15 - Jinx

"Mika, can you pass me the wrench?" Ekko requested, leaning in an insanely uncomfortable position. I told him earlier that he could use the rolling thingy to maintain his balance easier, but he insisted he'd make do without it. I bet he'll complain about a sore back tomorrow.

"Which one?" Mika asked, putting down his instruments.

"Twelve, please." Mika passed him the wrench.

I listened to their voices in the background while working on the Rune Ring, as Ekko liked to call it. He thought it sounded so clever with the alliteration. I guess one statement remains true for all men: once a boy, always a boy.

I was just finishing up, attaching all the final pieces to the ring. "Donezos," I mumbled to myself. I stood up and hit the wall as I stepped back. Still couldn't get used to how small this room was compared to the living room.

Ekko suggested we build the machine in the guest room a few weeks ago, just in case enforcers come by for any inspection. It was much easier to hide something in a separate room rather than the main hall. He was still paranoid about Vi showing up, even though neither of us has seen her since that day in the Core, but I guess it was better to be safe than sorry.

"You guys need help over there?" I offered, feeling boredom creeping up on me.

"Nah. Uncle Ekko's almost done. Right?"

"Just give me one second..." Ekko said. Tools clanked and hit one another for much longer than that, but eventually, he was done.

"Alright." He said, standing up. He looked around at what we built. A huge, circular platform right in the middle, with three curved pillars sticking out vertically from the sides. Eight... maybe nine (I lost count) different engines and motors surrounding the perimeter of the room. Way too many chords and jumpers poking out from different places.

Hard to think that Ekko understood the purpose of each and every detail of this massive machine. I, on the other hand, was getting there. I could confidently say that about 70% was clear to me. The rest — mumbo-jumbo nonsense.

"We're done, guys. Hah!" He exclaimed, as if he was in disbelief we've made it this far.

"Yay! We did it!" Mika chirped, hugging Ekko. I smiled. It was so nice to see them together like this. Last time I saw them this happy was the very first day I met Mika.

Needing Mika's Double Maker, we went over to him and explained that Ekko and I were working on a "super top secret" invention and that we needed his help. I'd do anything to see that look in his face again. It was as if the boy got his life back. 

With him working with us pretty much every day, his feelings of being replaced quickly went away. I knew how vital it was for a kid to feel important. I never had that. Now, look what a fuck-up became of me. 

We told Mika what we were building, no lies there, but we left out the details about the arcane, he didn't need to know that. He thinks we're going to a different universe on a "super duper top secret" mission. He was satisfied with that explanation, so we didn't bother to elaborate, and it, technically, wasn't a lie either. That's only a plus.

Ekko zoned out. Again. This guy never stops thinking big. 

"Hey, space boy? Are you gonna tell me what your genius Rune Ring does or what?"

"Hm? Oh, right." We walked closer to the engine I just finished building. "You see how there's different medallions all around the ring?" I looked at him, mockingly.

"No, I definitely didn't just spend weeks carving each of the patterns on there. Of course, I don't see." I replied, hearing Mika giggle at my sarcasm.

Ekko rolled his eyes at me and went on. "If we twist the ring in the right combination before we power the system, it will send us to that universe."

"How do you know the combination?"

"Well... I don't. I only have the combination I used to come back here, but, theoretically, if we reverse the combination, we should end up in the alternate universe."

"Are you sure of this?" I asked, skeptical.

Ekko lowered his gaze. "No. But this is our only option now." 

We could die. I thought. We could disappear and never find each other again, in any universe. He reached for my hand, but I pulled it back.

"Jinx, I know it's risky. But you have to trust that this will work."

I paused to think. I mean, we've been working so hard to come to this. We couldn't just chicken out now. And if we don't go, we'll get caught and be doomed anyway, so we might as well give this chance a shot, right?

"Okay." I said. "We're ready."

__

I couldn't sleep. Ekko said we should rest before we travel tomorrow morning, but that was the last thing on my mind. I was afraid.

My life has finally turned into something that I enjoyed. A daily routine, with Ekko and Mika to come home to, with good friends to work with at the bar and wonderful people to converse with... it could all end tomorrow.

This was such an unfamiliar feeling. I couldn't believe I cared so much that it scared me to let this new life go. I can't remember the last time I cared.

The sleeplessness eventually forced me up. I wrapped the blanket around myself and went to the living room. I went past Ekko, who was sleeping on the bed we moved from the guest room, and opened the door to the balcony. The cold breeze felt so refreshing. 

I took a deep breath in an attempt to calm down but had no luck. I stood there for a while, appreciating the landscape, until I heard the balcony door open. I found Ekko behind me.

"Can't sleep?" He asked. I shook my head. "I can't either." He said in agreement and stood next to me.

"What's on your mind?" He asked me, leaning his elbows on the fenced railing.

"I bit of everything." I said, noticing how raspy my voice sounded. We stood motionless, enjoying the silence of the night, until Ekko spoke again.

"Remember that one time," he started, "when you had your paint ball gun, and I, my wooden sword," the image grew vivid in my head, "and we took the game a little too seriously?" He chuckled.

"And then Vi saw us fighting," I picked up from where he left off, "trying to break us up because she thought it was a real fight. Then, when we stopped, we started rolling on the floor of laughter." I giggled at the memory. "Remember that look on her face? Like we were lunatics?"

Ekko matched my laugh. "Good times."

My smile started to fade. I thought of all the real fights we had... when he tried to rescue me from Silco, a few times in our teen years, and that fight at the bridge... Chills rushed through me. It all seemed like an awful nightmare.

How did I let all that happen? Ekko's been nothing but kind to me and I ditched his efforts like they were trash. The sadness and regret I was feeling in that moment was unbearable. I felt a wetness in my eyes.

Leaning my forehead on his shoulder, I said, "I'm sorry, Ekko."

"What for?" He asked, moving the hair out of my face to see me better.

"For everything. I'm so sorry. You never deserved any of it. I'm so sorry." Tears started spilling, triggering an unruly breakdown.

"Hey..." Ekko pulled me into his chest. If he wouldn't have held me then, I probably would have collapsed.

"I forgive you, Jinx. I forgave you a long time ago." He whispered. His words eased my pain, but his, yet another, kind move intensified the regret in me.

"Come on. Let's go inside, it's cold." He helped me in, and we sat on the couch, my face still buried in his chest. He stroked my hair to soothe me. "It's all behind us now." He added.

He held me until I cried myself to sleep.

__

"Okay, Mika, I'm going to repeat this one more time. Everyday, starting today, you will come here and check off a box on the calendar." Ekko pointed to the calendar grid pasted on the wall. "If Scar has any notes for me, you write the date and put them on this desk. When we come back, you will be the first one to know." Mika nodded.

"Oh, and triple check that you lock both locks on your way out. Keep the blinds down. Got it?"

"Aye aye, captain!" The boy chirped.

We weren't sure how time would behave during travel, and since Mika was the best little helper around, I thought it'd be nice to ask him to do this for us. This way, when we come back, we'll know exactly all the days that we've been gone.

Taking the container with the grey sphere, Ekko gently placed it in the center of the platform. As he opened it, the three pillars whirled and buzzed of energy. The sphere flew up in response.

He snatched the container just in time before the sphere grew ten times its size. We all stepped back from the potent breeze that hit our faces.

"Woah!" Mika exclaimed in surprise.

"Jinx, you have the gemstones?"

"Yes, captain." I replied playfully, taking one out. We placed it in the chamber of the Double Maker, and it spit us out a copy. We tested the functionality of the gemstone copy before, and it worked exactly the same. Maybe luck was on our side, after all.

"We're all set." Ekko announced, flashing Mika a smile. I noticed a hint of sadness in him as he picked Mika up to hug the boy as tightly as he could.

"I'll miss my little man." He said. "Hope you don't mind me stealing your duplicate gadget."

"It is my gift to you, Uncle Ekko." He chuckled. "I'll see you soon, right?"

"Yeah... Soon." Ekko replied, unable to give any promises.

Mika received a friendly fist bump from me as a goodbye before Ekko and I stepped up on the platform. It was already nerve-wracking to be in the center of the pastel mesh, but it was even more frightening when my feet couldn't reach the ground anymore. We started floating.

I grabbed Ekko's forearm to steady myself in the air. Brute noises filled the room. Everything around us was shaking uncontrollably. I couldn't tell if I was feeling lightheaded from floating or from feeling sick.

Before I could ponder any further, I gave in to the weakness, and as soon as I did, everything went black.

A/N: Today is my last day of vacation :') and I'm off to work tomorrow WAAAAAH. Idk how frequently I'll update chapters once the routine settles in but I really hope to make enough time for frequent updates. I hAte when authors update frequently and then disappear for months and you're still there, wanting to know what the hell happens next. SO I don't want to do that to y'all, that's torture.

Anyways, I hope you also have an easy school/work transition (if you haven't already) and we'll see our fav characters in the AU for the next one :)

Word count: 1767