𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 || A Timebomb Fanfic

Tick-Tock, Firelight

·:*¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨*:·

The wind howled through the alleys of Zaun, bringing with it the thick scent of oil and smog. Neon lights flickered on every corner, casting a sharp, almost eerie glow on the cobblestone streets. The chaos of the city never seemed to sleep. Neither did Jinx.

Perched atop an old water tower, Jinx adjusted her goggles and grinned, swinging her legs back and forth like a carefree child. Below her, the city was a playground of destruction, just waiting for her to light the fuse. Her fingers itched to pull the trigger, to cause that burst of chaos she craved so much. But tonight, her target was different.

"Gotta make this one special," she muttered to herself, tightening her grip on the massive rocket launcher slung across her back. "Boom-boom for the ages."

Jinx's eyes, wild and full of mischief, scanned the streets below. Her heart raced, not just from excitement but from the tension that thrummed through her veins. She knew he'd show up. He always did. And that made her grin even wider.

Ekko.

The name echoed in her head like a memory she couldn't shake, like the faint chime of a bell long after it's been struck. That boy with the timepiece. The boy she used to know.

In the distance, something moved-a shadow slipping from rooftop to rooftop. Jinx squinted, pulling her goggles down tighter over her eyes. There he was, just as she'd expected, dodging the low-hanging metal beams, moving with the grace of someone who knew every inch of Zaun like the back of his hand.

"Right on time," she whispered, giggling to herself.

Ekko was fast, but Jinx knew he was predictable. She'd learned his patterns, how he thought. She had to, if she wanted to play this game right. And tonight, the game was all hers.

With a swift motion, Jinx leapt from the water tower, her body twisting mid-air as she landed lightly on the roof below. She moved like a wraith, her bright blue hair the only sign she wasn't a ghost. Creeping closer, she kept her gaze locked on Ekko, who was now standing on a rooftop ledge, scanning the streets with that focused look of his. Always thinking. Always calculating.

"Boring," she said under her breath, pulling out a tiny grenade and twirling it between her fingers.

Suddenly, Ekko froze. His head turned, and for a split second, their eyes met. Jinx felt a surge of adrenaline shoot through her, a wild mixture of anger, excitement, and something else she couldn't quite name.

Before he could react, she threw the grenade at his feet, laughing as it clattered to the ground.

"Tick-tock, Tick-tock, Firelight," she sang, watching his face shift from surprise to focus. He didn't run. Of course not. Ekko never ran. Instead, he kicked the grenade away with a precision she almost admired-almost.

"Jinx," he called out, his voice carrying through the empty night air. "You're not going to win this game."

"Oh, I think I just did," she purred, pulling out the detonator.

The explosion lit up the night, the boom echoing through the streets. Smoke and dust filled the air, but Jinx didn't wait around to see the aftermath. She was already on the move, running across the rooftops, her laughter bouncing off the walls. This was the thrill she lived for. The chaos. The madness.

But even as she fled the scene, something gnawed at the back of her mind-a fleeting thought, a memory of the days before the bombs and the chaos, when Ekko was just a boy and she... she was someone else.

"Keep up, Ekko," she whispered to herself, knowing that this game was far from over.

·:*¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨*:·