The Sixth | Ekko

Chapter Nine - Flashback #2, Part 3

It had been a few days since their trip to Piltover, and today was the day that Vi and the others were going to do the job in topside. They'd already left, having parted The Last Drop as soon as they finished breakfast.

Momo had helped them get their things ready. Well, mostly Mylo since he had a habit of leaving his lockpick behind and then having to go back and get it mid-job. After watching her siblings leave, she went to Benzo's to do her usual cleaning around the shop. This time, Ekko was already there before she arrived. This was the first time this happened in the near month of her working there.

"My mom wants you to come over for dinner," he said, opening the lid to a grease bucket.

Momo paused her sweeping and looked up to see he was looking at her over his shoulder.

"Huh?"

She watched as he took a lengthy breath and turned to face what he was doing again.

"Don't ask questions, okay? She just... wants you to come over for dinner tonight."

Her eyes widened slightly from the unexpectedness of what Ekko had told her. Her grip on the broom handle tightened and she looked down at the stoned floor.

"I'll have to talk to Vander about it. I'm still grounded..." Momo responded, taking into consideration the punishment she was currently receiving for leaving Benzo's shop unattended.

Ekko tensed at the mention of her being grounded, knowing that it was his fault that she was in the first place.

"Oh, right..."

Momo went back to sweeping, her thoughts mulling over the fact that Inna, Ekko's mom, had invited her to their place for dinner tonight. She'd been to his place before, but each time was with Powder. Going there without her would probably feel foreign.

"I'll ask him when I go back to get lunch," she remarked, realizing she hadn't brought anything to eat with her today.

Ekko nodded, but she wasn't looking at him to see it.

"How are they doing? Your parents, I mean," she asked after she heard no reply, trying to converse with him for once.

She heard Ekko sigh at the mention of his parents. They were hardworking people, but their labour made them absent for a large part of the day. It was one of the reasons Ekko worked so much himself.

"Busy," Ekko stated, putting the truth simply. He didn't need to elaborate. Momo already knew what he meant.

Momo nodded, realizing that her question was probably pointless since they both already knew the answer he was going to give.

The silence between them returned, both kids going about their own tasks wordlessly.

As Momo swept, her thoughts lingered to her siblings' heist today. She couldn't help but worry that something might go wrong—that they might get caught by Enforcers, or someone could get hurt. Her broom strokes seemed to weaken as her mind filled with worried thoughts.

"Do you think they'll be okay up there?" she asked, her broom strokes returning to normal as she paid more attention to what she was doing.

Ekko was finishing up greasing two gears for some doodad. He grabbed a cloth and began wiping some of the grease from his ungloved hand and turning to her.

"You kidding? With Vi leading the way they'll be more than okay. And if anyone interferes, she'll kick their asses," he said and then began punching the air just how Vi showed him.

Momo's mouth became tightlipped at Ekko's confidence in her eldest adoptive sister. Vi was a great fighter, it was true. But she wasn't invincible.

"What are you two going on about?" Benzo asked, walking back into the room after heading into the back to empty a box.