He considered using the fire escape, but quickly abandoned that thought at the sight of the Alarm Will Sound warning. Levi shook his head at the steel doors. “Have you never heard of ‘take the stairs, it’s good for your health?’”

He wandered back into the center of the empty office and clapped his hands. “If the stairs are a no-go, that means I’m wiggling up pipes like the biggest rat in the world!”

The eighty-third floor had two sets of toilets, one on either side of the floor. He started with the closest set. Between the men’s and women’s room, a supply closet filled space. Using his newfound 32 ATK, he kicked down the door and looked inside.

The pipe pushed through the concrete above him. A small gap opened next to the pipe, big enough for a rat, but not big enough for him.

“Right, that’s a no go.” He crossed the floor, passing by a depressing open-plan office. Desks stared directly at one another, with no gaps or walls, nothing to give anyone even the smallest modicum of privacy. The lack of personal effects on the desks told him it was a choose-your-own seat kind of office, too, with no seats assigned to anyone. Overhead, the ‘industrial’ ceiling, open to reveal all the pipes, ducts, and the hard concrete above, created the exact kind of sound-reflecting space that would make this whole room a loud hellhole the second anyone began a conversation with anyone else.

Levi shook his head at the tables. “I might be a piece of shit struggling to get by, but at least I’m not a pack rat stuck in a shitty open office. No one gets to have opinions on what I eat for lunch, dammit.”

“You know? I’m unemployed, but I don’t have to work at a kindergarten lunch table setup. I think I’m winning.”

The other toilet had a slightly larger hole. Still not big enough, but larger. He eyed it, thinking to himself, then grabbed the pipe and scooted up it. Carefully, very carefully, he exerted his strength on the pipe, deforming it right around the hole so he could get through.

A horrible knocking sound came from the pipe, but, once Levi wiggled his way up to the next floor, it wasn’t his problem. It was easy squeezing up to the eighty-fifth floor, but the eighty-sixth floor access had a perfectly-drilled hole that neatly sealed the path upward. Sighing, he abandoned the pipe and crossed the floor to check the other side.

With a little bit of creative plumbing, he could fit through on that side. Leaving the pipe crumpled behind him, he wiggled into the eighty-sixth floor. Again, a solid block of concrete barred his path. He kicked open the janitorial closet—and found himself face to face with a startled young woman, who squealed.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Sorry about that. What’re you doing here this late, young lady?” Levi asked, doing his best Maury impression.

“I, I, I—er, have to finish this report,” the young lady stammered.

“Oh, alright. Well. Sorry about startling you. I’m here fixing the plumbing after hours. There’s a leak a few floors down, and I’m trying to chase it to the source. You seen any drips?” Levi asked.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

The young lady gathered herself. She gave his ragged t-shirt and stained jeans an uncertain glance, but then shrugged to herself. “No, I haven’t.”

“That’s good, that’s good. Alright. I’ll just…” Levi edged past her. “Gonna check the other side. You finish up that report and get home, alright? It’s not a good night to be out this late.”

“I know, it’s just…” she sighed. “The boss is going to have my head if I don’t get it done by tomorrow.”

“Monsters are gonna have your head if you stay here much longer,” Levi muttered to himself.

“Huh?” she asked.

“Nothing, nothing. Good luck on that report, and head home soon, you got it?” Levi told her.

She nodded, then hesitated. “Er—do you know why the tower lurched just now?”

“That’s why I keep telling you to head home,” Levi said, shaking his head at her.

“Oh…oh. Is it an earthquake?”

“There’s a Gate in the lobby. It’s erupting right now,” he said plainly.

She stared at him. “What?”

“Yeah. If I were you, I’d get going. Problem is, I’m not unionized, so…” Levi pursed his lips and shrugged. “The job goes on.”

The young lady stared after him, frozen, as he sauntered out of sight. When he turned the corner, it was as if a spell had been broken. She jolted into motion, running for the exit.

Levi spun back around the corner. “Wait, hold on. Don’t hit the fire escape—”

An alarm blared. Lights flashed.

“Fuckin…dammit. I try to do a good deed, and this is what it gets me, huh? If this fuckin’ wakes Alpha up, I swear.” Grumbling to himself, Levi headed to the fire escape himself. Now that the alarm was going, there wasn’t any point to avoiding it. He followed her out and hurried up the stairs to the ninetieth floor. He kicked open the door and stomped inside. “I’m back, baby! Time to see if Alpha discovered my surreptitious entrance and re-sealed it or not.”

He walked over to the pipe with the concrete hole around it, the one he’d used to scurry up last time. It remained open, a dark, empty slot waiting for Levi to climb up into it.

Despite himself, he hesitated. This was it. His and Alpha’s final showdown. He walked out of this alive, or Alpha did. For decades, he’d ran. Hid. Lied. Shed his ability points and played normal. Anything to avoid Alpha. Anything to prevent this from ever happening. But now…

Now I’m walking right into it. I am. Me. He didn’t find me. I’m the one who came after him.

Levi took a deep breath. He eyed the sewage pipe of destiny, his heart thumping in his chest. He won’t expect it. That’s safer. That’s good. That’s what I want.

This is it. Do or die. I die, or he does. There’s no other way this ends.

He grabbed the pipe. His hands shook, unable to find a good grasp. Lifting his lip at himself, he released the pipe and backed away. Why am I so nervous? I came here before.

Yeah. While Alpha wasn’t here. When it was safe. This is different. It’s totally different.

He shook his head. I’m the one who wants this. I came here to force it to a conclusion. I’m the one who’s so tired of this stalemate, this exhausting cat-and-mouse bullshit. Just—grab the pipe. Climb up there. Get it over with.

Again, he approached the pipe. He grabbed on tight and lifted his feet, kicking himself upward. Numbly, he wiggled his way through the ceiling and onto the next floor, barely aware of what he was doing. Static buzzed in his head, his heart trembling, every part of him shaking. He’s so much more powerful than me. This is insane. I shouldn’t be here.

I can’t keep doing this. I can’t keep living like a rat. I need something, anything. An end. A new beginning.

He found himself in the same closet he’d been in the first time. The bags still laid up against his hole, perfectly hiding the entrance gap. Suspicion surged in his heart, but he wiggled through anyways.

Another deep breath. He walked to the front of the closet and pushed the door open.

And stared directly into Alpha’s eyes.

“Uh. Hello,” Levi said, unable to suppress a nervous giggle.

Murder flashed across Alpha’s face. He lifted a hand.