Levi leaped through the Gate and burst out into the middle of a fight. He stumbled to a halt and looked around.

Overhead, a giant bird flared its wings. It screamed in fury and swooped down at the ground, claws outstretched.

“Howdy, pardner! I think I’ll turn down this har rodeo!” A man in a leather-fringe outfit and ten-gallon hat rolled to the side, then lifted his hands, firing finger guns repeatedly into the bird’s flank. Little pinpricks of blood burst out on the bird’s side. It screamed in pain and flapped back up into the sky.

Levi looked over his shoulder. Behind him, the Gate flickered, then closed.

He lifted his phone. “Maury, you still on the line?”

“Went dead for a minute, but you’re back. What happened?”

“Gate’s closed. We did it.”

“First Gate, anyways. How are you feeling?”

“Feeling fine. No change,” Levi said.

Maury nodded. “Maybe I was wrong. Maybe you’ll be fine. I might’ve been overreacting.”

“It’s been one Gate. Still plenty to go,” Levi reminded her.

“Right. Get to it. Good luck!”

The super fighting the bird turned. “Hey there. I didn’t hear ya come up. Where’d you ride in from?”

Levi stared at him. He grinned. “Ahoy, matey! I’m taking the fifth ship out with the tides, yarrr.”

Six Shooter blinked. “What?”

“As long as we’re doing weird voices, I thought I’d join in.”

“Oh. You don’t have to.”

“Yeah, but I want to.”

Six Shooter took a deep breath.

“Yar, before we get too into this role-playing thing, I’ll leave this one to you, yar har. Got something important to do. You know. Saving the city, that kind of stuff.” With a quick salute, Levi ran off.

“O…okay…” Six Shooter stared after him, then turned. He blinked. “Where’d the Gate go?”

The next Gate poured out monsters. Monkeys charged out of the gap. A man in a pirate outfit swashbuckled the monkeys back. Beside him, a woman with furry arms threw monkeys back into monkeys. A man with quills all over his body ran at the monkeys, belly-flopping into a pile of them.

“Hold them back!” Levi shouted.

“What—Night Sparrow?” Crossbones looked at him, confused and conflicted. “What—why?”

“I’m saving the city, no time to explain!” Levi said.

“You gonna drug us all again?” Bear Arms asked.

“That was once, and it was fun, and it also wasn’t me. Some guy named Arsenic poisoned everyone. I mean…uh. Huh? I got drugged too! I’m just another victim!” Levi said. He jumped over the first monkey and stabbed the next one in the throat, using his STR to bear it to the ground and run on. A monkey reached for him. He slashed its palm, and it screamed and flinched. He closed in on the Gate.

The Gate trembled. It burst, spewing forth a wave of monkeys. Levi faltered, washed back by the sheer mass of muscle. He fell to the ground. Monkey paws slammed toward his body. Grimacing, he rolled up. Nothing for it. I’ve gotta sit here and endure.

“Argh! I’m not letting the kid die!”

Quills shot past him, piercing the monkeys through. They fell left and right, clearing a path around Levi.

Bear Arms rushed in. She stood in front of Levi, buying him a few moments to stand. “You alright, kid?”

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“Guys! You—really?” Levi asked, amazed.

A sword flashed. Behind him, Crossbones backed in, fighting off the monkeys that turned around and came at them from behind. “Dammit. You better be saving this city.”

“Would I lie?” Levi asked. Before they could answer that, he jumped up onto Bear Arms’ shoulders and leaped again. In midair, he did a front flip, then put his hands together and swan dived into the Gate.

On the other end, Levi tucked into a roll and popped up to his feet. This Gate opened up to a back alley, all alone, no monsters remaining. Levi ran out and looked around, searching for the next Gate.

A blast of fire caught his eye. Fira flew over a dense group of the ostrich-like birds, flambe-ing them from above. With a grin, Levi waved. “Fira!”

She crisped up the final ostrich, then turned. “Levi? What are you doing here?”

“What do you mean? I’m here to help!”

Fira grimaced. “I think we’ve finally found something scarier than ‘I’m the government, I’m here to help.’”

Levi pursed his lips at her. “Oh ye of little faith. Where’s the Gate?”

“That way.” Fira pointed behind her.

Levi turned. A Gate churned away, spinning at the air.

“Thanks. Oh, and uh, Alpha’s dead, and your brother says he’s doing fine, don’t worry about him.” Levi sprinted off, racing at the Gate.

“What? Levi! What happened?” Fira chased after him, closing in with her power of flame. “What did you do?”

“No time to talk! Just trust me. I took care of all of it. You’re safe now, and so’s your brother! He’ll see you in ten years!”

“What’s that mean?” Fira closed in on Levi.

Levi leaped through the Gate. She flared her fire, backing away, and then the Gate swallowed him.

Coming out on the other side, Levi skidded to a halt, then jumped up and ran on. “Just a hundred or so left to go. Let’s do this.”

One after another, Levi found the Gates, jumped through them, then sprinted off, repeating it until he grew sick of the whole process. At last, he found himself sprinting toward Central Tower.

Had to happen sometime, he reasoned. Without hesitating, he ran into the tower and crossed the lobby.

The super who’d killed him stared. “What the hell? I killed you?”

“Try again, motherfucker! Wait, don’t. I’m busy.” Levi jumped at the Gate.

The super lunged for him. “No you don—”

Levi crashed through the Gate. The man’s hand brushed against his heel, and then he struck down on the other side. He rolled across the Apostles’ back lot and groaned. “Ugh.”

Everything hurt. Every bone, every muscle in his body. He heaved himself to his feet, only for his body to catch. With great effort, he made it upright, and staggered out of the compound.

“Didn’t…hurt…until I stopped moving,” he grumbled. He stumbled, almost falling.

His phone rang. Levi scowled and lifted the phone to his ear. “What?”

“The Gates you visited first are showing signs of resurging.”

“Fucking…hell. I’m so goddamn tired,” Levi complained. He rubbed his forehead. “What’s left to do? I put all the Gate particles in me. Hurts like hell, too. What else? What else…”

Silence.

Levi’s eyes widened. “Oh. You’re right.”

“I didn’t say nothing,” Maury said.

“Yeah, but I understood. We have that kind of relationship.”

“Wish we didn’t.”

“Heh.” Levi lowered the phone. He limped on, walking slowly but steadily toward Old Town.

Across the no-man’s land. The homeless people watched from the darkness. He stomped on, eyes set ahead.

One leg gave out. Levi fell to the ground. Cursing, he picked himself back up. One step at a time. I’ll get there. It doesn’t matter how long. I just need to get there.

A whoosh of motion rushed past, then whipped around. A man stood in front of him, grinning. “Hey there!”

“Speedster?” Levi asked, startled.

“One and the same! What’s up, friend? You seem pretty determined…but also pretty beat up,” Speedster noted.

Levi swallowed. He hesitated, then smiled. “Can you get me to the Gate? I can finish everything, but I need to get there.”

“The Gate, huh? Which one?”

Levi looked at him.

Speedster laughed. “No worries! I know which one.”

There was a blur of motion, and then Levi found himself riding piggyback as Speedster sprinted toward Old Town. The wind rushed past. Levi giggled. He threw his hands up. “Wheee!”

They rushed past Old Town, past Tony’s empty tower, past the mushroom-ridden buildings, and out into the empty land. No supers guarded the Gate. It spun sedately, as if the rest of the Gates had nothing to do with it.

Speedster jumped the fence, then skidded to a halt. He set Levi down, then stepped back. “That close enough for you?”

“Yeah. Thanks,” Levi said, giving him a salute. He walked toward the Gate.

“Just asking, but…what are you doing?”

“Saving the city,” Levi said.

“How?”

Levi hesitated, then tossed Speedster his phone. Speedster caught it. Confused, he looked at Levi.

“Speed dial. Lady on the other end will explain it better than I ever could,” Levi said. “Just tell her Levi sent you.”

“It okay to give me your real name?” Speedster asked.

Levi chuckled. “What’s a real name?”

Shrugging, Speedster lifted the phone to his ear. As Levi closed in on the Gate, he exchanged words with Maury on the other end.

Levi slowed as he drew close to the Gate. He looked up.

Unlike the little Gates, the original Gate loomed far overhead, at least a story tall and equally wide. Strange landscapes reflected in its depths. It seemed to be miles from him and right next to him at the same time, a tear in space itself that this plane of existance could not accurately reflect.

Levi took a deep breath. He smiled up at it. “Hey there, old friend.”

As usual, the Gate had nothing to say.

“Well, I guess this is it. For me…and you, if I’m lucky.”

Behind him, Speedster jolted. He dropped the phone and sprinted toward Levi.

Levi looked back. From where he stood, this close to the Gate, Speedster seemed to run in slow motion. “Time is space, space is time. Hey—I wish I could take you up on that offer, huh?”

“Doooonnnnnn’tttttt—”

“Tell Maury she was the best partner a man could ever have.” Without another moment’s hesitation, Levi leaped through the final Gate.