Arcane: Winds of Change

For more chapters (10+) or if you want to support me, visit https://www.patreon.com/FFAddict. Thank you!

Chapter 22: Escape

With a loud shout from the masked man, the surroundings began to reverse, and everything returned to how it was just a minute earlier.

The masked man is Ekko. After Vander's death, one by one, his old friends left. He didn't understand why Vi chose to cooperate with Silco. Witnessing the lower city's slow decay under the influence of Shimmer, Ekko decided to leave the general store.

Ekko is undoubtedly a genius, a scientific genius. Although the undercity had become rundown under the influence of Silco's Shimmer, a few people still remained untouched by it. He modified the skateboard he had been researching since his childhood, adding a power system. Moreover, he established the Firelights.

Long ago, he stumbled upon the factory where the explosion occurred and picked up fragments of a Hextech crystal. He focused his research around this mysterious object. It wasn't until now that he first used the time-reversal ability.

After reversing time, he glanced at the struggling Vi. Once again, he appeared beside Vi, this time facing Phil together, and Ekko learned about another state of Phil's exosuit. Ekko demonstrated his agile skills, avoiding Phil's long blade with utmost precision and ensuring it neither touched his body nor his weapon.

Finally, Phil got somewhat impatient. The exosuit and the blade in his hand emitted a dazzling white light once more. Just as Ekko was warily alert, he was taken aback by Phil's speed. Initially, as soon as he saw the white light, he retreated with Vi. But in less than a second, Phil appeared before him again, the long blade in his hand stabbing directly into Ekko's abdomen. This time, even with Vi's help, they lasted only just over thirty seconds.

The pocket watch on Ekko ticked: "One more time, polarity shift!" The surroundings once again reversed, but this time, the time-reversal rewound by only forty seconds. Crucially, the stab wound inflicted by Phil on his abdomen wasn't fully healed. He clutched his stomach in the shadows, looked at the exhausted Vi, then at Silco in the distance, and came up with a plan.

His skateboard accelerated directly towards Silco. The abrupt acceleration caught everyone off guard. At that moment, Phil's blade was already at Vi's throat. "If you move, they both die." From afar, Ekko's threatening voice echoed.

Phil's expression turned icy. "Do you really think we lack the power to wipe out you pesky flies?" Silco's forces and the Firelights had a few run-ins, mostly due to conflicts over the Shimmer drug. Silco simply hadn't had the chance to deal with them yet. "You move, they both die." Ekko didn't waste words and repeated himself. His gun firmly pressed against Silco's temple.

Phil suddenly smiled, releasing Vi and stowing his blade behind his back. "You win this time. Hopefully, you'll be just as lucky next time." Phil's smile was full of coldness. Ekko didn't make any reckless moves. He knew Phil's speed. With one hand, he held Silco hostage, and with the other, he placed the injured Vi onto the skateboard.

"Take Caitlyn with you." Vi, though very weak at this point, still managed to say. Although she didn't know who the masked man was, she couldn't let Caitlyn fall into Silco's hands. Phil released Caitlyn without negotiating. In his eyes, no amount of Caitlyns equaled the importance of Silco.

Ekko got both of them secured, and the skateboard wobbled and rose, his gun still aimed at Silco. Once the three were far away, Phil finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Are you hurt?"

"No problem, you shouldn't have let him go." Silco was somewhat powerless. "That masked kid seems to have some sort of time-reversal ability. He has a wound from my blade on his waist, but I don't remember injuring him." Phil was certain this person was Ekko, just surprised he was able to perform his ultimate so early.

Upon hearing Phil's words, Silco was somewhat surprised. He hadn't thought time could be distorted. "Intensify the search efforts, even if it means digging down to find them." 

"Forget it, Jinx should be back soon. Whether she chooses to be Powder or Jinx should be her decision to make, we're overstepping our bounds," Phil waved his hand dismissively. If Vi had been killed directly, it wouldn't matter much. But now Vi wasn't dead, and if Jinx found out about this, it could create a rift in their previously harmonious relationship. 

"I'm exhausted, I'm heading back," Phil yawned, having not slept for a day and a night and after going through a battle. He was feeling quite drowsy. 

On the other side, Ekko rescued Vi and Caitlyn, but he tied Caitlyn up again. He knew Powder had become one of Silco's people. And Vi, missing for years, now appeared with an enforcer. Did this mean she had betrayed Zaun? Ekko took Vi to a small hut and slowly removed his mask: "You're quite lively for a dead person." Ekko's voice had changed significantly, becoming more mature, with an indescribable quality. 

"Ekko?" Vi's eyes widened, looking at Ekko with surprise and a hint of joy. Ekko didn't respond but instead coldly looked at Vi. "Why are you here?"

"I'm looking for Jinx," Vi said, unsure why her childhood friend had become so cold. 

"Jinx? Why are you looking for her?" Ekko asked directly. 

"She's Powder! I looked everywhere but couldn't find her," Vi's expression was somewhat agitated. "It's me, Vi! The one who used to help hose you down with a water pipe in the junkyard when you got covered in grease!" 

Seeing Vi getting closer, Ekko couldn't help but step back before turning his head and saying, "That was a long time ago. People change." His expression seemed somewhat forlorn. 

"Yes, I've noticed too," Vi also seemed a bit somber. 

"Are you serving Piltover?" "You jerk!" Vi cursed directly. 

"I thought you were dead, and then you show up wandering the lanes with a Piltover girl," Ekko was also somewhat agitated. 

"So you've been following us all this time, why didn't you speak up?" 

"How do I know if I can still trust you?" The two quarreled, and Vi suddenly laughed. She hugged Ekko, "I missed you, Little Man." Ekko was the first playmate Vi had ever seen in the lanes. Ekko's eyes widened as Vi hugged him, but he didn't struggle. He hugged Vi back, a tear slipping from the corner of his eye. 

"And what about Cupcake? I mean the Piltover officer who came with me."

"I tied her up and left her in a warehouse." 

"Let her out quickly," Vi looked anxious. 

"She's fine. Let me show you my base first," Ekko said, smiling at Vi.