Arcane: I have Plasmids F*** YEAAAAAAH!!!

Two days.

Powder hadn't seen Lukas in two whole days.

After everything, after Piltover spat in their faces, after their dreams got stomped on before they even started, he just—disappeared.

She hated it.

Hated waiting.

Hated not knowing.

Hated the way her chest felt too tight whenever she thought about it.

So when she finally saw him stroll into The Last Drop, Ekko trailing beside him, looking just as exhausted as ever, Powder felt something in her chest unclench.

Then she realized something.

He was grinning.

What the hell was he so happy about?

She pushed off the counter, stepping forward.

Her voice came quieter than she meant it to.

"Where were you?"

Lukas barely blinked.

"Good morning to you too, Powder."

Ekko, standing beside him, let out an exasperated breath. He looked like Lukas had dragged him through Zaun at full speed.

"Seriously, man. You just disappeared."

Lukas raised his hands in mock surrender.

"I was busy."

Powder frowned.

She wanted to be mad.

But she wasn't.

She was just… tired.

"Busy how?"

Lukas smirked.

"That… is a surprise."

Ekko exhaled through his nose, watching Lukas carefully.

"I hope it's a good one."

Lukas clapped a hand on his shoulder.

"Oh, you'll love it. Trust me."

Ekko sighed, rubbing his temples.

"Fine. What's the deal?"

Lukas grinned.

"Come with me."

Powder hesitated.

She didn't have it in her to deal with another failure.

Not after watching everything fall apart.

But then—

She caught something in Lukas's voice.

Something certain.

Something real.

She glanced at Ekko.

Ekko glanced back.

Then—

"…Alright," Powder said softly. "Let's go."

Lukas smiled.

"That's the spirit!"

---

"Where exactly are you goin'?"

Lukas turned.

Vander was standing near the bar, arms crossed. His gaze wasn't accusing—just curious.

And maybe a little cautious.

Powder and Ekko both looked at Lukas, waiting for his answer.

Lukas grinned.

"Somewhere important."

Vander raised an eyebrow.

Lukas sighed, shaking his head.

"Relax, old man. I'm not taking them to go pick a fight with some Chem Barons or some shit."

Vander huffed a small laugh.

"Not worried about that."

He stepped forward, placing a heavy hand on Lukas's shoulder.

"Just don't forget, kid. You ain't gotta do everything alone."

Lukas blinked.

For a moment—just a second—something in his chest twisted.

Vander squeezed his shoulder once, then let go.

"Go on then. Just be back before Vi returns or she'll have your head."

Lukas grinned.

"Aye aye, captain."

Vander shook his head.

"Go on. And Lukas?"

Lukas turned.

"Yeah?"

"Whatever this is, I'm proud of you, kid."

Lukas froze.

Something in his chest burned.

But he just smirked, giving a lazy salute.

"Try not to miss me too much."

And with that—

He walked out the door.

Powder and Ekko followed.

And Vander watched them go.

With a small, tired smile.

---

Lukas led them through the winding streets of Zaun.

Powder walked beside Ekko, hugging her arms to her chest.

She wasn't sulking.

She just… didn't want to be let down again.

Ekko kicked a loose stone. His voice was low.

"This isn't another wild idea, is it?"

Lukas chuckled.

"Would that be so bad?"

Ekko shrugged.

"Not if it works."

Powder stole a glance at Lukas.

"You seem different."

Lukas paused.

Then—

"Good different or bad different?"

She bit her lip.

"I don't know yet."

Ekko smirked.

"Damn. Brutal."

Lukas laughed.

"Fair enough."

They walked further.

Past the familiar.

Past where they had ever needed to go before.

Until—

Lukas stopped.

Right in front of a towering, rusted factory.

Powder blinked.

Ekko's brow furrowed.

"…What is this?"

Lukas turned to them—

And grinned.

"Put these on."

He pulled out two blindfolds.

Powder stared.

"Are you serious?"

Lukas nodded.

Ekko sighed, running a hand over his head.

"Alright. Fine. But if we die, I'm haunting you."

Powder grumbled but let Lukas tie the cloth around her eyes.

Then—

He led them inside.

The air smelled like metal, oil, and old history.

Powder felt her boots scrape against the floor.

Ekko let out a slow breath.

"Alright, man. We're here. What's the—"

Lukas untied their blindfolds.

"—deal?"

Their vision cleared.

And then—

They froze.

The inside of the factory was massive.

It had space.

It had depth.

It had life.

But more than that—

It had purpose.

( Play 'FUNK UNIVERSO' for this sequence, trust me. It's on Spotify.)

Powder's breath caught.

She turned to Lukas, eyes wide.

"Lukas…?"

Lukas stepped forward.

And then—

With the certainty of a man who had already seen the future—

He spoke.

"This is our next step."

Powder's heart skipped.

Ekko's hands clenched.

Lukas turned to them—

Eyes burning with something unstoppable.

"Welcome… to OUR DREAM!"

---

Powder stared.

Ekko breathed.

And then—

Powder smiled.

For the first time in days.

She ran ahead, eyes wide, taking in everything.

Ekko moved slower, hands in his pockets, but his eyes never stopped scanning.

And Lukas?

Lukas just watched them.

Let them feel it.

This wasn't just some scrapyard anymore.

This was theirs.

Powder turned in a full circle, her hair spinning with her.

"This place is huge!"

She pointed at the catwalks above.

"Can we go up there?!"

She pointed at an old, rusted crane.

"Can I mess with that?!"

She pointed at everything.

"Can we—"

Lukas laughed.

"Whoa, whoa—Powder, chill. One step at a time."

Powder grinned.

"You're telling me to chill? Who even are you?"

Ekko walked past them, running a hand along one of the walls.

"It's not bad…" he muttered. "Could use some work, though."

Lukas smirked.

"Yeah, no shit."

Ekko flicked his goggles up and turned to Lukas.

"You really think we can make something out of this?"

Lukas met his eyes.

"Not think."

"Know."

Ekko then smiled.

"Alright. Let's do this."

"What's the plan?"

Lukas grinned.

"The plan…"

He gestured to the space around them.

"…is to build something new."

A place where people like us—Zaunites—can make shit happen.

A place where we don't have to ask Piltover for permission.

A place where we don't just survive.

A place where we win.

Powder breathed in.

Her fingers twitched.

Lukas's words—

They made her chest feel tight.

Warm.

Hopeful.

Ekko ran a hand over his head.

"This is crazy."

Lukas shrugged.

"So?"

Ekko smirked.

"Guess crazy's kinda your thing."

Powder giggled.

For the first time in too long—

Everything felt right.

---

Powder ran up to a pile of scrap metal, eyes shining.

"Ooooh! Can I start building stuff here?!"

Ekko smirked.

"Powder, you already build stuff everywhere."

"Yeah, but now I can build here! With no Vi yelling at me to clean up!"

She turned to Lukas, practically vibrating.

"Can I?!"

Lukas laughed.

"Knock yourself out."

Powder pumped a fist in the air.

"YES!"

Ekko leaned against one of the support beams.

"We're gonna need a sign," he mused. "Something that says this place isn't just another rusted-out dump."

Powder gasped.

"OHHH, CAN I MAKE IT?!"

Lukas grinned.

"Of course."

Powder spun on her heel, already scheming.

"Ooooh, it's gotta be BIG! And shiny! And—"

She paused.

"Wait. What do we even call this place?"

Lukas stepped forward.

He looked around at the factory—his factory.

The first step of his empire.

The foundation of something that would one day rival Piltover itself.

And then—

A name came to him.

Not just a name.

A statement.

A promise.

---

Lukas turned back to them.

His grin widened.

"Fontaine Futuristics."

---

Powder tilted her head.

"Fontaine… Futur-whatever?"

Ekko crossed his arms.

"Sounds kinda fancy."

Lukas smirked.

"It should. It's the future."

He turned, staring up at the high ceilings, the exposed beams, the skeleton of what would one day become his legacy.

"Zaun has always been trapped in the past. In chains. In the dirt."

He faced them again, fire in his eyes.

"That ends here."

"This is where we build what comes next."

"This is where we prove that we don't need Piltover."

"This is where the future begins."

---

Powder stared at him.

Ekko exhaled slowly.

Then—

A grin spread across Powder's face.

"'Fontaine Futuristics'…" she murmured, testing the name.

She nodded.

"Yeah. Yeah, I like it!"

Ekko smirked.

"It's got a ring to it."

Lukas clapped his hands together.

"Then it's settled."