Out of Time
Out of Time
It was dusk when the boy appeared in front of the monument. All around it, candles and small, handmade lanterns were blowing back and forth in the wind. The pale grey stone was painted a variety of colors and showed caricatures of various people - from an elderly man wearing aviator glasses and a hood, to a young woman with neon blue hair and milky white skin. Leaning against the stone were several metal stands, which held many photos of young children. The boy had seen all this many times, but always as a visitor. Today, he was instead here as a mourner. Moments ago he had finished a new drawing on the left-hand side of the mural - a young kid with brown hair, partially covered by a pair of aviator goggles. On a small ledge near the monument, he set down a nearly identical pair of goggles. To most, they would be useless: they were flimsy, held together by once-sturdy iron that had whittled away over time, just as they appeared on the mural. But now it had a broken lens on the left eye. And to the boy, they were all he had left of his friend, Ajuna.
After placing them down, he kneeling and stared at them. Against the colorful mural straight ahead and the dark grey buildings that surrounded the small plaza, he greatly stuck out. If his white mohawk didn’t bring him enough attention, the glowing contraption attached to his waist certainly did. But he didn’t care; he already thrived in the idea of being unique, and after what had happened tonight, that was the last thing on his mind. As he looked into the shattered glass lens, a mixture of sadness and disbelief grew on his face. He wiped away the tears as they ran down his cheek. It’s my fault., he thought to himself. I let this happen. I let you down. “I’m sorry.”, he spoke through quivering lips. “I’m sorry.” No matter what anyone said to him, he knew he let himself, and more importantly Ajuna, down. No amount of repeats, no number of rewinds, could save him. He truly failed. He was out of time.
Another boy walked into the candlelight from a nearby alleyway. He had light brown hair, scraggly and unkempt, along with hazel eyes a short, stocky body. In his hand, he grasped a scrap of bread. He entered with a smile, but at the sight of the boy kneeling in front of the mural, it dissolved into worry. “Ekko, what’s wrong?”, he asked as he ran towards his friend.
Ekko turned away, mostly in shame. He had already accepted his fatal failure, but still… he didn’t know how the others would take it.
“It’s fine, Kalo. I’m just taking care of something.” His voice was tinged with fear and barely suppressed sadness.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m alright. Honest. Please, just go tell the others I’ll be back soon.”, Ekko responded in a pleading tone, his back still turned. Another tear began to peek out of the corner of his eye. He dabbed it with his finger.
“Alright, if you’re sure.” Although he didn’t Kalo leave, the footsteps told him that he was gone. Ekko turned back and continued to stare at the goggles. His mind drifted towards the man he confronted. He was a dirty Piltie; they had no place in Zaun. Using his weapon, which just so happened to be an hour hand that he’d stolen from a clock tower in Piltover, he beat the man to hell and back. What was he to do? That stupid Piltie justified killing his friend - a child - over trying to take his gun. It might seem that his anger got the best of him to anyone else, but in his eyes Ekko believed was fully justified. Then his mind shifted to his final moment with Ajuna.
“I feel so tired, Ekko. I just want to go to sleep.” The last words Ajuna said before dying in Ekko’s arms. The image of his eyes closing and the sound of his breath haunted Ekko. He choked up at the thought of it. He’d faced many challenges
Suddenly, a loud ringing jolted him from his thoughts. It was the chimes of the clock, telling him it was ten hours since sunhigh. This was surprising to him; he didn’t realize he had been here so long. Rising to his feet, he looked at the monument one final time, before sprinting off.
Two minutes later, Ekko found himself facing about a dozen young boys in a tightly packed alleyway. It was filled with small tents made of rags and sticks. A small bonfire had been lit in the corner from some garbage, and three boys were roasting a can of some kind over it. As he entered, Ekko noticed that they ranged greatly in age; the oldest boy was Kalo, who had just turned sixteen (which put him as unofficial second-in-command to Ekko, who was nearly seventeen), while the youngest was not even six years of age. Ekko acted as a leader for them, and cared for them. He knew they saw him as a hero and a source of inspiration. This would be the first time he’d have to tell them he let them down. It was hard not to hyperventilate at the idea of saying that to all these boys who looked up to him.
Kalo ran over to him. “Ekko! Thank goodness you’re back. We can’t find Ajuna anywhere.” Once again, Ekko teared up again at the sound of his late friend’s name, but he was determined not to show it to the others. The worst thing he could do is break down in front of them all. “Call everyone together, please. I... need to say something.”
“But… but what about Ajuna? He’s still out there. He could be lost, or in danger, or-”
Ekko placed his hand on Kalo’s shoulder. “Just call everyone together. I’ll explain.”
Kalo looked at him in confusion, but after a moment he nodded and went off to gather all the boys. Meanwhile, Ekko walked over to a raised metal vent. He often used it as a stage for any announcements or speeches he had to make, since it was directly beside the entrance to the alley and was easily viewable. He polished his own pair of goggles with his glove, removing a few traces of dirt and grime. Then he turned towards the newly formed audience. Many of the older boys along with Kalo were murmuring, about Ajuna no doubt. He silenced them with a raise of his hand.
“Uh, hello everyone. I know I was gone awhile, and I’m sorry, but I needed to take care of something. Something I now need to tell you. I’m sure you all know Ajuna, and some of you may wonder where he is now.” Ekko could feel himself choking up, his voice becoming more ragged. He took several deep breaths. “And I have some… bad news.” He wanted to just run, just sprint off the spot right now and go bawl in the corner. The deepest, rawest emotions inside him were telling him to let it out, let all his sadness out. But he had to be strong. If not for himself, for the audience in front of him that looked at him as a role model. “I sent out Ajuna to go get food. He ran into a Piltie, and… and the next thing I know he’s dead. Ajuna is dead.” Gasps of shock and despair came from the boys. Several started crying. Ekko couldn’t hold back his tears any longer, and they began to gush down the sides of his face. “I want to tell you all that I am so, so, so, so, sorry.” His voice cracked at the word ‘sorry’. I let you guys down, I let myself down, and most importantly I let Ajuna down, and I’m… I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” He walked off of stage and crawled into one of the tents. He heard the crowd whispering in confusion and terror, before suddenly being silenced. “Everyone, listen.” It was Kalo. “I know the news might be hard to hear. I’m sure it was hard for Ekko to say as well. But stay calm. We’re a family, and we’re going to protect each other. We lost Ajuna today, but we have to be strong.” The crowd calmed down at the sound of his voice, and quickly dispersed, although the atmosphere remained tense and nervous.
Kalo entered the tent and sat next to Ekko. His hair was still a mess. “Ekko, I’m really sorry. Really, I am. But you can’t blame yourself for this. It wasn’t your fault.”
Ekko turned to him and responded in a low and utterly beaten voice, “Kalo, I know you mean well. Thank you for calming them down and all, but it’s my fault. I know it is. I sent him out to get food, unarmed and unprotected. I was stupid and reckless and I cost him his life. ”
Kalo stayed silent for almost a minute afterwards. Ekko paired his silence, again delving into the painful yet irresistible memories. A brief scene passed through his mind of when he first met Ajuna, who was eleven at the time. He’d been running from some freak purple guy with a bloody cleaver in one hand, when he saw Ekko and begged for help. Not willing to let Ajuna die, he jumped forward and began to fight with the thing. Despite not being too smart (it seemed to repeat the word “Mundo” a lot, which he assumed to be its name), it was incredibly strong. He had to rewind his time machine nearly twenty times before he brought that hulking thing down, and even then he was so weary from the battle he immediately collapsed. The next thing he knew he was lying down in one of these tents. Apparently, Ajuna had dragged him all by himself into one of the alleyways where his fellow street kids found him and nursed him back to comfort, It seemed amazing that a child so young as him had the strength to haul a boy two times his size down an alleyway alone. And now that same boy was gone forever.
Finally, Kalo broke the silence. “I’ve known you for a while now. Almost three years. And I know that you care. I really, really understand it. But we all make mistakes. No one here blames you for-”
“Mistakes?”, Ekko spat with anger, “Most people’s mistakes don’t cost the life of a young, innocent boy. I failed everyone today. Everything is my fault. Now Ajuna is dead and everyone else is living in fear. All because of how stupid I was. Don’t try to tell me otherwise. I’m an absolute moron, not to mention a-”
“Ekko, stop.” Now Kalo was angry as well. “I’m not going to sit here and listen to you blame yourself. I don’t care what you think, okay? I’m telling you right now that it is NOT your fault. No one here thinks you let them down tonight. Not a single one. We’re going to make it through this. All of us. Together.”
Ekko sniffled and replied, “Just get out, Kalo. I need to think.”
“But-”
“JUST GET OUT!” He swung his arm outwards and knocked over a glass jar beside him. It broke with a loud crack.
Kalo tried to look into Ekko’s eyes, but he turned away. His voice almost a whisper, Kalo finally said, “Alright... but remember what I said. Please.” With that, Kalo crawled out of the tent, leaving Ekko to his devices. He brought his timewinder to eye level. A long crack ran across the side. That dumb Piltie had shot it and tried to run. It nearly blew up on him as he chased the man down in rage.
It’s not your fault. Those four words seemed like poison to him. Left to his own thoughts, that was the first thing his mind focused on. Every single last part of him knew for a fact that he messed up, and that it was singlehandedly his failure and his failure alone. Even though he hadn’t pulled the trigger, he might as well have. Ajuna was following his words and died because of that. So at first, he dismissed Kalo’s words. They were words of comfort, things said only to make him feel better. But as the minutes passed they seared into his mind further. It’s your fault. You’re a failure. You’re not a leader., one side of his mind repeated. No it’s not. You couldn’t have known. It was an accident., the other side retaliated. These two sides went back and forth, and soon enough a headache festered in his brain. In frustration, Ekko stomped his foot against the pavement. Things like this never happened to him; most often he simply followed his thoughts and let them lead him. But now a conflict had arisen, and it was one that no amount of rewinding would be able to solve.
Just give in. He’s gone forever because of your actions. You killed him. He felt a pain in his heart. This was guilt beyond anything he had ever known. It seemed so believeable, so true. It matched the grief he felt perfectly.
You made a mistake, but you can’t let this stop you. Be strong and move forward. A small sliver of hope pierced his saddened heart and momentarily drove out the pain. Could it really be true? Ekko found a small smile beginning to form.
Shut up. You failed. You KILLED HIM. The pain returned. No, it’s your fault, Ekko. Don’t be stupid. He had let them down. How could he think otherwise? He was being greedy and selfish. You’re a loser and an idiot, Ekko, and you let them all down. Just accept it forever.
NO YOU’RE NOT. There is nothing, NOTHING, you could have done. It was a mistake, an accident. The pain receded again, and this time it was replaced by a sense of determination. There's no point in pitying yourself, Ekko. It’s not your fault. You need to keep moving. He looked to the wall, which was covered in rusted pipes, and remembered who he was to them. Keep going, Ekko. For everyone.
The voices grew louder.
YOU. FAILED. EVERYONE. STOP TRYING. The first voice screamed in anger at Ekko, rampaging across his mind.
NO. YOU. DIDN’T. KEEP MOVING. The second voice stood firm and defiant, like a great wall.
JUST GIVE UP.
KEEP FIGHTING.
Ekko stomped louder around the tight space. He found it harder and harder to breathe.
SUCCUMB.
RESIST.
The mental battle ensued for another hour. Ekko could barely even hear the outside noise as they went back and forth, saying opposites. It appeared that neither side would back down. However, slowly Ekko found himself doubting the negative more and more. Slowly it began to fade away. Of course he still felt grief; the agony of memories still remained present and easily visible. Yet he found it became less and less debilitating. He felt not just depressed and forlorn anymore, but angry and inspired. This is never going to happen again., he found himself thinking. I’m going to make things better. I’m going to protect everyone with all my strength. I’m going to make it up to them. Finally, the battle ended, as the first voice died out, still screaming in anger and hatred that he was a failure and could never redeem himself. He felt relieved and confident, and he stood up and went outside. Kalo was standing by the entrance. He ran over to him and tackled him in a hug that toppled them both. “Whoa, okay there.”, Kalo grunted below him. Ekko pulled himself and his friend up and then turned to look Kalo in the eyes for the first time that day. It seemed he’d been crying, too.
“Thank you, Kalo. For what you said. It helped me.”
Kalo seemed slightly perplexed, but after a moment it vanished into elation. “You’re welcome, Ekko.”
“If you wouldn’t mind gathering everyone again, I need to finish what I was saying.”
Kalo said nothing but bowed his head slightly before running from tent to tent. Ekko took his place on the vent once more. In a matter of moments, he was facing the same crowd as before. However, this time he wasn’t scared. He felt prepared and ready.
“Hello again, guys.” His voice was firm. “I’m sorry for leaving so abruptly last time, but I wasn’t in a good state of mind. Thanks to the help of a good friend, though,” - he looked at Kalo for a moment, “I found my strength. I know many of you are probably scared. And I’m not going to lie, you have fair reason to be. I made a terrible mistake today and, while we need to move on, it definitely is not going to leave my mind anytime soon. I will always, always, remember Ajuna, and I hope you do too. But I need you to know that we’re a family. I promise, I will not rest if any of you are in danger. I would sooner go to Piltover than leave any of you behind. So I ask you all to stay strong. For Ajuna.” He raised his fist into the air, and the rest of the crowd followed. “Thank you. That’s all.” The audience gave an avid round of applause at this. He felt himself grow an inch taller. After dying down, the crowd dispersed and began to leave, heading to their respective homes. They all filed out, until Ekko was the last one left. With just his thoughts and a slight breeze behind him, he left as well, feet smashing against the pavement. As he went home, he passed by the monument again. Coming to a halt, he picked up the goggles and stared into them again. There was an unseen beauty in that broken glass that reflected everything he felt. War and peace. Sorrow and acceptance. Anguish and relief. Love and loss. And family. “Goodbye, Ajuna. You can go to sleep. And when you wake up… everything will be fine.” He’d said those words once with a heavy heart. Now it seemed bittersweet. He set them back down, before running off. And to this day, no matter where he is, no matter what challenge faces him, Ekko vows to always fight.
For Zaun.
For his friends.
For Ajuna.
So this is a short story I wrote about Ekko. It takes place shortly after the events in Chronobreak, when Ajuna was killed. While I did base it off of the official lore, I also added in my own ideas and perspective, mainly with the creation of Kalo. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please tell me below. Thank you for reading, and have a wonderful day.
