"Rise and shine!"
Slap!
"OW!"
"Y'know, you really need to lay off the sweets."
Atlas groaned, his eyes squeezing shut as the world swam back into place. His chest throbbed painfully and every breath was shallow and sharp.
"...I sell sweets," he muttered hoarsely, rolling slightly onto his side before immediately regretting it. Pain lanced through his ribs and he hissed, curling back.
"Yeah you did," Jinx chirped. "Not anymore."
His eyes cracked open and he was met with bright blue, childish and gleeful eyes.
She was crouched next to him, elbows resting on her knees, chin propped in her hands as she stared at him like he was something interesting she'd just found lying around.
"...Jinx," Atlas breathed.
"Atlas," she echoed in a sing-song tone. "You look terrible."
"Feel worse."
"I bet," she grinned, rocking slightly on her heels. "That one looked like it hurt."
His brow furrowed. "...You saw that?"
"Mhm." She nodded enthusiastically, mimicking her words with gestures. "Big flash, loud pop- boom! You go flying. Very dramatic. Ten outta ten."
"...You shot me."
Her grin widened.
"No... Maybe."
Atlas stared at her, his expression turning deadpan while trying to hide his simmering irritation.
"...That wasn't a bullet?"
"Nope!"
"What was it?
She beamed. "More like a..." she clapped her hands together suddenly, loud and sharp, making him flinch. "...WHAM!"
Atlas groaned. "Please don't do that again."
"No promises."
He exhaled slowly, forcing himself to sit up. His arms trembled and his back screamed in protest. Glancing behind him, he realized he was no longer on the roof but instead on a jerry-rigged sleigh of sheet metal and old rope.
And his surroundings? No idea. Some alleyway with the typical dark and green Undercity vibe.
Jinx watched the whole thing with open curiosity, her gaze flicking over every movement.
"You're not dead."
"Thanks for noticing."
"You're welcome."
Reaching forward, Jinx poked his chest lightly and Atlas jerked.
"Ow!"
"Ooo, still sensitive," she hummed, eyes narrowing slightly as she studied him.
"Why?!
"I'm just checking! If you didn't feel anything I'd be a little more worried!" She made a little gap between her thumb and index finger. "Just a tiny bit."
"You shot me!"
"Yeah, but like...nicely."
He stared at her in disbelief.
"...That's not how that works."
"It is when I do it."
Atlas let out a slow breath, rubbing his face. Outside of the pain, he felt drained and tired.
I'm fucking done with today. I wish a bed would appear and I could just tell the world to fuck off.
"What happened to everyone else? Sevika? The Firelights?"
"Sevika ran back to Silco," she shrugged with an uncaring tone. "And the Firelights ran back to wherever you've been. I was going to kill them but then I found you."
"Shock and disbelief," she put a hand to her forehead, elevating her voice dramatically. "My sweets man joined the glowy bugs!"
"I never got an answer from you," Jinx's act disappeared, giving him a wide eyed, blank stare as she poked his nose. "You're late." Then, shifting tone again and straightening slightly, raising a finger like a teacher with a strict tone. "No excuses!"
"Wha-"
"I'm kidding," Jinx smiled softly, putting a finger to his lips.
Atlas blinked, shifting himself a bit and trying to mentally collect himself while she behaved... well, like Jinx.
"Kudos to you by the way! Kinda looked like you were doing great until-" she mimed a gun with her fingers and flicked her wrist. "-pew."
"You're proud of yourself, aren't yah?"
"Of course!" she beamed.
A chuckle finally escaped Atlas's lips and, during the brief time he closed his eyes, he suddenly felt her warm embrace.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and the sweet smell of her hair mixed with gunpowder tickled his nose.
His pain vanished for the moment. Atlas smiled and affectionately hugged her back, one arm shaking to support himself while the other rested gently on the back of her head.
He blinked when he felt her starting to tremble and shake, her upper body twitching.
What is she...?
When he felt warm droplets on the back of his neck, he held her tighter.
It became a silent moment for him to comfort Jinx.
------
~Sanctuary - Firelight's hideout~
"I went back," Ray said through gritted teeth. "He wasn't there."
One of the tunnels right before entering their Sanctuary had a maintenance room. This room had been altered into an experimental space with large vats filled with Chemfluid, alchemical and tinkering tools, and worktables. Glass tubing ran between the vats in careful piping with faint green liquid flowing through them. The air carried held the familiar sharp chemical tang of the Undercity. It was also where Scar lay as Eve finished bandaging up his wound.
Across from her, another workstation was far more organized. Tools were aligned with almost obsessive precision, each labeled and placed within reach. A young woman with green hair tied into two ponytails and brown eyes stood there, arms crossed as she watched Eve work. Her gaze flicked between the bandages, Scar's breathing, and the instruments laid out nearby, as if she was silently correcting mistakes before they happened.
Ekko, leaned against the wall, sighed in disappointment.
"We'll assume he bailed and moved on."
"But—!"
"It's his choice," Ekko interrupted. "The outcome wouldn't have changed. He was too injured to help."
"Then why did we bother teaching him how to ride a hoverboard?"
The green-haired woman exhaled softly through her nose, her tone even and flat when she spoke.
"Reliability."
Ekko sighed again, his gaze still resting on Scar with a deep bitterness.
"Yeah. Just him showing up was enough. I just needed a sign. But I guess I was wrong about him."
A loud pinging sound made the the lady turn around abruptly as yellow mist erupted from a small vat in front of her.
"It's ready," she announced.
"Nice Kay," Ekko said, his gaze finally shifting. "But uh...what is?"
Smirking, her dexterous hands poured a small amount into a glass orb. Turning, she threw it directly at Ray and he yelped in fear.
Upon impact, yellow crystals of impossible size for such a small device barely larger than her hand burst outward in jagged formations. They grew rapidly and despite struggling, Ray became immobilized.
"Your newest gadget! You can thank me later."