10 Years Ago

Levi Prime stood in the middle of his lounge room, a multitude of bruises beginning to bloom about his body under his outfit. Dark blue, well fitting pants, shirt with green trim and lines along the seams. It had been his outfit since he begun calling himself the Twisted Mirror and realised that to be taken seriously he needed more than torn jeans and mismatched socks. He was also going to be damned if he got around in a onesie or wearing his underwear on the outside. If he was stuck with a stupid name he was going to at least try to look good.

It was easy to move in, comfortable, hid blood stains well and, most importantly, when there are multiple copies of him all piling onto the bad guys the dark with flashes of green trim was super confusing. Levi was convinced that it had saved his life many times over.

He sighed in fatigue and pain, bruises had already begun demanding his attention all across his body where he had been striking himself. This had seemed like such a great idea in theory but in practice it really fucking hurt. He should have done this over a period of a few months, not try and smash it out, literally, in a few days.

Shrugging he knew that this was the only way. Once set on something Levi would see it through to the end as soon as possible, patience was not part of his Super.

The Great Levi Forward he had jokingly named this scheme was a result from his most recent run in with MindSlaver. Levi shuddered thinking back on what he had found when he had burst through into MindSlaver’s penthouse apartment. The bodies everywhere, some living, some dead, most you couldn’t tell the difference. Then it came, the unnatural calm flowing over his thoughts like settling into a tub of warm porridge. Only the reflex decision to create a copy of himself was why he had not joined the stable of slaves in that apartment.

Levi had struck himself and luckily the copy of him that had jumped out fully formed was not a lunatic hellbent on eating the furniture.

The copy was sane and straight forward. He saw Levi Prime being taken over by MindSlaver. The Mirror started in with the only way they were going to survive this. He beat the shit out of Levi Prime. Every punch, every blow bringing another copy of Levi out into the world. Sure, some of them were weird. One of them, honest to god, formed and took a long, hard, look around at the carnage and decided right then was the perfect time to start his yodelling career.

Super helpful.

Enough copies were made though that they quickly spread throughout the apartment and found MindSlaver. There were too many Levi’s for MindSlaver to control at the same time and they all started wailing on him. Beating him until he was an unrecognisable red mess on the pristine white shag carpet.

After that brush with becoming a human horse for MindSlaver, Levi Prime had done some thinking, which if he was honest with himself, was the first real effort he had put in since he had donned the blue and green.

The whole walking in, spawning copies and beating the piss out of people had worked until now. It would not always work, it had almost failed him. He needed more.

So the Great Levi Forward had been born.

Levi Prime grimaced and struck himself again in what he hoped was a fresh spot.

It was not.

A Mirror of him snapped into existence. They stood there staring, sizing each other up. The copy spoke first.

“I am not crazy, I don’t know what part of me was magnified but it’s not the cat skinning variety.”

Levi Prime nodded but he of course, didn’t believe him. If the Mirror did like skinning cats then he wouldn’t come out and say it would he? Levi would not know until the man showed up in a suit made of suspiciously fresh fur. But he spoke confidently, held his gaze and was not visibly bouncing on the spot. He would do. Levi was tired.

“Okay then, for you…” Levi Prime began and double checked the list sitting on the table next to him “ohh, you got an easy one! Learn to paint. Like, pictures and shit. Does that sound good?”

The copy stood there for a moment and then nodded. “Yeah, painting sounds sweet. I can’t promise I will return in two years for… you know, death. But I will honour the Mission.”

Levi Prime grinned, after a hundred of these you would think he would be bored but it was great to see every copy come out willing to take their Mission but not willing to die. It helped reassure Levi that he was not insane.

“I’ll have to hunt you down if you don’t return, you know that.” Levi Prime said.

The copy grinned back “Yeah fucker, I can’t wait to see you try.” With that, he flipped Levi Prime the double bird and strode confidently out the door.

Levi Prime watched him go, that would be one he would have to hunt down for sure. He was starting to get a feel for the different copies he created which in itself was helpful. Checking the list again he saw the next item.

It was underlined in red pen. Multiple times. Then circled. Ahh yeah, this one.

Levi Prime breathed in and punched himself again. Another Mirror slurped into life in front of him. They stared at each other.

“Looking good there Levi.” The copy said with a smirk. Levi Prime just kept watching him. Something felt off. He knew he looked good but so far most of them had come out with some backbone, some fire, as of course they knew what they were being created for and what lay at the end of their Mission.

“I can do it you know.” The Levi copy continued “Learn to control our powers? None of this Levi Roulette bullshit, I can and will learn how to harness it.”

Levi Prime’s hand flashed out and struck the copy without hesitation. Levi Prime felt a wave of being unbalanced. Something that had occupied a large amount of physical space was suddenly gone. Not before Levi Prime had seen it in the copies eyes. The flash of murderous rage, of unbridled, unhinged hatred.

That one would have killed him.

Levi Prime stood there alone for a long moment. He needed to be sure and letting anyone with even a sliver of psychic damage out on this Mission was dangerous. He had thought about creating multiples for this Mission alone as it was so important. But that was the rub. He couldn’t trust any copy he made so sending out more than one to learn his Super was too big of a risk.

He struck himself again. The copy materialised in front of him. They watched each other like two alley cats trying to piss on the same corner.

The copy broke first and snarled “I am not mad, arsehole, so stop staring at me like that.” Levi Prime waited. “Yes, yes, learn the Super. Return to you like a whipped dog. Give you all the good stuff. I know the plan. You can take your plan and go fuck yourself with it.”

Levi Prime grinned. Back on familiar ground. This one was perfect. He needed one with spirit, with a sense of self preservation and more than a touch of anger. On the second go too!

“I will find you when the time is right. You know I will.” Said Levi Prime.

“No.” The copy shook his head. “You won’t.”

Levi Prime watched him turn and head for the door, “See in two years Levi!”

The copy stopped at the open door. Without turning around he muttered “Don’t call me that.”

Levi called out as the door was shutting. “Okay then, Seeker.”