Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was an average day in Zaun, the undercity of Piltover, with humans going on about their tasks as usual, as if nothing bad could happen to them. Powder and Ekko, two innocent children, barely in their pre-teens were sitting on the rooftop of a bar named The Last Drop. It was their little safe place, a sanctuary, where they could be alone, away from the horrors of the world. There, they could just be kids, talking, laughing, spending time together without worrying about whatever hardships life threw at them. Because the truth is, the world was full of violence and horrors beyond imagination. Vampires have been terrorizing the streets and citizens of both Piltover and Zaun for centuries. These two kids grew up hearing countless stories of the bloodsucking creatures of the night, and in fact, they have experienced the bloodshed they could unleash themselves.

Once upon a time, when they were only about four or five, the parents of both children have been gruesomly killed by these beasts, leaving them under the care of two men, named Vander and Benzo. All of it was all Piltover’s fault. Vampires have of course existed in both cities, but the situation in Zaun was arguably worse. The beautiful topside had their fancy enforcers, wearing their blue and gold colored uniforms, patrolling the streets every single night, armed with weapons, daggers, ropes, along a multitude of other useful weapons and tools. But the undercity? They were forgotten. Enforcers have rarely set foot in Zaun, not caring about the safety of those that lived there, which of course only increased the confidence of vampires. The council couldn’t care less either, as long as they weren’t threatened, everything was fine. While the city of progress gloriously evolved troughout the years, the undercity was left further and further behind, to fend for themselves. Crimes and poverty were high, and many people were stuck in their homes due to the constantly increasing numbers of vampire attacks. They could show up anytime, anywhere, drink a poor soul dry until nothing was left of them, then move on.

In Piltover, they only ever came out at night, which at least made things just a bit safer for those that lived there. But the people of Zaun weren’t so lucky. In the undercity, the humans had to be vary and cautious at every time of the day, they couldn’t go even a second without looking behind their backs to make sure they are not followed by something monstrous intending to hunt them down with ease. The time of day didn’t matter to Zaunite vampires; the smog was so thick in most parts of the city that it managed to block out sunlight just enough for these beasts to not get harmed by it, making their jobs of hunting prey infinitely easier. Someone going to work trough an alley, or living in more secluded parts of the city was already signing their own death sentence.

There was nothing the humans could do against them, really. A few brave souls declared themselves hunters, taking on the responsibilities of an enforcer, and they walked the streets in hopes of finding and defeating a vampire, but only a few ones were lucky enough to live and tell the tale. Some of the average people prayed to Janna to clear out the air and let the beasts burn, so that the undercity would be finally safe again, at least during daylight, while others hung up garlic around their houses and beds, thinking it would keep them safe. It was an old tradition, relatively common amongst Zaunites, but the vampires just laughed at it, finding it utterly pathetic, as it was completely useless. However the only thing humans could do was hope. Even if it didn’t stop a vampire, it at least gave a false sense of comfort to some people.

Vander was the biggest protector of the Lanes, one of the only people who was known to survive fights against the beasts. He never talked much about it to the kids, but he had his fair share of history with those monsters he despised so much. In what felt like forever ago, him and his closest friend, but more like a brother, Silco, had tried to lead an uprising against Piltover, but it ended in bloodshed, causing their seemingly unbreakable bond to shatter. Silco was left behind half dead by Vander, until he had somehow came back as one of the beasts he had sworn to destroy. Ever since then, they had been at odds with eachother.

But Ekko and Powder were safe, protected. Vander and Benzo made sure they, alongside the other kids, wouldn’t have to experience any more suffering than they already have. The two of them were just gazing at the night sky, the stars, and Piltover’s skyline on the rooftop, blissfully unaware of everything else around them, at least for a short time.

„You know, Vander said he found a few useful items we can use to repair that bicycle we saw yesterday. He’s gonna help us get it together tomorrow.”
Powder spoke up, her legs hanging off the ledge as they sat on the rooftop. She was holding a small bunny plushy in her arms, given to her recently by Vi, her big sister.

„Really? That would be cool! I also have some stuff we could use, i found them at Benzo’s, and i already have an idea what to do with them. I’d love to ride that thing one day, we could be faster than anyone.”
Ekko replied, clearly excited at the thought of driving a bicycle. He secretly always dreamed about teaching Powder how to ride one.

„Yeah, that’s true. And maybe we could even use it, if we… ever have to face any of the monsters.” Powder suggested, looking at the boy next to him. The thought of vampires had always terrified her after what happened to her parents, but she found a little bit of comfort in knowing that Ekko would always be there to protect her, alongside Vi and Vander.

„Uhhuh, totally! They’re never going to catch us like that. I’ll always be there to help you if they come, you know that. And i’m also going to teach you how to use it. It’s not that hard, i promise!” He replied, trying to reassure the girl. He was aware that she was scared of driving a bicycle, but he was determined to ease those fears, to prove that it’s not as scary as it seems.

„Hmm, i don’t know..” She hummed. „What if i fall over?” She asked.

„Then you’ll stand up, and we’re gonna retry until you learn it. It’s fun, seriously! You can do this!” Ekko said, a hopeful smile on his face.

„I bet you’re just going to laugh at me. Like Mylo does whenever my bombs don’t work.” She murmured, a hint of insecurity in her voice. She loved building her own small bombs from whatever scraps she could find, it made her feel useful, until they suddenly didn’t work when they had to. And whenever that happened, her adoptive big brother was always there to point it out. To him, it was just teenage bickering, he didn’t really think too much of it. He would probably grow out of it when he was more mature. But to her, it felt like a stab to the chest, almost like her whole identity got insulted and torn to shreds over such a small mistake.

„Maybe a little.” He giggled mischieviously, before his expression softened. „But hey.. Mylo’s just an idiot. Your bombs are going to work sometimes, i know it. If anyone can get them to blow up, it’s you. But maybe i can help you too, if you want.”

„I’d like that. I think i have a few ideas about what we could change. I just… hope they’re going to work this time. Do you want to go down into our room and take a look?” She asked curiously, turning towards Ekko.

„Hell yeah! Of course i would, Pow-Pow!” He said excitedly as he stood up from their spot.

Powder followed after him, and the two children quickly made their way down the staircase towards the ground floor. Unbeknownst to them, in just a matter of seconds, their whole life would change. When they opened the door and stepped into the bar, both of their faces dropped as the kids paused in their tracks. The sight that greeted them was unlike anything they had ever seen. Bodies littered the floors, soaking in blood. They had witnessed violence before of course, but never on such scale. Not a single soul was seen, and the silence was eerily haunting, a stark contrast to the usually loud bar, so full of life all the time.

„What the-…” Ekko whispered in disbelief, immediatly stepping closer to Powder, trying to comfort both her and himself. And that was when he noticed it. Benzo was laying on the ground amongst the bodies, completely lifeless. The boy immediatly ran over to him, trying to wake the man that raised him as his own son.

„B-Benzo?! Hey, it’s me, Ekko! Are you awake? You gotta wake up, it’s me! Please.. Please, wake up, it’s me! Wake up!” He practically pleaded as he shook his shoulders, but it was no use. He was gone, his skin completely pale with two small marks on his neck, clearly left behind by sharp fangs. Tears quickly ran down Ekko’s cheeks, feeling his entire world crumbling down around him. Powder stood behind him in silence, unsure what to even say. It’s not like she could do or say anything that would magically send away Ekko’s pain and despair. All she could do was hug him as he cried, trying to offer what little comfort she could. They stood there, their arms wrapped around eachother, the only sound in the area being the sobs of a boy who just lost the man he considered his father.

„W-where are the others?” Powder asked quietly after a few moments, her voice barely above a whisper, wondering if anyone was alive, or if they were forced to live trough the death of their family once again.

„I-..I don’t know..” Ekko replied, wiping away a few tears as he tried to compose himself and put an end to the painful sobs that escaped him. He looked around, the building still eerily quiet.

„V-Vander? Vi?!” He shouted after a few moments, hoping, praying that somebody would reply.

But there was nothing. Silence. Absolute quietness. After minutes of calling out and waiting for an answer, they began walking around the area, praying that they could find somebody alive. The two children made their way down the stairs next to the counter that lead to the small room they lived in, and the sight was even worse than above. Vander was laying on the ground, dead, eyes staring into nothing, just as pale as Benzo, alongside the lifeless bodies of Mylo and Claggor, their adoptive brothers. It was clear their father had tried defending his kids until the end, but it was all in vain. For the first time, he got overpowered.

„Oh no.. No, no-” Powder gasped, immediatly running over to their remains, with Ekko right next to her.

„No, no, oh my… NO! I-i…This can’t be happening, this..this isn’t fair!” She cried out, her voice breaking. She knew trying to wake them up would be useless, they were gone. Just like her parents, just like Benzo. „H-how could this happen, i-.. Ekko..?” She added desperately, her body falling into the boy’s arms next to her, and the two of them just sobbed over the lifeless corpses of their family for a long time, praying that somehow, no matter how impossible it was, they would come back, or that perhaps this was just a nightmare. But it wasn’t. Their whole family, everyone they’ve known were dead. And all this was because of the monsters. After what felt like forever, Powder spoke up shakily, a sudden thought popping into her mind.

„E-Ekko? Where’s Vi?” She swallowed after asking her question, her head raising from Ekko’s chest to look at him, eyes red and puffy from all the crying. Her big sister wasn’t here, that’s for sure, and it gave her a slight glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, the most important person in her life, the only one that remains of her biological family, would be alive.

„I don’t.. I have no idea..” Ekko admitted, his voice quiet, his mind racing full of possibilities. Was she hiding somewhere? No, that didn’t make sense. Vi would never hide, she was always a fighter. „I don’t think she’s here.”

„We have to find her!” Powder replied, pulling away to look around the room. She immediatly went to grab her small bag, filled with plenty of things inside, and she picked up all of the makeshift grenades she had left, ready to save her sister, whatever it took.

„Yeah, you’re right. We have to find her, but ho-…” He trailed off for a moment, his eyes spotting something on the ground. „Wait.. Powder, can you see this?” He asked, pointing towards a few drops of blood they hadn’t noticed before. It led straight out of the room, up the stairs, back towards the bar. The girl’s gaze immediatly darted down to the ground, tracing the trail.

„Do you.. Do you think this is hers? Did Vi leave that behind?” She asked, a slight hint of hope in her expression.

„I-i think so! Who else could it be? Should we follow it?”

„Yeah, i-.. I think we should! It has to be Vi’s!” Powder nodded, wiping away the tears that were staining her cheeks.

The two children left the room, following the trails of blood. They walked trough the bar filled with corpses once more, trying their best to not look at them too close in detail. The droplets of blood led outside The Last Drop, down the familiar streets of the Lanes, eventually leading them into a dark alley, and upon arriving there, the second they turned inside, their steps suddenly came to a pause. A group of people were standing in the shadows, analyzing the blood which seemingly came to an end. Upon noticing the kids behind them, they all turned around, 6 pairs of eyes hauntingly shining in the darkness in a crimson color. A woman stepped forward, her features becoming visible in the neon lights, then slowly began walking, taking steps towards Ekko and Powder, relishing in the fear radiating off the children as she let out a low growl. Her gaze had a predatory gleam in it, enough to scare any normal person.

„Powder..” Ekko whispered, his eyes locked on the vampire approaching them. „RUN!” He yelled, beginning to sprint away from the alleyway, his hands reaching out to hold the girl’s, the two of them trying to escape from their pursuer.

Powder’s fingers immediatly intertwined with Ekko’s, holding on tight so they wouldn’t lose eachother. They ran as fast as they could, throwing whatever objects they could find backwards in a desperate attempt to block the way, or at least to slow the beast. They quickly made their way down a staircase until the children ended up in an intersection, with the monster being right behind them. She was faster than they could ever dream of being, but strangely, the vampire didn’t run. She kept walking menacingly, as if taunting them, in a way knowing the children didn’t have a chance to escape, no matter how hard they tried.

„Come on, follow me! I have an idea.” Ekko said, dragging Powder out of sight to some crates laying around in one of the small streets. He pulled a few aside, making space for the girl. „Quick, hide here! Go!” He muttered urgently, his eyes locked on the street’s entrance.

„What? B-but it’s too small! We can’t fit!” She replied, her voice confused as she looked at the boy.

„It’s fine, you can! You’ll be safe here! I promise! Trust me, Pow-Pow. We’re gonna be okay!” He reassured her, gently pushing Powder behind the boxes.

„O-okay.. But you need to hide too, quick!” She said worriedly, climbing behind the boxes.

When Powder was settled, Ekko pushed the crates a bit, changing their position so that she wasn’t visible. With that done, he quickly ran a few meters forward, trying to find anything he could use to hide. There was a tiny space behind a trash container he considered good enough of a hiding spot, so he quickly settled down there, just enough for a child to fit. In the meantime, the beast began walking down the street, her movements were calculated, slow, and menacing as her glowing eyes kept darting around, scanning the area.

But little did they know, hiding from a vampire was as good as a kiss to the dead. Their noses could smell the scent of blood, and their ears could hear the pumping of a heart from a mile away. The footsteps were getting closer and closer, each one causing the children’s hearts to beat faster. Powder’s hands quickly covered her mouth and nose, trying to muffle the sounds of her heavy breathing, while Ekko was still scooped up in that small spot, listening to the haunting sounds of the monster, until they went silent. A moment ago, they were echoing trough the dirty streets, but now, there was nothing. Nothing, but the sounds of wind blowing around them ever so softly, almost mockingly.

And then just as quickly and unexpectedly as it came, the silence was broken by multiple objects violently hitting the ground, and a loud scream. Ekko peeked out from his cover, only to see the vampire grabbing Powder, pulling her out from behind the boxes with ease, as if she was featherlight.

„NO! EKKO! HELP!!” She screamed, her voice full of panic and fear, her arms reaching out towards him. Ekko’s heart skipped a beat from that sound, he never heard her like this, no matter how many horrible things they had experienced. She was never so scared.

„POWDER!” He shouted back, immediatly stepping out from his spot and urgently taking a few steps forward before he paused. Truth was, Ekko was equally as scared as his best friend while he witnessed the last of his family getting dragged away. He grabbed a sharp-ended, long metal object laying around, and he immediatly started rushing towards the two of them, running on nothing but pure instinct. When he got close enough, he tried to land a hit, but the vampire merely pulled out the item with her free hand from his grasp, and threw it to the side.

„Truly adorable, child. But it is utterly useless.” The beast replied, her voice almost amused as she reached out to grab Ekko, and threw him back where he came from.

He rolled on the ground from the inhuman strenght he got thrown back with, his skin suffering a few cuts and bruises, but he eventually managed to stand up, his voice mirroring Powder’s. „STOP, PLEASE! DON’T!” He yelled in desperation, unable to move. „POWDER!” He cried out, not even knowing what to do. Attack a vampire, armed with nothing, as a twelve year old boy? She would probably end up killing him this time, that would’ve been suicide. All he could do was stand there and cry, his eyes turning red from the tears. He had been so tough before, participating in all kinds of dangerous and mischievious activities with Powder, yet now, he was just a scared child, paralized in fear.

„EKKO!” Powder screamed again, this time even more haunting, as the vampire kept dragging her further and further away, until her strained voice faded into quietness and they dissappeared in the thick darkness of Zaun.

Ekko fell to the ground, looking in the way they went, his limbs suddenly feeling numb, as if they were latched into the ground, making it impossible to move even a single muscle. He didn’t know how much time had passed until he got too exhausted, forcing his tears to dry. Everything was going so well, then suddenly, under a few hours, his whole world shattered. His parents, Benzo, Vander Mylo, and Claggor were all dead. Vi was missing, but most likely she met the same fate as the rest of his family as well. And now Powder would join them too, he thought.

Guilt was eating away at the boy’s heart. His best friend, the very girl he had sworn to protect just hours ago, was now gone, taken away by vampires. He failed. He failed at being a friend, he failed at keeping his promise, and he failed at saving her. Of course, he was just a child, there wasn’t anything more he could have done, but he didn’t care. All he could think about was Powder, her screams, the fear in her voice, the way she called out for him in desperation, and it all made his heart clench in the most painful way possible. She used to laugh in such a sweet way before, her smile lightened up Ekko’s world all the time, but it was all gone now. He was never going to hear or see any of that again. All of the good memories they shared, the time spent together in nothing but innocent childhood love, were now overshadowed by the events of this night, and they would haunt Ekko’s mind forever.

Chapter Text

Seven years had passed since the night that everything changed. The whole world fell apart, and it was left in shambles, mere ruins of what once was the life of a community, of a family. Ekko had grown from a small, frightened boy to a young adult, but above all else, a warrior, a fighter. But after Vander’s sudden and unexpected death, he wasn’t the only one to change. So did the entirity of Zaun. At first, the people of the Lanes were left without protection, causing the vampires to gain even more courage. They got bolder, more violent, more savage. Without someone actively fighting them, the beasts had terrorized the streets of the undercity even harder than before.

Sometimes during this time, Silco rose to power, becoming a well respected person amongst many of the creatures. After finding out he was responsible for killing Vander, which meant a sense of freedom for them, many had joined him, offering loyalty to him and his cause. However, vampires weren’t the only ones deciding to join his side, as more and more humans did as well. He gathered the weak, those in fear, anyone who could break, and offered them power.

Some willingly accepted it, while others did it out of fear. Silco had turned all of his followers, beginning to expand his empire until he managed to become the leader of the Lanes. Of course, he didn’t have allies only, he had enemies as well, plenty of them. There were many vampire groups, or covens, nests, whatever one would want to call it. All of these communities had different rules, sets of codes, that they followed.

Some embraced their violent natures, proudly hunting humans, draining them dry in a heartbeat without any regret, leaving empty shells of the former people they were behind. Others chose to live a more reserved life, taking just the amount of blood they needed, allowing their preys to continue living, causing no fatal harm. While very few, but there also were vampires who had decided to leave humans completely alone, hunting on whatever animals they could find instead. A few of these groups, for their own reasons, have been fighting against Silco and his empire. Some were trying to take over it, while others wanted to abolish it completely.

While his empire was growing and turf wars on different sizes have happened, Ekko had been building his own community. A few years after Powder’s death, he managed to come over an area well hidden deep within Zaun. It was an old, abandoned shaft, where a tree managed to grow, allowing the air to be cleared out just enough to see sunlight entering trough the top. It was perfect: Humans could finally enjoy a breath of fresh air, while the warm, bright sun kept all of the hungry, bloodthirsty vampires far away.

At first, only a few people lived there. But then as time passed, the word of a peaceful, safe community for humans had spread around Zaun, making more and more people seek it out in hopes of a better life. The tree towering high quickly became a symbol of resistance. Just as it managed to grow tall, defying all the odds, Ekko’s community found a way to live free of worry, even when things seemed lost after Vander died. And that is how The Firelights were born, as they called themselves. The name came from small, mesmerizingly glowing bugs that lived near the tree, their green color igniting the nights in a beautiful shade of green.

Ekko often thought about what Powder would think, had she been alive. He could imagine how much she’d love to tinker with him in his workshop, or fly around on the hoverboards he had designed and built for traversal. It was fast, and relatively easy to learn, making it efficent to use against vampires, had one attacked someone from the community while they were outside the safe haven of their hideout. She would absolutely adore the tree, he thought. Even after all these years, his guilt was still eating away at him.

He failed to save Powder, but now that he had a community to look out for, he could at least save the people of Zaun. It felt like he had a chance to make it right, to make her proud. Even if she wasn’t here to see it anymore, he could at least feel a little better, knowing that she’d approve, that she’d feel honoured. Despite nearly a decade passing, and his duties keeping him busy everyday, he always found time to think about Powder, in one way or the other.

Sometimes, he could hear her laugh, see her smile, and think of the good times they had together. But other times, she haunted him in his nightmares. Ekko still remembered Powder’s screams as she got dragged away, and more often than not, he heard her voice in these horrorish nightmares, blaming him for everything. Despite being mere imaginations of his mind, these dreams never failed to cause him distress and pain, forcing him to live trough that fateful night over and over again.

Today was a simple day. Ekko woke up from one of his nightmares, yet again tormenting him. The morning light was seeping trough the windows of his workshop as his head raised from his workbench, casting beautiful rays across the room. The boy let out a small groan, realizing he fell asleep working on blueprints yet again. After trying to regain his composure troughout the next few minutes, he eventually stood up and left his room, walking out into the base, wanting to catch up with a few people. He saw Scar, his mentor, sitting with his newborn baby on a chair. Scar was the first person Ekko met sometime after his entire family got killed, he helped the young boy grow into the man he is now, never failing to give the support he needed. When the Firelights formed, he never backed down either, and was always there by his side.

„Hey..” Ekko greeted, voice still slightly groggy from sleep as he walked up to Scar.

„Oh, hey.” Scar replied in a quiet voice, his head darting up to look at Ekko.

Ekko sat down on another chair beside him, looking around the Firelight base. Some children were running around, playing innocently, while their parents were making breakfast from whatever they could. The sight made him think about himself and Powder as kids, when they used to play and run around, causing mischief similarly. But as his mind started drifting, Scar’s voice broke trough the silence, bringing Ekko back to reality right away.

„Raven is still missing. She hasn’t come back for three days now.” He murmured, clearly worried. He knew what it meant if somebody was gone for three days.

„I know.. I think.. I think they got her during the raid. The last time i saw her she was trying to make an escape with us, but her hoverboard gave out.”

Ekko let out a deep sigh. Three days ago, him and some of the other Firelights had attacked one of Silco’s prisons. The vampire lord, as many called him, had multiple warehouses scattered troughout the undercity where he kept innocent humans locked up, allowing his followers to torture them for as long as they wished. They drained all their blood, but not before tormenting them for days on end, trying to gather and savor as many drops as possible. Ekko and his community often launched attacks on these locations, trying to free as many humans as they possibly could, then help them recover at the base.

But the latest raid turned to bloodshed quickly as they got outnumbered. The warehouse was rigged with booby traps, bombs, smoke bombs, whatever one could come up with, trapping the Firelights inside, surrounded by more vampires than they initially anticipated. Raven wasn’t the first one to go missing, however. In the past months, multiple members of the community had vanished mysteriously. It was obvious that somebody was deliberately hunting them, and the person had a particular interest in Ekko.

When he went out to the undercity’s streets, he was able to find graffities across walls, rooftops, wherever he could reach, glowing in pink and blue colors, telling him to go one way or the other. All of these signs had led to the bodies of his friends, drained of all their blood, the directions being nothing more than a sadistic game for whoever left them behind, leading Ekko on a pointless goose chase.

„I’m going to go and continue looking for her today, maybe i can find her this time. Or at least a clue to where she is.” Ekko said, determination in his voice evident.

„Ekko, it’s been three days. If she was still alive she would—„ Scar tried to reason, but Ekko cut him off.

„No. I’m not going to rest until i find out what happened for certain. If she’s still out there, i have to save her.”

Scar let out a sigh, but he nodded once again. He knew that arguing with Ekko was often pointless, as the boy had a habit of being too stubborn. A moment of silence passed, then Ekko continued.

„Raven is not the only one i need to find either. Somebody’s been watching me. Stalking. Whoever it is, im sure it’s the same person that took her.”

Scar turned his head to face Ekko, his expression curious and worried. „Watching you? Who?”

„Jinx. Im sure of it. She left messages behind for me to follow, that’s how i found...them.”

Jinx was Silco’s adopted daughter, as well as his right hand, the one who showed up at the doors of his enemies, the one who helped him do his shady business. The people of the undercity feared her as much as they feared Silco himself. When the so called ’vampire lord’ found her, she was just a human child. He took her under his wings, raised her as his own, until years later she eventually became a part of his dark world, helping him with whatever he needed.

Ekko never had the opportunity to meet her so far, only some of the traps she secured Silco’s warehouses with, but everything he heard just made him more and more ready to finally meet this girl. She was like a shadow, or a ghost, showing up and vanishing in the blink of an eye, leaving nothing but chaos and destruction behind.

Scar’s gaze darted to the ground for a second, realizing what Ekko meant. „Thirteen people, just in the past four months..” He murmured, shaking his head disaprovingly.

„The last time, when i found Leo, i saw it. The person that’s been stalking me. It was very brief, i couldn’t make her out properly. I was trying to see if Leo had any signs of life, when just.. all of a sudden, a pair of pink eyes showed up in front of me, hiding in the shadows. They were glowing, and when i looked into them, they were gone, without a trace.”

„You have to be careful, Ekko. All of these killings, they’re not accidents. If Jinx really is stalking you, she’s got a reason for it.” Scar replied warningly.

„Yes, i know. And i will be. But i have to find Raven before it’s not too late.”

Scar nodded, however he couldn’t hide the worry from his face. „Be careful.. Are you sure you don’t want to take som-„

Before Scar could finish his sentence, Ekko cut him off once again, not leaving a room for argument with how firm he sounded. „No. No, i got her into that mess three days ago, i’m getting her out as well. I can handle myself, don’t worry.”

Scar just let out a deep sigh at Ekko’s stubbornness, shaking his head. „When are you leaving?”

„Soon. I’ll go get my hoverboard, and then i’m off. You just take care of everything going around here.”

„You got it. But i meant it before, Ekko. Take care of yourself.”

„I will.”

Ekko said with determination, then stood up from his chair. He looked at Scar, saying goodbye with a nod, and began walking away to get his hoverboard from the workshop inside his room. Eventually, he made his way back trough the base and left trough the large gate, with two goals in mind: First to find and save Raven, and then to confront Jinx, once and for all.

Zaun’s streets were dark and dirty, but he was used to it by now. The contrast between the bright sunrays engulfing the Firelight base, and the dark, shadowy alleys of the undercity haunting the people who lived there was stark. As Ekko was making his way towards the area he last saw his friend at, a grafitti that wasn’t there before caught his eyes on a rooftop not too far from the warehouse.

„The Boy Savior” it said, written in a green color. Ekko let out a deep sigh, sensing the mocking way the text had been done in, then pulled out his hoverboard and decided to fly up towards the large writing. When he landed right under it, he found an arrow painted in pink on the ground, pointing towards another edge of the building, alongside one more text saying ’this way’. Once again, he found himself following the sick and twisted game of his stalker, which is when he realized what that likeley meant: Raven was already dead.

Until now, none of these games had led to the alive bodies of his friends, but rather their corpses that were drained of all their blood. The realization made his stomach turn, and for a second, he tried to convince himself that it would be different this time, that Raven could still be alive and he didn’t fail. However deep down he knew the chances of that were very slim.

But either way, he decided to follow the trail, knowing it was his only clue to find out what happened to his friend. The directions were messy, almost nonsensical as they dragged on, and Ekko wondered if it’s going to have an end eventually, or if he’s just running around in circles for the entertainment of a twisted mind. After some time, he ended up finding the last of the arrows, graffittied onto a wall now back on street level a few blocks away, pointing into a dark alley.

After letting out a deep sigh, Ekko walked into the depths of it, letting the darkness surround him, determined to look for answers. And that was when he spotted something on the ground in the dim light, then after stepping a few steps closer, he was able to properly make it out: a person, laying motionless on the ground, none other than Raven, his friend he came here to save. Ekko immediatly rushed over to the girl, kneeling down next to her form.

„Raven?! Are you okay?” He asked, gently shaking her shoulders, trying to see if she was concious. However, as he did so, he spotted something on the girl’s neck: two tiny holes, with blood around them, now dried. A vampire bite.

„No, no, no..” He muttered in horror, his mind suddenly filling up with the memories of finding Benzo and so many of his friends recently dead, with the same bite marks left on them.

„Raven, can you hear me? It’s me!” He continued in a pleading tone, but just like with the others, it was pointless. Raven’s skin lost all of its color, completely sunken and lifeless, without any pulse whatsoever.

Ekko’s anger was flaring up now as yet another one of his friends had fallen victim to a monstrous vampire, just like Benzo, just like Powder, and just like so many of the people he loved. His fists punched into the ground below him hard, letting out a deep sigh, his breathing heavy, feeling completely defeated. Was this the story of his life, he wondered. Was he meant to lose everyone he ever loved to bloodsucking beasts? In the middle of his tormenting thoughts, he glanced up for a moment, and suddenly a surprised gasp left him.

A pair of pink, glowing eyes were staring at the boy, right in front of him, just like the last time he went on a goose chase. But now, they didn’t dart away and disappear immediatly. No, this time, they remained locked on him, just staring from the darkness in silence.

„What, are you shy to show yourself? Or just ugly?” He said, his voice bitter, and full of anger.

The eyes stared at Ekko for a few more moments hauntingly, unblinking, before they dissappeared into the darkness once again. Ekko’s own eyes narrowed, and he stood up, then grabbed his weapon, a metal bat. He looked around the alley, searching for his mysterious stalker, but all he saw was the darkness.

„Come out here and at least have the guts to face me! Don’t just hide in the shadows, you beast.” He said, determination filling him. He wanted to face whoever this was, to put an end to the sadistic games that had consumed his life in the past few months.

Nothing but silence followed, his eyes were narrowed and focused, body tense. His fists were clutching the metal bat tightly, ready to attack at any second. However, he didn’t realize just how cunning this vampire was. As the boy was looking around, scanning the dark alley before him, a hand reached out with incredible speed from behind, pulling him back, forcing him to drop his weapon, then another, one palm put firmly against the forehead of his mask, keeping him from escape.

The tips of the vampire’s long, sharp claws, painted blue and pink in a messy order, slightly chipped with hints of black underneath peeking trough, scratched Ekko’s owl mask, leaving a few marks behind. He tried, but struggling was no use against the firm grip of the beast. The shadowy person took a deep breath, inhaling Ekko’s scent.

„It’s nice to finally meet you, firelight.” The vampire chuckled, obviously a female. „Your blood. It smells so..unique.”. She whispered. Her voice was both sweet and threatening, slightly raspy. „It’s sweet, like honey, but also.. sharp, like a cigar.”

„I’ve been waiting to meet you. Many of us talk about you, you know. You’re almost like a..human legend, i guess.” She let out a small chuckle, almost mocking.

„Saving your little humans from our grasps, trying to build a safe place.” She continued, and she sounded just a bit amused.

„Yeah, at least im doing something good. Helping the people who need it. All you and your kind do is destroy everything that comes your way.” Ekko retorted.

„Huh, you think so?” The vampire scoffed. „I’d say we are just..surviving.”

„By killing. That’s not surviving, that’s being a monster.” The boy said, shaking his head, as much as the firm hands holding him allowed it.

The vampire remained silent at that, thinking about something to shoot back at Ekko, but her thoughts were cut short as the boy, in a swift motion, yanked his head back, hitting the vampire’s face behind him, catching her off-guard just enough for him to break free. As he pulled away, the sharp claws scratched his mask much stronger than before, leaving a very visible cut across the entire face of it.

Ekko quickly went to pick his metal bat up, then he scanned the alley again, but all he saw was endless darkness once more, leading nowhere. His breathing was fast, ragged, when he heard laughs echoing around him. They were wicked, taunting.

„Wow. Real smooth, firelight.” She said from the shadows, her voice unimpressed and clearly mocking.

„Is that all you’re going to do? Hide? I would’ve expected more from you.” Ekko said, his voice sharp and firm, ready for battle.

„Oh please. You thought i showed up here for no reason?” She giggled.

„You’ve been watching me for months. Killing my community, my friends.. What do you want?” Ekko questioned, his patience wearing thin.

„You.” The vampire replied simply, without hesitation. „I want you.”

„Me?” Ekko repeated, feeling confused.

„Yes, firelight. You. You’re my first proper prey. The others? They were all weak, easy to take down. But you? The leader of the Firelights? Now that’s a real catch.” She said, her voice turning more and more predatory. „You’ve been quite the headache, you know. Always messing with our warehouses, always being so damn nosey.”

„Hmph, that’s me.” Ekko retorted, a small hint of pride audible in his voice. „You have no right to take whoever you just want and torture them.”

„Always wanting to be the saviour…” The vampire murmured, letting out a dramatic sigh. „Silco doesn’t appreciate your little..rescue missions. So he sent me to take care of you.”

„Well it’s a pleasure to meet you, Jinx.” Ekko spat out the name like poison.

He had heard it so much in recent years. Everyone knew Jinx’s story. A human girl, living in the world of vampires. Yet, despite that, they all treated her as their own, showing outmost respect, considering she was Silco’s daughter. However, Ekko wondered how the once famous human aiding the vampires had turned into one herself.

„I see you finally decided to embrace the life of a monster.” He said, clearly mocking her back.

„It’s a little strange, i’ll admit. But i don’t mind. Im better, stronger. I can do a lot more than before.” She replied, his words not really affecting her.

With a swift motion, Jinx lunged from the shadows, but this time, Ekko was able to dodge it, and landed a punch to her belly with his metal bat. Jinx let out a small groan, but the pain didn’t really affect her, not anymore. For a second, they paused, and for the first time, properly stared at eachother, not from the shadows, not from the darkness, but up close, standing a few meters apart.

Ekko’s eyes widened with realization when he saw Jinx. She looked just like her: Powder, the girl he had lost all those years ago. She was changed, of course, but she was still easily recognizable. She was grown up, her blue hair now nearly reaching the ground, worn in double braids. Her blue eyes were now gone, replaced by pink, glowing unnaturally in the alley’s darkness, and the tips of sharp fangs were poking out of her mouth.

She, however, didn’t have a moment of recognition like he did, as Ekko’s mask still covered his face. She lunged forward with a feral scream, no longer toying, but hunting. Ekko, caught off-guard by the sudden and unexpected revelation about his childhood best friend, couldn’t even evade it from the shock he was in, so in a moment, he found himself laying on the ground, straddled by Jinx.

„Gotcha now.” She said, her voice victorious as a proud smile appeared on her lips, fangs on full display.

„P-Pow..Powder..?” Ekko whispered in disbelief, his voice weak and quiet, as if scared to say her name. He didn’t even remember when was the last time those words escaped his lips.

Jinx paused, and a small gasp escaped her as she suddenly heard her old name being spoken out loud, something she hasn’t experienced in years, nearly a decade.

„W-what did you just say?!” She asked, eyes widening as she paused in her movements.

„Powder.. Powder, it’s-„ Ekko tried to reply, before being cut off.

„SHUT UP!” Jinx screamed, burning with anger and pain, as she suddenly gripped Ekko hard, and in a swift motion threw him into a building’s wall.

„Don’t you EVER dare call me that again, Firelight!” She yelled, starting to take threatening steps forward.

Ekko let out a few grunts, trying to proccess what was happening.

„It’s me! Ekko! Powder, please just listen to-„ Before he could finish this sentence, Jinx grabbed him once again, pushing and holding him against a wall, showing off her unnatural strenght.

„I.Said.Don’t.” She growled, her voice silent and threatening.

Ekko didn’t let himself get cornered, however. In a quick move, he attacked Jinx’s belly, kicking it, then pushed her away enough to leave some space between them. She lunged at him a few times after that, which Ekko managed to dodge, only causing Jinx to become angrier.

„Why can’t you just GIVE UP?!” She asked, eyes narrowing, considering her next move.

„Look, i don’t know what Silco did to you, but it’s ME! Ekko! Your best friend, who’s been there for you, who helped you build your bombs!”

„STOP LYING!” Jinx screamed, and she landed a strong, well placed punch at Ekko’s face, causing his scratched mask to fall off and hit the ground. He looked back at Jinx, who similarly to Ekko before, had frozen in her place, staring at the boy before him. His face was now revealed, looking so much like when he was just a kid, yet more mature. He took off the hood of his coat, revealing his white hair, unmistakably Ekko.

„Do you believe me now?” He murmured quietly, only hoping the answer would be a yes.

Jinx just stared in silence, lips slightly parted, eyes wide, trying to wrap her mind around everything. Eventually, she only managed to mutter one word, his name. „Ekko..?”

Ekko let out a small breath, relieved that Powder, or now Jinx, at least remembered him. „Yes. Yes, it’s me! I’m.. i’m right here.”

„You..You’re the leader of the Firelights? All along, it was..you?” She asked, almost sounding vulnerable.

„Yes, i am.” Ekko nodded.

„I was.. i thought.. i never thought you..” She trailed off, her gaze darting to the ground.

Ekko took a small, cautious step towards her, a hand slowly reaching out towards Jinx. She looked back up at him, but she didn’t step away. She allowed Ekko to come even closer, until he very slowly, carefully wrapped his arms around her smaller frame, enveloping her in a hug. Jinx was cold, no warmth in her skin whatsoever, her chest completely still. It made Ekko’s heart clench, but right now, he couldn’t care less. He got Powder back, and that was something he never dared to even imagine.

„I thought you.. you died. I thought…Powder, if i had known you were alive, i-..” He got cut off by Jinx’s voice, silent, yet filled with pain.

„Why didn’t you look for me?” She asked.

„I tried! I tried, but.. I couldn’t..i couldn’t find you. When i found out Silco was involved, and how he handled humans, i never imagined that you could be..alive.”

„Well, i wasn’t supposed to be.” Jinx replied, reluctantly returning the hug. „When i got taken that night, i.. i was supposed to be an offering to Silco. But he.. he spared me. Gave me a chance at life. He began raising me, and… And he saved me.”

„Saved you? Powder, he-„

„It’s Jinx now. Powder… Powder’s gone. She fell down a well, stop calling me that.” She said, just a hint of her previous anger resurfacing into her voice.

Ekko stared at Jinx, pausing at her words to consider his own. „No, she’s.. she’s not, i-..”

„She is NOT me!” Jinx emphasized angrily. „Silco saw potential in me. That’s why he saved me, and helped me become who i am now.”

„Potential?!” Ekko questioned, his voice slightly raising, not in anger, not entirely, but more in disbelief. „Powder, he..”

„Jinx.” She corrected him quietly.

Ekko let out a small sigh, trying to proccess the fact that Powder, his childhood best friend, and Jinx, the violent right hand woman of Zaun’s vampire lord were the same person. „He made you KILL people! Innocent people, Po-..Jinx! How can you just.. be fine with that?!”

„That’s how vampires live, isn’t it? You don’t call a wolf a monster for killing a rabbit either. That’s just.. the way of life.” Jinx replied, her voice almost nonchalant now as she expressed her perspective.

„The way of life?! Silco kidnaps people, holds them in CELLS to torture them until their blood is drained! You can’t seriously just accept that!” Ekko said, his voice now starting to become desperate. „You used to be scared of vampires, terrified of them! And now you… You’re one of them.”

„Because i was weak, Ekko. Vampires aren’t the monsters you think we are. Most are violent, yes, but.. You just.. You will never understand, will you?” She murmured, letting out a small, almost defeated sigh.

„Understand? Understand what?!’ Ekko questioned, his eyebrows furrowing as anger started taking over him now. „Killing people mindlessly? Pow-.. Jinx, those people you killed? This entire sick game you’ve been playing with me for MONTHS? Do you think that’s normal?!”

„It’s… I had to get to you somehow!” She tried to reason, but even she knew it was weak.

„For what? To kill me? Is that what you came here to do?”

„No! I-i mean yes, but-.. that was before i knew that you.. that you’re the one under that stupid mask.”

Ekko took a deep breath, trying to calm himself now, then took a few steps backwards.

„You can’t be fully gone. A part of you, the old you, the girl who always helped me with tinkering, who wanted me to teach her how to ride a bike, has to be in there.” He whispered, desperately trying to believe in what he was saying.

Jinx remained silent for a few moments, her gaze locked onto Ekko’s. „Im..im not her. I just..Just let her go, Ekko.”

The boy shook his head, refusing to accept Jinx’s words. „Look, you… You don’t have to go back to SIlco. You can just.. come with me, and then we’ll figure everything out!”

„Figure everything out? Go with you? I can’t, Ekko. We both know that.” She replied.

„You can! You don’t owe anything to Silco, you don’t belong to him!”

„That’s where you’re wrong. I.. i can’t just leave him behind, Ekko. I won’t.” She said firmly.

Ekko’s eyes narrowed, realizing just how deep Jinx’s loyalty goes for Silco, which only made his heart clench the more he thought about it. Powder, the once timid, innocent girl, the person he was closest to in his life, was now willingly choosing the side of Silco, a violent, bloodthirsty vampire.

„So what now? Are you just going to kill me? Lock me up in one of your little cells?” He asked, his voice quiet.

„No! I-..” Jinx trailed off, confusion settling on her face. She didn’t know what to do anymore. Of course, she wanted and needed to finish her mission, to kill the leader of the Firelights, but now with the knowledge that this person was Ekko, she couldn’t bring herself to do it.

Ekko continued looking into Jinx’s glowing pink eyes, slightly relieved by her words. The fact that she said no, almost right away just confirmed what he thought: she wasn’t a monster, at least not entirely. A part of her humanity, a small part of Powder was still in there, hiding beneath the surface, no matter how much she didn’t want to acknowledge it.

However, they were both conflicted. Ekko wanted Powder to come back, to go back to how things used to be, but that was never going to happen, of course. Meanwhile, Jinx was meant to kill Ekko, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. As they stared at eachother, both lost in thought, they heard a sudden noise behind them coming from the entrance of the alley.

Ekko quickly turned to see it, and soon realized it was nothing but a stray animal, likely just a cat or a rat. He turned back to face Jinx, his mouth opening to speak, but by the time he did so, Jinx was gone, nothing but the alley’s dark silence waiting for him. The boy looked around, trying to see where she went, but the girl vanished, leaving nothing but a faint hint of her scent behind: gunpowder, undoubtedly, mixed with a slight sweetness, like a fruit and something unique he couldn’t describe.

After a few minutes, Ekko walked over to his scratched mask and picked it up, then knelt down next to Raven’s body.

„Im so sorry i couldn’t save you…” He whispered, closing his eyes while letting out a sigh.

After some moments of silence passed, grieving his friend, he carefully picked her body up, and began carrying her out of the alley, starting to make his way back towards his home, the Firelight base. His thoughts however were filled with one thing: loss.

Ekko lost so much already: his friends, his family, and above all else, Powder. She was alive, of course, but she was irreversibly changed. He thought about how all his grief was caused by vampires, the monstrous creatures of the night, and his hatred, along his disgust, only grew towards them. But then he saw Jinx’s eyes, how they softened once she realized who he was.

They were changed, yet in that moment, they were so soft, almost human. Ekko hated vampires all his life, yet Powder’s return as Jinx made him question his beliefs. He always considered them to be savage, yet Jinx didn’t kill him. Was this sincere? Was she honest, and she truly couldn’t bring herself to finish him off? Or was this just yet another game she would play with him?

He felt conflicted about the answer, but with the newfound knowledge that she was alive, even if changed, he knew he had to try and get her back, to get trough to the girl underneath. He wasn’t sure if it was even possible, who knows what Silco had done to her in seven years. He didn’t know if what waits for him was Powder, the person he loved more than anyone, or a monstrous beast, who’s nothing but a shell of the person she once was. The fact she dissappeared without killing him was a good sign, but either way, Ekko was going to discover the truth, and he was not going to give up on Jinx.