The Defeat of the Hero

In the empty laboratory, drinking whisky, pondering the energy, the passion, the work he had put in over his lifetime. Discoveries were supposed to be groundbreaking things, not this new archaeological method of examining each pebble and categorizing them appropriately...but then again...

The hero had failed, yet the enemy had been defeated nonetheless - and soundly at that.

He must admit defeat, and yet the very nature of his makeup would allow no such thing. He set his empty glass down on his desk.

The sun had set outside and he simply let the darkness into the empty laboratory. The light of the moon and streetlamps reflected off of the empty glass.