Undertow | Ekko x Reader

The dim light of early morning filtered through the cracked window of Alyssandra's room, casting soft shadows across the makeshift bed. You sat on the edge of it, one leg drawn up as the other dangled just above the floor. Alyssandra was perched beside you, her small frame wrapped in the oversized blanket she insisted on bringing everywhere, her bright eyes fixed on yours.

"You'll come back, right?" her voice was small, hesitant, but carried a weight that stung more than you wanted to admit.

You hesitated for a moment, the question pulling at a part of you that you rarely allowed to surface. It was a simple request, yet so layered. Alyssandra had no one. She had been scraped out of the same cruel underbelly you came from, abandoned in the same cycle of despair that the Undercity perpetuated. You knew what it was like to hold on to nothing but the fragile hope that someone might care enough to stay.

"I'll come back," you said, your voice firm. You forced yourself to hold her gaze, to make sure she believed you. "I promise."

Her face broke into a small smile, and she leaned forward to hug you tightly. You froze for a heartbeat before returning the embrace, her wiry arms squeezing around your middle. The gesture was almost too much to bear.

When she finally let go, you brushed a stray lock of hair from her face. "Be good while I'm gone, alright? Don't give Ekko too much trouble."

"I won't!" she chirped, but the way she clutched her blanket made her seem smaller than she was.

You stood, your chest heavy as you glanced around the tiny room. It wasn't much, but it was hers—a space where she could feel safe. As you stepped toward the door, you glanced back one last time, finding Alyssandra watching you like she was afraid you might disappear the moment she blinked.

"I'll see you soon," you reassured her again, though the weight in your chest didn't ease as you slipped out of the room.

The Firelight base was quiet as you made your way through its winding halls, the remnants of the night's activity still lingering in the air. You had already spoken to Ekko the night before, letting him know you'd be gone before most were awake. He hadn't pressed for details, but the concern in his eyes had been clear.

You moved quickly, slipping past the scattered few who were awake. You didn't want questions or goodbyes; you had too much to do. The Undercity wasn't kind enough to wait for anyone to figure themselves out, and neither were its players.

But for the first time, it felt like you were doing something that mattered.

Not like Silco's operations, with their promises of power that left more bodies than change in their wake. Not like the scrappy survival of running, stealing, and fighting for scraps. No, this was different. The Firelights were trying—really trying—to break the cycle. To build something better, not just tear it all down. And for once, you could feel it in your bones that you were working toward something good.

That thought steadied you as you headed further into the labyrinth of the Undercity. Alyssandra's voice lingered in your mind, a quiet plea that carried the weight of too many lost children. You wouldn't let her—or anyone else—down.

There was work to be done.

The Last Drop was eerily quiet at first light, the usual din of patrons and the hum of illegal deals replaced by the heavy stillness of the early morning. You stood outside Silco's office, the weight of the air pressing against you like a vice. Your knuckles rapped sharply against the wood, cutting through your spiraling thoughts.