The sun was a dim glow through the perpetual haze of Zaun, but Ekko was used to it. The light never truly reached the depths of the Undercity, and most people barely noticed its absence. But to Ekko, any day that Powder wore her signature grin meant it was brighter than usual.
"C'mon, slowpoke!" Powder's voice rang out, full of excitement. She was already ahead of him, clambering over piles of scrap and loose pipes that littered the old warehouse district. Her small figure darted between the towering ruins of the abandoned factory, her blue hair bouncing as she moved.
"I'm not slow," Ekko protested, picking up his pace. He tightened his grip on the small bag slung over his shoulder, stuffed with tools and bits of metal he'd collected for his latest project. "You're just running like you stole something."
Powder glanced back, her eyes sparkling mischievously. "Maybe I did," she said, wiggling her fingers as if to tease him.
Ekko groaned, rolling his eyes. "What'd you take this time?"
"Nothing important," Powder replied with a shrug, turning back toward her destination. "Just a little piece of tech I found in the scrapyard. You're gonna love it!"
Ekko couldn't help but smile. Powder always had a knack for finding the weirdest, most fascinating scraps. Where most people saw junk, she saw possibilities, and that was one of the many reasons he liked spending time with her.
By the time he caught up with her, she was already standing in front of the factory's massive steel doors, which had long since rusted shut. Powder gestured dramatically toward the door like a performer unveiling a grand stage.
"Ta-da! The perfect place for a day of awesomeness," she announced.
Ekko raised an eyebrow. "A condemned factory? Real original, Powder."
"Hey, this isn't just any condemned factory," Powder said with a mock-offended huff. "This place is full of cool stuff! Gears, pipes, old machines... everything you love!"
Ekko sighed but couldn't deny that he was intrigued. Powder was usually right about these things, and he was in no position to turn down a day of scavenging and tinkering. "Fine," he said, pulling a screwdriver from his bag. "Let's get inside."
It took them a few minutes to pry open a side door, the hinges groaning loudly in protest. Once inside, Ekko's initial skepticism melted away. The factory was massive, its cavernous interior filled with towering machines, conveyor belts frozen mid-motion, and piles of forgotten parts. Sunlight filtered weakly through cracks in the ceiling, casting beams of light across the dust-covered floor.
"Told you it was awesome," Powder said, flashing him a smug grin.
"Alright, you win," Ekko admitted. "This place is... pretty cool."
They spent the next few hours exploring. Powder darted from one corner of the factory to the next, picking up random objects and inspecting them with wide-eyed curiosity. Ekko followed more methodically, gathering anything that looked useful for his inventions.
"Check this out!" Powder called from across the room, holding up what looked like the shattered remains of an old automaton's head. Its glass eye flickered faintly, a remnant of whatever power source had once driven it.
Ekko walked over, examining the piece. "This is awesome," he said, his mind already racing with ideas. "If I can figure out how this works, it might power my Hoverboard."
Powder's face lit up. "See? I knew you'd love it!"
They set up a makeshift workspace in the center of the factory, using a rickety table they found among the debris. Powder perched on the edge, swinging her legs as she handed Ekko tools and bits of metal. They worked in tandem, their movements fluid and practiced from years of tinkering together.
"So, what's the big idea this time?" Powder asked, watching as Ekko carefully adjusted the wires inside the automaton head.
"It's a stabilizer for my Hoverboard," Ekko explained. "If I can get this to store enough energy, I won't have to rely on hand-cranked power. It'll make the whole thing more efficient."
Powder nodded, pretending to understand. "Right. Energy storage. Totally makes sense."
Ekko smirked, catching the teasing lilt in her voice. "You're just here for the explosions, aren't you?"
"Maybe," Powder admitted, grinning. "But also, I like hanging out with you."
Ekko paused, glancing up at her. The sincerity in her tone caught him off guard, and for a moment, he didn't know what to say. Powder had a way of shifting between playfulness and honesty so effortlessly, and it always left him a little unsteady.
"Well," he said finally, his voice soft, "I like hanging out with you too."
They shared a smile before returning to their work.
As the afternoon wore on, the factory filled with the sounds of their laughter and chatter. Powder challenged Ekko to a contest to see who could build the "coolest gadget" using only the scraps they'd found. She ended up crafting a clunky, lopsided contraption that shot marbles across the room. Ekko's was a small wind-up figure that danced in circles when wound.
"Yours is technically better," Powder admitted, pouting as she watched the wind-up figure spin. "But mine's more fun!"
"Yours is a safety hazard," Ekko countered, dodging a stray marble that ricocheted off the wall.
Powder burst out laughing, clutching her sides. "Okay, fair point."
After dismantling their creations, they decided to take a break. Powder climbed up to a high platform overlooking the factory floor, beckoning Ekko to follow. They sat side by side, munching on the stale bread and dried fruit Powder had swiped from her stash earlier.
"You ever think about what it'd be like to live somewhere else?" Powder asked, her voice thoughtful as she swung her legs over the edge.
"Like Piltover?" Ekko asked.
"Maybe. Or somewhere even better," Powder said. She rested her chin on her hand, staring out at the horizon visible through the factory's broken windows. "Somewhere with real sunlight, and trees, and... I dunno, less metal."
Ekko leaned back on his hands, considering her words. "I mean, it'd be nice," he said. "But I don't think I'd want to leave Zaun forever. This is home, you know?"
Powder nodded slowly. "Yeah, I get that. I just... sometimes I wish it wasn't so hard here. Like, what if we didn't have to fight for every little thing? What if we could just... live?"
Ekko reached out, giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Hey, we'll get there," he said. "Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow. But one day, things will get better. For both of us."
Powder turned to look at him, her blue eyes soft and searching. "You really think so?"
"I know so," Ekko said firmly.
For a moment, they sat in silence, the weight of their unspoken dreams hanging between them.
Then Powder grinned, breaking the tension. "You're such a sap, Ekko."
"Yeah, yeah," Ekko said, rolling his eyes. "You've mentioned that before."
They stayed until the sun dipped below the horizon, casting the factory in a cool, shadowy glow. As they packed up their things and made their way back through the maze of scrap and machinery, Powder suddenly reached out, grabbing Ekko's hand.
"Thanks for today," she said, her voice quiet but genuine.
Ekko squeezed her hand lightly, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Anytime, Powder."
And as they walked back to the familiar chaos of Zaun, their laughter echoing through the empty factory, it felt like, just for a day, the world wasn't so heavy after all.