Arcane: Ekko and Powder

The air in the Undercity was thick with dust, a haze of industrial exhaust and old metal that clung to the skin like a second layer. Rusted pipes snaked through the alleys, their contents long forgotten by most, their purpose obscured by years of decay. The streets were narrow, and every step echoed against the walls, magnifying the sounds of the city—a constant hum of activity, a cacophony of voices, machinery, and the occasional screech of grinding gears. It was a place where dreams were born in the shadows, and the impossible was made possible, often in the form of makeshift inventions or stolen technology.

Ekko had been exploring for hours, wandering deeper into the Undercity than he usually did. He was used to the cramped alleys, the dark corners, the places where the older kids dared not venture. The thrill of discovery always kept him moving, always kept him searching. Today, his curiosity led him to an old warehouse, its doors creaking in protest as he pushed them open. Inside, the remnants of broken machines and discarded gadgets lay scattered across the floor. It was a treasure trove for a tinkerer like Ekko, a place where things could be repurposed, where anything could be made into something else.

He grinned to himself, already thinking about the possibilities. He could make a new timepiece, a tool, or maybe even another prototype of his time-bending device. Ekko had a mind for machines, and there was nothing he loved more than piecing together old junk and turning it into something extraordinary.

As he stepped further into the dusty room, his eyes scanning for anything useful, he heard a soft rustling behind him.

Startled, he spun around, his hand instinctively reaching for a wrench tucked in his belt. There, standing in the doorway, was a girl—a little older than him, but not by much. She had wild, untamed hair that fell in messy waves around her face, and her clothes were a patchwork of old fabrics, stitched together with a hasty, yet skilled hand. Her wide, curious eyes met his, and for a moment, neither of them moved.

"Uh... Hi," the girl said, her voice unsteady, but not scared. "I was just... I was just looking around."

Ekko raised an eyebrow, his grip on the wrench loosening as he sized her up. She didn't seem like one of the usual troublemakers he ran into in the Undercity. In fact, she seemed almost out of place here, like she hadn't spent years in these streets, learning how to survive. There was an innocence to her that made Ekko hesitate.

"I'm Ekko," he said, his voice more cautious than usual. "What's your name?"

"Powder," she replied quickly, her smile wide and bright. There was something about her, something unrefined, but full of energy. Her eyes darted to the piles of metal and discarded gadgets strewn across the floor. "You... you know how to fix these?"

Ekko's lips curved into a small, almost amused grin. "Fix them? Nah, I don't just fix things. I make them better." He gestured to a pile of gears and wires on the floor. "That's the fun part."

Powder's eyes lit up. She seemed completely entranced by the machines, her gaze flicking from one piece of scrap to another, as though each one held a secret she could unravel. Ekko couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. She wasn't like anyone he'd met before, not even close. Most of the kids from around here were too busy trying to survive, or too occupied with petty thefts and squabbles. But Powder? She was different. She was fascinated by the same things Ekko was—things that could be rebuilt and repurposed, things that had potential.

Without thinking, Ekko crouched down and picked up a rusted metal panel, turning it over in his hands. "You want to see something cool?"

Powder nodded enthusiastically, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

Ekko moved quickly, his fingers moving like lightning over the various pieces of scrap on the floor. His mind was already racing, connecting the dots between different parts, seeing patterns where others saw nothing but useless junk. The girl watched him with rapt attention, her eyes never leaving his hands as they worked.

"Alright," Ekko muttered, mostly to himself, "this should work."

He clicked a few pieces together, adjusting them with a series of sharp twists and turns, the sound of metal grinding against metal filling the air. It didn't take long for the contraption to start humming, gears spinning, lights flickering on in the dim light of the warehouse. Ekko stepped back, giving Powder a triumphant smile.

"Ta-da!" he said, gesturing to the little gadget that now sat on the floor. It was a simple device, no bigger than his palm, but it had a small screen with a series of blinking lights and a dial in the center.

Powder bent down to inspect it, her fingers brushing lightly over the edges. She looked up at Ekko, her expression a mixture of awe and disbelief. "You made that? Out of all... this?" She waved her hand around, motioning to the scrap everywhere. "How?"

Ekko chuckled. "It's not that hard. You just have to see things differently. Old stuff can always be turned into something new, you just have to know where to look."

Powder's eyes narrowed, her lips curling into a thoughtful frown. "I think I get it... but it's still kind of magic, isn't it? Like... like you're making something out of nothing."

Ekko's grin widened. "Well, not nothing. But I guess it's a little like magic, yeah. Just... with machines." He looked down at the device. "It's not perfect, but I think it'll work."

Powder's hands shot out, eager to touch the gadget again. She picked it up, inspecting it with the intensity of a scientist. "This is amazing," she said, almost to herself, her voice barely above a whisper. "You've got to show me how you do it."

Ekko paused, unsure of what to say. He wasn't used to people asking him to teach them something. Most of the time, they were either too intimidated or too uninterested to care. But Powder wasn't like that. She was curious, eager to learn, and something about her enthusiasm made Ekko want to show her how to build, how to make things that worked.

"Okay, I'll show you," he said, his voice soft but certain. "But you have to promise me one thing."

Powder looked up from the gadget, her expression a little sheepish, but still full of that wild energy. "What's that?"

"You have to promise me that you won't mess with anything unless I'm there to help," Ekko said with a serious tone. "These things... they can be dangerous if you don't know what you're doing."

Powder's face lit up. "I promise!" she said eagerly, almost bouncing on her feet. "I'll be careful. I swear!"

Ekko hesitated for a moment before standing up and offering her his hand. She looked at it for a second, then grabbed it with both hands, shaking it eagerly. It wasn't a handshake, but it felt like a small agreement between them. Something unspoken but understood.

"Alright, let's get to work," Ekko said, his voice filled with determination. "We've got a lot to learn."

The next few hours were spent in a whirlwind of excitement, with Ekko showing Powder how to disassemble and rebuild smaller gadgets. She caught on quickly, her fingers moving with surprising precision for someone who had never done this kind of work before. They laughed together, sharing the joy of discovery as they pieced together their first functional device—a simple mechanism that Ekko had designed as a practice project.

As the sun began to set, casting a warm, golden glow over the dusty floor of the warehouse, Ekko realized something. In the short time he'd spent with Powder, he hadn't once thought about his usual worries, his problems with the older kids, or even the growing pressure to make something truly groundbreaking. Instead, he'd found someone who shared his curiosity, his love for invention. Someone who didn't question his ideas, but embraced them.

It felt... good.

As they packed up their tools and prepared to leave, Ekko couldn't help but glance at Powder, who was still holding onto the small gadget they had built, looking at it as though it held the key to some new adventure.

"Hey," Ekko said, a mischievous grin forming on his face, "next time, I'll show you how to make something that actually flies."

Powder's eyes widened, and she nearly dropped the gadget in her excitement. "Seriously?!" she asked, her voice high with excitement.

"Yeah," Ekko said, his grin widening. "But only if you promise to keep up."

"Deal!" Powder shouted, laughing as they exited the warehouse together, their laughter echoing off the walls of the Undercity.

And in that moment, Ekko realized that maybe, just maybe, this friendship—this connection—was the beginning of something more than he had ever expected.