Present Day
3Ball turned away from the large window looking out over the Old Town and back to the reports of this weeks takings, the figures from the Finches were down and he made a mental note to send Joey Locks to have a quiet word with them. Nothing permanent. Going over the columns he knew he was just avoiding the report from Tommy.
Sol. That name, so familiar yet so distant. The man was the bane of him. 3ball, he had been calling himself that for so long now that he no longer thought of himself by his other name, knew that Levi Prime had prompted him to come poking. He just wondered why he had come so close this time. What had changed? Was it the attempted hit from White Hands? Had Sol figured something new out?
3Ball had a beautiful little maze set out for the man to follow, just like last time. Shaking his head, even the stunt by the White Hands had been resolve. Sol should have kept poking around the other gangs and finding all the wonderful clues that 3Ball had cooked up.
Instead Sol seemed to be fully focused on trying to die. Sol had been drinking heavily for a while now and it seemed to be worse. Then, that stunt with Bronski? 3Ball would pay good god-damn money to know what they had talked about. No one walked into Bronski’s lair like that and still has enough limbs left over to walk out under their own power. They are usually just pressure washed away.
Sol was missing all the little tips and leads that 3Ball had meticulously planted. Tommy had screwed up by giving him the information about the Barley Boys. There was nothing that 3Ball intended to do to the man, he was too valuable. That screw up alone should not have been enough.
3Ball picked up his glass and leaned back into his chair. Had something spooked Sol? The massive sound system filled the office, the towering stacks of books and papers fighting the waves of sound. Why was he so cavalier this time? Sol had been plugging away at his little detective job for years since he showed up at Arcadia from who knows where. The man had been here for a year or so before 3Ball himself had been created by Levi Prime as the Seeker.
3Ball had taken to his Mission, not for Levi Prime, no, that man would never get him. For himself. He had learnt early what it meant to be a copy, what it meant to be powerless and had learnt fast how to unlock his Super. 3ball wondered again just exactly what kind of Super Sol had for the thousandth time. He knew the man was a Super of some sort because of the circles he seemed to swim in and out of with ease. But no one, none of the crews, none of the other Supers had the slightest idea what Sol was.
Whatever it was the man played his cards close to his chest and had never had to reveal them. It was not anything flashy and with that grisly scar on his face it could not be any form of healing. The way he stumbled around it was not grace or speed. 3Ball mused again that maybe he was faking it all.
There was a knock at his door breaking his little trip down memory lane. Joey Locks poked his head through.
“That man you were after boss? That Sol guy?”
This brought Three back to the present in a rush.
“Yeah?” He dumped the glass back on the expanse of a table.
“You won’t believe it. He just fronted up here, ne’er a care in the world, asking to see you!”
“What!?” It was past his lips before he could snatch it back. 3Ball had been playing with the idea of moving his headquarters soon anyway but had grown comfortable here and was loathe to leave. He had also been expecting a sneak attempt, something fishy to try and draw him out into the open. Not walking right up to his door and asking to be let in, Sol had to know it was suicide. 3Ball straightened up. How had the man found him? Bronski must have figured it out. It was long past time to move then. If Bronski had found him then that knowledge was worth more than gold to Levi Prime.
“Okay, get the boys together, treat him like a Super, get TwoTone and Shift with you before you bring him in.”
Joey took it in stride, nodding once and closing the door. Casting around quickly, making sure there were no easy paths through the mess to him 3Ball touched a panel on his desk which slid out with a slight oily sound and waited. Why was he just walking in, was he going to try and go out with a blaze of glory? Was he here to beg for help and forgiveness? Try and join his enterprise? That was an interesting thought.
The music built higher, finally his door cracked open and TwoTone slunk in followed by a grip of 3Ball’s inner circle, Sol and Shift bringing up the rear. Sol looked his rumpled self although missing his regular overcoat, must have tried to dress up for the occasion. Three felt a smile start to stretch his face as he saw the vaguely lost look on Sol.
“Sol. You make it too easy. I admire you walking into the lions den! Stupid, but admirable!”
With trained precision the lads fanned out into the room, Shift standing just behind Sol while TwoTone lounged near the sound stacks.
Three just sat there, watching Sol, seeing the man who had been tracking him for years even though he said he gave up last time. Three knew Sol well enough that he had never truly given up the chase. Without the ever present overcoat he didn’t look like he was armed and the lost, no, sad expression had not changed. Three was willing to wait him out.
Time was slowly marked out by the beat from the sound stacks, TwoTone started to fidget but a quick glance from Three stopped that.
Sol’s eyes flickered towards the papers on the desk.
“That from Tommy?” Sol asked “I shouldn’t be surprised he reports to you, it hurt to find out though. Everyone in this damn city reports to you in some way don’t they?” Sol’s voice competed with the tunes.
Three nodded briefly, the man had made it this far, no point in being rude even if Sol was going to die.
“You were doing so well last time, it was a shame you gave up so easily.” Okay, a little bit rude. The man had hunted him like a dog intent on returning him to his master. “What started it again? I heard about the incident with Levi and his Son, damn shame if you ask me. Should have talked to me first before trying to sire someone the natural way.” The barb flew but Sol didn’t respond.
Instead he stood there, the fiery private detective replaced with this. Was he always like this when he thought he had gotten his mark? Three was disappointed, this was not how he had envisioned the showdown.
Spreading his hands before him Sol continued
“I am unarmed, you know I cannot take you by myself. Can we talk without your stable of fools? I am sure there are things we need to discuss that you don’t want to share.”
TwoTone started to move again, Three would need to have a talk with him afterwards if he couldn’t control himself like this. Yeah, it was not a bad idea though. Part of keeping a secret was to ensure that the only ones who knew it were yourself and the dead.
Nodding to himself and gesturing to the door the lads started to file out. Sol shifted out of the way to let them past, not meeting TwoTone’s glare.
Once the door shut noiselessly behind them Sol looked up and met Three’s eyes for the first time. The defeated look plain on his face.
Sol breathed in and out slowly before finally mustering the words: “I have been hunting you for a long time now Levi.”
It had been an age since that name, it took a moment for Three to react. Breathing out slowly Three matched his stare.
“Sol, you know you are going to die. Did you just come this far to prove you could?”
“No, although I must admit I don’t like leaving cases unsolved. I tried doing it the methodical way before if you remember. There was always one more lead, one more thread to follow. You covered yourself well. I hunted for a long time before giving up the ghost.”
Three nodded with satisfaction “That was fun, yes. I couldn’t believe you were so obsessed over a job. I know you are friends with Levi Prime” Just saying the man’s full name tasted bitter “but going that far for the man. What did he promise you for it?”
Sol shrugged. “It was a job like any other, I like to finish what I start. That is all.”
Three shook his head. “No, that can’t be it. I have watched you for a long time now. There is something about you that tickles me. Are you that sure in your Super that you have walked in here alone and unarmed?”
The rumpled, bow legged man just sadly stared at him. “No Levi…. 3Ball, whatever, I have no Super.”
Three just stared. There was a worrying ring of conviction and a wry twist to the words like there was a private joke he was not privy too. The man had to have a Super. He had to.
Three started to feel like he had lost control of the situation somehow. “Sol, don’t jerk me around. What do you want? You have to know I will not let you out of here alive, you might as well talk to me. Also, don’t call me Levi. That is not who I am.”
The wry twist reappeared. “Don’t like being reminded where you come from? I understand. I will admit I am impressed at how quickly you unlocked your Super. Did you ever learn how to control it though? I am curious if you followed your Mission.”
The way he said it, Mission. The inflection was odd, no one else said it that way. Three did not want to start monologuing, however it did feel freeing to be able to talk about his secrets so openly for once. This would be the only chance for a while as it did not matter what Sol learned, the dead can tell no tales.
Absentmindedly Three shuffled the papers around in front of him before answering. “I didn’t need to follow the Mission that idiot set for me. Once I manifested the Super I was set. There was no one else like me except for Levi Prime who spent his time running around in that stupid outfit playing at being a Hero. I knew that in this cruel new world it was take what you wanted and screw anyone that gets in your way. I had the chance to take. So I did. I saw what Prime was achieving and knew I didn’t need to try and master the Super, it is powerful enough by itself.”
Sol nodded along. “That’s fair. It is a shame it has come to this though. You were handy to have around.”
“What?” That lost feeling came back with a vengeance. “What the fuck does that mean?”
Sol shook his head “Doesn’t matter now. I just hope that this is all worth it.”
Three felt like he was only hearing one side of a conversation, one he didn’t know how was playing out. “You are not going to tell me your Super are you?”
Sol shook his head again. “No point.” That sad look infused his face as he met Threes’ gaze. “I have served my purpose. I am going to die whether at your hand or not makes no difference.” Sol shrugged uncomfortably “You might as well do it now.”
Confused and feeling like he was the one trapped he dealt with it the same way he had learnt to deal with all problems, violence. Three drew and fired the gun smoothly. The shot was perfect, centre of the head.