Echo woke up in a pool of sweat. He hated seeing those memories, it didn't help that he's reminded of it with where his apartment is, he thought he was being smart with this idea, but oh how that backfired on him. He looks down at his forearm, at the ouroboros tattoo reminding him of that night and why he's here.
Echo walks into The Last Drop after being out all day, he notices how quiet and empty it is until he hears screams and objects crashing coming from downstairs. He rushes down the stairs and nearly falls down the stairs in the room as he crashes through the door.
"Bluejay, you had me worried." He said as he was catching his breath.
"She said that I wasn't ready." Powder said in tears as Echo came down the stairs.
"Calm down. Is that the only thing she said?" He said in a soothing tone sitting down next to her, giving her a sympathetic hug.
"That I was 'all she had left' and that she 'couldn't lose me.' She handed me this too and told me to run if they came here." She said, now calmer than before showing Echo the flare.
"I know she's looking out for you but I'll go find them, just stay here until I get back because you know I'll come back. Alright, Bluejay?" He said standing up.
Powder gave him a thumbs up as he made his way to go find Vi and the guys.
Pulling out a telescope, Echo starts looking around the area trying to find where they were until he looks at the old cannery's roof. The pouring rain isn't helping much.
"Bingo." He said to himself before he started climbing down the side of the he was on.
He walks to the cannery as to not draw any attention to himself, that was until he heard several explosions and saw smoke in the sky. He began to haul ass when he heard the third explosion.
"Come on, be alive when I get there damn it." He muttered to himself before taking a turn and nearly losing his footing after sliding through a puddle.
When he slows up he hears two familiar voices.
"Great, sounds like everyone made it." He said in between breaths.
That was until he heard Powder sobbing.
"I... I didn't... I was saving you. I only wanted to help. I only wanted to help. I only wanted to help. I only wanted to... " Powder sobbed.
"I told you to stay away!" Vi yelled at her.
Hearing a smack.
"No. Why did you leave me?" Powder said through tears.
When he was about to run in to intervene he felt a sharp pain in his side and a hand covering his mouth to hide his scream of pain.
"Now now, don't need another Vander and any more loose ends. Just rest, child." The voice said, before pulling out the knife and dropping Echo's body. Echo caught the look of the man's face just before he hit the ground.
By this time Vi had already disappeared and the man that stabbed him approached Powder.
"No... Blue...jay..." Echo trailed off, his arm extended outwards when he saw the man and the group with him walking towards Powder before he then passed out.
He snaps himself out of the nightmare before touching that exact spot where he was stabbed. He owed his life to Ekko for saving him that night, but when he learned he'd been out for two years and was told about what happened to everyone else he was devastated. He didn't eat for several days and kept muttering to himself "I'm sorry I didn't keep my promise."
After a week of that Echo finally came back to his senses and left Ekko to get his strength back.
"I'm going to travel for a while. Mainly to find myself again." Echo said, looking towards a desk grabbing his things.
"How are you going to afford that?" Ekko said, walking into the room.
"I'll just stowaway from airship to airship until I get some coins." Echo said, kind of chuckling to himself about the idea.
"We'll still be here if you want to take me up on that offer. You're always welcomed here, brother." Ekko said, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"I'll think about it. In the meantime though, I'll catch you on the flip side, brother." Echo said, hugging his friend goodbye.