Arcane: I have Plasmids F*** YEAAAAAAH!!!

Rusting pipes. Broken machines. Shattered glass.

If it was useless, it was here.

The scrapyard.

The air smelled like burnt oil, desperation, and at least one dead rat.

Which meant it was the perfect place to find unconventional parts.

---

Lukas stood on top of a rickety-ass pile of rusted gears, hands on his hips like he was king of the junkyard.

"Alright, nerds. Listen up."

Ekko adjusted his goggles.

"If you call me a nerd one more time, I'm throwing a wrench at your face."

Lukas grinned.

"Alright, dorks."

A wrench immediately flew past his head.

---

Powder cackled.

"Hah! You missed!"

Ekko huffed.

"I wasn't actually trying to hit him."

Lukas smirked.

"Oh? Wanna try again, Little Man? Maybe this time you—"

Another wrench flew past him.

Lukas ducked.

"OKAY, OKAY, I'LL STOP."

---

After Powder finished laughing her ass off, they got to work.

Lukas found some decent scrap metal…

…And a questionable-looking magazine.

He squinted at the cover.

Was that…?

Was that a Vastaya in a Witch outfit??

Lukas slowly turned the magazine around.

Yeah, he was keeping this one.

---

Meanwhile, Ekko uncovered a few rusted coils and a strange-looking gear.

Powder?

…Powder was standing on top of a barrel labeled: "EXTREMELY VOLATILE. DO NOT TOUCH."

---

Lukas dropped his scrap immediately.

"POWDER, GET OFF THAT RIGHT NOW."

She looked down.

"Huh. Do you think it still works?"

"I THINK YOU'RE ABOUT TO WORK YOUR WAY INTO A GRAVE."

---

Ekko sighed.

"Powder, I swear, if you blow us up, I'm never talking to you again."

Powder gasped dramatically.

"YOU WOULDN'T."

Ekko crossed his arms.

"Try me."

Powder pouted but hopped off the barrel.

Lukas exhaled in relief.

"Holy Janna, You're gonna give me a heart attack before I'm 20."

Powder smirked.

"That's assuming you even make it to 20, old man."

Lukas deadpanned.

"I'm 14."

Powder grinned.

"Well, I'm 12!"

???

The fuck does that even mean???

Ekko snorted.

"She's got you there, bro."

Lukas groaned.

"I hate both of you."

---

By the time they were done scrap-hunting, they were covered in grease, dirt, and questionable Zaunian gunk.

Ekko wrinkled his nose.

"Okay. No offense, but we all smell like ass."

Lukas nodded.

"Hard agree."

Powder sniffed her sleeve.

Then immediately gagged.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT SMELL?!"

Lukas sighed.

"That, my dear Powder, is the scent of regret and bad decisions."

---

Ekko stretched.

"Well, we need a bath. And I know just the place."

Lukas blinked.

Then narrowed his eyes.

"Wait. Don't even—"

Ekko grinned.

"Yup. The waterfall."

Powder cackled.

"Hehehe… back to the crime scene."

Lukas groaned.

"I hate everything about this."

---

When they arrived, the river was quiet, calm, and mercifully empty.

Powder was already sprinting toward the water.

"Last one in is a rusty gear!"

Ekko tossed his goggles aside and ran after her.

Lukas?

Lukas just stood there, dead inside.

---

He watched as Powder jumped in first.

Immediately, she let out a bloodcurdling shriek.

"AAAAAARGH, IT'S FREEZING!!"

Ekko followed, shivering but managing to laugh.

Lukas sighed.

Then took off his coat, rolled up his sleeves, and walked in.

"Fuuuuck, that's cold."

And nasty.

And definitely toxic.

---

Powder grinned.

"What, Mr. Nudes can't handle a little cold?"

Lukas glared at her.

"I swear to God—"

---

They splashed around, washing off the dirt and grease.

At one point, Powder tried to dunk Lukas under the water.

Lukas dodged.

Powder tried again.

Lukas dodged again.

Powder growled.

"STOP MOVING."

"NO."

"GET BACK HERE."

"ABSOLUTELY NOT."

---

Ekko just sat on a rock, staring at them like they were idiots.

"This is the dumbest fight I've ever seen."

Lukas kicked some water at him.

"Then join in, coward."

Ekko huffed.

"Nah, I'm good. I'm just enjoying the show."

---

Eventually, they finished up.

Lukas stretched.

"Alright. We head back, dry off, and get back to work."

Powder groaned.

"Ugh. More work?"

Lukas smirked.

"The grind never ends, young Padawan."

Ekko looked confused.

"What's a Padawan?"

Lukas looked at him like a proud parent.

"That, my sweet summer child, will be a great story for later."

---

By the time they returned to the shop, something had changed.

They weren't just three kids working on a crazy idea anymore.

They were…

Something closer to a team.

Lukas, the bullshitting mastermind.

Ekko, the technical genius.

Powder, the chaotic wildcard.

They still bickered, still teased each other…

But the bond was forming.

For the first time since coming to this new world, Lukas felt like…

Maybe, just maybe…

…

…

…

"Hey, Ekko, I need to take a shit. Is there a bathroom in here somewhere???"

---

TO BE CONTINUED… ON THE TOILET.