a sisters secret

powder slept from 6 am to 11 am.

she didn't sleep a wink at night and ended up sleeping all morning, but she was woken up to hushed voices behind the door.

she heard faintly, arguing. about her?

"what're ya' thinking bringing a girl home in the middle of the night?!"

"she needed help, i couldn't just leave her there!"

"son, at the very least you should've woken me up. we could've called the cops, or her parents!"

they kept arguing amongst themselves and powder tuned them out, she got up.

she found a mirror hung on the wall—all the memories of the day before, the horror she went through to get the fuck away from a man who meant to ruin her, the blood still smeared on her face. a reminder that she didn't leave him unscathed. though she definitely lost the fight.

powder lost her family, her home and everything else. he only lost a finger.

not a fair fucking trade at all, powder began thinking that she should've hurt him a lot more.

then she heard it, "and what about her face?! is she a goddamn vampire?!" she smiled bitterly, he was right. she knew how she looked.

powders mind was overtaken by something—someone else. she'd never remembered being so dark, so sinister before. she fantasized about hurting morte, she stared into herself in the mirror—chapped red stained lips; stained with blood.

she started daydreaming—of cutting his dick off. let him bleed out until he was on deaths edge and then slit his throat to make him feel the most pain before he finally died.

or no—let him live so he's in pain for days before he dies.

at the thoughts, she observed how a smile formed on her lips. a terrific sight, the blood contrasted on her pale face made her look—like a monster.

powder was at the same time confused, and she felt that she was being attacked from the inside.

she didn't recognize herself, smiling sadistically in the mirror. looking so happy—how could she possibly be happy now? and still, she looked happy.

she felt lightheaded, yet her stance was steel and never bending. she felt suffocated, but was breathing normally.

powder closed her eyes, her brain was shifting and moving and swooshing aside—like waves. there was a current, pulling back her memories and then pushing them forward. her eyes moved beneath her eyelids, she was being consumed by something, a lot of things.

by all her emotions, they were thrashing inside of her, brewing big waves until they formed a tsunami and flooded her entire being.

powders day from start to finish replayed in her mind so vividly.

waking up and cuddling vi, then meeting morte at work.

she remembered, feeling happy when she saw him. he was her friend, and he pulled her from her work and took her to his office upstairs.

she was completely unsuspecting of him, and powder wished her memory was worse than it was.

because she remembered everything, every detail and every movement.

from when he held her down, to whispering in her ear.

she fought with herself, in her own brain, to stop thinking about it—she didn't want to remember.

but she couldn't stop, and it replayed in her mind like a broken record.

when he'd left her to marinate in her own shame and disgust, for hours.

then coming home, seeing him and deciding in that moment that if she couldn't get away from him—then she'd kill them both.

things never went to plan, of course. she afflicted everyone she loved except morte, and herself.

then she ran away, bit off his finger and was shacked up with some kid.

when powder opened her eyes she felt different, thirsty. bloodthirsty. she wanted revenge, the timid shyness she used to walk with gone. she felt bold.

shed gone toe to toe with a man who would kill her and lived—she could do anything. she was capable of anything.

she'd had time to think, to recoop, to lick her wounds and cry about it.

now she was without her family and without support, she had to find a way to live.

powder didn't know it, didn't know anything—why she felt like a different person, but the same?

she could feel it, a shift within her. she held confidence, that she didn't have before.

powder moved away from the mirror, walked to the door and opened it.

the pair arguing about her shut up immediately, going still.

she observed them both, the kid was older than her and a bit taller than her.

the old man was short and chubby, but his face looked...kind.

"good morning missy," the fat old man gestured behind them to a table. "right this way, we've got to talk some."

powder obliged, and sat down. the man and the kid sat across from her.

powder could hear the tv from the living room, the news was on.

"the famous silco along with his son, mylo, have passed away in a house fire caused by an explosion from a bomb. the bomb was set off deliberately, and the suspect is a 15 year old, Powder, who was also silcos daughter."

the news lady went on and on, and powder broke out in a cold sweat. she looked at the kid and old man, wanting to see if they heard any of it. if they suspected her.

they luckily didn't seem to, but if they were silent for any longer they might.

"let's uh...let's start with your name."

"...Jinx." she held no expression on her face.

"alright, jinx. we want to help you, but we'll need to contact your parents—"

"they're dead." they really were, the news lady was still talking and powder was paying acute attention to both the man and the tv—she never heard vanders name. meaning he should've survived.

but still, she could never go back.

"...listen, if you tell us what happened then maybe we can help you better. as it stands, i think we should call the cops, they'll be able to help more than us." the old man was really nice, she could tell this was uncomfortable for him.

"you can't. he's a cop." a lie, technically morte was a lawyer. which was worse.

he was silcos criminal lawyer—he'd been brought to court several times and morte somehow always found a way to weasel out legally no matter how much proof there was. that was why he was ingrained into every aspect of powders family. he even helped with her adoption papers.

but she wouldn't say any of that, she didn't want them to know she was involved with silco at all.

the old man's expression turned grim, she assumed the kid had already told him what he knew—and this information likely didn't make it better.

the old man spoke, "who's he?"

"his name is morte. he's a cop, and a predator."

"and your face?" he didn't specify but she knew what he meant.

"i bit off his finger."

no words, silence.

the only sound was the tv, that thankfully had turned to a different topic.

the old man sighed, "alright missy, you can stay here as long as you need. names benzo," he stood up and extended his hand.

she stared at him before reluctantly taking his hand.

"you don't have to tell me anything, only if it's important. like if it'll put us or you in danger, i need to know. would that guy ever come looking for you?" powder shook her head.

"okay, jinx," i have to get used to being called that, "i've got to head to work, ekko will get you settled in—"

"i've got school—" ekko tried to say.

"you'll skip today." benzos words were final, and ekko seemed to already know there was no point in arguing because benzo would not change his mind.

benzo left, leaving powder—jinx and ekko to themselves.

"you got food?"

"oh! yeah, yeah come over here." ekko scrambled around the kitchen to serve her some food—scrambled eggs, oatmeal, and a glass of watered down orange juice.

jinx scarfed down the food, then she faced him —crumbs around her mouth.

her food had tasted metallic, reminding her of the state of her face.

jinx walked to the sink in the kitchen she began to wash her face, scrubbing with her nails at dried blood.

it was disgusting—having his blood on her.

ekko simply watched her—glad he didn't have to bring it up. she slept and woke up and ate with the blood still on her face, it was a bit disturbing. but then again, everything about her presence in his life was disturbing.

she didn't look like she wanted to talk, so ekko went to the living room and sat on the couch. he focused on the tv, it was a random commercial.

then the tv cut to a wanted picture, of a girl. a pretty one, one that seemed...strangely familiar.

the news lady repeated the story, arsonists—dead family,—suspect.

ekkos heart sped up, his head slowly turned to the side entrance from the kitchen where a girl—the girl emerged. now with her face clean, she was recognizable.

she's not jinx, she's powder—the arsonist who killed her family on the news.

ekko tried to pick up his phone—as subtly as he possibly could, with every intention of calling the cops.

he quickly typed in the numbers and hit dial, the phone only made it to his cheek before it was snatched away.

jinx had no time to think, she yanked the phone away and smashed it on the floor—with enough force to shatter it.

she cursed herself for being careless, the first thing she should've done when benzo left was turn that damn tv off.

ekko was stunned—even more, if it were possible and he began scrambling to run away. but she was too close, she was on him before he could fully stand up.

"what the fuck!" he shouted, jinx—powder had straddled him, then she grabbed his hands and held them together.

when he tried to shove her off, and take his hands back he found that he couldn't—she was holding on tight.

"listen—don't call the cops—"

"you broke my phone!" he struggled against her again, to which she pressed more of her weight against him in response.

"i know—sorry, ill make it up to you." that's funny cause you're literally holding me against my will, ekko thought.

"you can make it up to me by getting the fuck out of my house!" ekko struggled again, this time he succeeded a little, she was held on tight but the hack was that she was light, very light. if he couldn't shake her off he could carry her off.

at the feeling of being pushed off she gripped even tighter. "please i can explain! please," the desperation in her voice was palpable—and he could tell.

he didn't struggle anymore, and she started crying against him.

"i'll tell you everything—please, ekko."

"..."

"fine, but get off me will you?" jinx happily complied, and sat down next to him on the couch.

"it's a...it's a long story." she was actually trying to find a way to tell it—she wasn't sure she could get through talking about it yet. but nonetheless, she had to.

"we've got all day." powder sighed at his words.

"ok. my name is powder, actually." and she told him, everything.

she told him that morte was her long time family friend, and that she trusted him. then he broke her trust, and when she found the will to pick herself up she ran into him again at her house. she told him, when morte tried to rape her the second time she decided to pull the pin on a bomb—to kill them both. she told him, her father and brothers death were the price she paid for her actions, but that morte remained alive.

then he found her, and now she was in his living room.

"i ran from zaun and he chased after me. when he found me he told me he'd frame me—tell all of the lanes that i deliberately killed my family."

"how can he do that? isn't there evidence against something so big?" powder smiled at him, he was smart.

"no, actually all evidence would point to me anyway. i work—worked, building bombs—weapons in general. the bomb was mine, made by me." she paused, "all he did was rape me but i—i actually took lives. my family's lives." jinx sighed into her arm, tears trailing down her face.

she wiped her tears, "he's not a cop. he's a lawyer, a real big shot. if you turn me into the police he'll have me right where he wants me. then my family's deaths would all be for nothing," she grabbed onto ekkos shoulder, locking eyes with him, "i'll leave, but please don't call the cops. you'll never see me again—and sorry. about your phone." it was all she could do, beg him to let her go.

"why did you pull the pin? why did you set off the bomb?" he surprised her by ignoring her previous words, asking a whole new question altogether.

"my family wasn't around—"

"that can't be the only reason. you could've screamed, or attacked him." she desperately wanted to hit him now, what fucking use was there going over all the things she could've done? she'd done it! she'd done it and she could never take it back so talking about this was useless!

"i strapped it to him, he had it on him and nobody was around besides—"

"besides you? for that monster, you were willing to die?"

powder could hardly believe her ears, something she'd never thought about came out of his mouth.

"what?"

"for him, you risked everything. and you lost a lot."

"nobody was supposed to get hurt!"

"except you."

"ok but i didn't so why's it matter?!" jinx felt her temper going off the handle.

"but you did! you lost your family, you are hurt, why deny it?" she was seething, angry—at herself, and at him for being right.

that day, after he assaulted her she unknowingly decided that her life was meaningless. he'd made her believe that, as she was thrown down and forced into submission—her spirit and will to live diminished. but it was fine, she would heal. she just needed vi, and once she saw her everything would be fine again.

but vi never came, and morte did.

the second time was what did it, everything in life had lost its meaning.

powder wouldn't have survived that, she couldn't. she hadn't had any time to heal from the first one, to even begin to accept a second.

she determined she'd rather die, then let him have his way.

but she didn't want to tell him all that, so she settled for what she knew.

"shut the fuck up! you don't know anything!" she was shouting now. what was he even trying to do, talking about this? she already said she would leave.

"i know he was not worth your life."

"i wasn't thinking about me, i just knew it'd kill him!" ekko didn't reply, for a long time.

"do your dads love you?" the question brought the slightest ghost of a smile to her face.

"yeah. they loved me a lot." her voice cracked, holding back tears.

ekko nodded, "wouldn't they have helped you then? if you'd told them?"

"they would have. but like i said, they weren't around." he didn't reply, so she continued. "earlier that day i tried to kill him, with the same bomb—he threatened me, told me if i set it off id be killing my family too. because he'd taken me upstairs to his office, and my family was downstairs. he did it the second time too, like i wouldn't dare to do it or something."

a pause, "i think that's what did it. the fact that he thought as long as he mentioned my family id let him get away with it. thats what he didn't understand, and neither do you," she sighed. "i'd rather die, truly."

"the moment he chose to use me and dump me like trash i disregarded any meaning my life might've held, unconsciously. if i let him the second time itd only become a cycle and id be stuck," she turned to look at him, "happy now?"

ekko didn't reply, instead he pulled her in for a hug.

then after a while, "how did he survive if the bomb was strapped to him?" jinx chuckled.

"i've no idea, that motherfucker is a roach. never fucking dies i guess." ekko laughed too.

jinx was dreading it already, for him to tell her to leave. she would if he asked, but she had nowhere to go.

"you can stay, i wont tell benzo anything," he stood up, "now cmon, let's get you out of those rags."

•