Hello. :D

I've had this idea for a while in my head and thought I would share it with everyone!

This story will be taking place just before the 104th Training Corps begins.

I plan on making this an Erwin Smith x OC story.

I apologize for any errors and if any of the characters seem OOC, but I hope you enjoy!

❤ Thank you for reading. ❤

❤•○●○•❤

I have wings, but what good are they if they can't stretch to their full length? No matter how high I get off the ground, there is always a barricade above my head. There is no breeze to glide on, no wind to guide me, just motionless and stagnant air that keeps me in the same place. Down here, I'm a tethered bird. I'd rather be a tethered bird than a flightless one.

Many would say the underground city is a cage, however, I consider it jail. The only way to get to the surface is up the heavily guarded stairwell. The Military Police reside there, only allowing you passage when you hand over loads of cash. Cash nobody has or can get. We are trapped down here, destined to wither away and die.

The lack of sunlight makes people's legs grow weak overtime, weak to the point they are useless. After that happens they are immovable and stuck to the muddy ground like glue. They're sitting ducks. Criminals then swoop in and do away with them in the sickest ways imaginable.

I've never seen sunlight, never seen plants of any kind or grazing animals, never seen natural bodies of water. All my life all I've known is dirt and decaying buildings. The closest thing I've seen to another species other than humans are dogs and sub-terrestrial bugs.

We may as well be considered bugs to the people on the surface. They know we are down here, the Military Police guarding the stairwell is proof of that. I know they are aware of the countless and different crimes down here, as well as the lack of food and fresh water, yet they don't do nothing to assist. The words "helping hand" might not be in their vocabulary.

I despise the Military Police just like I despise my father. When my mother fell ill he left her along with my twin brother and me. She passed shortly after that which left me and my brother to fend for ourselves. We used to rely heavily on my father. I don't have the slightest clue where he is right now and nor do I care. It doesn't matter.

I've spent my entire life down here. Years of watching murder and inevitable death claim people. I've seen it so much I'd like to say I'm used to it. I should be, but each time it still makes my stomach churn in the most sickening way. My insides may ache but on the outside I'm unmoved. People may call me heartless for that. That also doesn't matter. They are only peering at the outer shell of me.

I delicately flip a page of a book resting in my lap. Reading is my only escape from this musty city. There are very few books down here. This book is the only book I own. It's about the surface. It's filled with information and descriptions of unimaginable things.

There are five oceans. Five massive bodies of saltwater that stretch farther than the human eye can see. The water is made up of different shades and tints of blue, like a mirror against the equally blue sky. In some cases the water appears green. I close my eyes, trying to imagine. However, bright colors are way beyond my imagination.

I hear a whoosh, a thump, then sense a familiar presence beside me. A smile gradually creeps onto my face. Looking over is not necessary to know who is beside me. Despite that, I turn my head and my eyes are met with amber ones. Those eyes belong to Silas Rose, my beloved twin brother. He's my best friend and the one person I'd give my life for.

His coppery eyes reflect mine. I can distinguish each and every tiny speck of red and gold in them. Our hair both share the same ash brown color. His hair is short and shaggy while mine reaches my waist. I tend to tie half of my hair back, leaving the rest of it down and letting my bangs frame my face. We are a mirror imagine of each other. The only difference that used to irk me is that he's a few inches taller. However I'd like to believe that fact makes me more agile than him.

Silas and I grew up together and spend all of our time with one another. We don't know anyone else or bother to get to know anyone. We share a very tight bond, a bond beyond people's beliefs and imaginations.

"Same book?" He questions. I nod and close the book before handing it over to him.

"It's the only interesting one." I answer, bringing my knee up and resting my cheek against it. Silas opens the book. I watch as his eyes roam across the lines of words.

"Yeah." He agrees after a moment before looking straight ahead. I follow his eyes and am left staring at the stairwell leading to the much brighter world above. "Do you think we'll ever see it? The ocean, the sun?"

"As things are now, I'm not sure." I comment honestly.

"You know, we can easily get up those stairs." He looks at me suggestively. "The Military Police have never been a match for us."

"True." I laugh, lowering my knee. "We'd have an even bigger bounty over our heads if we do that."

"Like that matters. Everyone knows about us already." He says with a smirk, tilting his head back and closing his eyes.

"We are only well known down here." I say, standing up and stretching my limbs. "That's why we are going for it tonight though, right?."

"Right." Silas stands up along with me.

We begin walking across the rooftop, our stolen 3D Maneuver Gear clinging with each step. Military Police seem to have an addiction to alcoholic beverages, which makes snatching things from them even more like child's play. The 3DMG are my wings. It's the only thing that makes me feel the tiniest bit free in this rotten wasteland.

The gear is like a harness that straps over most of my body below my neck. Gizmos involved with the gear include grapple hooks, hand grips which function as the operating device—as well as the hilt to blades, gas powered mechanism, and iron wire propellers. Hanging at my thighs are metal boxes that are primarily used for storing blades. The gas tanks are secured on top of them. Without gas, I can't fly. I only have two pairs of blades with me. Although I am skilled with them, I hardly use them. I'm more fond of using bow and arrows. However, Silas doesn't use a bow. He's more fond of is using his blades.

I pull the hood of my dark cloak up along with Silas. Our rooftop walk doesn't last for long. Figures standing a good amount of rooftops ahead stop us. My head cocks to the side slightly. It's the Military Police. They are staring dead at us. Their targets for arrest. One of them is staring at us through a spyglass. Me and Silas smirk simultaneously, unable to help ourselves. Each time we faced this group we considered it a game, nothing else.

"Well this is new." Silas begins, attaching two blades to his hand-grips. "They've never waited for us before."

"I wonder why they are so bold today?" I muse, my tone hinting that I really don't care for the answer.

Reaching behind my back, I unstrap my metal bow and grab an matching arrow. Over the years I've tinkered with my bow. I don't consider myself a genius at all, but I've managed to attach a gas tank to my bow along with a spring with Silas's help. We didn't have the slightest clue what we were doing, but we upgraded this bow from a normal one to a dynamic one. To be honest, our boredom gets the better of us.

My arrows travel faster than average. As long as I can see my target, I can snipe it in the blink of an eye. My eyes catch movement behind the Military Police. These people are dressed similar but have on green cloaks. Their hoods are up, concealing their faces much like me and Silas are doing.

"Who are they?" I ask, eyes narrowing slightly.

"Higher ups maybe?" Silas guesses. "Either way, it doesn't really matter."

"We're letting them join our game?" I question in false innocence.

"Of course, Ren. Life is a game and we all must play it." Silas twirls one of his blades. His amber eyes narrow determinedly. "They are in our way today. We can't go to the surface if we are caught. This game needs to be taken seriously."

"I agree." I raise my bow, aligning an arrow with it and pulling the stiff string back.

Easily I can feel my arm muscles flex. Composedly I hold my breath, making my body go completely still. The tension grows in the arrow the longer I hold it. They are about two kilometers away. Closing one eye, I lock on to my target and release the arrow.

The arrow cuts through the air fleetly. It travels in a perfectly straight line before it impels the spy glass the Military Police was holding. The arrow has hit dead in the center of the glass. Bull's eye. The owner of the spyglass has to quickly drop it so he doesn't turn into the victim of my arrow. I lower my bow with a fulfilled smile.

"See?! They aren't normal!" The Military Police's voice echoes faintly in our direction as he roars and rages loudly. Silas chuckles.

"They catch on quick." He muses as I grab another arrow.

"That they do." I smile, pulling the string of my bow back past my ear before taking careful aim once again.

It's true that me and Silas aren't exactly normal. Our eyes can see great distances ahead of us with absolute detail in the dark or light. Aiming has come natural to us both too. It takes me little time at all to zero in on and shoot whatever my target may be. Our mother has had the same trait and it has been passed down onto us. I wish Silas would use a bow every once in awhile, but close combat is more of his proposed style. Skill-wise overall, me and Silas are even.

"Should I take out their equipment?" I ask, closing one of my eyes. My lashes brush against my cheek almost like a silky feather.

"Yes." Silas nods. "We can't afford to let those higher ups get close. They may not be much more skilled than the regular MP, but we shouldn't take any chances."

"So I'm doing all the work today?" I narrow my eyes, my tone displeased yet teasing.

"I did all the work last time while you sat and watched." He reminds me. I roll my eyes at that fact.

"Yeah, yeah." I quip. I wait for the Military Police and the newcomers to shoot their grappling hooks forward before releasing my arrow.

I take out the closest targets first which is the regular Military Police. They are approaching head on like always. It's a reckless act against us. I release my arrow before drawing and shooting three more. My arrows successfully cut through their wires and they let out a wail as they tumble to the dirt below. I ready another arrow but don't release it. I find myself lowering my bow a bit.

"Those new guys, their movements are different." I cogitate. They glide through the air with fluid grace instead of choppily like what I'm used to seeing. Shooting their wires will actually be easier. I raise my bow again and shoot. The person in the front leading the assault raises his arm, and the four of them break their formation and go separate ways. They are flying closer to the ground and out of my sight, using the buildings for cover. For the first time ever I miss my target. Their break in formation caught me off-guard. I underestimated them.

"...This could be a problem." Silas speaks as I look over at him. I sigh and re-strap my bow to my back with a slight nod.

"They are more smart and calculating. My arrows won't be of much use from right here. I have to be higher up to have a visual."

"On top of that, they have split up and could approach us from any direction at any second." He speculates.

We both peer at each other in seriousness. Abruptly, we both suddenly have identical and enthusiastic grins on our faces. I draw my blades and we take off into a sprint along the rooftop. Finally we have a challenge. We leap off the rooftop.

Gravity takes over brief moment. My stomach lurches from the drop and my heart hammers loudly in my chest. I spread my arms out wide as if they were wings and shoot my hooks forward. They bury themselves into buildings ahead, then, I'm soaring. I can't contain my laughs as I flip through the air. I perform many twists and twirls, flying over the people below in a blur. Silas zips over so we are flying side by side.

"We've never lost a game before, so let's not start now." He smirks, eyes glinting intently.

"Of course." I smirk right back. "We'll be sticking together as always? That's when we are at our best."

"You watch my back and I'll watch yours." He nods in agreement.

We both fly low like the higher ups are doing, intending to throw them off even the slightest bit and let them know getting us won't be easy. Our eyes carefully scan our surroundings as we fly rapidly. Only when we both cooperate, we can link or vision. Silas's eyes catch fast movement from my right.

"Got it." I inform and retract my hooks to prevent them from getting sliced through by my attackers dual blades. I spin in a circular motion at an angle, my blades aiming for the wires that shot in front of me which were aiming to cut me off. My teeth grit as the person's wires retract like mine. Their body maneuvers out of my striking range and falls back behind me. They are still in the air.

"Wow! That was close!" The person who attacked me giggles. Her voice is feminine. I look over my shoulder to see gleaming glasses underneath her green hood. "Very impressive!"

From her tone and her enthusiastic giggles, it's almost like she's treating this as a game as well. I glance down at my blades before looking forward again. For her to be able to dodge my attack makes her very skilled. The others must be just as skilled if not more skilled. Today's game really is a challenge. My eyes flicker to the left.

"Si," I warn. He nods and launches himself higher into the air to dodge swift slashes. This new figure is short. I hear him curse in annoyance right after Silas has dodged his blades. This short newcomer is now flying by my side. I can make out naturally dull and intimidating blue eyes from beneath his hood. They are narrowed as he glares at me. I can't shake off the fact that he looks familiar.

He shoots his hooks towards me and charges with more than impressive speed. I gasp, narrowly dodging his powerfully spinning blades. My body rotates through the air as I evade. I shoot my hooks off the the side, going down a different path. Silas does the same and we both reemerge, flying above the same dirt road.

"Levi, you missed!" The girl calls out in shock.

"I won't miss again." He growls, picking up his speed and gaining on us. "Little shit-heads."

"Such colorful language…" I whisper under my breath in distaste.

Never was I fond of such language. There are plenty of other words in the dictionary to chose from. I start traveling through the air faster until I'm side by side with Silas. I'm beginning to feel more uneasy. Those other two higher ups haven't shown themselves yet.

"Silas, we can't shake them off. Should we attack?" I ask.

"It seems we have too." His jaw clenches a bit anxiously. "If I launch you up, can you shoot them down?"

"I'll try my best. If not, it'll at least throw them off." I shift closer to him and hold out my hand. "If you manage to lose them, go hide in that one building. The one with many secrets and mysteries."

"Oh." He replies after a moment. He knows of the place I'm talking about. "What if they are still after you?"

"I'll go through that dark passage. Only we can see where the tunnel leads and let out."

"Sounds good. Ren, you better not get caught. If you do I'll be livid." He grabs my hand.

"I won't. I promise. We still have places to see and visit."

"Oi! Brats! Stop talking like we aren't here!" The short one which I now know as Levi calls out from behind us angrily.

"Sorry. It's just you aren't very interesting to us." Silas calls back, making him fume.

"But don't worry, we won't ignore you any longer." I add on.

"Oh, they are presumptuous!" The girl with the glasses giggles some more with rosy cheeks. The short guy seems to be growing more irritated each time she giggles. However, he seems more irritated at me and my brother's mockery.

Me and Silas both retract our hooks and turn to each other with a nod. I take in a breath before we both release gas from our tanks, rapidly spinning in an yin-yang like formation while staying airborne. Silas grasps my hand tighter and launches me high in the air with a grunt. I'm fleeting towards the cave's jagged ceiling. The rushing of air in my ears blocks out all other noise as I reach over my shoulder for my bow and arrow.

I twist through the air and arch my body as my launch begins to slow. I angle myself so I am now facing the city below, allowing gravity to do it's magic and let it plummet me headfirst towards the ground. I ready my arrow, squinting down at the city. I could see Silas a good distance ahead of the higher ups. From my position, I can also see the two other people who haven't taken action against us yet. They are approaching from the front and trying to trap Silas. I won't let that happen.

I may not be able to hit their wires but I can throw them off and create a path for Silas to escape through. One of the people who are approaching from the front of Silas has his eyes on me. I can make out their striking blue color. Too bad he's my opponent. I would admire them for a little longer if I could. It's the brightest color I've ever seen. Is the ocean that color? I shouldn't distract myself with such petty things, especially at this moment.

As quick as I can, I shoot arrows downwards. My aim is directed in front of each person or at their wires connected to their grappling hooks. You can only focus keenly on one thing at a time. Their focus is drawn away from Silas and towards me in order to dodge my pointed weapons. I smile, seeing Silas slip away through a window. The short one and the girl with the glasses follow him but they are delayed. Silas will give them the slip. I know he will. He's always been surreptitious.

The man with the blue eyes and his partner slow down, waiting for me to drop into their range. I'm not foolish enough to do that. They have already proven themselves to be seriously skilled. I switch out my bow for my blades and shift my body while releasing gas from my tanks. I soar over a good amount of buildings in the opposite direction before flying low to the ground.

I mentally urge Silas to let me tap into his vision so I can see his current position. Feeling my tug, he let's me. Through his eyes, I can see he made it to the building I was referring to earlier. I call it the building of secrets and mysteries due to the many hiding places in it. It seems he has chosen to hide underneath the floorboard beneath a rug and table. He's safe. No way will those other two be able to find him.

My attention is drawn to the side when I hear crumbling. I compare the sound to something plowing through brick. That is exactly what I see. My eyes widen and I have to bring my blades in an "X" shape in front of me. This is the guy I have yet to see. He has blonde hair along with a dark mustache and beard.

I find myself blanching at his almost inhuman strength. His body rams into mine, sending me crashing through a nearby window in a frenzy. My body skids against the old wooden floors. Just as I press my hands against the floor and swiftly push myself onto my feet, his body shoots through the window. He destroys the wall surrounding it too. Does this guy have super strength? His nose twitches as he sniffs the air deeply before charging at me. His teeth are bared like a wild animal setting out to kill. I am the prey.

He swings his blades and I counter by mimicking his moves. Our weapons clash with a loud and metallic clang. I glare daggers at him from under my hood. I will not lose this fight. My goal is to get back to Silas and that is what I am going to do.

Our blades clash multiple times. He ducks under my swings and I duck under his. Blood is pumping rapidly through my body, adrenaline swimming through it. This fight has to be the most thrilling one I've ever been in. Although I'm having fun, I have to end this quick before any of his partners show up. With Silas hidden away, I don't have the extra set of eyes watching my blind spots.

My eyes dart to the side, noticing a trash bin. I elude another one of his strikes and run over to it and grab the lid. He thrusts his blade forward and I use the tin lid as a shield. His blade impales the lid and I twist it, hoping to disarm him. I disarm him successfully, however, it doesn't do much.

He keeps charging forward and I stumble backwards at his weight crashing into my much smaller form. He slams me against the wall. I grit my teeth as the back of my head bashes painfully against the brickwork. I push off the wall with a grunt and duck behind him, kicking his back so he face plants into the wall.

He recovers faster than I anticipated. I gasp as he jabs the handle of his blade into my abdomen, causing me to stagger back a couple feet. The back of my foot makes contact with uneven floorboard. Then, I'm falling backwards. I fell through the giant hole he had created in place of the window. I keep myself calm, taking in a steady breath.

I adjust my body so I'm right side up. Before my body can go splat onto the ground, I discharge gas from my tanks. The gas alone was powerful enough to stop my fall. I somersault backwards when my feet touch the ground and grab an arrow along with my bow, wasting no time to aim it above.

The person I was fighting before was diving down towards me. His eyes enlarge for a split second, from what I presume to be panic. His nose then twitches as if he could smell a home cooked meal, and a smirk appears on his face. That gives me the hint that his buddy has shown up. I hear a thump beside me. I'm right.

My eye twitches in annoyance as a blade slices my arrow in half, making it useless. Getting arrows is a complete hassle. To say I am displeased would be an understatement. His buddy grabs me roughly by the strap on my back. The strap that holds my arrows. He's about to slam me against the wall. That would be the second time that has happened to me today.

Thinking quickly, I let my body go limp to his bewilderment and slide out of that portion of my strap, successfully getting out of his hold. My arrows spill onto the ground below as a result. Even more displeasure swarms in me. Having no arrows, my bow is useless. I make it useful and fling it towards them to buy time. The bow is actually heavier than it looks.

Turning on the balls of my feet, I sprint as fast as my legs can carry me and launch my grappling hooks forward before taking flight once again. Having less weight to carry, I travel faster through the air. I glance behind me to see the two people in close pursuit. Clearly having less weight doesn't mean I can't outrun them. Silas is still hidden away. I can sense his worry for me though. My eyes shut.

My gas is running low. I didn't refill my tanks this morning. My eyes barely catch one of the tunnels that stretch in many different directions below the underground city. I twirl my blades, retracting my hooks and shooting them backwards. The two behind me have to maneuver out the way from getting struck by them. It's now or never.

I quickly launch myself back towards them, my blades twirling along with my body dangerously. They hit against the man with the dark mustache's own blades. He's thrown off course. I adjust my body so I'm moving towards the darkened tunnel. A hook that isn't my own tangles into my flowing cloak. I pale.

Who ever is the owner of that hook goes tumbling roughly into the underground passage with me. The roughness of our entry causes some of the cheaply made building above to crumble. Many bricks and sticky mud block the entryway we came through, as well as blocking off the already few light.

I wince at the weight atop of me. My arms are pinned above my head and a blade is held to my throat. The tiny amount of light that seeps through the heavy bricks and mud aims at my eye, highlighting it in the dark.

I look up to see it is the man with blue eyes who is responsible for my less than graceful entry. His hood is down, making his neatly parted blonde hair easier to see. His facial features are angular and his eyebrows are quite noticeable. Overall, he is a handsome man. Those captivating blue eyes of his are locked onto mine, gazing into them deeply. We just stare at each other.

My eyes narrow indifferently at his intense staring. He's staring at my eyes like they are the only thing he sees. Then it clicks. His eyes aren't as advanced as mine. They really are the only thing he sees. The small amount of dim light shining down here is blocked. I turn my head to see a gray eye peering in here. It's the guy with the mustache. He can't see us.

"Erwin?" He questions while sniffing loudly. I silently look back at the guy pinning me down. So that is his name.

"Dig us out." Erwin commands, still looking down at me. I wiggle my wrists in his grip experimentally, making him tighten his hold on them.

"Alright."

I hear the man above moving the bricks around. My body relaxes into the soggy ground below me, knowing this is going to take a while. I'll take this time to plot my escape. The calmness I'm displaying seems to intrigue my captor.

"You're quite calm." He speaks. I only nod my head in response. He can barely make out that gesture. Slowly, he lowers his blade from my throat. "You can see me clearly?" I nod once again. The sound of two thumps on the other side of the rubble catch our attention.

"What happened, Mike?" I recognize that girl's voice from earlier. "Erwin is down there?"

"Are you alive?" Levi yells through the brick. Erwin sighs at his bluntness.

"Yes. I have caught the archer. Were you successful?"

"No." Levi replies, sounding beyond irked. I smile at this information.

"That's fine though! We can use the archer to draw him out! I can't wait to experiment with their eyes…" The girl gushes, voice gradually growing more quiet as she starts talking to herself. "Oh. Is this the bow she uses? How interesting..."

My head turns in the direction of their voices at that. I conclude that the man that sniffs a lot picked up my bow after I threw it. The organ in my chest sinks now that I know my bow is in their possession. I was really fond of that bow. The ceiling above us suddenly shakes.

"Don't dig anymore! The building above will collapse!" The girl warns seriously. Her words are true. I refuse to die in such a pathetic way.

"What the hell do we do then?" Levi demands. Erwin looks down at me.

"Do you know another way out?" He asks.

"...Yes. We just need to walk further down this path." I turn my head, looking in the opposite direction of the caved in opening. My tone is soft. Anyone would mistake my tone for a scared and helpless little girl. That's what I'm aiming for.

He nods, cautiously releasing me so I can sit up. I stand up and grab his wrist to lead him through the pitch black pathway. I stare at him, waiting for him to give me the signal that he's ready to go.

"There is another way out." Erwin informs his teammates. "I will be up there shortly."

"Hurry up." Levi dismisses.

Erwin nods at me and I start leading him down the dark path. My eyes widen slightly when he removes his wrist from my grasp and takes mine tightly in his instead. I blink a couple times.

"Your innocent act back there was clever." He informs me. Barely I catch the faint amusement in his bright eyes. So my act of helplessness didn't work. These people definitely are more smart than the average Military Police. Who are they really?

"Whatever. I'll go to great lengths to get back to those I care about." I speak, thinking of Silas. I need to get back to him. He's getting antsy. Why do I sense him so close? I come to a stop in my walk and turn my head with wide eyes. He's here.

"Just like I'm going to great lengths to get my sister back from Military Scum." Silas makes himself known. He's coming down a different pathway. Erwin's grip tightens on my wrist almost painfully. Maybe if Erwin was able to see he would have a chance in beating us both, but he's blind down here. We have a major advantage.

Silas bolts over. He doesn't have his blades drawn. His fists jab into Erwin's arm, hitting certain points to make him release me. I stumble a bit and Silas steadies me, pulling me away from Erwin. Instead of fuming like most would probably do, he's grinning like he has discovered something extraordinary. That smile makes me shiver and not in a good way. I turn to Silas.

"I appreciate your help but I thought I told you to stay hidden." My lips purse together.

"I seen you were in trouble so I came for you. You're welcome." He smirks. "You almost got your first loss."

"Ha," I can't stop myself from laughing a bit. "Thanks."

Me and Silas start jogging down the pathway he came down. I bring my hood down. The air is even more mucky and warm in these tunnels. I look over my shoulder at Erwin. He's in the same spot, a smile no longer on his face. Now he actually looks at a loss. Silas knows what I'm thinking and looks over his shoulder too. We aren't the type to leave someone to die.

"Hey." I call out to Erwin. His body isn't facing us, but his eyes move in my direction. "The direction you're facing, just continue down that way and there will be an exit you can't miss."

"I have to admit it, you and your teammates were formidable opponents." Silas adds on. "A great addition to the game of life."

"It was fun." I admit, looking back forward. "Farewell."

Erwin merely stares after us, his eyes calculating and somewhat surprised. When me and Silas get out of earshot, I look over at him with a grin.

"Why were we speaking in overly formal tones?" I ask, my eyes sparkling.

"I'm not sure. But it fit the situation." He laughs. He then looks at me curiously. "Where is your bow and arrows?"

"Gone and never to be seen again." I sigh sadly. "That's alright though. We have to make our move now while he's trapped down here. I gather he is their leader due to how he commanded that other dude."

"Right. Well then, let's get going." Silas smiles widely.

We start running down the dark path, our shoes occasionally sinking into muddy puddles. There is excitement bubbling up inside me. Tonight we are really going for it and there will be no turning back. We follow the many different paths before the exit comes into view. This exit is the one close to the stairwell. The both of us crouch down, getting a game plan together. Me and Silas peek up.

There are three Military Police officers. Two of them are snoozing in chairs with bottles of beer held loosely in their hands, and one of them is awake and standing directly in front of the stairwell. With two of the three sleeping, this won't be hard at all. Silas looks to me.

"How are your gas tanks?"

"Dangerously low." I answer. "Yours?"

"I'm fresh out." He responds. His hands start fiddling with his 3DMG straps. "I think we should ditch these for now. We'll draw even more attention up there if we have this."

"I agree." I start undoing my straps and removing the gear. "If the Military Police up there are anything like the ones down here, we can get more gear easily if we need to."

"Yeah. Don't get distracted by pretty eyes." Silas gives me a teasing grin.

"I won't." My cheeks shade themselves a fiery pink. So he noticed. "They just were the brightest color I've seen. From here on out, I'll only see brighter colors."

"That you will." Silas nods his head. "Alright, quick and stealthy is our game plan now. Ready?"

"Ready."

We both silently crawl out of the hole. Our eyes look around in all directions, our vision linking together. The higher ups aren't anywhere in sight. Judging from how long the tunnel is I told Erwin to go down, they will be showing up soon. Me and Silas exchange a nod and sneak over to the edge of the large and brick stairwell.

Silas presses his back against the wall with a slight bend in his knees. He cups his hands together in front of him. I hurry forward and press my foot into the palms of his hands. With a inaudible grunt, he boosts me up. My fingers curl tightly around the edge of the brickwork as I pull myself up. I smile widely. I'm on the stairs. We are so close.

With light feet, I move down the steps and position myself behind the Military Police officer. I raise my fist in front of me and jab my knuckles as hard as I can into his nape. He drops unconscious. My eyes dart cautiously between the two slumbering officers. They don't stir. The overpowering smell of alcohol makes me take a guess that they'll be sleeping for a while. I wave Silas over. He jogs up the steps, looking as excited as I've ever seen him. He grabs my hand and we both run up the steps like children running to a toy store.

We reach the top of the stairs and the freshest air I ever breathed in fills my nose. We both crouch down when we see more Military Police. There are two standing on either side of the entryway. Silas nudges me, making me look over in his direction. He gestures for me to stay put and runs ahead. My eyes widen at his bold and audacious actions. In little to no time, he renders the Military Policemen unconscious. I scurry after him. Silas catches my stumped look.

"What? You always have my back." He grins.

"You just caught me off guard." I cross my arms, looking down at the sprawled out M.P.

"Don't look down," Silas says. My eyes move over him. He's pointing up. "Look up."

I tilt my head back, looking up at a completely new a breathtaking sight. My lips part. I'm staring up at the sky for the first time. I feel like I'm staring at something straight from a dream. Absentmindedly my feet carry me over so I'm settled beside Silas.

The sky is an exceedingly dark blue, almost resembling the color black itself. Scattered randomly yet beautifully across the sky are tiny and glowing white dots that twinkle. Stars. They twist and twirl in different patterns and shapes. It's endless. My eyes are drawn to the brightest and biggest dot in the sky, a crescent moon.

The air isn't warm and sticky, it's cold and refreshing. It's just right and is like nothing I've ever felt. My arm extends upwards, my palm over the moon and my fingers spread. I bend my fingers as if to grab it. So this is what it feels like on the surface.

There is no barricade over my head. There is a cold breeze that makes my clothing flutter. It's blowing in a certain direction like it wants me to follow. I'm no longer a tethered bird. We're no longer trapped in a forgotten wasteland. Me and Silas look over at each other with wide smiles. We did it. This is our first night beneath the stars.

"Looks like they were here." A faint voice sounds from the stairwell. That sounds like an annoyed Levi.

"They can't be too far then!" The girl exclaims.

"I smell them."

The happy faces me and Silas wore morph into panic. I don't doubt that the guy who goes by "Mike" can smell us. He smelled Erwin coming without having to look. Me and Silas take off into a desperate sprint down the road.

"He can smell us?" Silas whispers with raised brows. I nod, my throat feeling tight. We can't get caught. Not now. We've barely seen anything this world has to offer. "So he's like a bloodhound then?"

"I guess so." I breathe out as we run. Honestly I have no clue how his nose is so advanced. But then again, mine and Silas's eyes are advanced. I start bringing my cloak up and over my head. Underneath the long cloak I wear is a long sleeve shirt and cargo pants. "If that's the case…"

"Good thinking." Silas catches on to what I'm doing and starts taking his cloak off as well. "We'll toss these to trick his nose?"

"Yes." I throw my cloak down the road. Silas just drops his onto the ground before following me down a narrow alley.

"Ren, our shoes." Silas points to the muddy footprints the bottom of our worn footwear is leaving behind. We both kick our shoes off.

"Guess we'll be barefoot for a little while." I speculate, wincing when my feet step atop mini pebbles along the road. The ground is definitely more solid than what I'm used to.

"This really hurts." He gripes. My teeth clamp down on my tongue, silently agreeing with him. I might of laughed at this unfortunate situation if we weren't in serious trouble.

We turn down different alleys and roads, not having the slightest clue where we are going. I keep looking over my shoulder to see if those higher ups are there. My breath catches and I grab Silas's arm, tugging him behind a dumpster. Someone had flown over our heads with the 3DMG.

"What now? No way am I going back to the underground." Silas clenches his fists. "They'll find us eventually."

My jaw locks firmly. I don't want to go back down there either. However I don't think we'll get sent down there if we are caught. We'll be killed most likely. I stare at the dumpster next to us.

"Let's hide in here. Gross, I know, but they won't be able to spot us from above if we are concealed." I whisper.

"It's our only option right now. The horrid smell coming from that might throw that guy off who can smell like a dog too." He nods in agreement, quietly raising the lid. "...Ladies first."

"...Ugh." I crawl into the dumpster, holding my nose and crouching down on a trash bag. The smell is really overpowering. It's making my eyes water. Silas joins me and closes the top which leaves us in the dark. Our eyes adjust quickly.

"Spending the night in a dumpster." He grumbles, holding his nose. He suddenly grins. "It's so worth it though."

"Without a doubt." I beam.

"Ren, you're crying."

I look over at him with narrowed and watery eyes. Whatever's in this dumpster has to be rotting. Slowly, I can see water well up in his own eyes at the disgusting and irritating air.

"So are you. Go on Silas, let it out." I smirk. He elbows me in response. "Ow."

"You're funny, Serenity."

❤•○●○•❤

Here is a little information about my two main OCs.

Serenity Rose and Silas Rose are twins. They view life as a game and constantly challenge one another.

As for their bloodline abilities, they are master marksmen, they have enhanced eyesight and are able to link their vision together.

❤•○●○•❤

This will loosely follow the anime for a bit, I'm not all that familiar with the manga unfortunately. All I've watched was the anime. (︶︹︺)

Anyways, thank you for reading! :)