Chapter Text
Ekko slowly rode his hoverboard into the dark, winding tunnels that surrounded the Firelight base, keeping his eyes peeled for signs of movement. When his patrol team started complaining about something lurking in the tunnels, he had been prepared to brush it off as a drunken fool that had wandered too far, or a critter that had decided to make it's nest away from the chaos of the Lanes. Both were scenarios that had happened plenty of times before, and he had no reason to think this time would be any different until one of his people came back with a gaping wound around their stomach, spluttering about how she had found them.
It didn't make sense. He watched her die.
In fact, the sight of her limp, lifeless body had been haunting him since dragged himself away from the bridge. He had been wrong, but he was too late to change anything. All that time spent hating her and convincing himself that there was nothing good left in her, he had been wrong. He hadn't seen any sign of Powder in so long, but on the bridge, as she pulled the pin from the bomb, she had stared up with those stormy gray eyes, full of sorrow and regret.
He managed to escape the worst of the blast, but she hadn't. She hadn't even tried to save herself. Even after he had let her go, she hadn't moved. She could've. She was fast enough that she could've saved herself, but she hadn't. She wanted to die, and that realization made Ekko stomach churn.
When the smoke cleared, he went back for her. He didn't have a plan of what to say or what he would do if she was alive, but he knew he needed to check on her. He had knelt beside her and pressed his fingers along the side of her neck, searching for a nonexistent pulse. She was dead. He was sure of it. Yet, reports of long blue hair, and glowing blue and pink eyes made him wonder if he should dare to let himself consider her survival as a possibility. Silco had carried her off as he hid like a coward, and there was no telling what lengths Silco would go to with Jinx's survival on the line.
He wasn't sure what to expect as he flew through the darkness, but if it was her, he wanted to find her before anyone else did. Maybe this was their chance to talk. Then again, she had nearly killed another one of his friends, so realistically, the odds of this going well were slim to nonexistent. Still, the guilt was eating him alive, and if there was any chance of getting through to her, he needed to try.
Nobody, not even Scar, knew these tunnels better than Ekko did, but this time his heart pounded loudly in his chest, and his breath fogged up the goggles he had built into his mask, doing him no favors with trying to see in the darkness. He shouldn't be this apprehensive. Even if she was there and decided to fight, he knew his way around better than she did. It had only been three days since their fight— she was smart, but not even she was smart enough to have the maze of tunnels memorized that quickly.
He froze as he heard a distant clicking sound like a broken clock that couldn't turn it's gears. His brows furrowed as he scanned the darkness for any sign of movement or body heat signature. There was nothing, but alongside the uneven ticking was the sound of mechanical whirring. Something was definitely there, he just didn't know what.
Ekko carefully stepped off his hoverboard, careful not to make too much noise, and he strapped his board to his back. His fingers tightened around his pipe, ready for a fight if one presented itself. Maybe he was stupid for going into this without backup, but if it was her, there would be no chance of reconciliation if the Firelights came with him.
The hair on the back of his neck stood up, and his chest was tight with anxiety. He couldn't see anything, but he felt like a rabbit being stalked by a predator. He couldn't see what was stalking him, but he knew something was there. It didn't make sense, though. If it was a living creature— animal or human— he would see it's heat signature with his goggles, but there was nothing.
He turned his head toward the sound of dirt shuffling, as if someone was being dragged across the ground. His eyes widened with horror as he finally saw her. It was Jinx, but all but one of her limbs had been replaced with machinery. More unsettling, though, was the subtle glowing of her eyes. One was blue— the bright, manic blue that he had grown used to, not the soft, cloudy gray he associated with Powder— and the other was a violent shade of pink. He didn't have to question the pink eye, she was covered in signs of shimmer corruption that were enough of an answer to any question he might have. Her body was covered in purple veins, like spiderwebs along her pale skin, and streaks of purple stained the skin beneath her eyes like permanent tear marks.
For a moment, he stood frozen, his feet rooted to the ground beneath him. He didn't even know what to say. There was no need to ask who had done this to her, he had watched Silco carry her away, but this seemed horrifying even for Silco. She didn't even look human anymore.
His heart sank as he realized that her heat signature still wasn't showing up. Anything alive should have a heat signature. She wasn't alive, though, was she? Bile rose up Ekko's throat and he fought the urge to vomit. Jinx had done a lot of terrible things, and he wasn't entirely opposed to the idea of her paying for her crimes— for all the lives she had taken— but this was a fate that nobody deserved; not even her.
"Jinx?" he finally whispered, his voice strained.
He knew it was a mistake the moment those illuminated eyes locked on him. Jinx had always seemed more animal than human to him with the way she fought and killed with seemingly no remorse, but this made him realize he was all wrong. Before, there had still been something in her eyes, whether it be anger, regret, mania, there was always some sort of recognizable emotion. Now, there was no glimmer of recognition or emotion in her gaze. She was a predator looking at prey, and he had just made the mistake of making himself known.
Her head cocked to the side in an unsettling display of something resembling curiosity as her mechanical body locked into place, ready to pounce. Even the way she was positioned was more animal than human. He could see her long braids sprawled around her, matted and covered in dirt. Her whole body was filthy, and as his gaze wandered down her body, he realized one of her legs had wires hanging from the metal frame, spewing sparks with every attempted movement.
He wanted to offer his help, but he wisely kept his mouth shut. There was no chance of her accepting or likely even hearing his offer when she was in this state. If he wanted to help her, he needed to get her out of this primal state. With a deep breath and silent prayer, Ekko stepped forward, and the moment he moved, Jinx lunged.
Her mechanical arm stretched out, the sharp claws reaching for him, ready to tear through his flesh. He narrowly dodged, but Jinx was fast, even with a broken, malfunctioning leg. Her lips twisted into a snarl, and an inhuman growl spilled from her throat as she threw herself at him, knocking him to the ground. Ekko stared at her, his head spinning with horror, guilt, and regret as his mask was viciously ripped from his face. She was going to kill him. She might have hesitated on the bridge, but whatever had remained of her humanity seemed to be long gone now. There was nothing stopping her this time.
She giggled deliriously as she pinned him down, curling her claws and preparing to tear into him the same way she had ripped apart the doctor.
There was something familiar about him, something that made her head spark with pain. She didn't like it. If he had hurt her like the doctor had, then he could die like him too. Besides, she craved the violence. The sensation of her claws tearing through the chests of her victims made her head warm and fuzzy with satisfaction. It seemed to be one of the few things that made her really feel something, and it was addicting.
As she lifted her mechanical arm, ready to tear him to shreds, she looked down at his face and froze. He was staring up at her with wide eyes, his fear apparently, but overshadowed by… regret? She tilted her head and furrowed her brows, trying to make sense of the situation, and willing herself to remember who he was. Her head felt like it was full of needles anytime it felt like she got even a little bit close to remembering. She knew that his face was familiar, but she couldn't remember anything else.
Slowly, she lowered her arm. Despite her lack of memory, her body seemed to be repelled by him. The same invisible forces that had gotten her to drag herself away from the doctor's lab were urging her to let him go. He was important for some reason she didn't understand, and killing him would do nothing to help her.
Ekko had no idea what was going through her mind or why she had decided to disengage from the fight, but he wasn't going to wait for her to change her mind. The moment she lowered her arm, he shoved her back and scrambled out from beneath her, away from her razor-sharp claws.
Jinx lost her balance as Ekko pushed her and fell back, hitting her head against the metal wall of the tunnel. She groaned and shifted her head slight, just enough to feel the icy sensation of cold metal pressing against the sensitive flesh on the back of her neck. Her eyes widened as white-hot sparks of pain shot through her body, and she screamed. Every nerve in her body seemed to fire all at once, and she convulsed, her eyes rolling back in her head as she violently twitched and spasmed. When the pain finally subsided, her thoughts were ripped away from her as she was dragged into unconsciousness, leaving her body limp and lifeless aside from the steady ticking of the makeshift heart in her chest.
Ekko stared at her, his breath coming in shallow pants. How did she go from nearly ripping him apart to seizing and unconscious on the ground? What the hell had happened to her?
Slowly, Ekko crawled toward her, his muscles coiled tight and ready to retreat at any sign of motion. He wasn't sure he could handle another attack, and she was unpredictable— like a wild animal released from a cage. There was no guarantee of survival— there never had been with Jinx, but now especially, she seemed to operate on instinct and rage alone.
Even as he inched closer to her, she didn't move, and he finally allowed himself to reach out and touch her cheek. So much of her body was made of metal and wire now, but her face had been left relatively untouched, aside from her eyes, and the permanent purple tears that stained her cheeks. Her face was hot to the touch, and he winced as he touched her scorching metal limbs. He could only imagine how excruciating it must feel to her.
Everything had happened too quickly for him to even begin to piece together what had happened to her. All of this was so much to process. Until five minutes ago, he had been certain that Jinx was dead, but now, there she was, only she had been changed. Jinx had always been volatile, but this was extreme even for her.
He didn't know what to do. Logic told him to leave her there. How many Firelights were dead because of her? How many more would die if he helped her? He couldn't risk his people, but he wasn't sure he could bring himself to leave her behind either.
The third option that he could barely let himself think about was killing her. She was already unconscious, it would be so easy to finish what he had started on the bridge. Killing her would be protecting his people, and, from what he had just witnessed, it seemed like it would be putting her out of her misery. Unfortunately, he was a coward, just like he had been on the bridge. He couldn't bring himself to do it, not when his mind still reeled with hopes and dreams of reconnecting with her.
Against his better judgment, Ekko scooped her into his arms, his eyes furrowing as he some sort of notebook on the ground where she had been. He knelt down to grab it, even with all the metal limbs, she was unsettlingly light. He wondered when the last time she had eaten anything was. Did she even need to eat anymore?
He couldn't take her back to the base, he wouldn't put his people at risk like that, so he would have to figure something else out. The Firelights had a few safe houses scattered throughout the Lanes for storing supplies and keeping refugees before they could be brought in, but he couldn't risk any interaction between Jinx and the Firelights. She had spared him for whatever reason, but he was certain that she would not extend that same courtesy to anyone else.
There was only one other place he could think of where he could take her and ensure some degree of safety for her and his people— the ruins of Benzo's shop. He hadn't been there in years, and the thought of going back made his chest tighten. Years of good memories, of it being like a home to him, had been tainted by blood as Silco let his monsters tear Benzo apart. The scene still haunted his nightmares, and he wasn't sure he'd ever be able to escape it.
For a few years, Ekko would go back on important dates— his birthday, Benzo's birthday, the anniversary of that day— but eventually, it became to painful. All he was doing was reliving the trauma, and he couldn't bear it anymore, so he stopped going. He generally avoided the Lanes both because of the memories, and now, it was Silco's territory, and if he got caught, it would be a death sentence.
Truthfully, he was surprised the shop was still standing. It had been wrecked and looted in the years following the tragedy, but the walls of the store still stood, and the weathered sign still hung out front. He had expected Silco to burn the building down, or replace it with something unrecognizable as an attempt to erase Benzo the same way he had tried to erase Vander, but he had left the building alone, at least for now. Today, that worked in he and Jinx's favor.
He kicked open the wooden door to the shop and carefully stepped over the broken glass that littered the floor. There was nothing left, the building had been stripped bare, yet the memories still remained. He gritted his teeth as he looked toward the broken counter, his eyes stinging with tears as he imagined Benzo there, ready to scold him for being late. He forced himself to look away and focus on Jinx. He needed to lay her down so he could look over her broken leg and try to figure out what was wrong with her.
Reluctantly, he headed straight toward the attic stairs. He and Powder had spent countless hours playing in the attic together. It had been their space. Now, it was empty and covered in cobwebs. All of the color and light that had once filled the small space was gone, but to his luck and surprise, the raggedy sofa remained. He supposed it wasn't worth the hassle of trying to drag it down a flight of stairs. Gently, he laid Jinx down on the cushions, setting the notebook on the arm of the couch.
He scanned over her body, his focus honing in on the severed wires of her leg. It seemed like they had been yanked out which disconnected her leg from the rest of her body. All things considered, it would be an easy fix. He had helped repair plenty of prosthetics before, and this wouldn't be all that different. Her head was what concerned him.
Carefully, he caressed the back of her head, trying to find any sign of an injury, but there was nothing that he could see. On the back of her neck, though, he froze as he ran his finger over a bulge— something that was buried just beneath her skin. Her body jerked, and her face scrunched in pain as he gentle pressed against the spot. He quickly pulled his hand back, not wanting to cause her any additional pain.
His eyes drifted toward the notebook, and he grabbed it. He flipped through the pages, searching for anything that would give him any information about Jinx. There were dozens of experiment logs, and he was only skimming them, but some of the things he was reading made his stomach churn. Finally, he found a page with Jinx's name scrawled across the top, and his heart dropped to his stomach as he read through the observations. He knew that whatever had been done to her was far from good, but this was torture. He didn't know what everything meant, but it was easy enough to piece together and envision most of what had been recorded.
Jinx had quite literally been ripped apart and cruelly pieced back together. It was no wonder her first instinct was to attack whenever she saw someone.
As soon as he finished reading through the notes on Jinx, he slammed the notebook shut and frantically shuffled to the corner as bile rose up his throat. He hunched over to gag and retch with tears stinging his eyes. He wished he hadn't read the notebook. There were enough horrifying images and memories seared into his brain, and now the imagine of Jinx being tied down and ripped apart had found its home among them.
When he managed to catch his breath and his stomach settled, he walked back over to Jinx's side. His eyes lingered over the amputation sites, her skin still bloody and raw underneath the metal and wires. The sight made him nauseous all over again. He couldn't imagine how much pain she was in.
He carefully reached out and let his hand hover over the implant in her neck— a kill switch of sorts according to the doctor's notes. That's what triggered the seizure. It was a way to control her. It made him sick to think about how they had stripped her of her humanity and autonomy. Silco treated her like a weapon or a pet, anyone from the outside could see that, but to Jinx, she truly believed he cared about her. He couldn't see what went on behind closed doors, so maybe Silco did love her in his own fucked up way, but he had also destroyed her and left behind a shell of the girl he once knew. Ekko had come to terms with how Jinx was, but this crossed the final line. Silco and the doctor had taken everything from her. He was certain that the few pieces of Powder that had remained buried deep inside Jinx were gone now, and Ekko couldn't even blame her for it. If he went through even half of what she had been put through, he would give up on any shred of hope and happiness too.
Ekko tenderly pushed her bangs out of her face, wincing as he saw the small scars on either side of her forehead from where the doctor had drilled into her skull. He could almost hear her pained, terrified screams as the drill pierced through her skull. Normally, he would say that the fact she was even still alive was a miracle, but in this case, he was pretty sure it was more of a curse.
He gingerly brushed his thumb over the scar, and Jinx's upper body spasmed and a whine spilled from her mouth, though her eyes remained shut. The skin was still bruised and sensitive, and Ekko quickly pulled his hand away, deciding to leave her be. As tough as Jinx was, at the moment, she seemed like a fragile porcelain doll on the verge of breaking at any wrong move. With how delicate the machinery and writing for her limbs were, he supposed the comparison wasn't far off from the truth.
The least he could do for her was fix her leg.
She was used to being quick and agile, and trying to learn how to move when three-fourths of your limbs were mechanical prosthetics would be far from easy, but the there was the added complication of her malfunctioning leg. It was like an injured wolf— they were known for chewing their own legs off for a reason— only, Jinx couldn't easily get rid of her problematic limb, so instead she was held back by it.
He sighed as he pulled out his tools, and got to work examining her leg. He might not have been the one to take her to the doctor or been the one to conduct the horrifying procedure, but he had been a coward and let Silco drag her away. Maybe if he hadn't let Silco take her, she would be at peace in death and not enduring unspeakable torment. It wasn't fair, but this was all he could do to fix it. Well, it was all he could bring himself to do.
Fixing her wiring only took a few minutes, and Ekko had a feeling she would be unconscious for a while. He didn't have much, but he was pretty sure he could scrounge up enough scraps from around the shop to build a case to cover Jinx's legs. It wouldn't be perfect, but it would be something to protect her.
He should've left. The Firelights would have plenty of words for him if they ever found out where he had been, but he didn't want to leave her like this. He made the mistake of leaving her once already, he wouldn't leave her again; not until he knew she was safe.
As unsettling as she looked now with all the gruesome modifications, she still looked peaceful in sleep, like a princess waiting for her prince to wake her from her slumber. They weren't royalty, though, and this wasn't a fairytale. In fact, their lives were about as far from a fairytale as someone could get. He wished that some magical solution would appear and he could undo and fix everything that had fallen apart, but the world didn't work like that. He was on his own to navigate this mess and try to get through to Jinx. All he could do now was hold onto what little hope he had that things would be okay and wait for her to wake up.
Everything hurt.
It felt like there was someone in her head, repeatedly stabbing electrified needles into her brain. She supposed that must be a byproduct of whatever the doctor had done to rewire her nervous system. Part of her wished she could just rip out whatever wires or nerves were keeping her alive and finally drift away like she was supposed to before she got forced back to life. She had wanted to die, and what reason did she have to live?
When she finally managed to peel her eyes open, she was grateful to be met with darkness and not blinding light. Slowly, she sat up, her eyes drifting down to her legs, and widening with surprise. The metal framework and faulty wires were no longer exposed. Instead, the had been covered with scraps of metal— a makeshift shell to protect the delicate machinery. She tilted her head curiously as she tried to flex her foot and, to her surprise, the metal limb obeyed her brain's commands.
Someone had fixed her. Which meant someone had brought her to wherever she was.
Her eyes narrowed in suspicion as she scanned the dark room. There was empty crates and boxes, shattered glass, and she had determined that she was laying on some sort of couch. Something about the place felt vaguely familiar, but the memories were just as lost to her as everything else.
Across the room, in the corner, she spotted him, her eyes locking on him. He was watching her warily, but he had made no effort to move— either to fight or flee.
"Jinx," he said, his voice carefully void of emotion. He didn't know what to expect from her. The last two times they had interacted while she was conscious had ended in disaster, but maybe if she realized he wasn't trying to hurt her she would be more willing to listen.
His voice was like a shock to her system, and her vision tunneled on him, the rest of their surroundings becoming irrelevant. She remembered being ready to kill him, but something had stopped her— a memory she couldn't quite grasp.
Everything was so fuzzy, even her recent memories felt like a hazy dream. It was hard to make sense of what was real and what was fantasy; what was past and what was present. She remembered killing the doctor. The satisfaction of ripping the man to shreds was one of the few things that was still clear. Everything after was a blur, though. She dragged herself away from that place, fueled by adrenaline and whatever chemicals had been pumped into her veins, and she had ended up lost in a system of dark, winding tunnels.
She was trying to stay out of sight while her leg was damaged and she was more vulnerable than usual, but people seemed to keep finding their way into her path. She had little control over the violent impulses that surged through her brain when unfortunate people wandered into her path. She was unaffected by their fear and screams as she lunged and tore into them with her claws. It was pure instinct… until him.
Something about him seemed to reach past the programming of her brain and trigger something she didn't know how to explain. She couldn't remember him, but clearly, he was important to her.
"You fixed my leg," she stated plainly, her voice strained and robotic. It sent a shiver down her spine. She couldn't quite recall what her voice was supposed to sound like, but she knew it wasn't like this.
She was starting to wonder if she would've been better off if her memory was entirely wiped. This distant glimpses of pieces of a puzzle she didn't understand were driving her insane, not that she had much sanity left to lose. Every time she thought she had something, it slipped through her fingers like smoke, and she was left right back where she started. It made her chest burn with frustration, which she supposed was better than feeling nothing at all.
"Figured I owed it to you after the bridge," Ekko muttered, his eyes darting away from her. He wasn't sure which haunting memory was worse— her charred body draped across the bridge, or her new, broken, mangled, mechanical body laying cold and limp on the ground of the tunnels. Both images made his stomach churn with guilt, and both had been his fault. She was like this because of him. He picked the fight on the bridge— a fight that they were both destined to lose, and now she was paying the price.
"The bridge?" she questioned, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion. That same memory from before— his face peering down at her with sorrow and regret— resurfaced, and she flinched as it made her head ache.
"You don't remember?" Ekko's eyes widened as he watched her press her palm to her forehead, a gesture that was so very Powder. Even as a kid, Powder would see that nobody else could, and she would get debilitating headaches that made Vander and Vi panicked with concern, but there was little anyone could do for her. He and Vi used to sit with her on those days, even if she couldn't get out of bed and slept all day. He would quietly draw or tinker on the floor beside her bed, and Vi would hold her and read to her as she dozed. He wondered what she did on her bad days now. He couldn't imagine Silco showing anyone— not even his prized pet— that kind of care and affection.
Jinx shook her head and squeezed her eyes shut. She didn't want to reveal just how little of her memory was intact. It was just another way she was vulnerable— a way for people to use her. Whoever this boy was, she clearly knew him, but she didn't know if she could trust him.
She looked away from him, her eyes wandering around the room once more. This place felt almost as familiar as he did, but she couldn't grasp why. It was infuriating. Hesitantly, she stood up, half expecting her leg to buckle beneath her weight, but the mechanics worked as they should and she was able to take a step, keeping her back turned to the boy.
She tilted her head as she scanned an empty wall, but she was certain there were supposed to be things hanging from the bare hooks. Her head echoed with childish laughter, and for a split second her vision flashed with the image of a little girl with blue hair— herself— and a little boy with white hair playing together and whispering to each other in between giggles as they peered through a looking glass that was hidden within the eye of a mask. She turned her head and studied the wall again, the outline of the masks and the hooks that they had once hung from remained, but the masks were gone.
Ekko.
The name finally popped into her head, and her body went rigid. It was like that was the key— his name alone was enough to unlock a lifetime of memories she shared with the boy who had once been her friend. Pressure built in her head, and her metal knees groaned as they buckled beneath her, sending her crashing to the floor.
Remembering was worse than forgetting. When her memories were locked away, it was like an itch she couldn't scratch. It bothered her, and she hated feeling so lost and ignorant, but she could get by without them. Her instincts were powerful enough to keep her moving. This was like opening Pandora's box. There were some good memories sprinkled in— those with shy smiles, laughter, hugs, and hushed, eager whispers. She wanted to latch onto those memories and never let them go, but even those filled her with a hollow, aching pain. They were distant memories— she could never get that feeling back, especially not like this. The knowledge made her eyes burn with hot, heavy tears.
She hadn't even known she was still capable of crying.
The rest, and majority, of the memories were bad. She could almost feel the weight of a gun in her hands, her fingers curled around the trigger as she snarled and shot at him. That's what the bridge was— a fight. It was supposed to be a fight to the death, but even then she hadn't quite been able to bring herself to finish the job. At least not for him. She had no problem trying to finish herself off, if the memory of the bomb rolling out of her hand was anything to go by.
She curled into herself and pressed her forehead against the wood floor as luminescent purple tears rolled down her cheeks. She wanted it to stop. She'd rather forget everything and lose every last piece of her humanity than endure this torment. Even this was only a small section of the puzzle of her life, there was so much more still locked behind the wall of fog, taunting her with whatever horrors awaited just beyond her reach.
"Make it stop," she sobbed as she lifted her human hand and dug her nails into her forehead. She make the mistake of pushing against the scar on her temples and a guttural shriek was ripped from her body as she writhed in pain.
Ekko was frozen, his back pressed against the wall in fear and worry. He didn't know what was happening to her. Already, his concern had been growing when she revealed that she didn't remember their fight on the bridge, but then, he watched her seem to crumble as she fought demons that only she could see.
He glanced down at the pipe in his hands, his knuckles white from his firm grip. He knew better than to let his guard down with Jinx, even if he wanted to trust her. As morbid as it was, he was tempted to finish was he had started. He knew how the wiring of her limbs worked now, and thanks to the doctor's horrifying notes, he knew how to shut down her nervous system. He could put her out and put her down for good to spare her from this agony and to spare other people from her wrath. His stomach churned at the thought, though, and he couldn't seem to make his muscles cooperate with him. Just like on the bridge, he couldn't bring himself to kill her.
The pipe dropped from his hands, as he heard her pleas to make it stop, and he slowly moved toward her, his movements stiff as if he was the one mostly made of metal. He finally knelt down beside her, and hesitantly held out his hand, letting it hover over her shoulder. He wasn't sure if touching her was the right move. He wanted to try to ground her, but after what had been done to her, he was certain he wouldn't want anyone touching him if their roles were reversed.
"Jinx?" he called, his voice gentle. He wanted to help her, but he didn't know how. It felt like he was approaching a cornered wild animal. He knew she was going to lash out at him, and he was already bracing himself for the blow, but he couldn't bear to just stand in the corner and watch her suffer.
She slowly turned her head toward the voice, her teeth bared in a snarl. Her muscles acted out of impulse and she lunged, pinning him to the ground, just as she had in the tunnels. He had been the one she was fighting on the bridge, but he hadn't been the one to drag her away and toss her into the torture of the doctor's cave. That had been…
"Silco," she hissed, wincing as her head throbbed like her skull was caving in.
"I'm not—" Ekko choked out beneath her, disgusted that she could mistake them. Then again, there was no telling who or what she was seeing in this state.
"Not you," she growled, digging her claws into the floor mere inches from his head. He strained and tried to shift away, but she tightened her grip, refusing to let him move.
"He did this to me," Jinx snarled, her eyes snapping back toward Ekko. She remembered being strapped to the table and the realization crashing into her.
I'm your family, Jinx. Everyone else betrays us.
Except, he had betrayed her. He lied about—
"Vi," she whispered, her voice cracking as she reared back like she had been struck, finally releasing Ekko. Her chest heaved as she hyperventilated, unable to catch her breath no matter how much air she sucked in. That was the most painful memory of all, and she hadn't even scratched the surface.
Sister thought I missed her?
She groaned as her own voice echoed in her mind. Disjointed thoughts and memories swam through her head and she struggled to make sense of everything. Silco had betrayed her. She cared about him— trusted him— and he betrayed her and hurt her. Just like Vi had, right? She couldn't remember. It was all too confusing.
Then there was Ekko. He had been her friend, but now they were enemies, yet he had fixed her leg and helped her. She narrowed her eyes as she glanced back toward him. If they were enemies, why was he helping her? What did he want?
She turned her head back toward him, and stared at him with the same predatory gleam she had in the tunnels. Ekko backed away and shook his head as he leaned against the wall, still trying to catch his breath. He knew what she was about to do, and he knew there was a good chance he wouldn't survive unless he managed to strike the bundle of nerves and wires on the back of her neck. He didn't want to hurt her, but he didn't see another option.
"Jinx, don't. Please," he sighed, begging with her. She wasn't listening to him, though. She was stuck in her head, lost to the violent whispering voices.
He heard her metal limbs creak, and he knew it was over. He clenched his fists and braced himself for the attack. It was life or death. Either he shut her down or he would die. There was no more trying to get through to her, he wasn't even sure if she knew who he was anymore. That thought made his heart feel like it was being cleaved in two.
Jinx jumped toward him, and Ekko waited until the very last second to roll out of her way, letting her slam into the wall. She growled and turned toward him again, just as he reached toward her neck.
"I'm sorry," he muttered as he swung his arm, clumsily reaching for her. Her eyes widened as she realized what he was trying to do. The sharp, electric pain was still buzzing in her head, and she had no desire to go through the violent convulsions and agony again. She wrapped her metal claws around his wrist and slammed his arm to the ground, listening to the satisfying cracking of his bones.
Ekko groaned and thrashed as he felt his wrist snap under the pressure. Gods, he was fucked. Deep down, he had known how this would go. If he was a smarter man, he would've killed Jinx either on the bridge or in the tunnels, or at least let her fend for herself. Instead, he was a fool who had fallen victim to nostalgia and grief for the girl he had once known, and now he was about to die by her hands.
He didn't even fight as Jinx slammed him into the ground and climbed atop his chest, keeping him pinned down. Her menacing claws caressed his cheek as she studied his face as if she was searching for something.
His heartbeat was loud enough for her to hear as it raced like a rabbit trying to escape a wolf's jaws. She narrowed her eyes as she stared at him, trying to decide whether to give into the violent visions that danced in her head. One swipe of her claws across his throat or chest would be enough to finish the job. She would watch as he choked and sputtered on his own blood.
Don't hurt him.
You can't hurt Little Man.
Her eyes snapped toward the quiet voice, and she saw a shadowy little blue haired girl staring back at her, eyes wide with fear and worry. She groaned as her head pulsed in time with the unnatural ticking of her artificial heart, and she turned back toward Ekko. She couldn't kill him. She couldn't let him get in her way, either, though.
"I'm sorry," she muttered, parroting his words, though her voice was sincere as she gently caressed his face with her trembling hand. Before Ekko had a chance to respond, Jinx curled her metal hand into a fist and slammed it into his forehead. She watched as his eyes rolled back and fell shut, and a thin trail of blood dripped from his head.
Being around him made her feel insane, and there was only so much she could do to fight off the impulses that clouded her brain. Besides, she had other people she needed to track down. He hadn't been the one she was trying to find. She had been looking for Silco. She needed answers about why he did this to her, and most of all, she needed revenge. The pain that coursed through her only fueled her rage and blood lust. Some piece of her still held a fondness and trust for Ekko, but the same could not be said for Silco.
He lied. He hurt her. He turned her into this. If he wanted her to be a monster, he would get a monster all right.
She didn't bother looking back as she retreated from Benzo's shop, leaving Ekko behind. He would be safer without her, anyway. Now, all she wanted was to tear her claws into Silco's chest, just like she had done to the doctor. She needed to make him pay to satisfy the vicious voices in her head. Maybe then she would finally find some relief from the chaos and agony that she felt imprisoned by.