We sat side by side on half-broken armchairs; basking in the last light of the setting sun, silence reigned supreme. In that moment we were lost in the depths of our own thoughts, hardly even aware of each other. He spoke first.
“It was fun though, wasn’t it? Sometimes?”
I swallowed my immediate response and let my gaze take in the view. Buildings crumbled as far as the eye could see, a once great city, now broken; no signs of life anywhere. Once I loved this place, once called myself it’s protector. Now I am as this city; old and dying. Nothing lasts forever, not even heroes. ”Sometimes.”
Stars began to twinkle in the night sky; bright points of light punctuating the dark. He raised his head with difficulty. “I didn’t really hate you, you know.”
“I know. You showed it at the end.” I dropped my eyes to the still form in front of us. No one will kneel before you, ever again. Fluorescence lights caught my attention. Turning to look, letters glowed in the growing darkness, “DALY PLANT”. Memories flooded my mind. Memories of better days, of strength and love; memories of a time when we never would have sat together. I glanced over. His eyes were closed and breathing was growing faint. “We are but two sides of the same coin, you and I,”
He smiled, a faint smile. “The sun sets on us for the last time, then.”
“So it does, Lex, so it does.”