Chapter Text
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The world does not exist.
Vi couldn’t feel her hands. She couldn’t feel the metal digging into her joints as she is pulled to her knees. There is only the weight of the air. Thick and oily and disgustingly full and so hard to swallow.
A hand pulled her back by the shoulder.
Vi.
It slammed into her face, once, twice. It doesn’t sting. Flicker of heat in a frozen void. She couldn’t breathe.
Vi.
She couldn’t breathe she couldn’t breathe—
“Vi! Look at me”
A gasp tears out of Vi, air choking through her lungs, realizing the only one name on her tongue—
Powder. Powder.
Oh, Powder.
Someone's grabbing her, pulling her upright. A familiar face grayed under ash. White locks streaked in smoke with wide eyes vibrating with terror all the terror that she could never protect him from, the terror he is trying to choke down.
It does not matter.
“Powder—Powder—”
“Where is she?”
“P-Pow—”
Ekko shook her harshly. “Where is she!”
Vi looked down, her breath stuttering. Ekko followed her gaze and his hand on her shoulder tightened. Below, there is only the shimmer of fumes and the silence of graves.
“No,” he simply said.
“Powder s-she—”
“SCAR!”
A figure zapped past them before Ekko even finished, energy warping around.
“Vi,” He looked at her urgently. “Vi I need you to tell me exactly what happened—”
Vi can’t breathe. “She—she—”
“What. Happened.”
Vi gulps in air, nothing reaching her lungs. Nothing is reaching and her lungs are empty, and she needs something to reach for her to speak, for her to tell him for her to call out for her sister—
“Clear!” Scar’s voice echoed back hollow and metallic, small lights bobbing from underneath the smog. Vi’s breath quickens, and she snaps her gaze to Ekko, shaking her head. “No, no she—”
“He said she’s not there, Vi. Tell me what happened!”
“No.” Vi’s stammering. “No no no, she fell she fell I—I let go—she let go”
“Vi she’s not THERE”
“She let go.” She burrowed her face in confusion and desperation at him, not hearing him. “Why did she let go?”
Ekko grabs her by both the shoulders, ignoring her. “Listen. You think there's a chance she went to the field with the rest of ‘em?”
Vi did not know who ‘the rest of em’ were, nor did she care. It was impossible. “No—no they fell they—”
“She’s not there!” Ekko yelled.
“No no…they fell—” Vi’s shaking her head, peeking over the ledge. The sight of the drop makes her gag, and her body collapses like a doll into Ekko. He pushes her upright again, depleting strength reborn with pure desperation. He dropped his head to meet her gaze, bloodshot and determined.
“Vi. Vi listen to me we have to get back. I’m going to get you up now okay?” Vi starts shaking her head erratically, dropping her face into his shoulder, tiny nonono’s spilling “—I’m going to get you up, and we’re going back to the field alright we—”
“No—”
“—Listen.”
She’s shaking.
Ekko searches for the words. The will.
“Hey—hey!” He brings her head back up, cupping it with on either side. Gods, her face is devastated. Eyes rimmed red beyond the gray like a blood moon, tears streaking through ash and blood. Blood. And he is breaking too.
“You have to get to Caitlyn—” her eyes widen, brows stringing tight as if just realizing— “—you have to get to Caitlyn! She was there! In the field against Ambessa. Holding the line. You have to get to her, right?” Vi’s not sure what to do with herself “You hear me? She needs you.” His voice breaks, trying to tether Vi. “I need you.”
Vi’s breath finds itself in her throat again. The name acts like a shock to a dying heart, and it works—she manages a jerky nod, dread sluicing through her veins. “Caitlyn.” She chokes out.
Ekko nods back, a small smile of relief flickering as he let out a breath, and leaned to press his forehead to Vi’s. She closes her eyes briefly, bringing up a bare hand—degloved at the wrists, gods—and nod along with him.
Fuck.
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