"Yeah, it was worth a shot," Crane muttered, glancing around the shop.
"How did you survive?" Powder asked, her voice low and cautious.
"Yeah—how? Your face looks… normal," Ekko added, eyes narrowing in intrigue.
Even Vi was watching him now, curiosity tugging at her features.
Crane tilted his head slightly, then said, "Okay, you know how when you get a small cut, it heals and leaves a scar?"
"Yeah, we know how cuts work," Powder said, a bit confused.
"Well… that's what happened."
"No," Powder said flatly. "You said 'small cut.' That crash wasn't small."
"Yeah, and you said it leaves a scar," Ekko pointed out. "There's no scar. Your face looks like it never hit the pavement."
Crane shrugged like it wasn't a big deal. "Guess it's just genetics, then."
He casually turned his head, eyes scanning the shelves cluttered with strange tools and gadgets. Something sparked his curiosity.
"Whoa… did you guys make these?" he asked, stepping closer and picking up a small device with delicate wiring. He turned it over in his hands, intrigued.
"They did," Vi said, tilting her head toward Powder and Ekko behind her.
"Yeah, we made that," Ekko said proudly, and Powder nodded beside him, a grin forming. It felt good to show off their work for once.
"What does it do? It definitely looks special," Crane said, handing the device to Ekko, his curiosity piqued.
It amazed him that kids in Zaun could craft something so intricate.
Ekko flipped the oval-shaped gadget in his hand, pressing a small button on its side. With a soft click and a quiet hiss, the device began to unfold.
Metal petals peeled back like a blooming flower, revealing the delicate form of a mechanical butterfly. Its wings shimmered faintly under the shop lights as it slowly rose into the air, fluttering in smooth, graceful patterns around the room.
"How?" Crane muttered under his breath, watching it dance through the air.
"How what?" Powder asked, glancing over at him.
"How did you guys learn to make this?" Crane asked, still watching the butterfly drift through the air like it had a mind of its own.
"Oh, just tinkering with scraps and reading old books lying around," Ekko said with a shrug, like it was the most normal thing in the world.
Crane smiled faintly. "How smart."
But behind that smile, his mind was racing.
How do two kids manage to build something this precise while living in a place like Zaun—with no formal education, no training?
Sure, I built animatronics in my past life… but I studied. I worked for years. They're just kids.
Ekko and Powder watched as the mechanical butterfly slowly landed on the ground, its wings folding in with a soft click.
A breath of relief passed between them—happy it hadn't broken.
"It still needs a better stabilizer," Ekko murmured, kneeling down to pick it up carefully.
"But it flew way longer than last time," Powder added with a proud smile.
Crane walked over to the counter, his eyes scanning the cluttered space. Noticing Benzo wasn't around, he rang the bell on the counter, the sharp sound echoing through the shop.
"Benzo?" he called out, his voice cutting through the quiet. He looked back at Ekko and Powder. "He's usually here, right?"
"He's at the Last Drop," Vi answered, glancing over at him.
Ekko quickly darted behind the counter and plopped down in Benzo's chair. He clasped his hands together, leaning forward slightly with a confident smirk.
"Whatever you need Benzo for, I can handle it," he said, his tone playful but serious.
Crane raised an eyebrow. "Does this shop have a bag or a sack of any kind?" He paused for a moment, then added, "A sack is a—"
Ekko quickly cut him off, holding up his hand. "I know what a sack is, and yeah, we've got a burlap sack in the back."
Ekko disappeared into the back room, and after a few moments, returned with the sack, setting it down on the counter.
"Why'd you need it in the first place?" Ekko asked, curious.
"Oh, you know… what everybody with a sack does—use it as a mask," Crane said, slipping the burlap sack over his head.
Everyone just stared at him.
.
.
.
"That was a lie. I won't be using it as a mask," Crane admitted, pulling it off.
"That was kinda obvious," Vi said dryly, arms crossed with a smirk.
Crane placed a few coins on the counter with a casual clink.
Ekko grabbed them and started counting, his brow furrowing. "This isn't even half the amount."
Crane leaned on the counter, unbothered. "You hit me with your vehicle. You owe me a discount. It's the least you could do."
Ekko thought for a moment, then sighed. "Ugh, fine. I'll give you a discount."
"Great," Crane said with a grin. "Now I'll forget you guys ever hit me with a vehicle and tried to hide my body in an alley."
Powder and Ekko froze, wide-eyed.
"…We were panicking!" Powder blurted.
"You looked very dead," Ekko added quickly, hands raised like it'd help his case.
"That's true, you did look dead," Vi said, squinting at him. "I'm honestly surprised you didn't die."
"I thought I almost did," Crane replied, rubbing his side. "You threw my body hard against the wall. It's almost like I can still feel it."
Vi gave him a look, not exactly apologetic. "Hey, I didn't know you were alive. You looked dead, so your safety wasn't exactly my top concern."
"Well, next time I look dead, be gentle with my body," Crane said with a dry smirk.
Powder and Ekko snickered trying to cover their mouth with their hands
"I won't," Vi replied flatly, arms still crossed, but there was the hint of a grin tugging at her mouth.
Crane stepped toward the door, his hand resting on the knob. Before leaving, he glanced back over his shoulder.
"Goodbye, Vi, Powder… and Token," he said with fake confusion.
Ekko blinked, confused. "My name's not Token, it's Ekko."
"Well, Ekko—my name's Jonathan," Crane replied, opening the door and walking out, burlap sack in hand.
Vi watched the door swing shut before turning to the others. "What you guys did today was dumb. You almost killed someone."
Powder looked down, guilt tugging at her. "I'm sorry."
Vi pulled her into a hug. "Just don't do that again, alright?"
Then she looked at Ekko. "You want in on this, little man?"
Ekko nodded and stepped into the hug.
Vi smirked. "Next time you feel like running someone over… make sure it's Jonathan."
All three of them started laughing.
—————————————————
Crane made his way back to the lab, the burlap sack slung over his shoulder, his steps a little quicker than usual.
The brain needs to heal faster, he thought bitterly. I could've been kidnapped… I mean, I practically was.
Still, the encounter wasn't entirely a waste.
That experiment with the fear toxin on the girl? Insightful. Ten out of ten—would experiment on again.
He stepped inside the crumbling building, descending into the shadows until he reached the heavy metal door.
With a creak and a groan, it opened, revealing the dim, chaotic interior of his lab.
Crane walked through the cluttered space, pushing aside a stack of notes and half-assembled devices as he made his way into his room.
He sat on the floor, working quietly as he cut and stitched the burlap sack, shaping it into a rough, makeshift mask.
Once finished, he held it up and examined it—a crude sack mask, but it would do.
"Ah… reminds me of working on Halloween costumes," he muttered, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
His gaze dropped to the scattered pile of leftover materials around him. Strips of burlap, frayed cloth, bits of wire and straw—all just waiting to be used.
"Might as well use them," he said under his breath.
He grabbed another piece of burlap and began fashioning it into a shawl, draping it over his shoulders like a ragged cloak.
Once it was secure, he slipped the mask over his face, adjusting the seams until it fit just right. Then he opened the shawl, inspecting the loose folds and seams.
"I could put some vials in here," he murmured, fingers already tracing the edges where pockets could be sewn or stitched.
He caught sight of a cracked mirror lying on the ground and leaned toward it, studying his reflection through the distorted glass.
"I look like I could scare someone… pretty good," he said, a flicker of amusement in his voice, though his eyes stayed cold behind the mask.
The stitching, the burlap, the way the shadows clung to him—yeah, it worked. Maybe a little too well.
——————————————
To be hero x looks promising I hope it doesn't dip in quality.