AN: So this was something I started on a whim at 3am for no apparent reason and decided to continue it. The entire premise is really... different for me? I'm not actually used to writing anything this AU, but we'll see how it goes. I'm nearly done with the second chapter if just for my own sanity of getting this out of my system, but I'd really like to hear what you guys think about this too! Next chapter will explain more on everything (because it would be a hell of a lot to explain in one sitting and this was already pushing 5k for words) and next chapter will include first interaction between Erwin and Levi.

With that said, thank you for reading~

Underground Sina

845

If he had any common sense, he wouldn't be here. Even among familiar broken buildings, walking around in this section of the Underground was not a good idea. In a way, the jagged rise and fall of masses around him was foreign; all houses, run down and lost at this point, beaten paths that led to nothing but dead ends, broken glass signifying a window or a bottle, the occasional animal dashing across the street — all of it was well known, even welcomed on the normal occasion. For the filth was his home, currently, and the only safe place of operation.

And he had a job to do.

There was one building he stopped before. One with a door slightly cracked, dead foliage around the front of it. Bleak grey brick was what he could make out in the lack of light, including a light coming from behind one of the shutters on the window. From where he stood, he couldn't hear a sound, but he would assume that both had already begun. As he stepped off of the main path, made his way towards the door, he was proved that assumption was correct. The closer he got, the more he could hear from inside. Voices, one male and one female, both rising and falling in what sounded like a petty argument.

Typical.

Decomposing wood was pushed, giving way to the interior of the hideout. Five knocks were placed on the wall as he shoved the door back into its usual state, his cloak removed and hung on the hook behind the door after. Right next to two others. One step taken further into the house, and he got two evenly spaced knocks in return. It came from the kitchen, and feet led him towards the sound. Memory stored the knocks as their sign of entry, their code for friend.

"You're late." fern rose from the table in the center of the room. A flaxen-headed male stood behind it, frowning as he rolled his sleeves up. There was a body on the table, unconscious. "Isabel's already run off to grab everything."

"You're kidding. I haven't even been gone that long."

An amused sound rose from the other. "No, you haven't. But we need to get started. Contract is going to be here within the hour, and we need to get this Being out of him—" tapped the temple of the unconscious boy's head. He couldn't be older than fourteen. "—before that happens. What did you find, Levi, anything?"

He shook his head, pulled one of the chairs out and away from the table completely. He propped it against the wall, sunk down into it. "Nothing. It's dead up there. Sina's pretty fuckin' quiet tonight; it's starting to get creepy."

"Maybe they're finally realizing something is going on." a new voice this time. Higher and feminine, followed by a shorter stature that walked into the room. Pigtails bounced as she made her way towards the table, dropped a burlap bag by the body's feet.

So it was beginning.

It was normal for them to work this way; in the middle of the night once the Capital was busy. It was easier to take then, grab one on a given list and bring them back to the forgotten Underground. What once was a prosperous district, it now lay in ruins. No one paid attention to it, and no one cared. Those who lived down there were considered nothing higher than the filth they lived in. They weren't worth becoming Chosen. They weren't worth a second glance. They would die off, and it wouldn't even matter.

For becoming Chosen meant being great. You were to give up your life, conform to what rules were laid out for you. You were to live as a shell for another… thing.

After modern technology had died out, only a small area was left untouched. Separated into three areas, Sina was at the utmost point. Directly in the center, surrounded by nothing but technology, was the better off area compared to the rest. At its outskirts was a barrier; what could be called a force field that rose high, domed the city in. The stars viewed were artificial, projected much like the time of day and the weather. Rain was generated, artificial. The air was the same. It was a cage. And in the center of the cage was their king.

Rose and Maria were next. Both the same, both under rule of Sina. Rose could be declared as middle class, if he truly thought hard on it. They were better off than those in Maria, given a normal life. Buildings there were cramped together, he heard, and the amount of beings was significantly less. He wasn't sure if the dome kept them in as well. Travel between cities were prohibited unless given a signed document stating otherwise.

Maria… got hit with it hard. He knew for a fact, as did everyone else who wasn't turned, that Maria was not a place to be. In the beginning of the year, a massive Detox had occurred. Farlan had referred to it as a Titan's clutch; where any remaining humans were taken custody, replaced with those Chosen. Those grabbed were forced into Sina, tucked away in a corner no one knew about. From there, they would either be changed, or be killed.

Levi wasn't sure which was more likely to happen at this point. He did know what these things were, at least.

With the fall of mankind came the first Being. Years before his own time, when the Beings had first showed up, the king was first. Rumor had it that the king was one of few survivors of the previous life — the life when it was just humans, living peacefully without these things — who had had the first Being take home within him. How the Being was generated, existed, was unknown. It wasn't an answered question. He ruled over all, had somehow led everything to how it was now, and that was that.

All a Being was was a form, essentially, that could be connected with a host. Inserted at the nape of the neck, the Being was a sort of wisp. Take it out, it looked almost like a cloud. Translucent, about the size of a palm. In the center would be a light, pulsed like a heartbeat, usually of gold. Projecting out were wire-like strands. Those attached to the nerves along the beginning of the spine, projected the Being out and into the human's body.

A human couldn't last more than a few months with constant contact with one. That which resided inside would take over, slowly smother and suffocate what soul its host had left. It would take command, become the human. They even had their own names. They would completely disregard anything about their host. They wouldn't care. As long as they lived, humanity didn't matter.

To become a host body, you were chosen. They had a list in their cushy offices, in the center of Sina — right outside the night-life district. Where the skyrise buildings surrounded that where the king resided — that they would pull from. Some said that it was random, other said that it was planned. Regardless, your name was broadcasted over TVs set up around town, projected in the sky underneath the clouds, and they would send Collectors after you. Those were stuck with the job of detaining you, bringing you to your designated area. The Underground had called them 'harvest farms', locations on the outside of Sina that would keep you for up to weeks before finally turning you. They had to run tests, choose a Being that would be compatible with your body. After that, you were brought to the center of Sina, placed in a white room with a doctor, and changed forever. Those Chosen were announced always within the first week of the month, broadcasted in groups of four throughout the day, and the last week. All turnouts of the events were the same.

It made him sick.

Which is why they did this. The Underground was perfect for their work, perfect to remain hidden. Some would call this a resistance movement. The three of them, still human, still untouched, were criminals. For the year since Maria had fallen, they had run their own job. It was a business ran behind closed doors, muttered under breath and exchanged in old envelopes with coins. Those who had loved ones would hire them to take the Being out, revert their Chosen back into who they were prior to corruption. The Being would be left out to die; it couldn't resume life if it didn't have a host body, and in order to do that, it had to be placed inside. A euthanized Chosen they were hired to fix, a back alley euthanization and removal, and it was done within the hour. No one checked the Underground, so they were safe. No one knew their names, only faces. It was a win-win situation, currently.

But word was making its way up and around the Capital and the other areas. Little business like this, resistance movements like this, were not tolerated. Those found guilty of this would be punished by death. And the more they ran this and inspired others of the Underground, other humans who wanted these creatures gone, the more their faces raised on the list of the Capital's most wanted.

Which is why they used a house not their own, were quick with their job. They worked by night, completed given job quickly, then would drop the fixed off with their Contact. The rest of the payment would be given, and the trio would pretend that nothing happened. It was a job they had begun once Maria had fallen, and one they had quickly grown accustomed to, even appreciated.

"Don't joke about that." words that brought Levi out of his thoughts, focused his attention back on the blond who shoved the girl back a little. Nothing more than a teasing motion, a silent word that procedures were about to begin. Grey tracked them, and Levi watched as Farlan picked up a scalpel from the bag. Isabel helped roll their patron over, expose the back of the neck. What drugs were injected into the owner's veins prior to the extraction were Sina's best. He had stolen them directly from the labs that would designate those Chosen.

"But what if it's true?" Isabel pressed again. Her hands rested against the boy's back, holding him down in case drugs wore off and the monster began to fight. "It's not like they haven't heard about us yet."

"Isabel—"

"What's gotten into you?" his turn to speak. Levi rose from the chair, stepped closer to where they were working. He kept his distance, glanced up at the light bulb that hung above the table. There was a pull cord that hung from the side, served as means to turn it on and off. Minor technology compared to up top, but appreciated nonetheless. At least this house had working electricity.

"I…" her hands faltered, rose slightly. The body shifted beneath them as scalpel pressed into skin, began to make the first cut. "I'm just thinking."

"Keep the thinking to yourself, Iss. This isn't the time to be doing so out loud. We have a job to do, and it's a job that needs to get done fast." Farlan again. A clink followed his words, creating a break as the scalpel was placed on a metal tray.

For a moment, there was something akin to a pout that crossed over her face, one that a gentle ruffle to her hair cured. Levi's palm found home in red tresses, shook gently, then moved back to his side. He watched them both work, stood by and observed. Tonight he was on watch, not involved in this case. Tonight both of them, these two who were his most trusted, were in charge of the job.

Farlan sighed, motioned for Isabel to roll his sleeves up more. "Almost done." said while she did as silent gesture asked. Then her hands were back against the boy's shoulders, holding him down.

The forceps were picked up next, slipped into the cut and into the body. The bleeding was being slowed by a cloth placed around the wound, previously covered in another substance grabbed from the labs. With that, the Chosen wouldn't bleed out, and wouldn't wake up with any repercussions besides slowly regaining a grasp on their reality.

"I think I got it." the forceps moved and bulged underneath the skin. Levi could hear the tapping of metal together, then nothing. "—there. Isabel, get the container."

A nod from her. The female moved away to dig back through the bag. A metal cylinder was brought back out, lid unscrewed. This was their typical disposal method; letting it suffocate in its own cage. From there, it would be tossed into the Underground's canal, carried along with the water outside of the city where no one would look. It was all too convenient.

He crossed towards the hideout's window, proceeded to peak outside of the wooden shutter. He paid enough attention to the other two to hear the flaxen continue to speak. "Funny, usually by now they start to fight back. You only gave him 20 milligrams of the stuff, right?"

A huff from Isabel. "Well, yeah, that's usually what it is."

"Then why is it quiet?"

Levi turned back to both then, frowned at the body still lying limp on the table. "Just hurry up and get this shit over with. The sooner we get the body out of here, the sooner we're going to be in the clear."

"But Levi—"

She was cut off by the sound of something outside of their home. What sounded like footfall caught his attention, pulled him into raising a finger to his lips. The wooden shutter was pushed open slightly again, enough for him to look outside. He could barely make out anything; just part of the alley that was adjacent to this side of the house. But… something seemed off.

"Farlan, hurry up."

Another nod given. The forceps pulled back, taking an object out with it. Transparent, the other side of metal could be seen through the body. Front of the instrument surrounded the Being's light, pulsating rapidly, much like that of a scared animal's heartbeat. For a moment, it remained still, quiet, and then one of the receptors hanging off of the end latched back into the hole it was removed from. There was a bead of light that travelled from center and back to the body, resulting in a shocked motion. The unconscious flailed at that, attempted to push Farlan and Isabel both away, remaining face down on the table.

It was then that his attention moved away from the window, and it was then that he rushed back and towards their side. One hand curled around the back of the boy's neck, held him down while he gestured with his free hand. "Hand those to her. Help me hold him down."

The boy struggled, the Being trying to get back into the open suture. While Isabel took over the task of pulling it out, Farlan and Levi kept the flailing boy down. One arm managed to hit the flaxen's stomach with enough force to send Farlan back. He stumbled, landed against the wall before his feet could regain balance. It left a startled Isabel and himself with the Chosen.

Two people could hold the younger down easily, even one would have been simple if it wasn't for what was trying to get back in. Another receptor joined the first, pulled it further from forceps. Levi cursed, attempted to avoid the hand that was trained on him with the goal of trying to shove him away. "Isabel! Hurry up!"

He watched as pigtails bobbed while she pulled, and she managed to dislodge the Being with a forceful tug. Isabel fell back to land on the ground. Her fingers were tightly wound around the handles, keeping their catch in place. The light was back to blinking rapidly, and the body fell limp.

Levi eased up. His hold moved off of the back and his arms fell to his sides. Still, a careful eye was kept on the unconscious while Farlan scrambled to grab the metal container. He pick it up, held it open for Isabel to drop the Being inside. As soon as that was done, the lid was screwed on, and the metal case was thrown away from them.

"They keep getting more and more difficult, don't they." Farlan wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. "This one was probably the worst yet. I don't think we've ever had that much trouble with one before."

Isabel nodded. She dug back through the bag to produce a needle and thread. Both were handed to the blond. "Maybe they're getting smarter."

"I guess it depends on how long a Being is kept in it's host, right? Dunno how long this one had, but hell; it could have been a while to have that much fight in it."

"As long as the damn thing is out of our hair now." Levi grabbed the container, turned it over in his palm. It was cold, silent. It had to be nearly dead by now. A testing shake produced no sound, no knocks against the sides in a vain struggle.

Good. It was gone.

"Want me to go toss it, chief?"

He turned his head at her voice. The usual grin that adorned her features was back in full force now; a solid conclusion to their job. That was his sign that it was over for now, or at least the gruesome part of it was. Levi shook his head and stepped past her. In a usual sign of affection, and a thanks for her help, he ruffled her hair again gently, dislodging some of the russet strands.

"I'll take care of it. You stay here with Farlan and help him clean the kid up. Last thing I want is our Contact bitching at us for not cleaning his ass."

He tucked the container underneath his arm to roll sleeves up to his elbows. Before he could get both down, however, a burning sensation began. It started under his arm and against his side, gradually moving from uncomfortable to something akin to actually being on fire. The raven dropped it and immediately stepped back from it.

By now, the metal was red. Where the lid connected with the base was steam, slowly beginning to billow from the crack. Moments later, the lid snapped off, careened to the other side of the room where it hit the wall between Farlan and Isabel.

"Shit! Levi! Get away from it!"

Too late.

From deep within the metal came a loud screeching sound. It began on a low note, rose to a high one that had him putting hands over his ears. Restarted. Repeated. Over and over again.

"What is that?" he heard Isabel's voice over it, near muted by the ringing that was continuing in his ears and with the siren that continued.

He knew what it was, and it had clicked all too quickly. He should have realized something was wrong when the thing stopped struggling as soon as it was imprisoned.

And then the sound died down, and he knew they were in trouble.

For a moment, the silence was almost terrifying. It had shaken all of them up, sent their logical path of action astray. Levi didn't move. He stood by the container, looked around the rest of the hideout. There was no sound outside, not even wind against the windows. It was dead, and it was a familiar warning. One he had been told about, heard around town all too many times.

Farlan lowered his hands from his ears, placed one on Isabel's shoulder. "Levi?"

"We're surrounded."

And just like that, the door to their hideout was kicked in. Trailing after that was the sound of certain stomps, running through the entry hall of the rundown building and towards the trio's location. Levi knew it all too well, had heard of this happening to too many people.

Yet the three of them had never been caught. In their year of doing this, of building names for themselves and becoming part of the most wanted, they had never been captured.

"Do what they say. Don't talk. Let me deal with this."

The windows came next. Too small to have someone fit in, they could still be a resting place for a weapon. The shutters slammed against the wall on either side, red painting the side of his body, Isabel's, and Farlan's.

Captured.

"Levi—" she sounded scared.

Those who had rushed in came next. One row knelt in the wide entrance to the kitchen, trained guns in their hands on them as well. Everything surrounding them was red, aimed and ready to fire if need be.

"Hands up! Don't move!" one of the frontline officers shouted behind his mask. A glance was spared at him, showed familiar insignia on the shoulder; a unicorn's head.

They had sent in the Military Police to grab them.

Fugitives now.

Levi contemplated on listening. If he didn't, then he would be killed right here. There was a fifty-fifty chance that the ammunition in their guns of choice for the evening were either actual bullets, or tranquilizer shots. Either way, the outcome would still be the same. They would be hauled off to the innermost of Sina for their punishment in either a body bag, or with the price of being Changed.

Slowly, his hands rose of their own accord, hung limply, halfway in the air. The other two did the same, Farlan remaining by the younger's side as a pair of officers moved in, ripped them apart from each other. Levi tracked the motion of two more that came for him. A rough grab was placed on both arms, forced him to the ground. Motions were mirrored for the other two, handcuffs placed with a loud click.

The only unmasked person strode into the room, stopped by the table and the unconscious boy. Short, choppy black hair, stubble around his face would prove to be the Commander. Nile touched the spot where the Being had been removed, clicked his tongue.

"You three have been avoiding us for a while now. I assume that your Contact said that he would be here to retrieve the young sir within the hour, correct?" there was an almost mocking undertone to words, said with an obvious bite. "I'm surprised you three believed him. You should have known something was off about this one, but, perhaps, you were too busy rushing and believing you were invincible to notice." his hand turned the boy's head to face Levi, parted some hair in the back. Their symbol — the unicorn's head — was printed into skin.

The boy had been bait for groups like them. For groups who rose against the Beings.

Levi's teeth ground together. He should have known.

Nile was a Chosen, made even more obvious by the toothy grin that was given, an inhuman flash behind his eyes as he stepped before Levi, leaned down to pick up the container. He reached within it, pulled out the dead, translucent pile.

"You killed one of us, you know. It had a life."

"It had jack shit." he growled in return, cut the Commander off.

"You just don't understand, do you?" one of the men behind Levi grabbed the base of his neck, forced him to look at Nile as he rose. "I don't expect you to. You don't even know what you're dealing with. Cutting out Beings from Chosen is punishable by death. I could have them kill you now and not have any remorse. You three have been at the top of our lists for a while for those needing to be detained. We were just waiting for a slip up, and you took it." The dead shell was dropped to the ground. Stepped on. "Which one of you made the deal with the contact?"

Levi could see Isabel sink in an attempt to escape the guilt that undoubtedly hit her with the words spoken. It was her, and perhaps she had noticed the mark on the back of the boy's head. Perhaps that's why she had been so quick to question things earlier. She had been scared, and neither himself nor Farlan had picked up on the signs. They were just as at fault for this as she was. However, if Nile figured that out, pieced together her sudden lack of struggle, then she would be the one to be changed first. That's how their punishment worked.

"I did." he spat, drew attention away from the other two and back towards himself. "I did, and I was about to dump the creature's corpse where you wouldn't find it."

Push him. Make him angry, but not at them. Keep both of them out of this.

"Were you?" Nile asked. "Pity you won't make it that far." he stepped away with that, clasped hands behind his back. "The three of you are being brought in. Maybe it's time to take the initiative and change the other little resistance groups a lesson. What better way than to start with the three responsible for it?"

No…

Levi was hauled to his feet by the two on either side, roughly shoved forward. The same thing happened with Isabel and Farlan, the former of two struggling more and more.

"No! Let me go!"

"Knock them out. It'll be easier that way. Just make sure you get them into the truck. I don't care if they're together or not; they won't be our problem for much longer."

One of the masked officers nodded and pulled a package out of his back pocket. Inside were syringes, similar to that of which had been previously stolen. Levi knew what was in it without needing explanation. It was a sleep sedative, and a strong one. It would keep them knocked out for a couple of hours, maybe even more if the dose was too much. Not like they would care; as long as they were silent until they reached their appointed destination, it would be fine.

It made him sick.

Isabel came first. They managed to jab her arm, inject fluid into the redhead's system. It took a moment, made her motions groggy, yelling stop, before she slumped forward and against the officer on her left. They picked the young girl up and roughly threw her over their shoulder.

"Isabel!"

A pain in his arm before he could attempt to break free and rush over. Levi watched the syringe, fought against the bruising grip that both had begun to administer to him. It hurt, and the pain mixed with a numbing feeling that slowly trailed into his veins. It was like a cold rush of water, sweeping along every fiber of his being. The need to fight faded, replaced by a coaxing need for sleep.

He knew that if he fell for that, then he would be done. He would have given up, have lost.

The two beside him dragged him out of the kitchen, back through the hallway and towards the front door. In front of the broken house were two cars with a van behind both. From dotted black vision, he watched Isabel be lifted into it, followed by Farlan. The door was kept open, left for him to be raised and thrown into the back as well. His head made contact with the metal floor, sent a strong rush of pain through him, but he couldn't move. All he could do was watch as the door was shut behind them, hear it be locked, and hear the engine of the van start up.

As dappled sight faded into utter darkness, he realized that they would not be returning here. They would never return to their home.

For once the boundary between Underground and Capitol was breached, there was no return. Not when they were branded criminals, and would be treated as such.

Or worse, they would be changed into that of Chosen.

From here, they would be taken to a Harvest location, shoved into the depths of a lab in the Capitol while they decided on what Being would be compatiable with him, and what two would be compatible for the others.

They would suffer the worst punishment of them all. They would have their lives, their memories of each other, and their souls stripped away minute by minute until nothing was left, and their body was left as a reminder.

They would be Chosen.

And that was the worst fate of them all.