Powder held onto the stranger as they flew over the city but waited till a taller building was about to pass under them. She timed it and threw her elbow into the side of the persons head and down into their shoulder that carried her.

The kidnapper yelled in pain and dropped her, powder rolled onto the top of the building and pushed herself back to her feet as the person came back around and jumped off the hoverboard. Walking towards her slowly.

"You..." powder sneered. "Your the one that tried to kidnap me last night,"

The masked person stopped and nodded.

"Why?" She raised her voice stepping back.

"What the hell do you want from me?" Powder sneered ready to defend herself.

"What makes you think I want something from you?" the persons voice was deep and echoey obviously to be covering up their real voice.

Powder narrowed her eyes keeping her guard up.

"You'll have to kill me before you take me," she raised her fists higher, standing strong.

The kidnapper didn't move and watched the blue hair girl calmly, he sighed shaking his head, pulling his hood down and removed his mask.

"What if i didn't want to kill you?" A young man revealed himself and powders blue eyes widen.

"Little man?" She whispered but never lowered her fists.

"Look good for a dead girl," ekko raised a brow at his old friend.

"Ekko... " she breathed, but grunted covering her ears.

"Stop! Enough!" Powder felt tears weld up in her eyes. Ekko frowned, they were alone.

"I- what are you.. how?" Powders chest heaved as she felt like she couldn't breathe. Keeping a hand over one ear.

"Saw a familiar face on the street, wanted to make sure," Ekko shrugged.

"You Look different for being a top sider now," he looked her up and down. Powders face dropped and she stood with her hands at her sides now.

"You don't get to look at me like that, like I'm a traitor," she whispered.

"Tell me what a traitor looks like then," Ekko rolled his eyes.

"after all these years you never came back," he stated.

"Go back to what?" She spat.

"Got me there, why go back to your family and friends when you get a soft bed and warm food?" Ekko motioned to the city in disgust.

"And to live with some privilege topside inventor prick, left the old for the new and improved?" He stared at her with rage.

"Ekko," powder scrunched her nose.

"He saved my life, I wouldn't be where I am today if some fucking top siders didn't help me," she shook her head. He wouldn't understand.

"No cause we thought you've been dead, we thought Silco got you too," he clenched his jaw.  "Till two days ago,"

"Everyone thought I've been dead?" Powders voice shook.

"It was probably for the best, can't be a jinx if I die," she felt herself disassociating with her mind racing, nothing felt real.

"You think that's best? To let people thing you were killed!? You selfish or just stupid?" Ekko raised his voice with anger.

A tear dripped down the side of powders face, angry and guilty and confused. She was frustrated with how this was sprung on her, but she always cared about Ekko when they were kids. He was the only friend she had that was her age.

Ekko saw the tear as she hugged her torso, his anger got to the best of him. But he grieved for her. And to find out she's been living a luxury life as a pilty was sickening.

Did she even know of the war in the undercity? The suffering there's been.

"So tell me, what happened the night vander died?" Ekko sighed crossing his arms.

Powder looked at her feet wide eyes, vander was dead? He didn't abandoned her? Then where was everyone else? Why did vi leave her.

"Why does it matter? Does me being alive change anything?" Powder scowled at her feet.

"Guess not much, the world is still a mess but at least I know I didn't lose everyone I care about," Ekko shrugged still pissed.

"I thought no one was coming for me... no one was there when enforcers took me," powder sniffled a little.

"Enforcers? Powder when did enforcer take you?" Ekko perked up confused at that. When and where?

"Seven years ago? Vi disowned me and I was running home to the last drop, and enforcers grabbed me and arrested me," she wiped under her nose. It was hard for her to talk about her past, it was the worst night of her life.

"I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry, I just wanted to help and I ruin everything, here I do good, they help me make good things for the city, I'm not a jinx here," another few tears streamed down the sides of her face.

"I haven't- I never meant to hurt anyone," she covered her ears again shaking her head side to side.

Suddenly Ekko was standing right in front of her. When did he get so close?

Powder looked up at him teary blue eyes as there was grief and sympathy in his dark eyes.

There was silence, but Ekko slowly put his arms around her and pulled his childhood best friend to his chest. Powder let another tear run down her face before hugging him back around his shoulders.

"I'm sorry Ekko, I didn't know where to go," she hugged him tightly as he closed his eyes.

"I thought I lost you too, I don't want to keep losing people," Ekko whispered hurt by his own past.

She nodded understanding. Not wanting to let go yet.

"So when did vander die?" She pursed her lips.

Ekko pulled her away immediately.

"What? What do you mean when?" He made a face.

"You didn't know?" Ekko saw in her eyes she was clueless. She shook her head.

"Powder he died the night we thought you died, he.. he died from the explosion?" He tilted his head to the side.

"No.. no no no that can't be? That saved them," powders brow furrowed confused still not understanding. She didn't kill vander.. that couldn't be.

"I don't know the whole story, but vander was found outside the explosion and it was to late, vi hasn't been the same since she lost you both," Ekko gulped.

"Vi," the name was bitter off her tongue.

"A lot changed since that day pow," he pursed his lips.

"We've changed a lot," she agreed.

"I'm not the same I was back then," powder sniffled. "There's stuff wrong with me,"

"We had to grow up," he added.

"So who's Jayce?" Ekko offered a smile.

It threw her off enough to make her laugh a little.

"You know that job that I got arrested for? The inventor You followed to give us the insight?" Powder wiped her face as she now could smile again.

"Your living with the guy that you blew his lab up?" Ekko asked impressed and she nodded.

"He saved my life, he vouched for me to the council for my trial, he's been my guardian, he's even let me be their assistant for hextech," powder blabbed a little with pride for how much they've grown.

"You've always been to smart for the undercity," he smiled softly.

"It beats than being sent to prison," she smiled softly tilted her head to the side looking back at the city.

"Who was that before? The ones that shot some enforcers and attacked me?" Powders voice was low and raspy now, thinking about who Ekko saved her from.

"Don't know names but they work for Silco, I got a hint from someone that they were planning on attacking for progress day, they want something but I don't know what, I didn't find anything either," Ekko shrugged and powder frowned not sure what Silco could want.

"Shimmer is illegal here, and the attack was right by the university... could it be something with hextech?" Powder asked.

"It's illegal but doesn't mean that there isn't any, firelights have been destroying shimmer cargo for years but they still find a way," he corrected her.

"It's dangerous," she frowned at that.

"It's addictive and in the wrong hands, Silco needs to be taken down, he's been running the damn show in the undercity," ekko tsked putting his hands on his hips.

"I don't know why you want me involved?" Powder pursed her lips crossing her arms. This was not a hextech battle, that didn't need to be apart of that chaos.

"I just wanted my friend again," Ekko raised his brow at her.

She took a deep breath but didn't move, she didn't know how to respond to that.

"Come back to Zaun with me? You'll be safe with the fire lights but-" "I can't do that," she stopped him, closing her eyes trying to focus.

"I can't leave," she looked at him sadly.

"Right, should've guessed that, you have a luxury here," Ekko pouted a little with disappointment.

"I have family here, I was- I am happy here, I'm happy with my life, I have people I can't leave behind," powder explained raspy but his face didn't change.

"I have people that I need to protect too, that's why I'm actually doing something to help," he scoffed.

"Oh shut up," she snapped. "Don't invalid my friends and family that I love, Viktor is from the undercity too and he's dying, we've been working so hard not to just help him but help your people too,"

"Books can't help with what we need," he rolled his eyes.

"Those books, are how we made our inventions, is how I make weapons, it helps me," powder swayed her body to the side as she needed to move around.

"It's not my fault, I didn't create the worlds problems," she looked to the side again. Ekko noticed how it kept happening. Talking to nothing- no, arguing to nothing, she was so annoyed with whoever it was.

"Whatever, alright powder, we'll part ways, I won't come kidnapping you anymore," Ekko signed tiredly and she kept her back to him.

"I'm sorry, Ekko," powder whispered.

"I'm sorry too, for whatever I wasn't there for," he shrugged.

"Let me take you home though, make sure no one follows," Ekko offered after some seconds of silence.

"Why?" Powder turned to him confused. Her hair swooshing behind her.

"It's my fault you ended on the rooftop, I'll get you down," he smirked a little grabbing his hoverboard.

"Whatever you say boy savior," she shook her head and followed.