The Seeker.

That is what Levi Prime had called him. It had been months since he had been given that name and it had stuck in his brain. He didn’t think of himself as Levi, that felt like a stranger, a particularly vivid dream.

He was the Seeker, his life had begun anew that day.

His Mission was not going well. He didn’t even know how the hell he was supposed to achieve it. He was no Prime. He couldn’t create copies of himself nor absorb other Levi’s. He himself was just a copy of another man, a shadow. He had tried of course. The first thing he had done after being born was to smack himself to see if he could create a copy. Nothing happened except a bruise. Same with trying to absorb one. That had not gone well. Not because it was hard to sneak up on another Levi or find one. No, there were so many of the fuckers out and about now. He had just walked up to one and stroked his arm. Two men who looked identical, tall runners build, trim without looking gaunt. Pretty boy face that could do with a solid punch, misty grey eyes and hair with great lift. One stroking the arm of the other like a crazy person.

Again, nothing happened except a bruise.

Word had gotten around about the Great Levi Forward. It was hard to hide when suddenly there were over two hundred copies of the same guy wandering about the place. Most of them had left Arcadia by now and moved on so they didn’t all stink up the joint. The Seeker knew he should move on too. It was impossible to blend in here. Even without the stupid dark blue and green outfit it was obvious as to who and what he was.

How was he supposed to learn? He had spent the first few weeks wracking his brains. Why had Levi Prime thought this was a good idea? The Seeker had the exact same knowledge as the Prime, he couldn’t hide anything as they were the same person at the moment of creation. What was he thinking? The Prime should be the one with this Mission as he alone can create and absorb the copies. He would be able to test whatever he wanted. The only answer that kept coming back was because Levi Prime was goddamn lazy. Levi never did like working, which meant that the Seeker should not like working either.

That was changing though. The Seeker was actively trying to become the opposite of a Levi, as if he was trying to shed his slave name. He was trying to become his own person.

He had gotten a job at a local pub, the Skin Drum, just to get some money coming in. The stipend he was getting from the Prime was not a lot and it felt like a leash around his neck, one more thing tying him to the past he wanted so desperately to escape.

It was a hard life as the person who he had been he was now actively starting to hate. His own thoughts were just another reminder of the man who he was trying to bury. To hate your own thoughts, your own internal monologue, that made his already messed up life feel a touch more crazy.

It was no surprise that once working at the bar he quickly found himself drinking. Heavily. It didn’t solve anything but it did put off thinking about it for another day.

Seeker was roused out of his maudlin internal monologue by someone at the bar trying to get his attention. He dragged his battered brain back into the present and looked at who had ruined his perfectly good late night self loathing session.

What he saw was not a man. No, an Adonis. He was gorgeous, way too beautiful for his own good.

“Sorry, what did you want mate?” Seeker managed to get out.

“I asked for pint of whatever you recommend please.” The man said. He was stunning, almost 7 feet tall, his body looked like it was chiselled from marble, same with his jaw line. The clothes draped over his frame, moulded and suggested at the hardness with curves beneath. The blond hair, long and curling around his pale ears.

He could not give this man a pint of the rot gut he had been slugging back so he grabbed a mug off the rings bolted into the ceiling and rolled down the bar to a set of brass taps. He pulled off a smooth brown liquid and returned to the man. They finished their transaction but instead of heading off for a booth or table the man stood there and started pounding his way through the pint.

Seeker watching him finish it as fast as he could before settling the empty back down. Sighing and wiping the foam off his curve bow lips. He looked at Seeker and asked “Got anything…less, well, wanky?”

Seeker found himself grinning at the man. Now he was really looking at him he was beginning to see past the glorious locks and the chin you could break rocks with. There was sadness in those eyes, regret of things done or not done. Seeker suddenly felt like he desperately needed to know.

Dumping the empty mug in the sink, Seeker got a fresh one and pulled from the dented wooden handle in front of him, slipping into the grooves perfectly like shaking hands with an old friend. Murky amber liquid flowed out with each belaboured pull, filling the mug. He slipped it across the bar to the man while trying to figure out what he was doing in a dive bar like the Skin Drum.

It was late at night. The only other people in the Skin were a few regulars; Handsy Pete, Doughnut Joe and another Levi copy who went by the incredibly boring name Steve. Seeker motioned with a tilt of the head to the gorgeous man and asked “Do you mind if I join you?”

The man raised his pint to his lips and took a long drink. “Not at all. The names Valkyr.” He looked questioning at Seeker.

After Seeker had finished pulling his own pint and taken a welcome drought and settled it back down, glad he was talking to a Super so he could use his made-up name. Glad that the man had not assumed he was still going by Levi.

“Mine’s Seeker.”

They cheers’ed.

Both men stood there in silence, working on their pints. Seeker watched as Valkyr actually looked like he was enjoying the taste of the Monk’s Own.

Their reverie was interrupted by Steve fronting up for another round for the boys. Seeker hated serving him, hated the fact that Steve chose this place as his regular haunt. Steve would always try and talk as if they were friends when just looking at him reminded Seeker of who he really was. It was bad enough walking the streets and seeing his face everywhere he turned, it was torture with no escape even here.

“Three more please.” Steve né Levi asked.

Wordless, the drinks were pulled and handed over.

Once squared away and stumbling back with his prize Valkyr was glancing meaningfully at his now empty mug. The Seeker had tried to not notice Valkyr looking between Steve and him.

Seeker filled him a fresh one and then himself.

Valkyr spoke first. “What are you Seeking then?”

“Where are your wings?” Seeker shot back. The man’s reaction made him wish he could have caught those words before they struck. “Sorry.” He muttered awkwardly as he took another drink to unsuccessfully hide his embarrassment.

Valkyr shifted on the spot, stopped himself trying to glance over to Steve and then sat on the bar stool shaking his head “No, no. I deserved that. I was just looking for something to say. Forget I said it and I will forget yours?”

Seeker nodded at him. “Deal.” He continued “I would like to ask though… why the hell is someone like you in this shit hole?”

Valkyr grinned ever so slightly. “Where should I be then?”

“I don’t know.” Seeker shrugged “In a penthouse somewhere, banging super models and railing coke?”

Valkyr laughed “It gets boring after a while my man.” He looked around “Although, I see what you mean. I don’t really fit in with the… clientèle here do I?”

They both watched as Handsy Pete blew his nose into his hands and, without missing a beat, picked up his mug and kept drinking.

Valkyr arched an eyebrow at Seeker. “Wow. Couldn’t have timed that better.”

It was Seekers turn to laugh. He had not done that in a while. “Hey, I am the one who has to clean up after those degenerates.”

“My condolences” Valkyr offered.

“Shove your condolences pretty boy.” Seeker rejoined “Its a job, not the worst in the world.”

Seeker collected the mugs and pulled another round, forgetting for the evening the thoughts that had been spiralling in his mind since his birth. Enjoying the man’s company, it was not until he looked back on that night did he realise not once did Valkyr mention the fact he looked like a Levi.