Tides of Zaun

XIII

Ekko skidded to a stop a few feet from Jinx, breathless, his chest heaving from the fight and the sheer panic clawing at him. The rocket was already far in the distance, its fiery trail streaking toward Piltover, but right now, his focus was solely on her. Around them, chaos erupted as people scrambled for cover, fleeing into the nearest hideouts and bases as they realized the impending danger.

"Jinx..." he said, his voice urgent but soft, filled with concern. Her expression was a tumultuous mix of panic and exhilaration, eyes wide as if she were caught in a dream—or a nightmare. The adrenaline that had fueled her moments ago now left her trembling, unsure of what to do next.

The world around them seemed to blur as time slowed. She felt the weight of her actions settling in like a heavy fog. What had she done? The rocket she fired was aimed straight at Piltover, and as she watched the destruction she had unleashed, doubt crept in. Her instincts screamed at her to move, to run, but her body felt paralyzed.

Ekko reached out, gently touching her arm. The contact jolted her back to the moment, her wide, panicked eyes locking with his. His warmth felt grounding, familiar, and in that instant, she wanted to believe that everything would be okay. But then the reality of the situation crashed back in, her defenses flaring as her body tensed and pushed away him and aimed zapper at him.

"Why are you here? Shouldn't you be running?" she asked, her voice wavering, torn between anger and fear. The emotions were a tangle inside her, raw and unfiltered. "Why are you -" Her words faltered, uncertainty swirling in her mind.

Ekko took a cautious step closer, aware of the zapper aimed in his direction. "Because I care about you, Jinx," he replied, his tone steady despite the weapon pointed at him. "I can't just leave you here. We need to figure this out together."

She scoffed, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. "Together? Look at what I've done! I'm not the hero you think I am!" Her grip on the zapper tightened, knuckles white with tension. The fear in her eyes clashed with the remnants of her chaotic bravado, creating a tempest within her. "You don't care about me. Not as long as you side with the enforcers. I thought about getting away from Silco till I saw you with her!"

Ekko's expression shifted, a flicker of hurt crossing his features. "It's not like that, Jinx. I'm not here to choose sides. I'm here because I—"

"Because you think I could side with you? With her?" Jinx interrupted, her voice rising. The zapper trembled in her hands, reflecting her internal chaos. "You don't even know who I am anymore! But I will never side with enforcers! Look at happened to Vander."

Caitlyn, hidden in the shadows, watched the confrontation unfold. Her heart raced, torn between wanting to intervene and understanding the gravity of the moment. She knew Ekko cared deeply for Jinx, but she also recognized the threat he posed. Jinx's pain was palpable, a raw wound that seemed to swell with every word.

"Jinx, please," Ekko pleaded, his voice softening. "I know things are messed up right now, but we need to get away from here now and I'm not leaving you behind."

Caitlyn's fingers tightened around her weapon, the conflict in her chest mirroring Jinx's turmoil. She could sense Jinx's vulnerability beneath the bravado, but the words they exchanged made her stomach twist. The bond between them felt like a double-edged sword, one that could just as easily cut through their connection as it could heal it.

Jinx's expression hardened as she processed Ekko's words, the hurt in his eyes making her heart race. "You think I want to be saved? That I can just forget everything and walk away? You have no idea what I've done, who I've hurt!" Her voice cracked, revealing the depth of her anguish beneath the bravado.