Ekko's Fright

"Oh my god, it's really you!"

Manzu hugged Ekko tightly, patting his back vigorously.

"You're still alive? Little guy, where have you been all these years? Goddess Janna above, you know, we've been looking for you recently. We've formed an organization!"

Manzu released Ekko and saw Ekko looking at him with a confused expression. Manzu laughed heartily, "Why the look on your face? Damn it, you're dead to me, Ekko. You don't recognize me, do you?"

"Then you're really going too far. I remember your face clearly, but you've forgotten who I am?"

"You..."

Ekko looked at Manzu's familiar face, and a bold guess emerged. He asked tentatively, "Manzu?"

Manzu smiled and nodded.

"It's really you? My god, Manzu, how did you get so tall!" Ekko said in surprise.

What's going on?!

It's actually Manzu!

When they were young, Vi took good care of Ekko, but Milo in their group disliked Ekko. Because Ekko was too young, even younger than Jinx by a year, he wasn't tall, couldn't fight, and most importantly, he was timid. So Milo didn't want to play with Ekko.

Ekko, who was left behind, often played with Malson and Manzu's group of kids.

In Black Alley, he was the only child who had contact with both Malson's and Vi's groups. Because of this, Ekko naturally became excited upon seeing Manzu.

After Vander died, the Children of Black Alley scattered. Ekko, along with a group of people, founded the Wildfire Gang, protecting the last spark of Black Alley.

"Yes, it's me, Ekko. Don't just talk about me, you've grown quite a bit too. And this muscle, tsk, how did you get so strong?" Manzu happily patted Ekko's shoulder and continued, "Quick, come with me, Ekko, I'll take you somewhere!"

"Where? Wait, Manzu, I have something to ask you. Why did you join the Lian Hua Gang?"

"Don't ask so many questions, just come with me, and you'll know when we get there!"

"Believe me, everyone will be very happy to see you! We have our own home again," Manzu said with a laugh.

He pulled Ekko along, and Zeri, who was nearby, quickly followed.

She didn't want to be left behind!

Damn it, Ekko said he didn't know about the Lian Hua Gang, but... this captain of the Lian Hua Gang knows him!

Ekko, that guy, actually lied to me?!

"Where are we going?"

"To the Lian Hua Gang, to see our Boss."

Our Boss?

Ekko wanted to say something, but seeing Manzu's high spirits, he chose to remain silent.

"Boss?"

"Is Malson your Boss?"

But after saying it, Ekko himself felt a bit unconvinced.

Malson. When Ekko was young, he did follow him around and saw him as an older brother, but from Ekko's current perspective, Malson was just an ordinary person. There was no way he could have founded such a large gang and driven out the gangs of the Shark District.

"Malson? He's not the Boss. Although he brought me into the Lian Hua Gang, he was just a small leader, like me. But Ekko, you know our Boss. You definitely wouldn't guess who it is."

"I know him?" Not Malson, but I know him too?

No, when they were young, was anyone in Malson's group particularly outstanding?

Ekko grew even more curious.

"Ekko, you know the Boss of the Lian Hua Gang?" Zeri had been listening to their conversation and, hearing this, approached Ekko and whispered to him.

Ekko looked at Zeri, also confused, "Do I know him?"

Zeri: "?"

"Vi! Quick, look, who's here!"

Suddenly, Manzu shouted.

Ekko's body trembled, and he instantly looked in the direction Manzu was waving.

The next moment, Ekko's eyes were filled with disbelief. Because in his line of sight, by the wall of the enclosure in the distance, a woman with red hair, wearing a red jacket, was talking to someone with one hand in her pocket. Hearing the commotion, she turned her head, revealing a face Ekko was incredibly familiar with.

"."

In the distance, Vi, who had turned to look, was also instantly startled. Her beautiful face was frozen in a dazed expression, her rosy lips slightly parted. The next moment, Vi's hand came out of her pocket, and she rushed forward, shouting as she ran, "My god, Ekko? Is that you, Ekko?!"

"Janna be with us, you're alive!"

She sprinted past Manzu and Zeri, Vi ran and hugged Ekko, squeezing him tightly into her embrace. In an instant, Ekko felt a wave of warmth.

"Ekko, I thought something had happened to you too," Vi's voice choked up.

"." Ekko didn't speak, his hands hanging limply at his sides, clearly a little dazed.

"Why aren't you talking?" Vi released Ekko, gripping his shoulders with her hands, looking down at him, and anxiously continued:

"It's me, Vi. Vi from the Junkyard, who used to bathe you with a hose when you were little. No, you don't even recognize me now? You used to follow me around with your pants down, calling me Big Sis. How can you not recognize me now?"

Ekko's voice grew hoarse as he whispered, "Yeah, you're Vi. So, where have you been all these years?"

"Me?" Vi blinked in surprise. Then, she looked at Ekko's face and saw the weariness that didn't belong on a face his age, as well as the numerous small scars on his body. Vi immediately understood.

She said softly, "I'm sorry, Ekko. My story is complicated. I... I can't explain it in a few words."

Then, she hugged Ekko again and said, "But I'm really happy to see you again, Ekko."

"I thought something had happened to you too."

"I'm sorry. I wasn't there when you needed me."

Embraced by Vi once more, Ekko raised his hands and hugged her back.

"Do you know what's happened all these years?"

"Black Alley is gone. Everyone is gone. Even Jinx is already..."

Ekko was the leader of the Wildfire Gang. He led hundreds of people to survive in Zaun, scraping by under the Alchemical Barons. To give them confidence and build a perfect home, Ekko, though not yet an adult, had become the patriarch of the community.

But now, in front of Vi, hearing her words, Ekko suddenly remembered everything that had happened.

He hadn't always been this strong and capable.

If Vi hadn't disappeared all these years, if Black Alley were still here, he might have gone to Piltover to study. He might have become a worker fixing machines with a wrench, instead of a leader wielding a club against gangs. He truly disliked violence.

In front of Vi, Ekko reverted to being a child.

He instinctively vented his grievances to Vi, wanting to tell her about Jinx's situation.

But the next moment, a voice sounded beside Ekko.

"Are you calling me?"

Hearing the voice, Ekko instantly pushed Vi away. The grievance on his face turned to terror as he looked at the girl standing on tiptoe, fiddling with her hands behind her back, tilting her head as she leaned in.

She wore a denim jacket over a crop top, and long black pants adorned with various pink patterns. Her pretty face was fair, and two long blue braids hung askew, almost touching the ground. Her large eyes were full of curiosity.

"Shit!"

A curse escaped his lips. Ekko immediately threw something he had attached to his belt with all his might at her.

Ekko lunged forward, and his sudden action of throwing something caught even Vi by surprise. She stared blankly, then shouted "No!" the next second.

The object Ekko threw was a piece of iron. If it hit Jinx's face...

"Splat--"

One hand reached out, swatting away the iron block in front of the girl.

Jinx let out a sigh of relief, raised her head, and saw Li Ke's face. Immediately, she became smug. "What's up, shrimp? Wanna fight?"

"Bring it on! Am I scared of you?!"

Jinx raised her small fists, shaking them back and forth.

Li Ke looked at the arrogant Jinx with amusement, put his arm around her, and then looked at Ekko, who was panting, his face pale with shock as if he had seen a ghost.

"Don't be so nervous, Ekko."

"I can explain."

"Explain your mother's ass!"

"You're both Silco's people!"

Ekko cursed.