𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 || A Timebomb Fanfic

Shifting Lines

·:*¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨*:·

The city breathed beneath Jinx, the flickering neon lights casting a haunting glow over the buildings, stretching shadows long and jagged across the rooftops. She sat at the edge of a dilapidated building, her eyes scanning the horizon, but her thoughts were a million miles away.

Her mind kept circling back to Ekko. No matter how much she tried to focus on her next move, she couldn't get his voice out of her head. The way he'd said Powder... it had cut through her like a shard of broken glass, sharp and familiar. No one called her that anymore. Not after everything she'd done to become Jinx.

But Ekko-he still saw something in her. Something more than the chaos. More than the madness. She wasn't sure whether that made her angry or just... confused.

The creak of metal behind her pulled Jinx from her thoughts. She tensed, fingers tightening around her gun as she prepared for a fight, but then she saw him-Ekko-stepping out of the shadows. His hood was down, and the glow of the distant lights reflected in his emerald eyes.

For a moment, they just stared at each other, the tension between them stretching out like a taut wire. Then, with a heavy sigh, Jinx lowered her gun and let it rest in her lap.

"What are you doing here, Firelight?" she muttered, her voice sharp but lacking its usual venom.

Ekko didn't answer right away. Instead, he took a cautious step forward, his eyes never leaving hers. He wasn't here to fight. He was here because... he couldn't shake what he'd seen in her, that flicker of the girl she used to be.

"I had to see you," Ekko said quietly, his tone calm and steady. "I can't stop thinking about what you said back there."

Jinx scoffed, her lips twisting into a smirk, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "What, that I'm going to blow this city to pieces? Yeah, well, that's still the plan."

"No," Ekko said, shaking his head as he took another step closer. "About Powder. About who you used to be."

Her smirk faltered, her fingers twitching against the metal of her gun. "That's not me anymore."

Ekko's gaze softened, and for the first time in years, Jinx felt a flicker of doubt gnaw at the edges of her hardened exterior. She hated it. Hated that he could still make her feel like this, like maybe she wasn't so far gone after all.

"I don't believe that," Ekko said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I think Powder's still in there somewhere."

Jinx laughed, but it was hollow. "You don't know anything about me, Ekko. You don't get it."

"Then tell me," Ekko pressed, stepping closer until there was barely a foot of space between them. "Help me understand."

Jinx stared at him, her pulse quickening as she met his gaze. There was something different about him now. He wasn't looking at her like the enemy, like the monster she had become. He was looking at her like someone he still cared about.

For the first time in a long time, she didn't feel the need to lash out. She didn't feel the need to push him away.

"I'm tired," Jinx admitted, her voice softer than she intended. "I'm tired of all this."

Ekko's heart skipped a beat. This was the closest she had come to letting her guard down, to admitting there was more to her than just the chaos. He stepped even closer, reaching out a hand as if to bridge the gap between them.

"You don't have to do this alone," Ekko said, his voice filled with quiet conviction. "You don't have to be Jinx."

For a moment, Jinx looked at his outstretched hand, and something inside her wavered. Maybe, just maybe, she didn't have to be the villain in everyone's story. Maybe she could still-

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed from the alley below, and Jinx's entire body tensed. Her eyes darted toward the shadows, her instincts screaming danger.

Before Ekko could react, a voice rang out from the darkness.

"Get her!"

Jinx's blood ran cold. From the shadows, Sira and several Firelights emerged, their weapons drawn as they closed in on the rooftop. Their faces were grim, their eyes locked on Jinx as if she were nothing more than a target.

Ekko's stomach dropped. "No, wait-!"

But it was too late. Jinx's eyes snapped back to Ekko, her expression twisting into one of betrayal and fury.

"You... liar," she hissed, her voice shaking with rage. She had almost believed him. Almost. But this? This was proof that she should have never let her guard down. "You set me up!"

"No!" Ekko's voice was desperate as he stepped toward her, hands raised in a gesture of peace. "Jinx, I didn't-"

But Jinx wasn't listening. She was already backing away, her eyes wild with anger and hurt. Her fingers flexed around her gun, her body tense and ready to explode at any second.

"I should have known," Jinx spat, her voice dripping with venom. "I should have known you'd betray me, just like everyone else."

"Jinx, listen to me!" Ekko pleaded, his voice thick with urgency. "I didn't know they were coming. I swear."

But she didn't believe him. She couldn't. The Firelights were closing in, and every fiber of her being was screaming at her to run, to fight, to destroy everything in her path.

"You're just like the rest of them," Jinx snarled, her gun now raised, her eyes blazing with fury. "You'll never understand."

And with that, she turned and bolted across the rooftop, her heart pounding in her chest as she fled into the night.

"Jinx, wait!" Ekko called after her, but she was already gone, swallowed by the shadows.

Sira stepped forward, her eyes hard as she watched Jinx disappear into the distance. "She's dangerous, Ekko. You need to stop letting your feelings get in the way."

Ekko didn't respond. His chest ached with the weight of what had just happened. He had been so close-so close to reaching her. But now... now it felt like she was further away than ever.

The Firelights regrouped around Sira, their mission clear, but Ekko remained frozen, his mind reeling.

Liar. Jinx's accusation echoed in his head, her face burned into his memory. She had let her guard down, just for a moment, and now she was convinced he had betrayed her.

He had to fix this. He had to find her before the Firelights did, before Sira made good on her threat to eliminate Jinx once and for all.

Without another word, Ekko turned and sprinted into the night, his heart racing as he chased after the one person who might just tear his world apart.

·:*¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨*:·