The Undercity was a place of chaos, noise, and constant motion. It was a place where nothing ever stayed still, where survival was the game and each day could feel like a battle. Yet, amid the grime and the shadows, there was always a spark of mischief—something that made the weight of the world feel just a little bit lighter. And for Ekko and Powder, that spark came in the form of pranks.
It all started on a lazy afternoon when the sun was hidden behind the towering metal structures of the Undercity, casting long shadows over the streets. Ekko was bent over his workbench again, trying to make sense of a new invention—one that had been giving him trouble all morning. His tools clattered softly as he adjusted the gears in frustration. Powder, however, had been pacing the workshop, watching him with a mischievous gleam in her eyes. She was bored. She was restless. And Ekko, as usual, was too focused on his work to notice her growing impatience.
"Hey, Ekko," Powder said, her voice playful and sing-song, "I'm bored."
Ekko glanced up, frowning slightly. "Bored? What do you mean 'bored'? I'm in the middle of something."
Powder grinned. "Well, I've got an idea to fix that. How about we have a little fun?"
Ekko raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "What kind of fun?"
Powder's grin widened. "You know… fun. The kind that involves a little chaos and a lot of laughter."
Ekko hesitated, his fingers still gripping the wrench in his hand. He knew Powder—he knew that when she said "chaos," it meant something that might end in a mess. But despite his better judgment, he couldn't deny the mischievous excitement bubbling up in his chest. Life in the Undercity wasn't all about fixing things and dreaming of inventions. Sometimes, it was about letting loose and making a mess of things.
"Fine," he said, his voice reluctantly agreeing. "But only if you promise not to break anything."
Powder's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Deal!"
And so, the prank war began.
The first target was simple: Big Bro, a tough kid who ran with a group of rowdy teens in the Undercity. He was known for his loud voice, his love for flexing his muscles, and for being particularly full of himself. Ekko and Powder had spent enough time with him to know that he liked to hang out by the market, always boasting about how tough he was. So, it only made sense that they'd pick him as their first victim.
The plan was simple. Powder had been collecting small pieces of scrap metal for a while now—pieces that were just small enough to cause trouble, but not enough to do serious damage. Ekko had perfected a small device that could release a burst of air, which could easily be rigged to knock things over. Powder, as always, had a creative touch. They just needed to work together.
Ekko had spent a few hours rigging the mechanism, carefully setting it up so that when Big Bro stepped into the market, he'd trigger the trap. The key was timing. Powder's eyes gleamed with mischief as she stood next to Ekko, watching him tweak the last parts of the device.
"Okay, we just need to wait for him to show up," Ekko whispered, stepping back to admire their work. The device was hidden behind a pile of scrap, its purpose masked by the clutter around it.
Powder nodded eagerly, leaning against the wall and peeking around the corner. "I'll keep an eye out. You know how Big Bro loves to show off. He'll be here soon enough."
It didn't take long for Big Bro and his group of friends to arrive, strutting through the marketplace with the usual swagger. Big Bro had his arms folded across his chest, talking loudly about some fight he had won, and the other kids followed him, laughing and nodding in agreement.
"Now," Powder whispered, barely able to contain her excitement. "On my mark…"
Ekko grinned, his eyes glinting with anticipation. "Go."
As Big Bro stepped right into the path of the trap, Powder flipped a lever, and the air device released with a loud whoosh. A burst of air shot out, causing a stack of crates to tumble over and spill their contents onto the ground. Big Bro yelped in surprise, stumbling backward as the crates crashed to the floor. The group of kids around him burst into laughter, and for a brief moment, Big Bro's confident posture faltered.
"What the—?" Big Bro turned around, looking around in confusion, trying to figure out what had just happened. But before he could react, Powder slipped away, ducking into the shadows as Ekko joined her, both of them stifling their laughter.
"Did you see his face?" Powder gasped, barely able to breathe from laughing so hard. "That was perfect!"
Ekko chuckled, feeling a rush of adrenaline. "I thought he was gonna trip over those crates. You should've seen him!"
For the rest of the afternoon, they watched from the shadows as Big Bro and his friends tried to gather the spilled crates, grumbling and muttering under their breath. Powder and Ekko stayed hidden, basking in the satisfaction of a successful prank.
"That's just the beginning," Powder said, her voice low but excited. "We've got more pranks to pull."
Ekko grinned. "You're on."
Over the next few days, their prank war escalated, becoming more elaborate with each passing day. They moved from simple tricks like hidden air bursts and messes to more complex plans involving sleight of hand, hidden devices, and a lot of clever timing. The targets varied—some days, they pranked Big Bro and his crew, other days, they set their sights on random passersby or even the local traders in the marketplace. Nothing was off-limits when it came to their prank war.
One of their favorites involved using Powder's knack for creating chaotic gadgets. She had rigged a series of harmless confetti bombs that exploded in a burst of colorful paper when triggered. They'd place them in the paths of unsuspecting people, watching from the shadows as they went off with a dramatic flair. Powder would giggle uncontrollably as Ekko, ever the planner, would keep track of who had fallen victim to the pranks.
But it wasn't just about pulling off the perfect joke—it was about their bond, about how they worked together to make things happen. Ekko's precise planning and Powder's wild imagination created a perfect balance, a dynamic that made them a formidable pair when it came to mischief.
There were moments when things went a little too far, like when they rigged a harmless alarm to go off in the middle of a meeting between a few older kids and their leaders. The sound was deafening, and people scrambled in a frenzy. But when Ekko saw how flustered the older kids were, he quickly hit the "off" switch, and they both bolted before anyone could figure out who was behind it.
After a close call like that, they'd always laugh it off together. But despite the harmless nature of their pranks, Ekko couldn't help but feel a deeper connection growing between them. There was something special about the way they worked together, the way they could communicate without words, just a shared glance or a subtle nod.
One evening, after a particularly successful prank on the merchant who ran the street corner fruit stand (who, unbeknownst to him, had been sabotaged by a series of cleverly placed banana peels), Ekko and Powder sat on the rooftop of an old building, watching the stars. The air was cool, and the city stretched out below them like a sea of metal and stone. The only sound was the distant hum of machines and the occasional laugh from the streets below.
Ekko leaned back, his hands behind his head, feeling a sense of contentment. "You know, Powder, I think we make a pretty good team."
Powder, who was busy picking at the edges of her jacket, glanced over at him with a sly grin. "Oh, really? You're just figuring that out now?"
Ekko chuckled. "Well, you've always been the wild card. I've been more about the brains, but I can't deny that you've got some serious creativity."
Powder laughed, kicking her legs in the air playfully. "That's because I'm awesome."
Ekko smiled, his eyes softening as he watched her. "Yeah. You are."
There was a comfortable silence between them, the kind that felt like the weight of the world could fall away and it wouldn't matter. Powder leaned against the wall, and Ekko let himself enjoy the moment, knowing that despite all the chaos, all the pranks, and all the wild adventures, this was where he felt at home.
They were more than just friends now. They were partners—partners in crime, partners in mischief, and maybe, just maybe, partners in something more. And Ekko didn't need to say it out loud to know that whatever came next, they would face it together.
For now, they had each other, and that was enough.