The Sixth | Ekko

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Ekko's mouth dropped open in shock.

Vi and Caitlyn turned around, both women catching only a glimpse of the man before they were aggressively thrown to the side.

Vi hit a metal cart, causing it to tip over and the instruments on it to scatter across the floor.

Caitlyn scuffed to a stop a few feet away from her.

Ekko manoeuvred out of the way just in time to avoid getting hit by Daunter's mighty fist. He side-stepped and reached for his bat behind his back.

Ekko hadn't come face-to-face with the drug lord before, the man preferring to work behind closed doors despite his obvious strength. It became even more baffling now that Ekko saw firsthand the extent of Daunter's build. Was he just mimicking Silco by getting other people to do his dirty work?

Daunter hit out again, and Ekko jumped back before circling to his side. He propelled himself into the air, attempting to whack the man over the head with his bat.

Daunter's colossal fist snapped forward, his meaty fingers capturing Ekko's throat and clamping around it like a jaw.

Ekko's bat fell from his hand, the corner of the weapon smacking into the floor and bouncing before falling forward on the stone with a slam.

Ekko retched and pawed at Daunter's fist, trying in vain to get his hold to let up.

A gunshot.

Muffled arguing.

Empty blurs dotting his vision.

Then he was on the ground, elbows colliding harshly with slate.

Ekko squeezed his eyes shut and gasped for air, his attempts to regain his breath interrupted by fits of coughing. When his eyes peeled open again, he spotted something that was even bigger than Daunter attacking the gangster.

Hunched back. Grey skin. Abnormally muscular. Large, pointed pierced ears. Neon eyes.

Was that...?

A separate commotion pulled his attention elsewhere. Nasha had lost her hold on her weapon, and Ekko watched as the scraggly doctor stabbed her in the neck with a syringe.

Ekko reached out helplessly from his position on the floor.

"No—!"

Nasha's knees folded, her eyes rolling back behind her bird mask before her body flopped and she hurtled towards the floor.

Chub was already unconscious and lying on the ground, but Ekko hadn't seen how it happened.

Singed turned and bolted down the hall they had came from.

Ekko grit his teeth and hauled himself up to give chase, picking up his bat before running off.

"—Wait!" Caitlyn's voice came from behind him.

He didn't listen, instead darting after Singed with forceful strides, not even hesitating when he passed Nasha and Chub who remained limp on the ground.

Ekko spotted the end of Singed's lab coat as he rounded the corner at the end of the hall, and he forced himself to run impossibly faster while pulling his (Daz's) aeroglider from the magnetic hold on his back. He stepped onto it mid-run and soared around the corner so quickly the board threatened to flip over if Ekko hadn't adjusted his footing.

It took four seconds to catch up to the alchemist, and Ekko raised his bat then swung it until the barrel of it ruthlessly collided with the side of Singed's bald head.

The man was out instantly, the force of the hit sending him falling forward with great propulsion.

Ekko forced his board to make a curve so sudden that the turn was almost pointed.