the firelights' hideout buzzed with activity. the hum of machinery, the chatter of voices, and the occasional clank of metal reverberated through the space. ekko was at the center of it all, leaning over a blueprint spread across a table cluttered with tools and parts. his shoulders were tense, his fingers twitching as he traced lines and jotted down notes with rapid precision.

you hovered nearby, a small, delicate project in your hands. it wasn’t much—a repair you’d been working on for hours, something that might make things easier for him. you knew he had been under immense pressure lately, trying to keep everyone safe while also staying one step ahead of silco’s forces.

“ekko,” you called softly, stepping closer. he didn’t respond, his focus locked on the blueprint as if the answers to all his problems were hidden in it's lines.

you tried again, louder this time. “ekko, can i show you something?”

“what?” his voice was sharp, cutting through the noise around you. he didn’t even look up.

undeterred, you held up the device in your hands, a small mechanism you’d tinkered with to improve the hoverboards' efficiency. "i fixed this. it should give more power without draining the battery so fast—”

“i don’t have time for that right now!” ekko snapped, his head whipping up to glare at you. “do you think this is the priority? that i can just stop everything i’m doing to look at your... your hobby project?”

his words were like a slap, the sharpness of his tone sinking deep. you froze, your hands tightening around the device as your heart sank. you hadn’t expected him to react like this.

“i was just trying to help,” you said quietly, your voice barely audible over the din of the hideout.

ekko’s face softened instantly, regret flashing in his eyes. he ran a hand over his face, exhaling a shaky breath. “shit,” he muttered. “i didn’t mean that.”