to ashes and blood

Culprit

"Council woman medarda," enforcer officers entered the woman's office. "We've found the true culprit,"

The woman's head picked up as the morning sun shined on her back, she looked confused but intrigued.

"I'd like to meet them," Mel stood from her desk as her white dress flowed past her knees.

"It's just one, female, she's deranged though ma'am," Marcus held his hands behind his back as she walked towards them.

"Deranged?" She raised a dark brow.

"Hysterical, up all night screaming and yelling, I don't know if she fell asleep and started it again or what," he sighed shaking his head.

"She's in a cell, she won't be dangerous," Mel opened the door and left to find Jayce to let him know. Last night he and his partner viktor reached a life changing discovery, if anything this culprit was to thank. If it wasn't for her theft and destruction she never would have found this future for their city.

Mel lead the way as Jayce and viktor followed behind her, taking it slow so viktor could keep up with his crutch under his arm. When they got to the bottom stair they saw two officers guarding a single cell that was occupied.

"Leave us," Mel ordered them and they followed without question.

She motioned for the boys to follow, Mel's heels clicked against the cold ground and reached the cell. Her dark eyes looked around in the dark cell, almost missing the small child curled up in a ball in the corner of the cell.

"Is that a child?" Jayce stood next to her with wide eyes.

"Are you sure she robbed you?" Viktor chuckled softly a little amused by all the conflict cause by this one child.

Their chatter woke the sleeping girl, her eyes were a cool grey in the cells lighting, she jumped to sit up and pulled her legs close to her chest with small quick breaths.

"Oh, good morning," Mel smiled softly seeing the girl was awake.

Her breath shook but stayed silent.

"It seems like you had quite the night, are you alright? Are you hurt?" Mel lowered herself to be leveled with the girl.

Now their eyes adjusted to the dark, Mel noticed the tear stains covering her face, as well as a little blood from her nose. She was pale and looked starved. But she was just a child.

"Don't ask me questions," the girl glared but tears welded up in her eyes once again.

"What's your name darling?" She asked softly.

"... powder..." the child whispered.

"What about powder?" Jayce asked thinking her heard her wrong.

"My name, is powder," the blue hair girl bit out glaring at him.

"Where is your family powder? Why are you here alone?" Mel asked concerned.

She was quiet again.

"My parents are dead," powder shrugged. They've been dead for a while, it was a fact, she knew they weren't coming back.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," Mel nodded softly.

"Are you going to kill me?" Her voice was small, not truly wanting to know the answer.

"No you're not going to die, child," viktor spoke before the others could. Mel and Jayce looked at him knowing she'd have to go to trial. But that didn't mean she has to die.

"Can I talk to her alone? She blew up my lab I just want to talk," Jayce asked quietly, Mel hesitated but nodded to allow it, she and Viktor walked away to give the two space.

Powders heart pounded when she was left alone with this strange man, she was at fault for his life falling apart, he'd want revenge for her actions.

The cell opened and she gasped when he took a step forward to be in the cell with her.

But he sat on the cold ground instead of coming closer, a foot in the cell, when he easily could've stayed on the outside. The little girl didn't move.

"Since we're all doing introductions, my names Jayce," he sat with his legs cris crossed and hands in his lap.

"I use to go to the university here, I was an inventor... well actually I'm still a scientist inventor," Jayce smiled softly but powder didn't look at him.

"I wouldn't be where I am today if I didn't break a few rules, maybe some laws too," he gulped and that got her attention.

"You came to the lanes, to get supplies," powder remembered what little man told them, a sucker he was able to get triple the money from.

"And I got things that got me in pretty big trouble, I think those little blue crystals cause the explosion," Jayce nodded and powders face fell with guilt and grief.

"They did, I'm sorry I took some," powder whisperer with a sniffle.

"Do you still have them?"

She shook her head.

"I used them, I was just trying to help my family," she whimpered like she was going to cry again.

"You used them? How?" He wasn't expecting that from her. She looked ten or even nine, these were advance technology.

"My monkey bomb, it worked... I like making gadgets, I'm not a fighter so if I make something that can help I'm not useless," powder had another tear run down her face. But that didn't matter anymore, she was only useless now.

"You made it into a weapon.. those are pretty dangerous, we can't let those become weapons or more people can get hurt," Jayce nodded slowly.

"Would you like to show me how you make you monkey bombs? You seem to young to be working with bombs unsupervised," he smirked offering a hand to her.

"What?" She didn't understand.

"Last night I just learned how to successfully use hextech, and so did you, how old are you powder?" Jayce asked tilting his head to the side.

"Eleven,"

"Wow, yea your definitely to young to be doing that alone... but I don't think you'd be able to continue your work if your in a cell," Jayce tsked standing up, she watched him confused but he kept the cell open.

"Do you like breakfast powder?" He asked offering his hand to her once more. Powder didn't know if this was a trap, or if she was going to look like a fool, but it beat sleeping in a dark cold cell again. She used the wall to stand up and held her arms close to her chest when she walked out.

With hesitation, powder took Jayce's hand and he gave her a small reassuring squeeze. He didn't realize how short the child was, for an eleven year old she was much smaller than she should've been. Her skin was pale but there was grime and dirt all over her, he noticed blood and dirt around her fingers when he held her small hand, his heart sank for the little girl.

"What kind of breakfast food do you like?" Jayce asked softly.

"Umm sandwich?" Powder kept up with him up the stairs till they saw the sunlight.

"I think we could make you a sandwich, do you like an egg and cheese one?" Jayce laughed a little and she shrugged.

"Yea we'll make you something kiddo," he smiled leading her out of the golden building. Keeping her close when she flinched seeing enforcers and just simple people on the streets.

Powder walked even closer to Jayce when she saw an enforcer on every corner of the streets, she gasped hearing a crashing sound that came from inside a building, it spooked her enough to trip and fell to the ground letting go of Jayce.

"Hey hey it's okay, are You okay?" Jayce pulled her up to her feet again. She nodded keeping her eyes on the people around them. Jayce dusted off her knees and hands where she landed but saw some cuts on her knees, he picked her up instead. Powder gasped again and wrapped her arms around his shoulder in fear she'd be dropped.

"I got you kiddo, I'll make sure your safe," Jayce supported her and powder nodded burying her face in his shoulder and kept a tight hold.