Present Day

Haze dropped another pint in front of me, joining the growing ranks of empties. He was wise enough to keep moving. He knew when a man needed to be left alone.

The alcohol barely buffering the swarm of memories that were not my own fighting for attention. I was not feeling any guilt for this drinking session, I had earned it. I felt in the depths of my soul that if I tried to fight it right now I would shatter. I also knew that come tomorrow I would be able to scrape myself together and start making good on my choices. There was a reason no promises had been made. I felt the fragments inside me all in agreement. I was allowed this.

The noise of the Rusty Duck filling the air, the pumping bass line of dirty sounds fitting my mood. The squad of ham sitting off to the side quietly working their way to oblivion the way only off duty cops can.

I roused myself as there was a sudden lurch as someone sat opposite me, Levi Prime.

Haze caught my eye, wordlessly saying he would deal with it if I wanted. I shook my head. I was so close to ending it. Almost there.

I just needed to destroy this mans hope.

Drawing myself to the rough assumption of upright I face Levi. My clothes rumpled, my coat barely keeping me decent, I stared at him. I briefly thought about shaking his outstretched hand. To touch him and end his. To see who would win.

He slowly withdrew it.

“Sol. You look worse than I do.” Levi remarked.

From a man that had killed his own Son in front of his wife, that was quite a statement.

After leaving the Sunken Grand, I had stopped in at my office for my coat, cash and the straws. Being the last person to see Three alive I had to leave Arcadia. I had known for a long time I had to leave but now I had very clear reasons to.

Looking at Levi Prime I was at a loss as to how to continue.

“Sol.” He prompted. “You wanted to see me?”

I nursed the nameless beer in front of me. I thought of Valkyr. I was going to find that man, no matter what it took.

“Remember when you asked me to take this job? I said it would not get you what you want?” No point dragging this out.

His hopeful look which he was trying to hide briefly surfaced.

“I found him.” I continued. “He was the man you were looking for, the copy you had sent on your Great Leap. He had learnt everything there was to know about your powers” The lie came easily.

We stared at each other. Someone stumbled into the blue boys and was quickly hauled away by his friends.

I loaded the words slowly and carefully into the sentence so he wouldn’t ask for more.

“He had nothing.”

Watching as his world crumbled in on him. I felt no pity or sadness, I had none left to share. I was empty.

“He had turned himself into a self styled king of the underworld and even he could not bring forth what he wanted. It was still random.”

Haze started to move towards us with a drink in hand and I motioned him away. Levi was not going to be here for long.

“Sol.” His voice cracking under the strain of keeping it coherent “Are you sure?”

We continued to stare at each other, the thoughts, hopes and fears of thousands of lives pressing themselves against the inside of my eyes, searching for a way out.

“I followed him from the Barley Boys to Bronski. I found the man at the Sunken Grand. He had nothing.” I blandly laid out.

I saw it in him then, the man who was a thousand men reach inside and turn off the part of him that was still hoping. He forced his eyes to hold mine and they were suddenly Levi Prime of old.

“Thank you Sol.”

I watched him leave, rolling my glass between my hands.

I let the music wash over me, letting go. I lifted the glass to my lips and drained it.

“Sol.” I repeated to myself.