#Viktor and Jayce would prolly be a little younger here — like 17/18 during Act 1 and 24/25 during Act 2 onward

[sunshine-zenith]

I see your “Viktor was raised by Vander” and “JayVik are Jinx’s dads” AUs and I raise you this: AU where Viktor was one of Benzo’s boys and takes in Ekko after Benzo’s death

Benzo loved Zaun and was ready and willing to step in for Vander, while also working and saving and trading so his boys could go to a school where there were resources available to foster their talents. Plus, he knows that with Piltover’s doctors and lack of pollution, Viktor likely has a better chance of long term survival there. He made sure to get two uniforms for the Academy and knew his boys could handle the rest — both Ekko and Viktor had a knack for sneaking into places they shouldn’t be. Viktor jumps on the opportunity, seeing it as a way to help Zaun by taking advantage of Piltover’s resources. Ekko secretly hates the idea, not wanting to leave Zaun (or his friends) at all

After Viktor starts attending, Ekko occasionally follows him Topside, just in case Viktor ever needs help/backup. Ekko doesn’t trust anyone up there with his brother’s well being. When Viktor finds out, he’s furious. While following Viktor, Ekko learns that Viktor was found out by the Academy, and that he’s technically no longer a student there, but an employee thanks to Heimer. Viktor makes Ekko swear into secrecy and Benzo never learns the truth

Ekko learning a handful of words in Viktor’s first language, enough to swear and communicate short messages, so he and Viktor could have secret conversations in front of Powder, Mylo, and Clagger (Vi knows they aren’t actually saying anything, and that at first Ekko’s probably making up half the words he’s saying while Viktor plays along). Powder ends up learning the language as well and for a period you could find the three of them bent over some cobbled together invention, rambling on in it. Eventually, he even teaches a handful of words to the Firelights, just in case they need to communicate in front of Enforcers (they learn quickly not to use the language in front of anyone from Silco’s crew — Jinx doesn’t teach anyone it and quietly doesn’t tell them it’s even a real language they can learn, but she’ll still share/react to important info if she hears it)

When Benzo dies, Viktor insists that Ekko come to Piltover with him. Ekko fights him at first, but when it becomes clear that Powder, another long and traumatized child, considers herself Jinx now and insists on staying with Silco, Ekko goes. He still makes his way over the bridge frequently, forming the Firelights in the process, and Viktor never stops him. Ekko tries to hide as much of this from Viktor as possible, knowing Viktor would want to join and not wanting to force his brother to choose between helping them and his dreams. Ekko also doesn’t want to do anything to risk shortening/ending Viktor’s life, deep down afraid of adding Viktor to the list of people he’s lost. He accepts loss as a fact of life early on, but the thought of adding Viktor to his memorial terrifies him, and Viktor occupies a similar part of Ekko’s heart that the memory of Powder does (the part that makes him hesitate with her, and, eventually, almost makes him hesitate with him)

Powder never told Ekko about the gemstones she found. Occasionally, he sees an overlap between her bombs and Viktor’s inventions, and he wonders though

Here, part of why Viktor works so hard, pushes himself past his own limits so often, is because there are nights where he’s haunted by the wounds Ekko sometimes shows up with, by the nights Ekko doesn’t come home.

Jayce, meanwhile, has a soft spot for Ekko, and even occasionally plays a big brother/stepparent role. Ekko even finds doodles of Viktor in Jayce’s notes and is torn between how actually good the art is and rolling his eyes in disgust. Ekko plays a bit of an assistant role when he’s in Piltover, and some of HexTech’s breakthroughs are thanks to him. Every time he sees Jayce’s face on a blimp or hears some variation of “Man of Progress” he rolls his eyes in disgust for a different reason. Ekko also grows up knowing Caitlyn, and is floored when he finds both her and Vi near Jinx. Knowing how down bad Caitlyn and Jayce are for Vi and Viktor respectively both reassures Ekko and brings out the protective little brother energy in a big way

From S1Act2 onwards, Ekko is technically old enough to attend the Academy. He’s more torn than ever, especially when he realizes he’s finally grown into that uniform that Benzo worked so hard to get him

Both brothers want similar things — Viktor wants to give Ekko a better future. Ekko just wants Viktor to have a future at all