Chapter 23: Science Bitch

Lukas, Powder, and Ekko sat cross-legged in a dirty alley.

Surrounded by scrap metal, pipes, and Zaun's signature "what the fuck is that smell" ambiance.

The perfect place for a historical breakthrough.

---

Ekko tapped the telegraph with his wrench.

"Alright, so explain. How are we supposed to use a telegraph… without wires?"

Lukas grinned.

"I'm glad you asked, little man."

He leaned in.

"Let me introduce you to the magic of…"

He paused for dramatic effect.

Then threw his arms out.

"WAVES."

---

Ekko blinked.

Powder tilted her head.

Then she nodded, looking very serious.

"Ah. Yes. Waves."

She leaned over to Ekko.

"What the hell is he talking about?"

Ekko shrugged.

"No clue."

---

Lukas groaned.

"Okay, look. I don't know all the fancy science shit, but I do know this—"

He held up a rock.

"If I throw this in water, what happens?"

Ekko squinted.

"It sinks?"

"Okay, yes, smartass, but what ELSE happens?"

Powder snapped her fingers.

"Oh! It makes those little circles!"

Lukas pointed at her.

"Bingo! Those circles? That's a wave."

Ekko nodded slowly.

"Alright… but what does that have to do with the telegraph?"

Lukas smirked.

"What if I told you… there are waves you can't see?"

---

Ekko's eyebrows furrowed.

"Wait. You mean… invisible waves? Like, ghosts? Ghost waves?"

Lukas blinked.

Then exhaled.

"No, Ekko. Not ghosts."

Powder grinned.

"Maybe it is ghosts. Maybe Mr. Nudes is secretly a necromancer."

Lukas deadpanned.

"Do I look like I raise the dead?"

Powder shrugged.

"I dunno. You definitely raise a lot of bullshit."

Then lukas got an idea.

A really, really stupid idea.

"Hold that thought."

---

Lukas stood up.

He cracked his knuckles.

He focused.

Then raised a single finger.

Ekko and Powder watched, confused.

Then—

A tiny blue spark flickered to life at his fingertip.

ZAP.

A small jolt shot into the air, buzzing like an angry bug.

Ekko and Powder's jaws dropped.

"WHAT THE FUCK."

Lukas smirked.

"Behold. Wireless electricity."

---

Powder pointed accusingly.

"BULLSHIT. THAT'S MAGIC."

Ekko was still staring.

"H-how did you—?"

Lukas snapped his fingers, killing the spark.

"Questions for later."

Powder narrowed her eyes.

Then grabbed a piece of scrap metal and threw it at Lukas's head.

"OW, WHAT THE HELL?!"

"PROVE IT'S NOT MAGIC."

Lukas rubbed his forehead.

"I LITERALLY JUST DID."

"Nah, that doesn't count."

Ekko snorted.

"Powder, he literally made electricity come out of his hand."

"Yeah, EXACTLY. That's not normal."

She pointed at Lukas.

"Therefore… WITCH."

---

Lukas facepalmed.

"Okay, first of all, rude. Second of all, it's NOT magic. It's Science."

Powder blinked.

"what?"

Lukas hesitated.

Shit.

"Uh… Miracle science?"

Ekko tilted his head.

"Like what? Did you drink some weird-ass serum or something?"

Lukas waved his hands.

"No, no, no. It's just—"

He paused.

"Actually, you know what? Fuck it. Sure. Let's go with that."

Powder gasped.

"So you DID drink some weird shit!"

"NO!"

"Wait… did you STEAL it from from somewhere?!"

Lukas grabbed his head.

"I SWEAR TO GOD—"

---

Ekko clapped his hands.

"Alright, alright, let's focus. Magic or not, he made a spark jump through the air."

He crossed his arms.

"So how does that help us send messages?"

Lukas exhaled.

Thank God, someone was paying attention.

"It's not about the spark. It's about the waves."

Ekko raised an eyebrow.

"Waves? Like the water thingy?"

"Exactly."

Lukas grabbed a metal rod.

"See this? If I send a wave, this rod catches it. That's what an antenna does."

---

Ekko's jaw dropped.

Powder blinked.

"The hell's an antenna?"

Lukas pointed to a random metal rod on the ground.

"That is an antenna."

Ekko stared at it.

Then back at Lukas.

"Wait. You're telling me… this dumb metal stick… can catch electricity out of the air?"

"Exactly."

Powder crossed her arms.

"Sounds fake."

Lukas shrugged.

"Hey, I don't make the rules."

---

Ekko started pacing.

"Okay. So let me get this straight—"

He held up a finger.

"Electricity can travel through the air."

Lukas nodded.

Ekko held up another finger.

"Metal rods can catch it."

Lukas nodded again.

Ekko held up a third finger.

"So if we use the right kind of electricity, we can send signals from one place to another?"

Lukas smirked.

"Now you're getting it."

Ekko's brain was working at max speed.

"And If we can send messages without wires… we could talk to people all over Zaun."

Powder gasped.

"Or spy on people!"

Ekko gasped.

"Or listen to what Piltover is saying!"

Powder gasped even louder.

"Or order food without leaving bed!"

Lukas paused.

"Uh. Sure. That too."

---

Ekko grabbed the telegraph.

"Okay. How do we start?"

Lukas grinned.

"We build."

Powder fist-pumped.

"We tinker."

Ekko cracked his knuckles.

"We experiment."

Lukas dramatically pointed at the sky.

"AND THEN WE TAKE OVER THE WORLD."

…

…

Powder and Ekko looked at him.

Lukas coughed.

"I mean. Uh. Revolutionize communication. Yep. That's totally what I meant."

Bruh