to do, you know?”
“Did something happen?” Jesse continued.
“Yeah. I left. Had enough one day and decided to make a change. Now I really need to be going. It was good to catch up.”
Ekko left them without any more of a response. He had realized, looking back on the past few minutes, that Jesse, Cam and Mila had hardly been friends in his mind, rather a distraction. He cared for them deeply, and he loved every minute he had with them growing up, but they weren’t friends to him in the way Mylo and Claggor were, the way Vi had been. They were simply his escape from the hell he lived every day. When Mila became a Firelight, he grew to love her like a sister, but she was gone now, and Jesse and Cam faded into the shadows. They had each other now, and Ekko had his own family. He had imagined through the years, what it might be like to see them again. Would there be a game of trash ball worthy of the history books? A day of running around teasing enforcers like nothing had gone wrong, like no innocence had been lost? Would they tease him like a brother, or would they cherish him like a friend? But the more time passed, the more those fantasies faded, the more he realized that their friendship was never meant to be permanent. This meeting today, didn’t feel like a reunion to Ekko. It felt like closure. Maybe that’s what this trip to Piltover could be. One page of his book had been reread and turned, remembered and reduced to ash in the wind. Old haunts had come to light, but the weight of them blew away, and Ekko was left feeling free. Maybe it was a good idea to come back. Maybe tonight he would tell Pow about his conversation with his childhood acquaintances. He realized that even with the negative consequences of the past few days, he had begun to feel whole again. He looked forward to the future of this trip, to whatever may happen, good or bad. It was the end of one nasty chapter, and a new one was about to begin. He could feel it.