Chapter Text
Ekko had been her best friend, the one she went to when Mylo was teasing her or when her big siblings were annoying her. He used to look at her with a light in his eyes, when she'd go to Benzo's to play he would be excited to see her, but now he just looks at her with a sorrow in his eyes. They never really stopped playing games, except their play guns had been traded for metal ones and their grazes and scabs became bullet wounds and scars.
After Silco took her in she changed, powder became jinx and her once kind and caring character had been hidden beneath layers of trauma and psychosis. Something boy saviour still didn't seem to understand, she isn't who she once was. His powder is gone, she is Silcos daughter now! Boy saviour thinks he can still help her, he thinks she needs fixing, he doesn't understand. The boy saviour and his goons had tried to kill her and her father many times, they thought he was a bad person, but she couldn't let that happen. He may not have been what she needed but he was all she had, and she will not let them take him away. She will not jinx him.
Which is why she was now following them through the lanes.
The lanes were always busiest in the evenings. When Zuanties were getting ready for another night of clubbing and taking shimmer, street sellers were shouting at the top of their lungs and workers were returning from the mines, it's a miracle that being trampled to death wasn't a higher death statistic. Jinx thought boy saviour and his squalor would have chosen to come out at this time as they thought it would be harder to track them and they would be more inconspicuous blending in with the crowds. Luckily for her, less for them she too knew these streets like the back of her hand, after doing countless patrols for Silco. And 3 figures in cloaks was an abnormality, one she could spot from a mile away.
The bigger challenge was staying hidden, rooftop climbing was second nature but you were also out in the open, if they saw her following them she would have nothing to shield herself with. That would be entertaining, her throwing her monkey bombs into the crowd, creating the most beautiful array of colours whilst she shot at them and they shot back to keep the adrenaline and blood pumping on this boring night. No jinx! stop getting distracted, follow them, you can't jinx this by getting distracted!
As they made their way through the lanes it became obvious where they were heading to. The warehouse district, aka her dads shimmer factories. She watched as the 3 broke open one of the side doors that lead to the mines. She knew she should shoot first and ask questions later but she was intrigued to what they were going to do. She knew from experience that if she were to question them she wouldn't get answers, they would rather die than betray each other. The lights inside the factory were turned off, the only indication of light was the moon shining through the narrow windows near the top of the building. She watched as they went towards the lifts that lead to the mines, however before they had pressed the button the lift started to come up, which shouldn't be happening as the workers should have all gone by now. Something felt wrong but she couldn't figure out what was bugging her. She heard the boy with a white and gold mask say
"remember, our priority is to get them to safety, shimmer is not this missions focus"
The lift doors opened to reveal children, 4 little children in miners gear. The firefights or whatever they call themselves crowded around the children checking that they were unharmed, after a few seconds they looked around the building for any threats or guards, but there wouldn't be any because the guards were switching positions. Jinx could clearly see this had been planned. Boy saviour and his group started to leave the building, still very aware of their surroundings.
Had boy saviour and his group really gotten so desperate they were now kidnapping her workers?
They were about to reach the exit door they first entered the building through and she knew this was her last chance to act. If they got out of here they would be able to fight her in the open, it would be too dark for a fair fight and they would probably escape. But in here, she knew this building very well, she knew where the best hiding places were (proven as they haven't spotted her) she knew where workers tripped over the flooring, where boxes were staked ect... she also knew where Vi had fought dad's men, where Vandar had died and where she had dropped her bomb. Where she had killed her family. Stop the bad thoughts! we are going to have some fun, we are going to stop a kidnapping and be heroes, Claggor was nodding along in approval and Mylo was jumping up and down in excitement. She wont jinx this, she cant.
"Its rude to break into an establishment and steal their workers, you haven't even told me you're names! I'm Jinx"
She jumped down from the hanging light she had been balancing on and gave them her biggest smile, you would think that looking scary was what threatened others most, but for her it was looking so relaxed in such a high pressure situation. Sevika said it made her look like the crazy bitch she is, rude but true!. The three firenights readied their guns to protect the children, who were holding hands in pairs, clearly predicting the fight that was about to go down. However the one with the white and gold mask surprised everyone by lowering his gun and said
"you don't have to do this Jinx, no-one has to get hurt. We just want to help these kids, you can do the right thing."
She pretended to think about it for a moment, she liked to play with them, make them think they could get out of this alive, that their silly little plan may actually work. The look of false hope in boy savours eyes almost made her feel bad, almost. Instead she just laughed but then Mylo started to be mean *he's talking to you like a child, he thinks you haven't changed. You're so pathetic, just shoot them and kill them!*
"SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP"
She grabbed her head with one hand and with pow-pow in her other hand she started shooting in an array of directions, bullets were hitting the floor, walls, lights and pipes. The children screamed and in their pairs ran off in opposite directions, causing two of the three firelights to split up and go running after them, leaving her and Boy saviour alone. It was almost pitch black now, the moon had gone behind a cloud and she could barely make out Ekko's figure "Are you ok pow- jinx? If you come with me I can help you, Silco is manipulating you I just want to help you!" she looked at him with anger seething through her bones, why couldn't he give up on who she was, she has let go of the past and he should too. Mylo kept on screaming *shoot him, shoot him, shoot him* over and over again, she felt like her head was closing in on itself. She covered her head with both her hands to try and drown out Mylo's chanting. Ekko looked at her with a confused expression and in an act to try and comfort her placed his hand on her shoulder.
However this didn't help. At all. So she shot him, she didn't mean to but she didn't care that she had. She saw him grab his thigh in pain and ran, she didn't care about the kids anymore, she now knows that their mission was to rescue the children, and they will probably try again, and Silco cant stay mad at her for not managing to keep the kids for too long, right? Still Ekko tries to follow her, she is on the infamous bridge now and the memories of that night are starting to surround her, she's only visited this building in daytime since the incident. She cant breath, memories flash before her eyes and she feels like she is drowning, but that cant be right as they are on land. Her legs start to wobble and she has to grab the railing for support. Just as Ekko gets close to her one of the firelights calls out
"Ekko, are you hurt! We have the kids, where are you, where's Jinx?"
Jinx watches Boy Saviour as he is faced with his decision. Stay and help her, leaving the two firelights to deal with the children or go with the firelights and help with the children, leaving her here on her own. After a few moments that seem to have lasted an eternity he shouts back
"I'm fine, she shot me and ran away" whilst still looking at her, he quickly added "don't worry, its not fatal ill meet you at the exit"
He gave her one last sorrowful look, turned his back on her and walked away.