“The rest of the saying is ‘satisfaction brought it back.’”

"At least," I confirm. It's clear that I had been concerned about doubles. Multiples definitely doesn't settle my nerves. "But you have something? A 'Z-Drive'? You can get us back then. I haven't done any of this type of multiverse travel before. I don't know how to get back."

They're fighters. Soldiers. Warriors. I'm just a man.

"In my defense, she found me first."

"Is now a bad time to mention I've also met your wife...?"

"Yes, but..." There's no point in hiding the truth. This multiversal convergence throws a lot of rules out the window. "There's something you should know. This alternate reality you're in...I'm not from it either."

( evelyn. ) cough cough-

|| I guess I'm the "I Can't Help but Wonder" version.

Wow, that version of me is. . . Harsh.

I'm not battle torn at all. The only marks on my skin are from experiments gone awry. And even then, they're nothing compared to the aged wounds on the face I'm staring at now. "You're Ekko?" I know it's a dumb question. If the face isn't enough evidence, there's a strange resonance between us.

"How are all the other one's of me so... Am I fighter in every other universe?"

I can't help it. I flinch at the sight. I've met my other version. The one that belongs to this universe. At least I thought I did. Does this mean that there's another other version of me? "You're...you're..." I try to form a complete sentence. "How?"

Zaun's Royalty. The Boy Savior. And now, The Owl?

I'm not sure exactly what I'm looking at. The masked figure in front of me sounds familiar but their voice is muffled by the armor. This must be one of the Firelights of this universe? "I'm Ekko." I say, pretending to be my otherworldly counterpart: The Boy Savior.

Imagine if he said "was it you?" right here. That would have been insane. Right?

"Who else could be gone?"

Maybe I’m not so different in this world. Would I do the same thing if the roles were reversed? I’d like to think so. I chew the inside of my cheek and then take his hand. “You still go by Ekko?”

My hand closes around the hexgem in my pocket. The reality of the matter is that I’m out of my depth. Transdimensional travel had never been on my radar and is far out of my area of expertise. “I just want to go home, too.”

I wish his answer wasn’t as good. It’d have been easier if he said something infuriating. The anger in my chest deflates and I release it with my breath. “I met your…Jinx. She told me a bit of what you had to go through here. It sounded pretty bad. Not gonna lie to you.”

// Other Ekko shows up to help. Immediately gets yelled at. Sorry 😓 //

I start pacing. I don’t know what else to do. I’m hoping that some of the angry heat will dissipate with each step. I try to tell myself it’s not his fault. That there’s no logic in being angry at him. I won’t lie. It’s hard as hell. “Then answer this: If my world was so great, why come back?”

“A month!” My voice raises uncontrollably. A month that I don’t remember. A month that I lost. “And you…you just pretended to be me?”

“And you just accidentally took over my body?” I don’t even know how to grapple with this revelation. Even if I believed that it had been unintentional, how else could I react? I have no recollection of this at all. “How long? How long were you there?”

“You were /what/?” I must have misheard him. He must have misspoke. My fists clench and my jaw locks. “You took over my body?”

I catch the look. I guess there’s some benefit of knowing my own face. “Did you? Why? When? I think I would know if there was another me running around my universe.”

“You know Powder?” I close my fingers around the gem and return it to my pocket. I can’t explain why but I feel…apprehensive? He’s me, after all, but technically not. Aside from maybe a few childhood memories, he’s lived a whole other life than me. He’s a different person.

I’m slightly taller than the other-me, but he definitely has more muscle mass. And more scars. “So I’ve heard. How did you manage that? With this?” I hold up the glowing hex gem.

I’ve been warned that I should expect to see my alternate self at some point. Still, it’s a shock and I’m left dumbstruck. “…You’re me.”

“I’m getting back home. I swear it.”

lazy mornings at the Last Drop ☕☀️ #Arcane #ZaunDads #erio_art

I need to get back home. My real home.

I miss home.

I’ve had my fair share of arguments with Benzo and Vander and even Silco. Sometimes it takes some time. Families fight.

I’ve been told that I’m actually one of the luckier versions.

I’ve never felt more lucky to be part of the more “well-adjusted”timeline.

“This almost looks my handwriting…but I didn’t do any of these notes.” I shuffle the papers I’ve found. I can recognize Powder’s ingenuity on them, bordered by her doodles. I follow the math. It’s sound.

Sometimes appreciating the art is just admiring the artist.

It’s frightening to think so much can happen because of just a few small crystals…

Not that I know of. But then again, how would I know?

Would a clone know they’re a clone?

I’m not certain, but I think that’s incorrect.

If I had a gang, what would I name it…

“We can change that.”

Progress. Progress isn't always leaps and bounds. I can learn to appreciate the baby steps. An inch forward is still forward. "Not everything has to be a big spectacle."

"Something like that isn't a one-man job. And I don't think you're so different that you can just sit back and watch when there's something that you can fix."

I can feel the ice thinning beneath me. "I won't pretend that I know what you had to go through," I concede partially. "And I'm sorry you did...Jinx."

"But we don't /have/ to be like this. You wanted -- want -- change, right? There are other ways to achieve that. I promise there is. Violence isn't the only building block for a better future."