Seeker knew that Handsy Pete would be waiting outside the bar when it opened. Not a day went by without him dropping in for a pint or five. Most other places didn’t put up with the man however he knew the score here and was never any real trouble as he was running out of places to drink.

“Afternoon Pete.” Seeker said as he opened up the front door. He had to catch himself and make sure he didn’t call him Handsy Pete to his face.

The man pulled himself off the ground and nodded at Seeker who could smell the liquor or maybe petrol coming off the man in waves. Pete had a skin full already and was looking to kick on.

“Evening Seeker.” Pete burbled out happily “Was wondering if you were ever showing up!” He smacked a fist on the door as he walked through into the dark interior of the bar “Not like this old place to be closed. Last time was when Surly Curly came down with a case of being a lazy bitch.”

Seeker grunted in response and started the routine of opening up the bar, flicking on the lights which didn’t so much illuminate so much as outline the darkness. Valkyr had already put all the stools up and cleaned most of the mugs which was more than Seeker ever did. After their conversation they had agreed that Seeker would open up the bar as normal instead of hiding. Having a crowd in case the Cult of Levi actually comes to check him out. Valkyr had some gig he needed to get too, he had offered to cancel it but Seeker could not take any more charity right now.

Seeker had just got around behind the bar when Pete was already fronted up and waiting. He drank the same rot gut each time so they didn’t need to extend their conversation as Seeker pulled a pint and slid it between the bars stools on the counter to Pete’s grasping hands. Once Pete had a pint in hand and was taking a circuitous route to one of the booths Seeker continued unpacking everything.

It was odd to be doing all this work without a pounding headache or coughing up his lungs from the simple exertion of moving the stools around. He didn’t even feel the burning need for a smoke, an ever present companion for the past few months. Although once done clearing the counter Seeker did not even notice that he had a full pint for himself and was raising it to his lips. Muscle memory was a scary thing. Managing to fight the mug back onto the bar without taking a sip, he felt proud and ashamed in equal measure.

The rest of the afternoon and into the evening was a constant battle against deeply built habits, each time he served someone a pint it felt wrong to not pour his own and join them in spirit. Going the whole shift without the amber or the hacking cough, Seeker wondered how normal folk did it. It was so boring.

As the evening dragged on and the clientele thinned out until he had to chivvy the regulars out, thankfully without a Levi showing up, there was still no show of the copy. Seeker had to be here for when he showed but staying in this bar, surrounded by alcohol and dying for a cigarette was torture so he busied himself cleaning.

Finally the door cracked and Seeker saw a copy of him walk in. Well, not exactly like him any more as the copy stood a few inches taller and his face had not been ravaged by the constant smoke. Seeker stopped what he was doing and looked at him. What did you say? He had deliberately spent his time since his creation avoiding other Levi’s as it was unsettling. So what do I called him? Hello me? Levi? Thanks for saving me from a bunch of insane us? So occupied with this he forgot the simple matter of that the last time this man saw him, Seeker was a broken and bloody mess, lying on a bed waiting to die.

The copy found his voice first “Ahh, You are the same Levi right? Seeker?”

That name sent a shiver deep within him “No, never Levi. Call me…” The Seeker? I had told people that without much thought but why should I give away my Mission in such a cavalier manner? Not for the first time I mentally chided myself for being so careless. Too late now though. Seekers new found brain caught up on what the man had said “Yeah, I am the Seeker.” He gestured to the closest booth, trying to come up with a convincing lie. Settling lamely on “It’s a long story but I am the one you saved from the house of fun last night.”

They were sizing each other up like stray cats trying to figure out if it was fight or flight time. Seeker knew he didn’t have a lot of time before Valkyr was supposed to be showing up with Lightning. His possessions were already packed upstairs in one pathetically small backpack. Seeker had been on edge since finding himself shorter this morning, add in the long habits knocking at his mind all day asking, demanding and finally screaming for a drink or smoke. Now staring at a man he had hated for so long, Seeker cracked first.

“Why did you save me from the House of Levi? Also, what should I call you?” Seeker asked.

The copy watched him for a while. “You really are not going to tell me how you have recovered so fast huh?”

Shrugging, Seeker tried to ignore questioning stare. The copy finally sighed and continued “The House of Levi? Is that what you were calling it? Hrmmm, it fits I suppose. I’ll get to that, for now you can call me Watcher.”

“You using stupid names as well? What are you watching then?” Seeker asked guardedly.

Watcher ignored the insult “You know what Prime what is like, he is a lazy sack of shit. He created me for the Mission of keeping an eye on all the copies and to report to him if and when a copy starts to go weird.” Watcher replied.

“Of course he did…”Seeker trailed off. Of course Levi Prime would do that, create a copy, bring another person into existence for the simple reason that he couldn’t be arse’d doing the work himself. “Does that mean you have told Prime about the House of Levi then? Cause that place is all kinds of bad.”

Watcher nodded. “Yeah, I told him about it when the place was first formed. He still has not done anything about it though. Too busy playing hero.”

They both just sat there morosely. How many Levi’s had been killed or lost to that cult because Prime couldn’t be bothered to do something about it. Seeker hated Prime even more if that was possible.

“What’s the deal with the House then? Any idea of what the Mission behind it is?” Seeker was loving this new ability to follow conversations.

“Not really, the one in charge thinks he is a new Prime but I have seen him touch other copies and nothing happened. I don’t know what his Mission was but he is one of the Turned.”

Seeker heard the pronounced capital T on that word. “The Turned?”

“Yeah, one of us where our brains go weird. Don’t know what causes it. It could be from the constant exposure to people who are exactly us or if there was something wrong with the copying but some of us just end up frothing at the brain and chewing the walls crazy.” Watcher shrugged, continuing “Not that anyone is really looking into why it happens. Who cares about what happens to us? There are always more…”

The repetition of ‘us’ and ‘copy’ was making Seeker feel drunk and not in a fun way. Am I going to Turn as well? The thought snaked its way deep into his mind. Seeker added it to the growing list of things to fuel his night terrors.

“Great.” Seeker muttered “So its possible that not only are we a shadow of someone else but we are also ticking crazy clocks.”

Watcher nodded sadly in agreement. ‘That’s why I got you out, I recognised you from a another Levi. You had not given up yet, you had not Turned.” Watcher paused “You would though in that place. I have seen it happen.”

The empty bar seemed darker and heavier than Seeker had even felt before. He felt trapped. He needed to escape. This town, this life, this future. Seeker found himself breathing harder.

“I am getting out of here Watcher.” Seeker ground out. “You should too.” It was weird feeling hope for another copy. He would not have believed it was possible even a day before. Valkyr had changed that. Valkyr had changed many things.

Watcher was shaking his head. “I can’t leave. I need to stay and try and help the copies that are here.”

Seeker almost felt ashamed. Almost. This was not his Mission, he was not that kind of person. Valkyr had saved him and he would not let his friend down.

“I am leaving and I won’t tell you where I am going. Sorry. I wish I could do more for you but I can’t. I wish you all the luck I can though.” Seeker said to the table, unable to face the man across from him. He heard the man push his chair back and stand.

“Take care of yourself Brother.”

With that the Watcher left, leaving Seeker alone with his thoughts.

Alone and waiting.

He wanted to see Valkyr so bad it hurt inside.