Arcane: Ekko and Powder

The following morning, Ekko woke up to the familiar hum of activity in the slums of Zaun. It was a reminder of the endless hustle that defined their world—people trying to survive in a city that seemed designed to work against them. But today, there was a renewed sense of purpose in his steps as he made his way to the common area of the Firelights' base. Powder was already there, sitting cross-legged on a table and fine-tuning one of their latest gadgets.

"Morning, sleepyhead," she greeted without looking up, her voice light with affection.

"Morning," Ekko replied, grabbing a cup of water and watching her. The faint glow of determination in her eyes made him smile.

She caught his gaze and tilted her head. "What? Do I have grease on my face again?"

"No," he said, chuckling. "You just… look happy."

Powder gave a small, genuine smile. "I am."

Their moment was interrupted by Benzo walking in, a rolled-up blueprint in his hands.

"Ekko, Powder," he called out, his voice gruff but warm. "Got something for you two."

The pair hopped off their respective perches and gathered around him as he spread the blueprint on the table.

"This," Benzo began, pointing to the sketched-out design of a complex filtration system, "is the prototype for a new water purifier. If it works, it'll give clean water to this entire sector."

Ekko's eyes lit up as he scanned the plans. "This is incredible. Where'd you get this?"

"An old contact in Piltover," Benzo said. "But the design's incomplete. Thought you two might be able to fill in the gaps."

Powder leaned over the blueprint, her brows furrowed in concentration. "It's missing a stabilizer here… and the output valve is all wrong. We'll need to rework this section."

Ekko nodded. "We can do it. If we get it running, this could change everything."

The day was spent in a flurry of activity. Ekko and Powder took the blueprint to their workshop, diving into the intricacies of the design. They brainstormed solutions, tested theories, and ran simulations on their improvised equipment.

At one point, Powder leaned back in her chair, tossing a wrench onto the table. "Why does clean water have to be so complicated?"

Ekko grinned, leaning over to adjust one of the components. "Because nothing good comes easy."

She rolled her eyes but smiled. "You sound like Benzo."

"Better than sounding like Vander," Ekko teased, dodging the playful smack Powder aimed at his arm.

By late afternoon, they had a working prototype ready for testing.

"Moment of truth," Ekko said, carefully attaching the device to a water source.

Powder stood beside him, holding her breath as the machine whirred to life. For a few tense seconds, nothing happened. Then, a small stream of crystal-clear water trickled out of the output valve.

"It works!" Powder exclaimed, throwing her arms around Ekko in excitement.

He laughed, hugging her back. "We did it!"

News of their success spread quickly. By evening, a crowd had gathered in the central square to see the purifier in action. Ekko and Powder stood side by side, explaining the machine to the gathered residents.

"This isn't just about water," Ekko said, his voice carrying over the murmurs of the crowd. "It's about showing that we can build something better for ourselves. We don't have to rely on Piltover's scraps. We can create our own future."

The crowd erupted into cheers, and Ekko felt a swell of pride as he glanced at Powder. She was beaming, her eyes bright with hope.

Later that night, as the excitement died down and the crowd dispersed, Ekko and Powder found themselves alone in the courtyard.

"You know," Powder said, leaning against the purifier, "I used to think making a difference was about blowing things up and making people notice us. But this… this feels better."

Ekko smiled, sitting beside her. "You've always had a way of making people notice you. But yeah, this feels right."

She looked at him, her expression softening. "We're really doing it, aren't we? Making Zaun better."

"Yeah," he said, taking her hand. "One step at a time."

They sat there in comfortable silence, watching the stars. For the first time in a long while, it felt like Zaun was on the verge of something brighter—and they were at the heart of it.