Undertow | Ekko x Reader

The mural stretched across the old, crumbling wall in vivid colors, a stark contrast to the muted gray of the abandoned tunnel. Firelight-green swirls encased faces etched in gentle strokes, immortalizing every soul they'd lost in the fight for Zaun. Ekko's gaze lingered on one face in particular—a girl he barely remembered, but her name burned in his mind. Another reminder that this fight, this war, was never without cost.

"Still doesn't feel real, does it?" Vi's voice broke the silence, quiet yet rough, like it had been dragged through gravel. She stood beside him, her arms crossed, eyes fixed on the same mural. 

"No," Ekko admitted, his voice low. "Never does." 

Their reunion hadn't been a fairy tale. He'd imagined it a thousand times when he was younger, thinking maybe one day she'd walk through the door, smirking like she hadn't been gone for years, like she hadn't left him to pick up the shattered pieces of Zaun. Now, she was here. And even though he felt like he'd just found a part of himself he thought was lost, the cracks between them were impossible to ignore. 

They had just argued, their voices echoing in the tunnels like clashing blades. It always came back to her—Jinx. Or Powder, as Vi insisted on calling her, like using her old name would somehow bring her back. Ekko clenched his fists at the memory of their shouting match. 

"She's not Powder anymore, Vi," he'd told her, his tone biting. 

"She's still in there," Vi had shot back, her voice shaking with conviction that sounded more like desperation. "I know she is." 

Ekko didn't have it in him to argue anymore. 

The silence between them stretched. 

"Who was the girl with her?" Vi finally asked, her voice softer, curious. 

Ekko stiffened. He hadn't expected the question, but maybe he should have. Vi didn't miss much, even if she pretended to. 

He debated whether to tell her. Y/N was already a risk—one he'd chosen to take because he believed in her, in what she was trying to do. But trusting anyone with that information, even Vi, felt like playing with fire. Still, looking at her now, at the girl he'd missed so much it hurt, he made a choice. 

"She used to work for Silco," Ekko said slowly, his voice even. "But she's not on his side anymore. She's helping us—helping me. She's giving us intel, a way to take him down from the inside." 

Vi turned to face him fully, her brows knitting together in disbelief. "You're joking." 

Ekko shook his head, keeping his gaze steady. 

"That's—" Vi began, her tone sharp. "That's a dumbass idea, Ekko." 

"Don't." He cut her off, his voice hardening. "You don't know her. She thought she was doing what was best for Zaun. We've all made choices we thought were right at the time." 

Vi's lips parted, but the words seemed to die before they came out. Instead, her sharp blue eyes swept over him, from his weathered armor to the stubborn set of his jaw. 

"You sure it's not your feelings talking?" she asked, her voice low, biting. "You're letting them cloud your judgment." 

Ekko flinched, heat rising to his face. "Oh, that's rich, coming from you." 

Vi's eyes narrowed, but he didn't let her speak. 

"You're out here running after an enforcer of all people," he shot back, bitterness lacing his words. "And you've got the nerve to question me?" 

"That's not—" 

"It is the same," Ekko snapped, his voice louder now. "You think Caitlyn's any less dangerous because she's helping you? You trust her, right? Why's Y/N any different?"