Jayce walked in his home rubbing his face frustrated and exhausted from all the chaos that has been going on for two days, he leaned against the front door with a long sigh. The sun was rising and he still had so much to do.

He walked through the hall to the main area of their kitchen and living room, walking past the two kids sleeping on his couch to go to his room but he stopped and walked back to the kids.

"What the..." he didn't recognize the white hair boy or the smaller one in a large jacket with their back to him.

Jayce's heart raced not sure how they got in or who the hell they thought they were just crashing in his home. Why his home?!

Jayce walked over without thinking and grabbed the jacketed persons shoulder to wake them. Suddenly the person grabbed his wrist and bolted to sit up raising her fist.

"Powder?!" Jayce yelled and woke Ekko up as she looked panicked with her fist raised at him.

"Jayce!" She gasped and was pulled into the tightest hug where it on the edge of hurting but she didn't care. She buried her face into the crook of his neck feeling so at home once again.

"Pow pow your okay, oh my god I thought you-you, I didn't know where you went," Jayce held the back of her head to him, his nose pressed against her hair with a few tears of joy down his face.

"Oh my girl, you're alive," he whispered holding her even tighter.

"I'm sorry Jay," powder whimpered.

"It's okay," Jayce pressed a soft kiss against the side of her head but noticed the bandages on her face. He held her face with both of his large hands and inspected her wounds.

"What happened?" He glared at Ekko as the boy was sitting up now and on guard.

"It wasn't him," powder reassured. Jayce's thumb traced over the bandage on her cheek and lightly grazed over the bruise that peaked out of the bandage. He touched her nose and she flinched a little.

"This is Ekko, he's my friend from the undercity, he brought me back," powder held his wrists, Jayce was so protective of her already, she couldn't imagine what was going through his mind.

"The undercity.. you didn't go there did you?" Jayce asked wide eyes but her face said she was guilty. "Powder it's dangerous there, look at what happened to you, what the hell were you thinking?"

"You don't get it, people are suffering, dying, everything we've been working for with hextech has done nothing to help the undercity, viktors right, we don't have decades to make things better, we have to act now," powder told him seriously and reached in her pocket, handing Jayce the gemstone.

"We can make a difference, we can't just help piltover, Zaun needs help, it's not to late,"

"It's not that simple..." Jayce shook his head.

"Why does everyone keep saying that?!" She snapped backing off to get some space.

"No it's not simple but pretending it's impossible is not on the table! I saw how damaged the lanes are, Ekko and others have been trying to make sanctuary for his people and that's still not enough to save everyone that needs to be saved! Are we suppose to turn a blind eye?" Powder raised her voice.

"Caitlyn said the council can help us? To Listen to us?" Ekko stood up from the couch.

"I understand you don't trust me for where I'm from, but I have lives relying on what I do here today," he put his hand on his chest trying to not show any aggression or signs of intimidation.

"I just need them to listen," ekko begged almost and powder looked at him with empathy.

Jayce looked between the two and let out a small sigh.

"Clean up, I have a bit to catch you up on powder, and you aren't going to the council looking like you walked out of a fighter ring," Jayce motioned for her to be excused, she pursed her lips nodding, waving Ekko to follow her to the hall.

Jayce rubbed his face tiredly as he went to their kitchen to make some tea for them all, how was he going to tell her that Viktor has been getting worse...

"I'm not changing into pilty clothes," Ekko crossed his arms as he followed powder to her room. She opened the curtains to let in the natural light.

"Good, they need to know who they're talking too, they're snooty wealthy people, as much as I adore the few on the council the others are stupid," powder nodded understanding.

"Just wash the dirt off your face," she grabbed some clothes from her closet.

"Where are you going?" Ekko asked nervous to be alone in her room.

"I need to shower, I'm covered in my own blood, dirt and sweat," powder stuck her tongue out and left the door open for him when she went to the washroom.

Powder closed the door to the bathroom and pressed her head against the cold door, closing her eyes and just let her mind find peace and quiet. She rubbed her eyes tired still but went over to turn on the shower and let the water run to warm up a little while she undressed.

She looked at herself in the mirror and barely recognized the girl that looked back at her. She looked like jinx, no wonder everyone that knew her in zaun didn't know who she was. Her make up was all smudged around her eyes, dirt and blood over her pale skin.
Powder slowly took off the dirty bandages on her face and winced at the cuts that were left. She felt lucky that the cut on her nose was barely even a cut, but the other two gashes we're still raw. She whimpered when she pulled the bandages off her ribs, somehow it still was so sensitive when she pulled them off completely. The bruises were dark and sprawled across her skin.

Powder sighed knowing it wasn't over though, untying her braids and comb through them. She was far from being done with her mission.

-

Jayce let Ekko wash his face in his own bathroom while they waited on powder to clean up, he offered his own clothes to the smaller boy but was denied.

Ekko stayed in the bathroom for a while to let himself think and after a while he heard powder talking to Jayce again. He couldn't understand what they were talking about but it sounded serious so he gave them some time alone.

"What do you mean?!" Ekko heard powder raise her voice and he finally came out of the bathroom.

He saw Jayce on the sofa as he was braiding powders long hair back and she was sitting with her knees to her chest. Her head down in her arms. The older man looked just as upset with her but it didn't seem to be something that had to do with where she was.

"What do you mean Viktors disease got worse? He's been doing so good," powder kept her head down as Jayce touched the top of her head.

"We're doing everything we can pow, he'll want to see you," he whispered softly and she nodded.

"You okay?" Ekko asked awkwardly walking in on them.

"Yea, sorry," powder scooted and Jayce finished braiding her hair, he only did the one, he learned how to braid her hair when she was young but he had a hard time doing the two. She pulled some of her bangs out and played with the single braid.

Jayce handed Ekko a teacup as he sat on the floor with powder, she wore a light cloudy grey strapless dress with small light gold accents on the edges, she had black platform chunky heeled boots on. She looked very much like a topsider it almost threw him off.

"How's the cuts?" Ekko noticed she had new bandages on her cheek and forehead.

"Sore still, my ribs are going to need some time too," powder pulled her hair over her shoulder.

"Jayce youre on the council now, can you help us get a meeting with the others?" Powder asked.

Ekko tried the tea he was offered but made a face not enjoying it.

"I'll talk to them," Jayce caved and powder smiled getting her way. She stood and dusted her dress off.

"We have to go find Caitlyn, I'm going to her house first," powder started to leave but Ekko and Jayce chased her a little in panic.

"Why are you going?" Jayce caught up to her quickly.

"You need Ekko with you to talk to the council, once we have Caitlyn then we'll have the evidence from her theory's, they're all true," powder pushed past.

"Let me come with, what if Silco and his men are out there looking for you," Ekko stopped her completely.

Powder tilted her head to the side looking at the two boys and noticed how they both seemed worried to leave her be. She tsked shaking her head but opened the door.

"I'm counting on you Jayce," powder told him seriously as she nodded her head for Ekko to follow her.

Ekko felt awkward walking around piltover with powder in broad daylight, he stayed close but watched how she moved in the place she's called home as well. The way her fare skin was against the grey dress made her blue hair pop. He could tell she had toned muscles where the dress cut off, her steps were confident as she knew exactly where she was going.

"He didn't seem to thrilled about the situation," Ekko finally spoke.

"Nope, but he doesn't need to be thrilled," powder clenched her fists determined.

"Powder," he pursed his lips watching her take a few more steps before realizing he stopped.

She hummed confused why he stopped following her, tilting her head to the side waiting for him.

"Before we talk to the council, I need to know why?" He gulped a little. His eyes down.

"Why what?"

"Why are you doing all of this? Why did you go to the undercity? Why did you put yourself in this war? You've gotten hurt and in trouble, what are you doing this for?" Ekko asked softly as she went back to him.

Powder hesitated to answer him, she felt her heart tighten at what made her feel like she had to intervene. It was him. Ekko was the reason she came back and wanted to help, he called her a traitor but saved her, he called her selfish but had her back. For some reason he inspired her, opened her eyes of what she wasn't doing, and she knew she had the potential to do more. He was doing so much with so little to work with, it wasn't fair.

But she wouldn't let him know he was the reason for it. Not after everything that she's gone through in the small amount of time in the undercity. He would feel guilty for her pain, Ekko was to good of a man.

"Because I want too, and my work has been to help the undercity, I just needed to get my hands dirty and see for myself what I needed to do," she smiled sweetly putting her hands behind her back.

"I never wanted zaun to be such a dark place, I never forgot where I came from... I just needed some courage to go back," powder shrugged softly and Ekko waited to think of a response.

"Thank you, for getting me this far," Ekko sighed understanding.

"It's not over yet," she waved her finger in his face.

"These ugly twins have a lot of work to do still, genius and madness," powder chuckled putting her two fingers on her head to mimic bunny ears.

Ekko perked up at the motion and remembered how they did that as kids. He laughed softly through his nose and did the motion back as an agreement.