Chapter 5.4 New friends

They went to Benzo. His shop, as always, was filled with all sorts of mechanical items and spare parts, which immediately attracted Powder's attention. She looked around with interest. Like Ekko, she loved to fix things and tried to create something of her own, something useful that would help Vi. Of course, she had not yet experienced success in her own projects, but this made her older sister proud.

Benzo stood behind the counter, leaning one hand on the old tree, his other hand twirling another of his keys. He looked relaxed, but his eyes still showed attention to detail. Seeing the guys coming in, he smiled and raised his eyebrows slightly.

"Oh, kids, how did the task go?" he asked, turning his head to Vi, who stepped forward, putting her hand on her hip.

"Wonderful, Benzo," she replied, smiling relaxedly.

Benzo nodded, looking them over from head to toe. He always noticed details, so his gaze lingered for a moment on a couple of small cuts on Mylo and dirty spots on Vi's shirt.

"Well, that's good," he concluded. "I hope the peacekeepers didn't see us?"

"We're not like that," Claggor intervened, adjusting his glasses out of habit. "Everything went smoothly."

Mylo snorted, but to avoid starting an argument, he simply rubbed his bruised shoulder and turned away. Powder beamed with pride and cast a quick glance at Vi, hoping she would say something else.

"Is Little Man here?" Vi finally asked, switching her attention to the main thing. "We wanted to drop in on him."

"Of course," Benzo grinned. "Your boy has been at his place for a long time. And not alone."

"Not alone?" they all asked in unison, exchanging surprised glances.

"Yeah, a new friend," Benzo confirmed, pocketing the key and heading for the door leading to the back of the store.

"A friend?" Mylo raised an eyebrow and looked at Vi skeptically. "Oh, really? It's Little Man?"

"Shut up, Mylo," Vi frowned, ignoring the snarky comments. "You know how communicative Ekko is."

Powder perked up, her eyes lighting up with interest.

"Maybe it's someone unusual?" she suggested, jumping up and down.

"Or maybe it's someone as crazy as you or Ekko," Mylo said sarcastically, but his face was slightly worried.

"Let's just wait," Vi snapped, looking intently at the door, where their little genius would soon appear along with his mysterious new friend.

The door creaked, and Ekko appeared in the doorway, a short boy with unruly curls and a mischievous glint in his eyes. He broke into a wide grin when he saw his friends, but when he saw Powder, his face briefly took on an embarrassed expression; he scratched the back of his head, as if he didn't know what to do with his hands.

"Oh, Vi, Mylo, Claggor, and… Powder!" he said, slightly stumbling over the name of the girl who was only a year older than him. Vi noticed his confusion and raised an eyebrow, smirking, but remained silent.

"Hey, Little Man" she grinned, taking a step forward. "So, are you practicing those punches I showed you a couple of days ago?"

Ekko straightened up, trying to look serious, and nodded.

"Of course!" he exclaimed, but then, looking down. "Though not everything is working out yet..."

Mylo snorted, but Vi gave him a warning look, and he just shrugged, stepping back.

"It's okay," Vi said softly, putting her hand on Ekko's shoulder. "The main thing is persistence. Keep training, and soon you'll give us all a head start. Well, except for me, of course."

Powder, standing a little further away, watched the conversation, and decided to join in herself.

"Who's your new friend that Benzo was talking about?" she asked unexpectedly, tilting her head to the side.

"Oh, right!" Ekko perked up, his eyes lighting up like a child who wants to share something important. "I met someone! He's a little older than me and Powder, but I think he's cool. We're going for a walk, can we take him with us?"

Ekko spoke with such enthusiasm that even Vi, who was used to his outbursts, was a little surprised.

"Who is it?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest and looking intently at the boy.

"Sirion" - Ekko answered proudly, straightening his back. "He's a jack of all trades. Today he helped me fix the generator, and then he even explained a little about how engines work."

Vi raised an eyebrow, studying Ekko's expression. It was obvious how impressed he was.

"A jack of all trades, you say?" - she drawled, grinning." Are you sure you can trust him?"

Ekko frowned, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Of course! He's normal. And besides, he's not from Piltover, he's one of us. Almost like us, only… weird. But that doesn't matter."

"Hm, weird, you say?" Vi rubbed her chin thoughtfully, but her gaze was full of hidden curiosity. "Okay, bring him to us. Let's see what kind of 'master' he is."

Ekko nodded enthusiastically, as if he was already anticipating how everyone would become friends. Powder, meanwhile, came closer, looking at Ekko with mild interest.

"Is he… cheerful?" she asked quietly, as if trying to be inconspicuous.

"And how so!" Ekko blurted out. "I think you'll definitely like him."

Vi was silent for a while, looking at Ekko appraisingly. Finally, she sighed and waved her hand.

"Okay, go get your Sirion," she said. "But remember, Ekko, I'll be keeping an eye on him."

"Great!" Ekko exclaimed happily and rushed back upstairs. Powder smiled slightly, her eyes lighting up with curiosity.

"I wonder what he's like," she muttered, almost inaudible to the others.

"Never mind what," Mylo grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. "I hope he's not a burden."

"Calm down," Vi said, grinning. "Let's see what kind of genius has come to visit us."

Ekko turned to the door of his room, paused for a second, and then rushed inside. A moment later, the sound of his voice was heard calling Sirion, but he, apparently, was in no hurry to come out.

A couple of minutes later, Sirion appeared from the room. His gaze was slightly wary, and his brows were slightly furrowed, as if he had not yet decided how to feel about what was happening. Despite his young age, his movements showed a certain confidence and a habit of keeping himself in check.

His clothes were simple but comfortable: a dark shirt with rolled-up sleeves, a vest with several pockets, clearly worn from constant work, and comfortable pants that did not restrict his movements. There were traces of work on his hands - small scratches, traces of oil and dust. He seemed like a guy who was not afraid of difficulties.

Ekko, not hiding his joy, immediately stepped forward, speaking with genuine enthusiasm:

"Sirion, meet my friends!"

He pointed to Vi, who was standing a little ahead and watching Sirion with a slight grin.

"This is Vi, she is the boss here. Even those who do not know how to obey obey her."

"You talk some more, Shorty," Vi responded with a grin, folding her arms across her chest. Her gaze was assessing the newcomer, but there was no hostility in her face, more curiosity.

"Mylo" Ekko continued, pointing at the skinny guy with a mocking expression. - He is constantly sarcastic, but still manages to remain useful.

"Oh, thank you for the praise, Ekko" Mylo noted sarcastically, looking at Sirion with a slight squint.

"Claggor" Ekko turned his gaze to the tall, broad-shouldered guy with a good-natured smile."He always has an idea on how to do something better."

Claggor nodded affably to Sirion and briefly waved his hand.

"And finally, Powder" Ekko pointed to the girl standing a little to the side. "Our main striking force!"

Powder raised her head proudly at this, but quickly softened her expression when she noticed that Sirion's gaze, which had been looking at everyone in turn with interest, had finally moved to her.

"So, will you introduce him to us, Ekko?" Powder asked with genuine curiosity, tilting her head slightly.

"This is Sirion," Ekko finished with a wide smile. "He helps me with my inventions. He's only thirteen, but he already understands mechanics like an adult."

"Thirteen?" Vi asked, clearly surprised. "Well, then, not as little as I thought. A couple of years older than you, Ekko."

"Old enough not to be afraid of work," Sirion said dryly, his voice sounding calm, but with a subtle hint of sarcasm.

"Excellent," Vi responded. "If Ekko vouches for you, then everything is fine.

"So you're joining us?" Powder asked, her eyes shining with curiosity.

"Let's see what your plans are," Sirion replied with a slight grin, noticing the girl's enthusiasm.